The participants in the Shamrock Shuffle Road Race had been waiting for the event for a number of years, and adding two hours was not going to make a difference for them. The famous 5k race, which was co-sponsored by the Watertown Parks and Recreation Department and Ordinary Joe’s Running Club, was originally scheduled to begin at the Polk School at 10 a.m. on March 11. However, the start time was pushed back to noon so that road crews could have enough time to clear the start/finish area as well as the roads along the 3.5-mile course of the ice and snow that had fallen during the previous night and early in the morning on March 11.
Everything was ready to go by the time the kids’ mini-shuffle began the day at nine in the morning, and at ten in the morning, starter Joe Romano shouted the famous words: “Get set….go!”
The 10th anniversary event, which saw more than 300 runners and walkers break exuberantly away, began in brisk weather with a temperature of 38 degrees. At that very moment, the past was forgotten, and the race began.
It didn’t take too long for the men’s and women’s champions to arrive, perhaps because of the chilly conditions. Stephen Fengler set a new men’s record by finishing in 19:08, and Elizabeth Fengler was the top female finisher, crossing the line seventh overall among the 275 finishers with a time of 22:49. Stephen Fengler set a new men’s record by finishing in 19:08. Elizabeth Fengler was the top female finisher.
As is customary, the funds raised by the race were donated to charitable organizations. This year, the funds will be distributed as follows: to the Water-Oak Circle of Sports for the purpose of funding two scholarships; to the Watertown High School Black Magic Robotics Team; to the Watertown High School Theater program; and to Project Graduation, which is responsible for organizing a risk-free graduation celebration for the students of Watertown High.
These four organizations and programs were selected because they put forth a lot of effort to generate money on their own in order to support their activities and events. The annual road race draws in roughly 1,100 runners each year, and throughout the course of its existence, it has contributed more than $80,000 to charitable causes and community groups in the area.
On this particular day, though, everybody came out on top; it was just another indication that life is getting back to normal after what still feels like a nightmare.