Tradition with tweaks: Course, distance, time changes, but it's still your Fred Warren Road Race later this month in Holden

They keep telling us that 60 is the new 50.

For the midsummer Holden traditiion that is the Fred Warren Road Race, 60 shall be the new nifty.

While the event continues to honor the late Fred Warren, the longtime Wachusett Regional track coach and founder of what became the Central Mass Striders, plenty has changed for this year, and very well could enhance the popularity of the race.

"We were hoping to attract a bigger group of people," said Nicole McGurin, who with Andrea Berger are race co-directors for their fifth year, in conjunction with Central Mass Striders. "We haven't been able to grow the race, so hopefully we'll be able to attract people outside the Central Mass Striders."

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This year's event, the 60th, remains on the last Sunday of July — the 30th this time around the sun — but instead of the start in twilight, the 5K race goes off at 10:30 a.m.

You read that right — 5K. The 5.5-mile tract of years past is replaced by a 3.1-mile course that will include part of the old route, though that part of Bailey Road will be a welcome downhill spurt.

New course, new distance, new time — and a new location, with the start, finish and race headquarters at Seven Saws Brewing Company at 112 Industrial Drive, about a mile from the old start at the old Friendly's on Main Street.

Call it a bend, not break of tradition — former race director Gordon Warren, Fred's son and Hall of Fame former track coach at Shrewsbury High, has offered his nod of approval. Today's race organizers are emphasizing the desire to bring along younger runners to the event, and the 5K can be considerably more appealing than the 5.5-miler.

"To run a 5K, which is ideal for the cross-country runner, that's a neat connection, to get more high school kids out," Warren said. "That's ideal."

Many, many Wachusett running greats have frequented the event throughout the years, including brothers Graham, Jeremy and Colin Bennie, the All-American out of Syracuse who was the top U.S. finisher at the 2021 Boston Marathon.

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"We're trying to keep the spirit of the race throughout, and attract that student population," said McGurin, who noted the student entry fee is just $15, with that middle and high school youths from other school districts can make their way to Holden.

A portion of the proceeds from the race will be donated to the Central Mass Striders Scholarship Fund.

And while the old 6:30 p.m. start came just after the heat of the day, precipitation at that time always was of concern, and late morning can be brighter before the clouds roll in.

"This will be a lot more favorable temperature-wise," McGurin said. "The last two years we've avoided them, but most years we find ourselves with some kind of thundershowers threatening."

"Ideally, more kids could be up in the morning running," Warren said. "It's a great move."

The location and support of Seven Saws Brewing Company is a welcome addition. Restrooms there will be available before, during and after the race, and the business will be open post-run.

"We're excited about our new starting area," McGurin said. "It's a nice setup for post-race, prizes and timing."

The plotted course is "relatively flat for Holden," she added, and there is one water stop midway through the race. Refreshments and food trucks will be on hand afterward, while all are chilling to the tunes of local band Midnight Riders.

"We can now present a more festive ending, as opposed to (functioning in) a parking lot," McGurin said.

"Traffic in Holden then isn't what it it now," said Warren, who noted there were minor changes to the longer course over the years. "You've got to meet whatever the needs are for the time on the course."

"The reaction has been mostly positive," said McGurin, who reported 62 have registered through early in the week. "People are excited to try the new course.

"Of course, there are those serious distance runners who think it's nice to have longer than a 5K, but they're still signing up."

Some 115 registered to run last year, and the hope is to top that number by plenty in 2023. T-shirts are available to the first 125 to sign up.

McGurin and Berger had considered last year initiating some of these changes for the 2022 race but opted to prepare them for the 60th, while moving forward plenty prepared and without rush.

"We're glad we've been able to continue the tradition, and to give the cross-country runners a quality tuneup for the season," McGurin said. "And we're gradually involving more of our Holden businesses, which is good."

"The mere fact the the Central Mass Striders decided to keep the race going, we're so elated to see the race continue," Warren said. "The changes, (CMS) is much more in contact with today's runners; I leave it to their expertise."

Warren also reflected on how his dad was thrilled on race day in his later years, cheering on each and every runer as they passed.

"He was so excited to see the kids," Warren said of his father, who passed away in 2019 at age 95. "That made his day."

And in keeping with tradition, as the student entry fee is most reasonable, so is the adult rate — $20 for pre-entry and $25 on race day.

Visit cmsrun.org for information, including a course map, and online and mail-in applications. For further info, email McGurin at nicole.mcgurin@gmail.com or Berger at andreab264@gmail.com.

—Contact John Conceison at john.conceison@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @ConceisonJohn.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: 60 shall be nifty for enhanced Fred Warren Road Race in Holden