Photo by Ken Chaisson
One Mile Fun Run is on your marks
By Ken Chaisson
Hometown Weekly Sports Reporter
Labor Day is the unofficial beginning of autumn for New Englanders. It is the time to put the sandals and beach chairs away and break out the cleats and sneakers. For the past 52 years the Labor Day Road Race has fired the starting gun to begin the fall season for the residents of Walpole. It was founded in May 1974 by Bill Wakefield, the son-in-law of Herb Lewis, in alignment with the 250th anniversary of the founding of the town of Walpole. Herb W. Lewis Insurance Company is still a gold sponsor after 52 years! It is fifth oldest road race in Massachusetts.
The races are the main fundraiser for the Walpole High School cross country, track and field programs. The programs have excelled recently breaking multiple individual school records and capturing multiple division 3 state team and individual championships.
It was overcast with temperatures in mid 60s at race time which made for perfect running conditions. Between the runners, their fans, volunteers, sponsors, parents, vendors and emergency personnel, thousands of people attend the event.
The parking was tight due to the high school construction but the hamstrings were tighter after a hot, dry summer.
Walpole High School alumni Steve Kiley was a founder of the race and is still an avid volunteer. Kiley still holds the oldest school record for the outdoor 800 meters set in 1972.
The attendance record was broken once again in 2025 with over 1300 registered athletes ranging in age from two to 91 competing.
The day kicked off with The Run House mile – Youth Fun Run where 245 future champions toed the line. The winners were a pair of 10 year olds: A. Johanns for the boys in a time of 6:22 improving upon his runner up finish in 2024 and Lexie Senic who defended her title clocking in at 6:33. A pair of two year olds, seven 3 year olds, ten 4 year olds and host of other youngsters finished the one mile fun run.
The “Walpole Ed” 5K and Herb Lewis Memorial and John D. Murphy & Co 10K overlap starting times within seven minutes of each other. All of the finishers blended together at the finish line.
The potpourri of competitors included four dogs, dozens of strollers, an American flag, an athlete with two canes, a young girl in a broken arm cast plus a Disney princess wearing her Ariel the Mermaid dress carried by her dad across the finish line.
Long or short pants, two legs or four, back packs or strollers, everyone finished. Whether you ran, walked, crawled, limped, rolled, slept, hopped or jumped over the finish line, you were all winners who competed!
DJ Nate Adams keep the crowd moving with motivational songs and cheering down to the last runner.
The winners of the Herb W. Lewis 10K were Christopher Luciano of Brookline who led wire-to-wire in a time of 32:09. Luciano is a 2:32 marathoner. Allison Skelly of Walpole won the female race in a time of 37:53.
Luke Zahurak of the Walpole boys’ track program won the most popular mens’ 5K in a time of 16:15. Zahurak improved upon his 2nd place finish in 2024. Fourteen year old Ellen Barrett of Wellesley won the female side in 19:22.
Betsy Knapp (age 80), Joseph Genovese (80) and Larry Cole (91) competed in the 80-99 age group for either the 5K or 10K.
