Date & Time of Start and Registration Info Saturday, May 19, 2012 10K Walk: 9:30 a.m. ($23 pre-registration, $25 day of walk) 2 mile fun run: 9:30 a.m. ($13 pre-registration, $15 day of race) 10K Race: 10:00 a.m. ($23 pre-registration, $25 day of race) $52.00 Maximum fee for family (3+). Here is a printable entry form [PDF]. Make checks payable to Plympton Strawberry Shortcake Road Race and mail to: Plympton Strawberry Shortcake Road Race c/o Lee Cook 4 Brackett Terrace Plympton, MA 02367 ==OR== Secure on-line registration is now available by clicking the link: Back to top Directions to the Race Here is a Google Maps link. Or, read on if you prefer real directions written by a human being: From Kingston/Boston/points north: Printable Version [PDF] (use back button to return to this page) Take Route 3 to exit 9 (Kingston/North Plymouth) Go west on 3A to bottom of hill, at the lights go left (Brook St) continue to Elm Street (a tee). Go left up the hill and follow main road (double center line) At that point it's Route 80. When Route 80 goes to left, stay straght. After about 1 mile enter Plympton. Road becomes Brook St. Follow to Upland Road (approx. 1.5 miles after Plympton town line). Right onto Upland. Can't miss the Upland Sportsman's Club, at the bottom of the hill on the left. From Taunton/Mansfield/Brockton/points west: Printable Version [PDF] (use back button to return to this page) Take Route 495 to Exit 6 (Route 44 East). Follow Route 44 East to Route 58 in Carver Take left, heading north. After about 11 miles come to "Center" of Plympton. Anyway, it's a four corner intersection, with Mobil Station on left. At that point turn right onto Mayflower. At the fork (where the round house is) bear left onto Colchester Road. Upland Road is the second street on the left. It's 1.4 miles from Route 58. Can't miss the Upland Sportsman's Club, at the bottom of the hill on the left. From Cape Cod/points south: Printable Version [PDF] (use back button to return to this page) Take Rte. 495 to Exit 2 for Route 58 north through Carver. After crossing Plympton town line, take second right onto Mayflower (at the "Center" of Plympton -- a four corner intersection, with Mobil Station on left). At the fork (where the round house is) bear left onto Colchester Road. Upland Road is the second street on the left. Can't miss the Upland Sportsman's Club, at the bottom of the hill on the left. There is plenty of parking at the Uplands Sportsman's Club. The address of the club is 76 Upland Road, Plympton, MA 02367. Race Director Robert Browne strawberryshortcake10K@comcast.net. 508-498-8789. Back to top Course Description The 10K is run on low-traffic, rural roads winding around cranberry bogs. Mostly flat with a few small to moderate (you decide which) hills around miles 4 and 5. Downhill finish. Awards and Raffle In the 10K, trophies awarded to: top three overall male and female; top three male and female in 10-year age groups from juniors (19 and under) all the way up to grand veterans (80+). We are proud to be one of the few races left that awards actual trophies (instead of medals or merchandise) to their overall and age group winners. First wheelchair. Trophies to top three (age 15 and under) in the two-mile fun run. USATF sanctioned. Generous raffle prizes and gift certificates from local businesses. Stick around after the race. T-Shirts To be updated when info becomes available. Back to top Map of the Course Here is a map of the course: Click here for a larger (printable) version of the map in PDF format. (Large file, may take a few seconds to load.) Back to top Elevation Profile Back to top Thank you to Our Sponsors If you would like to be a sponsor for the 2012 race, please contact the race director, Robert Browne, at strawberryshortcake10K@comcast.net, or 508-498-8789. A complete list of 2011 sponsors, along with links to their websites, appears on the Sponsors page. Please thank these generous community businesses for sponsoring our race when you do business with them. Back to top History of the Race Links to previous years' results and pictures of many of the races can be found on the Home Page(toward the bottom of the page). The Strawberry Shortcake Road Race began in 1987 with the Plympton Senior High Youth Group. It was started as a means of earning money so the youth group could go on various field trips, including whitewater rafting, downhill skiing, and camping trips. The youth group also donated part of the money to the church, for lawn maintenance and other groundskeeping. As the event grew a committee was formed under the leadership of race director Wes Chadbourne. The committee took care of all the publicizing and registration before the event. On the day of the event, the committee and the youth group worked together as a team. Youth group members were active in water stops, split times, registration, and finish line. In recent years the youth group became busy with their own events, and the Plympton Boy Scouts stepped in and have taken their place. The Scouts use the road race as a way of earning money and helping with a community event. After the 20th running of the race in 2007, Wes Chadbourne and the original members of the Plympton Road Race Committee decided to turn over administration of the race to another group. They all strongly hoped that this Plympton tradition would continue. Wes Chadbourne met with different groups from town to ask if anyone was interested in continuing the race. The Cub Scouts, who had always participated as road guards (the adult leaders) and the scouts themselves (working the water tables) decided it was important to continue the race. The Cub Scouts, with help from other interested Plympton residents, formed a new Strawberry Shortcake Race Committee. The Cubs ably managed the race for two years with mentoring from Wes Chadbourne. In 2010 other members of the race committee stepped up to take over management of the race under race director Robert Browne, who has himself run the race on many occasions. The new committee's goal is to continue the race and continue to fund the charities that have traditionally been the beneficiaries of the Strawberry Shortcake Race. Race proceeds from the 2010 race benefited the Plympton Recreation Committee, the Cub Scouts, and the Boy Scouts. Technical wicking t-shirts were offered for the first time in 2010. Under new leadership and now in its third decade, Plympton's Strawberry Shortcake Road Race is still going strong. A two mile fun run and 10K walk allow walkers and shorter-distance runners to participate. Youth runners are encouraged to enter the 2 mile fun run, which presents trophies to runners age 15 and under. The Strawberry Shortcake Road Race has earned a well-deserved reputation as a low-key, well-organized, "runner's race" rewarding runners with the best post-race dessert anywhere in southeastern Massachusetts. We have an "Iron Runner"! Linda Bates (here she is, finishing the 2008 race) has run every year since the race began in 1987 (even when she was an expectant mom!) and has often been competitive in her age division. Our website has been on line since 2002. In 2011 we have also started a Facebook page. Back to top Weather The 39 degree, 99% humidity, 19 mph winds (with gusts to 35), and monsoon-like rain of 2002's race is the stuff of which legends are made. But we usually have pretty mild weather in mid-May in southeastern Massachusetts. The Weather-dot-com site has kindly provided us the following graphic display of Plympton's current weather: Back to top Miscellaneous Useful Links Town of Plympton, Massachusetts Upland Sportsman's Club Colonial Road Runners Cape Cod Athletic Club Back to top