Good morning, Hopkinton! Welcome to the daily update we call Hopkinton Today — a quick recap of yesterday’s news, highlights of what’s on tap, and a photo of the day.

Road race on Sunday open to community, sponsored by local business

The USA Track & Field New England Road Mile Championships will take place in Hopkinton this Sunday.

This is the second annual running of the race in Hopkinton. The event, which is part of a larger grand prix USA Track & Field New England (USATF-NE) puts on throughout the year, will feature athletes competing in a 1-mile race. Individuals and teams will compete to get their best time and earn points. The fastest runners from each New England state will be recognized following the race.

Platinum Physical Therapy is sponsoring the event again this year. James Casady, owner of Platinum and a Hopkinton resident, said the sponsorship was “a very natural kind of fit for us.”

Casady decided to sponsor the race last year after learning organizers were looking to bring the race to Hopkinton. A runner himself, Casady saw the value in bringing another running event into a community that values the sport.

“We have so much running in this town, so we wanted to kind of further that,” he said.

Casady noted that a new feature of this year’s event is a community race. There will be both an all-comers mile and a youth mile run. Organizers put this part of the event together to get more local support.

“We’re trying to kind of pump up a bit and get a lot of the local community to show up,” said Casady. 

The top three male and female finishers in the community races will receive a gift card. Those interested in running the all-comers or the youth race can register online through tonight or in-person on Sunday.

Casady is hopeful Hopkinton residents will show up to cheer on runners and participate.

“It’s a great day,” he said. “It’s a super good family fun activity as well.”

The Road Mile Championship race begins at 9 a.m. on Sunday at Hopkinton High School. More information on the event and how to register for the community race can be found on the USATF-NE website.

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Photo of the Day

An individual sits on a bench beside the Hopkinton Reservoir.

PHOTO/AMIT JAGDALE