Dalton — With sunny skies and temperatures nearing 70 degrees, competitors in the 46th annual May Day Race couldn’t have asked for a better Sunday morning.
The May 7 event, which was organized by Dalton Community Recreation Association and held at Nessacus Middle School, included certified 5K and 10K races. The routes have remained the same for the last decade. Two races for children, Obstacles and Popsicles and the Splatter Sprint, were also featured at the event, with the former involving an obstacle course followed by a popsicle reward and the latter as a color race. Gift certificates to local restaurants were awarded to top finishers in various categories.
“It’s a really nice family event because there’s something for everyone, whether you’re a youngster or you’re 65 years old,” said Executive Director of the Dalton Community Recreation Association Alison Peters. Funds raised by the May Day Races benefit the CRA, a non-profit organization that provides programs to residents in central Berkshire County.
“We serve a lot more than just Dalton,” Peters said. “We have people from all over central Berkshire that use the CRA and participate in our events.”
The CRA focuses largely on children and families, sponsoring programs such as an Easter egg hunt, lawn concerts, and a Halloween family walk. The facility’s offerings include an after-school program, a youth drop-in program, a club that helps middle and high schoolers develop leadership skills, and programming for individuals with special needs. The building incorporates a fitness center, basketball court, and indoor swimming pool.
“Build that sense of community, that’s really what we’re trying to do,” Peters said. “Underlying all of these programs is to help people make friends and feel welcome and create that sense of community.”
And the May Day Races event exemplifies the association’s goal.
“[The races] are all about families coming out, seeing your friends, your neighbors, doing healthy things together,” Peters said.
This year marks two anniversaries for the CRA as the community center celebrates its 100th year and one of the kids competitions–Obstacles and Popsicles–marks its 20th year. Long-sleeve black and gold wick shirts were provided to 5K and 10K participants as a nod to the celebrations.
Initially, the children’s race was small and not well attended, Peters said. So, she took on the children’s race job the following year. Brainstorming with her two children, the family reflected on what activities they enjoyed: running obstacles and eating popsicles.
“And that’s how it got its name,” Peters said. “Twenty years ago our kids were young and they really helped build [Obstacles and Popsicles].”
Although the number of entrants dropped during COVID, Peters said those numbers “are slowly coming back.” For 2023, the number of pre-registered participants–120 children and 80 adults as of May 5–was greater than the number of participants who pre registered in 2022. Peters said those numbers were expected to climb by 50 percent for race day registrations.
“I think that this is going to be a good year, probably not the biggest ever, but this is going to be a good year,” she said. Ninety-seven individuals received bib numbers for the 5K and 10K races on Sunday.
When Boston University student and club team runner Emelyn Theriault saw that the sun was out on Sunday morning, she pivoted her plans for the day so she could join her Pittsfield parents in the May Day Races. It turned out to be a smart move as the 21-year-old took the top prize for the first female to cross the 10K finish line in 43:52.02.
“Boston doesn’t really prepare me for the hills that I find here,” Theriault said following the race. “It was a really great course. Awesome weather.”
She comes from an active family, with her mother and father both competing in the race as well. Her mother, Fabienne Theriault, was last year’s 10K top finisher. Although the event wasn’t in her daughter’s plans, that last-minute decision may have worked to her benefit. “Maybe that’s the strategy, you know, just come in,” Emelyn said, adding that the race also serves as a bonding opportunity for her family.
Dalton’s Alex White took the top prize in the men’s 10K category in 34:40.29, a two-peat from last year’s event and an improvement in time. “It was a little hot,” he said. “I was going for sub-34 (minutes). Not quite what I wanted, but I get that motivation to get back out there.”
White, a 21-year-old student at the University of Massachusetts, competed in this year’s Boston Marathon, but, for him, a local race “is really special.”
“It’s basically like running in my backyard,” he said. “I did a lot of runs around here last year. I solely trained my long runs in Dalton. So it really feels like home.”
For Hinsdale’s Brayden Ryan, a Nessacus cross-country team member, the 5K competition was a chance for him to finally finish ahead of his mentor, dad Bruce Ryan. He hit the finish line in 21:58.38 to win the Male 19 – Under division. Lucas Wildrick topped the 5K competition for a second year as Overall Male Runner in 19:43.47 and Charlene Auger as Overall Female Runner in 23:58.68. “I just wanted to keep up with the people I saw ahead of me,” Brayden said. “But my other main goal was to beat [Bruce].”
He credits his personal victory to a training regimen as well as an uptick in height. “Back in the day, before COVID, [Bruce] would always win,” Brayden said. “After I’ve been going to the gym, doing cross-country and a growth spurt, I managed to pass his pace.”
But the two can still sit at the same table. “[That made me feel] sad,” said Bruce, who recorded a time of 25:20.32, winning the Male 60-69 division. “I was pretty happy that he did well.”
Sixty-one-year-old Dalton-resident Barbara McMahon said she’s been a part of this race for years, beginning when her now-grown children were small. A member of the Berkshire Running Center, she’s now continuing that tradition. “(Running) keeps me not only physically well but mentally well,” McMahon said. “It’s social and fun.”
Her goal for the 10K? “To finish, to finish is to win,” McMahon said. She garnered second place in the Female 60-69 division.
Although Molly Kunde has enjoyed the children’s races in the past, the 5K was a first for the fifth-grader. Her mom, Amanda Kunde, partnered with the Craneville Elementary School student in the longer stretch as “a fun way to start the Spring.”
With about 75 humans and a slew of canines, Haddad Auto Group was well represented at the race by company employees and their families. “We come out every year,” Marketing Director Beth Maturavich said. The walking team has been involved in the event for the past 15 years, with the group growing in numbers each race.
“Haddad’s mission is to consistently do as much as possible for the community and anytime we can help programs that involve kids, the Dalton CRA, that is a huge important mission for them,” she said.
In addition to registration fees, the funds raised from the event stem from sponsorships including this year’s major sponsor Greylock Federal Credit Union, along with Compuworks and Berkshire Health Systems, Peters said.
Mark Kaley, Greylock’s Contact Center Vice President, cites his company’s community involvement as the impetus for the program’s contribution.
“Greylock is heavily involved in the community, a big part of the CRA in Dalton,” he said. “Just from a wellness standpoint, it’s a beautiful day out here. (Let’s) get people out, encourage people to walk, run, anything they can do to improve their physical health, their mental health as well.”
Peters said the net profit from May Day Races historically has been around $6,000-$7,000.
“This race really takes a lot of work and we couldn’t do it without our volunteers,” she said, noting the involvement of the Wahconah High School track and field teams, local Boy Scout troops, the CRA Leaders Club and sponsoring businesses and farms. “It really is this great community-wide event.”
See the complete results for Sunday’s races, courtesy of Bernie Klem.
10K Race
- Alex White, 34:40
- Stefan Ogle, 41:31
- Emelyn Theriault, 43:52
- Christina Korney, 44:27
- April Pitroff Varellas, 45:23
- Jonathan Hunt, 46:47
- Christine Arace, 47:01
- Fabienne Theriault, 47:10
- Christopher Barry, 47:30
- Anna Peters, 48:33
5K Race
- Lucas Wildrick, 19:43
- Matt Fontaine, 20:18
- Mike Guilian, 21:05
- Zachary Carpenter, 21:10
- Michael Candilore, 21:44
- Brayden Ryan, 21:58
- Charlene Auger, 23:58
- Josh Hasty, 24:42
- Bruce Ryan, 25:20
- Ashley Hynes, 26:10
Kids’ Splatter Sprint 1 Mile Race
- Lucas Kunde, 8:26
- Nicholas Jerebtsov, 8:28
- Marcel Toro, 8:29
- Jack Smith, 8:52
- Addison Wilkinson, 8:57
- Jack Sonsini, 8:59
- Clay Whitney, 9:00
- Mabyn Gorman, 9:07
- Devin Wendling, 9:08
- Aiden Roots, 9:46
Kids’ Obstacles & Popsicles 1/2 Mile Race
Age 3 Boys
- Luca McDermott, 7:28
- Nolan Touponce, 7:31
- Logan Ferry, 9:45
Age 3 Girls
- Thomas Flynn, 8:25
- Evie Kelly, 9:18
- Lucy Cooper, 9:25
Age 4 Boys
- Greyson Garner, 6:18
- Ashton Guilian, 7:24
- Connor Harris, 7:34
Age 4 Girls
- Maisey Reed, 5:47
- Johanna Sheran, 6:38
- Mara Shreve, 6:46
Age 5 Boys
- Jake Vosburgh, 5:05
- Wesley Smegal, 6:11
- Jameson Sawtelles, 6:38
Age 5 Girls
- Cecelia Polson, 6:04
- Avalina Wilkinson, 6:05
- Rainey Kovacs, 6:06
Age 6 Boys
- Max Sokolowski, 5:24
- Everett Sondrini, 5:55
- Jax Garner, 6:23
Age 6 Girls
- Juliana Anastasio, 5:18
- Maximus Reed, 5:58
- Juliana Simon, 5:59
Age 7 Boys
- Eli Giulian, 5:20
- Jackson Rambutis, 5:33
- Prestley Garner, 5:56
Age 7 Girls
- Eva Esposito, 5:18
- Avery Mead, 5:57
- Namalia Ayinbora, 5:58
Age 8 Boys
- Richard Sokolowski, 4:49
- Franklin Krol, 5:46
- Nicholas Strout, 8:19
Age 8 Girls
- Makena Ayinbora, 4:40
- Lena Kelly, 5:06
- Brooklyn Renderer, 5:11
