Andover Prepares for the Feaster Five
By Anushka Dole
STAFF WRITER
Residents of Andover are geared up for the Feaster Five, an annual Thanksgiving race that started in Shawsheen Square at 8:30am.
Participants of the Feaster Five gather together.
No matter your age or level of experience with running, anyone can get involved with the Feaster Five. Ways to participate include, running or walking the race, but there are also many volunteer opportunities available.
“You can volunteer before the race; during the week we have an expo at the Merrimack Valley YMCA, where everybody comes and picks up their shirts and their race bibs…we need volunteers to help with all of that” said the race Co-Chair, Stephanie Guyotte. Traditionally at the end of the kids fun run and the adult 5K/5M, pies are handed out to runners, and volunteers are also needed to do this.
Participation from Andover High school students has always been robust and plentiful.
“We always get great participation from Andover High, I know a lot of our high school cross country and track teams will run, and I know we do get a lot of volunteers as well,” Guyotte said.
Registration for the event is open until thirty minutes before the start of the race, which will commence promptly at 8:30am. To prepare for the race, Guyotte has several tips that newcomers and professionals alike can enjoy.
“[A] great thing to do is run for 30 seconds, or a minute, and then walk for 30 seconds or a minute. Maybe your first time, do it for 20 minutes, then maybe the next time 25 minutes ” Guyotte said.
Another way to prepare is taking part in the free Couch to 5K program organized by the team at Feaster Five.
“We host our Couch to 5K every Sunday morning during the eight weeks leading up to Thanksgiving…we’ve had families, adults of all ages, there have definitely been some young people there as well. It’s definitely a great way to practice and prepare for the Feaster Five,” Guyotte said.
When confronted with the realities of the preparation and dedication involved in taking part in the race, students cite pie as the reason for their participation.
“Pie is pie, I’ll take it,” said Noor Bhatti, a sophomore at Andover High School.
The pies originate from a company in Worcester, known as Table Talk pies, and can be found at the end of the race, as well as at Market Basket.
