News Releases
MANCHESTER ROAD RACES IN UK AND USA ENTER INTO ATHLETE AGREEMENT (October 7, 2025)
Two world-class road races which are held annually on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean will soon share more than a common name.
Officials from the AJ Bell Great Manchester Run in the United Kingdom and the Manchester Road Race in the United States issued a joint statement today announcing their agreement to “twin” the two elite athlete programs.
The British 10K race is run in Manchester, UK each May as part of the annual Great Run Series, which can be traced back to the inaugural Great North Run in 1981.
Held along with a half-marathon on the same day, it is the largest event of its kind in Europe and draws approximately 35,000 entrants and 150,000 spectators each year.
The Manchester Road Race is a 4.737-mile run which is staged on a loop course through the central streets in Manchester, Connecticut, U.S.A. every Thanksgiving Day. Considered one of America’s largest and most iconic Thanksgiving Day races, it will be held for the 89th time this November and frequently attracts more than 12,000 runners.
Some of the world’s best long-distance competitors participate in both road races.
Under the memorandum of understanding which was signed this summer, the first male and female British elite athletes to finish the Great Manchester Run will be invited to compete in the Connecticut road race. The first U.S. male and female elite runners in the Manchester Road Race will be invited to run at the event in the UK.
The Great Manchester Run and the Manchester Road Race will pay the travel and lodging expenses of their respective guest runners. The agreement will begin this November.
“We are extremely excited about linking our two Manchester races,” said Dr Tris Carta, President of the Manchester Road Race Committee. “In addition to sharing the top runners from our respective nations, we’re hoping this agreement will result in many other positive relationships and interactions between our two great events and cities.”
Matthew Turnbull, the Elite Athlete Manager for the Great Run Series commented: “This is a great opportunity, not only for our respective events, but also for both the British and U.S. athletes who take part in our races.” “The Great Run Series has a legacy and commitment to supporting athletes from all over the World and we welcome this opportunity to strengthen our ties with an iconic race in the U.S.”
The idea for “twinning” the two races was proposed by Jim Harvey, a former British athlete who now coaches professional runners and serves as the elite coordinator for the Manchester Road Race in Connecticut.
REGISTRATION FOR LITTLE MANCHESTER ROAD RACE OPENS ON NOVEMBER 1ST (September 29, 2025)
Children ages 12 and under will again have the opportunity to experience the fun and excitement of the Manchester Road Race at their own special event on the Saturday before Thanksgiving.
The Manchester Road Race Committee announced today that it will hold the popular Little Manchester Road Race for the sixteenth time on Saturday, November 22, 2025 at 10 a.m. at the Manchester High School track. Manchester High School is located at 134 East Middle Turnpike in Manchester.
Online registration for the event opens on November 1st at www.manchesterroadrace.com. Because entries are limited to the first 1000 children who sign up, early registration is recommended.
The Little Manchester Road Race is one of several "Road Race Saturday" events which are being sponsored by the Manchester Road Race Committee prior to its world-famous Thanksgiving Day run. The MRR Health & Fitness Expo will also be held at the Manchester High School cafeteria on Nov. 22nd from 8:30 am.-12 noon.
Children who have pre-registered are requested to sign in for the Little Manchester Road Race on the day of the event starting at 8:30 a.m. in the Manchester High School cafeteria.
There is no cost to enter, although participants are requested to bring two items of non-perishable food for donation to the emergency food pantry operated by MACC Charities.
In addition to running events of different distances for children in various age groups, the LMRR will feature music, skydivers, costumed characters, a display of fire trucks and other vehicles, and other fun activities. All runners will receive a medal and a LMRR tee shirt.
“This is a wonderful event for the kids, and it’s a great kickoff of the week leading up to our big race on Thanksgiving Day,” said Dr. Tris Carta, President of the Manchester Road Race Committee. “Because space is limited, we hope that parents will register their children as soon as possible starting November 1st.”
As it has since the event’s inception in 2010, Henkel North America in Rocky Hill is serving as the Presenting Sponsor of the Little Manchester Road Race. Additional financial support is being provided by Fleet Feet of West Hartford.
PATTI DILLON SELECTED AS MRR'S HONORARY CHAIRPERSON (September 22, 2025)
Patti Dillon, a tenacious and tireless competitor who dominated women’s road racing during the early years of the sport, has been named the honorary chairperson of the 89th Manchester Road Race. Dr. Tris Carta, President of the Manchester Road Race Committee, announced Dillon’s selection today. Then known as Patti Lyons, she won the women’s championship at the 1979 MRR in the course record time of 25:37. Her record, which stood until 1985, eclipsed the prior mark of 27:17 that was set by Lisa Berry in 1977. The MRR first established a separate prize division for female runners in 1977. Dillon, now 72, took up distance running shortly before her 23rd birthday in 1976 in order to lose weight. Seven months later, she won the Ocean State Marathon in Newport, Rhode Island---her first attempt at the 26.2-mile distance---in 2:53:40, a time which qualified her for the Boston Marathon. Dillon would go on to win the Ocean State Marathon five times between 1976 and 1981. |  Patti Lyons Dillon - 1979 MRR |
She also won the Honolulu Marathon four years in a row (1978-1981), the Montreal International Marathon in 1980, and the Rio de Janeiro Marathon in 1985.
Dillon was raised in Quincy, Mass. and is a member of the Native American tribe known as the Mi’kmaq Nation. She became the first American woman to run the marathon in a time under 2:30 in 1980 when she placed second to Grete Waitz at the New York City Marathon in 2:29:33.
She also had three consecutive second-place finishes at the Boston Marathon (1979-81). Her time of 2:27:52 at the 1981 Boston Marathon was a personal record.
Called the “queen of U.S. women distance runners” by a Massachusetts sports writer, Dillon set world-records during her career in the marathon, half-marathon, 30-K, 20-K, and five-mile events. In addition to holding national records in those events, she also set American records in the 10-K (six times), 15-K (two times) and 10-miles (two times). She once competed in 48 road races during 52 weeks and won 44 of them.
Dillon is a member of the National Distance Running Hall of Fame, the Rhode Island Runners Hall of Fame and the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame.
Retired from competitive running since 1986, Dillon resides in Windham, Conn. with her husband Dan Dillon, a former All-American runner at Providence College and a seven-time World Cross Country Championship competitor. She coaches running and serves on the board of directors of Wings of America, a Native American youth running initiative.
Dillon also founded the Connecticut Homeschool Harriers, the first running club in the world for home- schooled children.
The Manchester Road Race Committee annually recognizes an individual for their outstanding contributions to the race and the sport of distance running by designating them as the honorary chairperson of the event.
“Patti Dillon had an amazing career and is an inspiration to all of us,” Dr. Carta said. “We are honored and delighted that she will be returning to our race this Thanksgiving.”
VIRTUAL OPTION WILL AGAIN BE AVAILABLE TO MRR RUNNERS (September 18, 2025)
It’s the next best thing to being there.
Runners who can’t be physically present in Manchester on Thanksgiving morning will still be able participate in this year’s 89th Manchester Road Race and have their times and finishes officially recorded.
For the sixth straight year, the Manchester Road Race Committee is offering a virtual option for individuals who cannot attend the on-site Turkey Day race in person. By downloading a GPS-enabled app on their smartphones, entrants can run the MRR distance of 4.737 miles at any location in the world.
An outline of the actual Manchester race course will appear on the runners’ phone screens, and their times will be electronically tabulated and transmitted to MRR officials. Although prizes are not awarded, individuals who complete the virtual road race will be credited with an official MRR finish for longevity purposes.
“We started doing the virtual road race in 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic prevented us from holding an on-site race that Thanksgiving,” said Dr. Tris Carta, President of the Manchester Road Race Committee. Carta said that the first virtual MRR in 2020 attracted 2,135 registrants and 1,749 finishers. Runners participated in locations as far away as China, Ireland and France that year.
“Our committee decided to keep the virtual option available since then, and we’ve found it is popular with people who can’t be in Manchester on Thanksgiving Day but who wish to continue their tradition with the race by participating remotely,” Carta added. Last year, 100 runners and walkers competed virtually.
MANCHESTER ROAD RACE ENTRY FEES WILL RISE ON OCTOBER 1 (September 15, 2025)
Participants in this year’s Manchester Road Race have two big incentives to register for the event before September ends.
The Manchester Road Race Committee issued a reminder today that the $32 entry fee for the race increases to $37 on October 1st, and to $42 on November 22nd.
In addition, all runners who sign up prior to Oct. 1st will receive personalized bibs with their names printed on them.
Registration for the world-famous, 4.737-mile Thanksgiving Day run through Manchester’s central streets began on September 1st. As of early this morning, 2090 entries have already been received.
Race officials are also reminding runners that registration will end completely at 11:59 p.m. (EST) on November 25th. No entries will be accepted on the day of the race.
The 89th running of the Manchester Road Race, one of America’s largest and most popular Thanksgiving Day runs, will be held on Thursday, November 27, 2025 at 10 a.m. The race is held on a loop course that starts and finishes on Main Street, in front of St. James Church.
Andrew Colley of Blowing Rock, NC won last year’s MRR with a time of 21:09. Olympian Weini Kelati of Flagstaff, AZ captured the women’s competition for the third year in a row in 23:14.
The MRR course record of 21:04 was set in 2022 by Olympic marathoner Conner Mantz. Kelati holds the women’s standard of 22:55, which she recorded in 2021.
This year's event will literally be a race against hunger. MRR organizers have designated Connecticut Foodshare and MACC Charities---two organizations on the front line of the fight against food insecurity in the state---as the primary recipients of the race's net proceeds.
MANCHESTER ROAD RACE HONORS CLUB TO AID MACC CHARITIES (September 8, 2025)
A Manchester-based nonprofit organization that is on the frontline of the fight against food insecurity in Connecticut will receive a special boost from the Manchester Road Race this Thanksgiving.
Race officials have designated Manchester Area Conference of Churches Charities, which operates a ‘Community Kitchen’ serving lunches during the week and an emergency food pantry, as the beneficiary of the MRR’s annual Honors Club Program.
Each year, the Manchester Road Race Committee sets aside 120 bibs for entrants who elect to participate in the MRR Honors Club. These runners pay $100, instead of the traditional registration fee. All of the money is donated by the road race to a designated charitable or non-profit agency, which this year will be MACC Charities.
“MACC Charities does a wonderful job providing food assistance to people in our community who need it,” said Dr. Tris Carta, President of the Manchester Road Race Committee. “Our race is very pleased to support its efforts, and we are extremely grateful to the generous runners who join the Honors Club and make this contribution possible.”
Entrants who register for the 2025 Honors Club will receive several perks on race day, including a special number bib and the ability to await the start of the race in the basement of nearby St. James Church, where indoor plumbing and light refreshments will be available.
Carta said that the effort to alleviate hunger in Connecticut is the MRR’s primary charitable objective this November. In addition to the Honors Club stipend, the race committee has also promised to donate all of the net profits from this year’s event to two organizations, MACC Charities and Connecticut Foodshare, which distributes healthy foods through a network of more than 650 food pantries, community kitchens and meal programs across the state.
“It is with profound gratitude that MACC Charities accepts the honor of being named the 2025 recipient of the Manchester Road Race’s Honors Club Program, as well as one of the primary beneficiaries of this year’s net race proceeds,” said Shannon Baldassario, Executive Director of MACC Charities. “This recognition comes at a time of critical and growing need in our community. It strengthens our resolve to continue the vital work of 'Building Partnerships to Break Cycles of Poverty throughout Greater Manchester.' We are humbled by this opportunity and remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring every neighbor has access to the resources, dignity and support they need to thrive. Together, we can create lasting, transformative change.”
REGISTRATION FOR MANCHESTER ROAD RACE OPENS SEPT. 1ST; RUNNERS WILL MAKE STRIDES TO FIGHT FOOD INSECURITY (August 14, 2025)
Registration for the 89th Manchester Road Race opens on September 1st, and race organizers said today that the thousands of runners who are expected to compete in it will all be making strides to alleviate hunger in Connecticut.
Dr. Tris Carta, President of the Manchester Road Race Committee, announced that food insecurity will be the primary charitable focus of this year’s road race, which will be held at 10 a.m. in Manchester on Thanksgiving Day (November 27, 2025).
According to Carta, the race committee voted to suspend in 2025 its practice of annually awarding grants from the event’s net proceeds to a number of diverse charities and non-profit organizations. Instead, those funds will be earmarked this year for two organizations that provide food to those in need, Connecticut Foodshare and Manchester Area Conference of Churches Charities.
Connecticut Foodshare is a food bank serving the people of Connecticut, and is a member of Feeding America’s nationwide network. It distributes healthy food through a network of more than 650 food pantries, community kitchens and meal programs and operates mobile food distribution centers across the state.
MACC Charities operates a “Community Kitchen’ serving lunches during the week and an emergency food pantry that distributes groceries.
“There is a pressing need at Connecticut’s food banks right now, and we’re hoping that our road race can make a substantial contribution to address it,” Carta said.
Carta also indicated that the committee has designated MACC Charities as the beneficiary of the road race’s annual Honors Club Program. Each year, the race sets aside bibs for up to 120 runners who each pay $100, instead of the traditional entry fee. All of those funds are donated to a single designated charity, which this year will be MACC Charities.
This year’s entry fee will remain $32 for runners who sign up on-line at www.manchesterroadrace.com prior to 11:59 pm EST on Sept 30. The entry fee subsequently increases to $37 on October 1st and to $42 on November 22.
Registration for the race will close completely on November 25, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. EST. No entries will be accepted on the day of the race.
Runners will once again have the option to either pick up their bibs in person, or have them delivered. The race committee has scheduled a number of times and dates prior to the race when bibs can be picked up in person at no additional cost. Details about the schedule and locations of the in-person pickup dates, and the fee that will be charged for delivery, will be available at www.manchesterroadrace.com when registration opens on September 1st.
Race officials are reminding runners that there will not be bib pickup on the morning of the race.
“We’ve been working on plans for this year’s race since last winter, and we believe it is going to be another world-class event,” Carta said. “We anticipate another exciting race with a large field, and we are urging everyone to register as soon as they possibly can."
Carta also said that race officials are once again offering a Virtual Manchester Road Race option for those who can’t attend the event in person. Participants can download a GPS-enabled app to their smartphones and have their times recorded as they run the MRR course distance at any location in the world.
On-line registration for the virtual run also begins on Sept. 1st and closes on Nov.25th. The registration fee is $30 and more information is available at www.manchesterroadrace.com.
Approximately 400 volunteers from the Manchester Road Race Committee organize the annual Thanksgiving Day Run, with support from the Town of Manchester.
MRR MOURNS PASSING OF DAVE HOLMES (May 13, 2025)
The Manchester Road Race Committee is mourning the passing of longtime volunteer David R. Holmes of Manchester.
Dave, who was 69, volunteered at the race every Thanksgiving morning since 1976, and was a captain and mainstay of the team at the start/finish line.
“He will be terribly missed,” said Dr. Tris Carta, President of the Manchester Road Race Committee. “We are deeply grateful for the many contributions Dave made during his nearly 50 years of devoted service to the road race, and we extend our sincere condolences to all the members of the Holmes family.”
DR. TRIS CARTA HONORED BY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (March 27, 2025)
Dr. Tris Carta, President of the Manchester Road Race Committee, was honored by the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce at its 124th annual meeting on March 27th.
Doctor Carta, a Manchester dentist who has led the road race committee since 2007, received the Chamber’s Community Achievement Award. He was recognized for his “commitment to his profession and community” and “the enduring impact” which his contributions to the MRR have had on the Town of Manchester.
In accepting the award, Doctor Carta paid tribute to all the volunteers who assist at the annual Thanksgiving Day run. “I am sharing this award with every member of the Manchester Road Race Committee," he said. “I believe that I have the best job in Manchester leading an incredible team with the singular mission of making this race better every year.”
MRR ANNOUNCES 100K IN CHARITABLE DONATIONS (March 14, 2025)
The Manchester Road Race Committee announced today that it will make charitable donations totaling $100,250 from the proceeds of last year’s Thanksgiving Day run to 18 charities and non-profit organizations.
“We are sincerely grateful to our runners, financial sponsors, volunteers, and spectators,” said Dr. Tris Carta, President of the Manchester Road Race Committee. “Thanks to them, we held another highly successful road race last November, and we are able to make these donations to the groups that do such great work assisting our community.”
Carta said that the committee was able to increase its charitable reach by approximately 18 per cent this year. The MRR donated $81,650 following the 2023 event.
Among the 18 recipients is the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The fight against Muscular Dystrophy, ALS and other disabling neuromuscular diseases has been a charitable objective of MRR organizers since 1951.
Other organizations receiving contributions from the road race committee include: the Community Emergency Response Team; Case Mountain Inc.; Gentle Love Diaper Pantry; Girls on the Run Southeastern Connecticut; the Manchester Sculpture Project; MARC; Manchester High School (for athletic equipment); the Manchester High School Marching Band; Manchester High School (for performing arts technology); Manchester High School Track & Field; the MRC Track and Field Series; the Manchester Police Activities League; Rebuilding Together Manchester; STEAM Camp; and the TLC Foundation.
A special donation of $12,000 was made to the Lutz Children’s Museum from the MRR Honors Club Program. Each year, up to 120 runners sign up to run the race in support of a designated local non-profit organization and pay $100, instead of the traditional entry fee. The Manchester Road Race Committee donates all of the money collected to that cause.
The MRR also contributed $600 to the Irish Cancer Society in honor of Mark Carroll, the Irish Olympian and two-time MRR Champion who served as the honorary chairperson of last November’s run.
The Manchester Road Race, one of America’s largest and most popular Turkey Trots, is run annually on Thanksgiving Day. The race is held on a 4.737-mile course through the town’s central streets. Principal Sponsors of the 2024 MRR were Eastern Connecticut Health Network, Pratt & Whitney and Hoffman Lexus.
The 89th MRR is scheduled for November 27, 2025 at 10 a.m. Registration will open on September 1st.
MRR TEAMS UP WITH RED CROSS FOR ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL BLOOD DRIVE (November 30, 2024)
The Manchester Road Race Committee and the American Red Cross of Connecticut teamed up to hold another successful blood drive Friday.
A total of 376 units of blood were donated during the day-long “Ray Crothers Blood Drive” held at Manchester High School. That’s a record for pints collected at the MRR event, surpassing the prior standard of 372 units that were donated last year.
The road race committee has been partnering with the Red Cross to stage the blood drive each year since 1986, and a total of 8,634 pints of blood have been collected since then. The event is held annually on the Friday after the Thanksgiving Day Manchester Road Race is run, and is named after Ray Crothers, a long-time participant and former MRR champion who died from cancer in 2008.
“We are extremely thankful for the large turnout and the exceptional generosity of everyone who donated,” said Lance P. Morgan, a physician assistant and MRR executive committee member who coordinated the effort. “Their efforts, and those of the Red Cross, the financial sponsors, and our other benefactors, will help to save many lives.
Morgan noted that the 376 pints of blood collected Friday will benefit 1,128 patients in Connecticut who need transfusions of blood, plasma and platelets.
