43rd Montague Mug Race on tap for Saturday

Runners kick off at the start of a past Montague Mug Race in Montague Center. The event returns for the 43rd edition on Saturday. PHOTO BY DAN LITTLE
Published: 08-15-2024 3:36 PM |
The 43rd Montague Mug Race gets underway on Saturday.
The 5.5-mile road race begins at 8:30 a.m. at Village Common in Montague. The two-mile mini mug race/walk begins at 8:35 a.m.
As always, pewter mugs are awarded to the top male/female finishers while coffee mugs are given to the top finishers in each division.
“We’re right on schedule,” race director Ann Fisk said. “Everyone is lined up to fill our volunteer slots. We’re about where we were last year in terms of registrations.”
Montague resident Michael Keebler was the winner on the men’s side last year, completing the course in a time of 29 minutes, 8 seconds, which was nearly a course record. He’ll be back this year to defend his title and attempt to break the course record.
“It was the first year [Keebler] ran the race and he was only one minute off the course record,” Fisk said. “The record goes back to the 80s with Kenny Koscinski holding the record. A lot of people have come close but we had some top notch runners back then.”
Maggie Noble, a Los Angeles resident who was visiting a friend in Greenfield last year, was the winner on the women’s side in 2023. That showcases that the race draws from everywhere, while still keeping a local feel.
“We’ve had a lot of great runners come to Montague,” Fisk said. “It’s a great course. We have a lot of people who come back and return to run it. We also have new people who sign up who are just passing through the area or visiting family and friends. It’s a race that can appeal to everyone.”
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After having over 70 racers compete last year, Fisk said she’s hoping to raise that number on Saturday.
“The goal is to get between 80 and 100 runners,” Fisk said. “We get a lot of last minute sign-ups. People want to check the weather first so hopefully we get a nice day.”
From where the race started to now, Fisk said it’s grown each year as it continues to add sponsors to bring in new features.
“I dug out the flyer the other day from our first race in 1981,” Fisk said. “It was called the Old Home Day Race because we hadn’t come up with our catchy name to try to sell it. The entry fee was only two dollars and we only had two sponsors. Now, we have enough sponsors to cover expenses and can easily put the race out as it gets more expensive each year.”
Runners can register online at runreg.com. Proceeds benefit the Montague Fire Association and Congregational Church.
“Come over and have a good time,” Fisk said.