Avon Road Race ends after 13 years

Avon’s Marc Robaczynski leads the pack at the 13th annual Avon Road Race in May 2017. Robaczynski and Marisa Jones (339) each won the race for the fourth time.

AVON, May 2 – After 13 years, the Avon Road Race has come to end.

The race was sponsored by the Pine Grove Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) but was replaced this year by a Boosterthon and a fun run – a nine-day program that kicked off with a pep rally.

Families gather pledges for every lap that students run (30-35 laps) and then celebrate at a Fun Run on May 10. The PTO was looking to raise $19,635 to fund five one-hour sessions of the Hartford Stage for every classroom in the grade 1-4 school and have the Roaring Brook Nature Center in Canton visit every classroom in the school.

Avon’s Marc Robaczynski and Marisa Jones won the final Avon Road Race in May 2017. It was the fourth victory for each runner. Jones finished third and set a new course record of 17:32 in the 3.1 mile race. Robaczynski holds the record for the most wins for a male runner in race history while Burlington’s Mary Lynn Currier won the woman’s race seven times.

The race began in 2005. Robaczynski set the course record in 2013, winning the race in 16:10.12. An Avon runner won the race 10 times in 13 years with John Drago (three wins), Bill Thramann (two wins) and Peter Schouw each winning the race. The largest race was 342 runners in 2012 but the race averaged 250 runners a year.