STREETS WILL BE QUIET WITHOUT ANDOVER'S SIGNATURE ROAD RACE
THE EAGLE-TRIBUNE
Feaster Five's 'human electricity' loses to pandemic
The Feaster Five Road Race has faced a few hurdles over its three decades. But, in the end, nothing has ever stopped it from happening.
Not the snowstorm of 1990, nor a blast of humidity from an Indian summer 15 years ago. Not the ice storm of 2018, with its bitter cold temperatures.
Most ever year, nearly 10,000 runners and walkers, 500 kids, 250 dogs and another few thousand fans have made their way to Andover's Shawsheen Square to begin their Thanksgiving. It's every bit of a holiday tradition as high school football.
But tomorrow, the intersection of routes 28 and 133 will be quiet.
One of the most popular road races in New England has been canceled due to the coronavirus.
The race's host club, the Merrimack Valley Striders, has put in place a virtual event, which includes the kids races, 5K, 5 miler and a combined 13K event. But runners may log their races anytime this week, up through Sunday, at the place and time of their choosing.
“I am sad because it’s a tradition for me to start my Thanksgiving involved in one of the great events,” said four-time Boston Marathon winner Bill Rodgers. “I love being around the people. Everyone is positive. The energy is always so high. But it’s not to be this year. But next year, it will be back bigger than ever.”
It’s not a surprise. Most public events have been postponed or cancelled due to COVID-19, including an entire high school football season and the usual Thanksgiving slate of games.
The virtual Feaster Five has been a success, with nearly 2,000 entrants, some as far away as Alaska. Runners and walkers are paying their entry fees, receiving race numbers as well as finisher's medals cast to look like an apple pie.
It is believed that most will try to keep with tradition, running or walking on Thanksgiving Day.
But, as the racing legend noted, there's something about running through downtown Andover on Thanksgiving morning.
There’s enough energy in the race, as Rodgers once said, to send a rocket to the moon.
The Feaster has its loyal runners — people like Bob Soldani, 77, and his wife, Susan, 65, of Tewksbury, who are among only a handful of people who've run or walked in all the previous 32 events.
“Yes, I did make it through the snowstorm,” said Bob, referring to the foot of snow.
“Once I started coming (to the race) I couldn’t stop," he said.
One of the great aspects of the Feaster Five is that it happens to have one of the world’s best race directors in North Andover resident Dave McGillivray.
McGillivray also directs the Boston Marathon.
On most Thanksgiving mornings, his crew has everything cleaned up within three hours of the start of the main event at 8:30 a.m. All the barricades are gone. Several thousand people who were at the race have made it home, showered and headed off to watch a local football game.
It’s almost as if nothing had occurred.
None of that will happen tomorrow, other than some local die-hards in Andover who'll perhaps run the familiar course along Main Street back toward Elm Square.
With this race’s rich tradition, a few people are expecting even bigger and better things in 2021 and beyond.
“I’m already looking forward to next year,” said Rodgers. “The Feaster Five is about so many great things like health, family and, really, thankfulness.
"We are very lucky," he said. "We have to remember that.”