Fourth of July Road Race Draws Thousands to Gillette Stadium

There is something special about the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care 10K. Ask any of the 3,400 runners/walkers and they’ll tell you its special. The race, now in its second year, gives runners a tour of Foxborough and finishes inside Gillette Stadium. With its flat design and scenery, the course has received the praise of some well-known names.

“The course is a beautiful course, very pretty. It goes through the town and country type roads. That’s real road racing and it was fun to come though the stadium,” said local running legend Bill Rodgers. 

Rodgers, who is a 4-time Boston Marathon and 4-time New York Marathon winner, was on hand to run in the 10k. At age 63 and still running, Rodgers is excited to see a racing opportunity like this.

“To finish it at the stadium is unique. It’s an opportunity for people to come here and crank out where the Patriots crank out and do their best and be an athlete,” said Rodgers.

Rodgers was not the only familiar Boston Marathon runner to compete in the 10k. Team Hoyt raced in Foxborough for the first time. The inspiration father/son teams of Dick and Rick Hoyt are no strangers to racing with this race being their 1,051st race.

“What makes its special is it's a Gillette Stadium,” said Dick Hoyt. 

Hoyt also had kind words for race director and supporter Dave McGillivray. 

“Then you got Dave McGillivray who is the best race director in the world. He’s a big support of us and he’s the one who’s got us doing triathlons and stuff, so we had to come down and do this,” said Hoyt.

The main attraction of the day was the chance to run through the Gillette Stadium tunnel and on to the field. For Foxborough resident Andrea Bagley, it was an experience she was looking forward to. Racing to the tunnel, Bagley was hoping that her familiarity of the streets of Foxborough would help her. 

“I know where we’re going so that helps a little bit. I think I know where the shade is so that’s good,” joked Bagley.

As is often with many road races on the Fourth of July, costumed runners take to the course to not only race but make things fun. Matt Curtis is one of those people who likes to make things fun. The 26-year -old from Brookline dressed up in a Captain America suit and ran not only in costume, but also with the character’s signature shield.

"I got this for Halloween probably about 3-4 years ago. I wore it for a couple other races and realized that the Fourth of July is the perfect opportunity,” said Curtis.

While the suit may make things fun for everyone, it can be challenging to wear a heavy costume in hot weather for over 6 miles.

“It was brutal. Nothing really gets out of here and I got a few pounds of insulation but it gets people pumped up, lets people have fun,” said Curtis.   

Olympic Triathlon athlete Jarrod Shoemaker walked away with the win and a new course record. The Sudbury, Massachusetts native, who now resides in Maynard, Massachusetts, crossed the finish line with a time of 32:03. In second place was Alex Gomes of Peabody, MA with a time of 33:29. In third place was Kevin Alliette of Methuen MA with a time of 34:30

In the Women’s division, Megan Ping of Winona, Minnesota 
took first with a time of 39:18. In second place was Kara Lynne Leonard of Canton, MA with a time of 39:49. Third place finisher Anisa Arsenault, who finished in 40:43, followed her.

Michael Dolan was the first Foxborough resident to cross the finish line. Dolan finished in 64th place with a time of 41:34.