MANCHESTER, Conn — The Manchester Road Race has always had a rich history when it comes to military veterans participating in the race, but now they are being celebrated as well.
Since the start of Veterans' Row in 2018, the Manchester Vietnam Memorial on Main St. has been a place for retired service members to gather before the race. These runners said it’s emotional knowing they are so supported.
The Manchester Road Race was revived by veterans after the depression, won by veterans many times, and hosts hundreds of them each year. These qualities make military service one of the reasons the race is what it is today.
Everywhere you turn on Veterans' Row, there are usually men and women of all ages wearing various hats with their unit emblem or jackets showing what branch they served in. Each of those voices and pieces of clothing tells a story.
For Drew Crandall, it's personal. His family has a service history, that's why he created Veterans' Row six years ago.
“My father grew up in West Haven and he enlisted in the United States Navy after Pearl Harbor," Crandall said.
For Steven Leach, it's a reminder of when he couldn't be at home running in Manchester with his family, but running in Kosovo was a humbling experience.
“It didn’t work out for me, I was a great runner at the time, but they were gone on the first hill," Leach said.
Veterans' Row is about listening, the veterans said; Listening to the veterans' stories of service, stories of why they participate, and stories of why they chose to be there on Thanksgiving morning.
"These are people that have sacrificed time and well-being, they are still thankful, and this way we can thank them," Race Chaplain Rev. Christian Cuthbert said.
Leach’s Road Race story takes place halfway around the world. He ran and organized a Kosovo Shadow Race while in the Connecticut Army National Guard.
“We had Latvians, Germans, Turkish soldiers, it's not even their holiday but they supported the race," Leach said.
He tells us it was emotional to participate in a home holiday tradition while deployed.
“You look back on things in the service, some weren’t so great some things are awesome," Leach said. "I’m pretty sure this is a memory a lot of vets will have, thinking they got an opportunity not everyone has."
He told FOX61 that while he doesn’t run the race anymore, he is proud to cheer on the hundreds of veterans who will cross the finish line yet again this year.
More than 10,000 people are signed up to run on Thanksgiving morning, with at least 400 of those being military veterans, according to race officials.
Veterans' Row will hold a reception before the race starts at the Vietnam Memorial for any veteran who would like to come by.
Brooke Griffin is a reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at bgriffin@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
---
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
---
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.