Sunday Run

Last week about 40 runners set out for a nice flat course on a relatively comfortable Sunday morning with Lake Quannapowitt as the long run destination. This week we’ll be heading out on a similar route to Horn Pond in Woburn. There will be a few extra miles and we’ll introduce you to a major Winchester hill you will visit a few times through the training season. If you’re running short, consider carpooling out to water stop 1 and starting your run from there for a chance to see the more interesting part of the run.

The route starts at Brueggers and runs down Main Street in Melrose, past Dunkin Donuts, to West Wyoming Ave. Turn right there, running into Stoneham, past Grimsby’s, and up Pond Street to Spot Pond. Turn left, run past the Stone Zoo, straight out across Main Street in Stoneham, past Friendly’s onto North Border Road which becomes Park Street after you cross the on ramp to I-93. At a set of lights, turn left on to Marble Street which becomes Forest Street as you cross I-93 into Winchester. Along the left you’ll find Eugene Drive and Water Stop 1.

If you’re running short you’ll turn back on Forest, to Marble and go straight through the set of lights at Park. Marble will take you back to Main Street where you’ll cross on to Summer Street. This road will go through one set of lights and then curve over to some lights on Franklin Street. Turn right there, pass Stoneham High School, and continue all the way to Main Street in Melrose. Turning right on Main and head back to Brueggers.

Long runners will leave water stop 1 heading down a long downhill along Forest Street to a set of lights at Washington Street, where the Ginger Bread Construction Company. Turn left on Washington and then a right at the set of lights onto Cross Street. This will bring you from Winchester to Woburn, where you’ll turn right on Main Street. Cross over to the opposite side of Main and take a left on Lake Street. Lake Street, oddly enough, will bring you to Horn Pond (not a lake). The parking lot at the southern end of the lake will be on the right, and there you will find water stop 2.

After replenishing your fluids, and using the public restrooms if needed, run a clockwise loop around Horn Pond following the path out of the parking lot, along a path on the western side of the pond. There will be a few left turns that head into trails, don’t take those unless you’re trying to get lost. Unless you want to get wet, wait until you get to Water Street at the opposite end of the pond to take a right turn. Water street will take you to a hill where some choose to take a path on the right to cut the corner but the official route goes up the hill to a right turn on Arlington Road. This will bring you past a school (see if you can find the markers for the planets along the sidewalk) back to Lake Street. If you need a drink, you can head back to Water Stop 2 with a right on Lake, otherwise take a left and head back the way you came: Lake Street, right on Main, quick left on Cross back to Washington. At Washington Street, take a left and then a right at the Gingerbread Construction Company onto Forest Street. Run up, up, and more up to Eugene Road where the water stop will be waiting for you.

After the water stop you’ll follow the same route the shorter route runners ran. Forest onto Marble, cross Main Street in Stoneham to continue straight on to Summer, right on Franklin, right on Main Street in Melrose and back to Brueggers.

With either 7 or 14 miles under your belt, sit back and have a cup of coffee and a bagel and enjoy the post-run satisfaction of a job well done.

The water stop plan is that Tom, Hank and I will be at your service once again.

A little planning ahead. Next week I won’t be around on Sunday. My trusted assistant Lois won’t be available either. I believe Tom and Hank will be around to do water stops, I’ll post the route, but I will need someone to collect money and send the runners out. Volunteer?

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 29th, 2017 at 9:06 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.