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Massachusetts > Heartbreak Hill Half Marathon & Purple Shoes Challenge
Newton, MA

   

Date

Sunday, May 15, 2011


 
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

To reserve your spot in the spring 2011 running of Newton's Heartbreak Hill Half Marathon & Purple Shoes Challenge, register online at the event website.


Website

www.heartbreakhillhalfmarathon.com


Half Marathon Course Map





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