Market Square Day 10K

Although the majority of the races we sign up for these days are in a new state, when Mike suggested we run the Market Square Day 10K again in nearby Portsmouth, NH, we decided it would be a good training run at a festive event.

The morning of the race was sunny with comfortable temperatures. After a light breakfast on the porch we headed to Portsmouth.

Market Square makes a picturesque starting line.

Just under 2,000 runners finished this year’s race which travels through downtown Portsmouth and quiet neighborhoods. Enthusiastic spectators offered encouragement and welcome mistings from garden hoses along the course.

The race finishes at historic Strawbery Banke Museum.  Mike and I were happy with our pace and loved the festive feel to the race. Todd and Hannah were at the finish and obligingly took our post-race photo.

We celebrated at our favorite after-run breakfast place, The Friendly Toast and then ventured into the throes of Market Square Day.

River Run Book Store offered people passing by an opportunity to win a prize if they could type a sentence correctly on this typewriter. There was no time limit and since I have had lots of practice with this type of machine (i.e. these were the norm in my childhood), I did it!

I took my ticket to the book store to claim my prize.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that my prize was this wonderful book, Wine and Dine in New Hampshire by Carla Snow.

We continued meandering down the row of vendors until my attention was caught by the Portsmouth Harbor Cruises booth. As I stood there holding my book, one of the women at the booth exclaimed, “That’s my book!”. She was the author of the book I had just won!  We chatted about the cruises offered by her company and she signed my book.  How serendipitous was that?

We spent some more time leisurely soaking up the music, atmosphere, and fun of Market Square Day.

We love our traveling adventures but we remembered how nice it is to run in our local races and embrace the familiar events of home.

Do you have a favorite race or local event?  Would you rather try something new or stick with the familiar?