Everett Hackett, a 2008 graduate of West Hartford’s Hall High School, set a new course record of 15:28 in Sunday’s Blue Back Square Mitten Run.
By Ronni Newton
It was a morning for mittens in West Hartford.
On a cloudy, chilly December morning, many of the 2,000 runners who lined up for the Hartford Marathon Foundation’s Blue Back Square Mitten Run were very thankful to have the mittens that were distributed as part of the race registration, and donned them as they waited for the start.
Many of the runners came decked out in festive costumes, with quite a few Santas completing the 3.1-mile course.
Runners and their families also filled bins to overflowing with donations of mittens (and gloves, hats, and scarves) for West Hartford Social Services.
“People are so generous,” Hartford Marathon Executive Director Beth Shluger said. “They don’t bring just one pair of mittens, they bring a whole bag full.”
The Mitten Run is the final Hartford Marathon Foundation race of the year. “It’s a wonderful way to end the season. It’s all about family and community – getting into the spirit of the holidays and helping others,” Shluger said.
Everett Hackett, 27, a West Hartford native who now lives in Hartford, broke the tape in a record-setting time of 15:28, taking 11 seconds off the record set by Joe Gioielli in 2015.
“I’ve never run this course,” Hackett said. “It was much harder than I thought it would be,” he said, noting the long uphill of Sedgwick Road in the first mile.
Hackett, a 2008 Hall High School graduate and assistant cross country and track coach at his alma mater, had just raced an indoor mile on Saturday in 4:19 – and he is working to lower that time to under 4:12.
Hackett said he really loves running, and wants to keep it up as long as he can. Road races are fun, and he encourages the young athletes he coaches to participate. There were several Hall runners who raced on Sunday, preparing for the start of the season on Monday.
He has had many recent running successes, including winning the Fairfield Half Marathon and Celebrate West Hartford 5K in June. He also qualified for the 2016 Olympic Marathon Trials and placed in the top 100 in the race.
The first female finisher was Elizabeth Stockman of Rocky Hill in 18:57, and the second (Amanda Bayer) and third (Laura Barash) place women were both from West Hartford.
In keeping with the race’s wintery theme, age group winners took home mugs and hot chocolate kits as prizes.
Santa was on hand to high five all of the finishers who were then treated to post-race snacks of hot cocoa and holiday cookies.
In addition to the 5K, the Mitten Run also included an HMF FitKids race for children ages 2-11 who were given the opportunity to run distances of ½ mile or one mile
A gallery of images from the race is below. For complete results, click here.
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HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Donations of mittens and other winter accessories were made by runners. HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Runners received a pair of mittens with their registration. HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
West Hartford Mayor Shari Cantor at the start of the race. HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Paige Drury of Glastonbury sings the National Anthem. HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
A head start for the wheelchair athletes. HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
And they’re off. HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Terry Deveney of West Hartford. HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Elizabeth Stockman of Rocky Hill was the first female, finishing in 18:57, just behind Bill Brosmith of West Hartford. HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Amanda Bayer of West Hartford was the second female to finish. HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Laura Barash of West Hartford is the third woman to cross the finish line. HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
West Hartford Mayor Shari Cantor crosses the finish line. HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
HMF Blue Back Mitten Run, West Hartford, Dec. 3, 2017. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
[…] Blue Back Square Mitten Run (I reported on it rather than running) was also a festive winter event, and it there were so many […]