Groton Road Race

The Groton Road Race is back! May 15 will be the 29th running of this event. The Groton Police Department and the Race Director have again requested our support this year.

The planned event schedule this year is the same as 2019; the two main races (5k and 10k) will start 90 minutes earlier than in the years before 2018 to allow people with other afternoon activities to participate by having these races end earlier. The communications support that we provide starts around 9am and we should be done shortly after 1pm. The courses themselves will be the same as recent years.

In addition, I now have confirmation from the Race Committee that they do not have any COVID restrictions in place at this time. That is, they are not requiring volunteers to be vaccinated or to wear masks. You are certainly welcome to wear a mask and/or maintain distancing if you wish.

The Groton Road Race continues to be a major event for Amateur Radio in North Central Massachusetts. Those of you who have joined us in previous years know that the runners sincerely appreciate our presence. Many say so as they run past. This event is so large that Police Departments and other public safety organizations from several communities come to assist the Groton PD. Part of our role is to provide the communications from the Groton Police to these out-of-town officers who come to help with this event.

Contributing to the public good is one of the reasons Amateur Radio exists. Our public service events are a key opportunity for us to show our colors, volunteer our skills and equipment, and demonstrate why it is in the public’s interest to continue to allocate precious RF spectrum to our the Amateur Radio Service. The Groton Road Race is a low-stress event and a great way to gain more experience with the public service aspect of amateur radio. Please consider joining us on the 15th.

If you are a new Ham or know of another Ham who is interested in helping at these events but unsure of what is expected or what equipment may be needed, please do not hesitate to introduce the to me.

The Race Committee and the Groton Police Department repeatedly praise and express their appreciation for our assistance in providing communications for this event for many years. I do hope you will be able to join us this year; please let me know.

Thanks and 73,
Ralph Swick
ralph@kd1sm.net