The Concord Runners are an informal group of men and women, runners and walkers, who meet every Saturday morning at 8:00am at Monument Square in downtown Concord, MA. (map) The runs are typically 5-6 miles; the walks are generally 2-4 miles. A significant part of each route is usually on one of the many beautiful trails in Concord. The runs are in large measure social. They are not races. The faster runners may run ahead or circle to allow the slower runners to catch up, or the group may split into two groups with the faster runners getting a more demanding workout, the slower runners forming a separate group that continues at its own comfortable pace. It should be noted, however, that there is a wide range in the ability of the runners, where everyone can find someone of similar ability with whom they can enjoy the run. Runners seeking slightly more rigorous workouts have two other options: Sunday mornings at 8:00 AM and Thursday mornings at 7:00 AM, also starting from Monument Square. Sunday and Thursday runs are typically followed by coffee at Main Streets Market & Cafe. In the warmer months (typically May through September) a few runners do informal track workouts at Emerson Field at 6:00 PM on Tuesdays.
The walkers are largely older Concord runners who for various reasons can no longer run but who are unwilling to forego the exercise and the camaraderie they have enjoyed for years on Saturday mornings. They are also comprised of spouses and friends of the Runners – as well as others who have joined the group as walkers.
Breakfasts following the run/walk are an integral part of the Concord Runners Saturday morning. Through much of the year we share a pot-luck breakfast in the basement of the Masonic Temple, which is also on the Square. In the warm months, typically June through October, the breakfasts move outside to the green where the granite benches serve as buffet tables. Some of our runners opt not to join the potluck breakfasts and eat instead at one of the local restaurants on Main Street, a short block from the monument.
