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Massachusetts > Heartbreak Hill Half Marathon & Purple
Shoes Challenge
Newton, MA
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Date
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Event
Details
A brief stretch of the course used each year at the Boston Marathon --
including its famed "Heartbreak Hill" -- makes up part of the hilly and
challenging 13.1 miles of the Katie Lynch Heartbreak Hill Half Marathon
& Purple Shoes Challenge, named for the foundation begun in her
honor to assist children and adults with disabilities and to help them
achieve their goals, whether athletic or otherwise.
Katie Lynch first became known in 2001, when she walked 26.2 feet in
that spring's Boston Marathon and raised more than $27,000 for
Children's Hospital Boston. The reason her feat was so special is that
Katie was born with dwarfism, and she stood only 28 inches tall; in an
interview with a local television station, she said she had dedicated
herself to raising the money and competing in the race so that others
who saw her would be inspired and come to realize what she knew so
well, "that every human
being is worth it."
Inspired so many were by her words and effort, and
though she sadly passed away in the fall of 2002, her family and
friends keep her memory alive through the Katie Lynch Foundation, and
the Heartbreak Hill Half Marathon. The race takes runners along some of
the Boston area's favorite running routes, including a stretch past the
campus of Boston College and near the Newton Commonwealth Golf Course.
More than 300 runners crossed the finish line at the race's spring 2009
running, which also was its inaugural running. As participants from the
race can attest, it's definitely a hilly course but also a scenic one,
and runners no doubt will get a little thrill of being able to run
Heartbreak Hill without actually having to qualify for the real Boston
Marathon!
Race
Weather & Climate
Located in the eastern part of the state, about 10 miles west of
Boston, the city of Newton typically experiences moderately cool to
mild weather conditions in the spring, with relatively even, ample
precipitation (both rainfall and snow) throughout the year. In May, the
area's average monthly temperatures range between 67°F and
47°F, while rainfall totals average just under 3.8 inches for
the month, making May among the driest months of the year in Newton.
Fees
N/A
Registration
Registration for the spring 2009 running of Newton's Heartbreak Hill
Half
Marathon & Purple Shoes challenge is now closed, as the event
has completed. Please check back
for updated information on the 2010 running of the race.
Website
www.heartbreakhillhalfmarathon.com
Course Map
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Share
Your Race Story
Ever run in Massachusetts' Heartbreak Hill Half Marathon? Share
your impressions and read fellow runners' stories
and tips for the event.
Post your comments in Runner Reviews for the Heartbreak Hill Half
Marathon
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