SPRINGFIELD — Every Saturday morning in the depths of winter, runners pull on hats and gloves and meet in Forest Park.
Now in its 46th year, the Winter Snowstorm Classic race series, hosted by the Greater Springfield Harriers, brags that it never cancels for weather. The tagline on its website: “No matter how cold it is, how much it may snow, if you get to the Skate House, you can run!“
From December through February, about 100 people show up each week, said Robert Landry, the race director. It draws people as young as 5 and old as 80. And while the club keeps detailed speed records, people also come and walk the course, he said.
“Just come with five bucks, a good attitude and a pair of running shoes,” he said.
While the race is held every Saturday morning in winter regardless of weather, people do need to be careful. “It is run at your own risk,” Landry said. Runners need to watch for icy spots. “Take it easy, it’s not the Olympics,” he said.
Several years ago it was sleeting one Satureday, so the race was shortened from a 10K to an 8K — and organizers made sure there was enough sand and salt on the route, said Iwona Boruch, president of the Greater Springfield Harriers.
Dave Roback
Steve O’Neil has run the course more than 400 times since he started coming decades ago, including running on days when winter weather was intense. He took up running at 30 after he quit smoking. “It’s been pretty much a religion for me for 40 years,” he said. “I’m hooked.”
He lives next to the park, so even when weather is severe, he can still get to the start. Once, it was so snowy no one could drive, but he jogged to the course and raced with someone on cross-country skis.
Peter Stasz, a founder of the club, remembers that day as a blizzard. “We still had the race, even though we only had three people,” he said. “It was like you’re just running in three feet of snow.”
Dave Roback
For O’Neil, it’s never too cold to run. His solution is to put more clothes on and bundle up. If it’s really icy, he might attach spikes to his shoes for traction. He credits Stasz for “doggedly” keeping the races going.
Stasz, a member of the Western Mass Runners Hall of Fame and the current treasurer of the Harriers, helped start the race series. The club has a summer race, but wanted winter options, too, Stasz, 78, said.
“There’s not much going on and people still get out there to train,” said Stasz, who thinks he’s run the winter race at least 50 times. Even when it’s cold, he said, “it’s not as bad as you think because you warm up.”
The group helps motivate people. “It’s tough to run in the wintertime between the snow and the cold. It keeps people motivated to run,” Landry said of the race. “It’s easy to get out of the habit in winter. It’s dark.”
Dave Roback
It costs just $5 to sign up, a steal compared to many other races. Runners World magazine says the average cost of a 5K is typically around $30.
In exchange, there are snacks, a raffle and water and hot chocolate for racers in Forest Park, but there aren’t T-shirts or trophies each week. “A lot of these runners have a closet full of running shirts,” Landry said, “They don’t need another shirt.”
Marissa Quintero, 45, started coming to the races in 2022. She was struggling with her mental health and treatment and medication wasn’t helping.
“I knew I needed to do something to heal,” she said. She turned to running in 2020, and later started coming to the Snowstorm Classic races.
She races weekly, undeterred by snow or cold, with one exception. “If there is black ice on the ground I do not go. I am afraid of falling. I don’t want to be injured. Running is my coping mechanism,” she said.
It can be hard to stay motivated in winter, and that’s why she likes the races. “It is an opportunity to help people stay connected through the months that many people may struggle with seasonal depression,” she said.
Quintero enjoys running alone, but joining with others gives it more meaning, she said. She lives in East Longmeadow with her two sons and does not have a lot of other family in the area. “My family is my running friends,” she said.
On a recent Saturday morning, about 100 runners made their way to the starting line in 26 degree weather. Walking to the race’s start, one man complained he was cold. “Too cold for shorts,” I said.
I’ll never understand the choice to wear shorts when it’s freezing out.
There was snow on the ground, but it was a clear day. The 10K route looped around Forest Park, and the sidewalks were largely clear of ice and slush, but sometimes a treacherous sidewalk forced me and other runners into the road.
Someone was blasting Christmas music along the course, and a man pushing another person in an adaptive, 3-wheeled chair had it brightly decorated for the holidays.
For a few miles, the same two people ran not far behind me. I could tell from their conversation that they were friends catching up over a run.
At the finish line, Stasz and Boruch cheered people on and took down times. Boruch gave me a hug.
Afterward, I hit the snack table and grabbed some Nutter Butters, which are always good, but taste even better after a run in the cold.
The Snowstorm Classic races are held every Saturday at 9 a.m. from December through February. Registration is held before the race from 8:15 to 8:45 at the ECOS building next to Porter Lake in Forest Park.
