Last Saturday, 417 runners from more than 20 states 'stormed the Castle' in the annual Ipswich Ale Half Marathon for Rotary. The funds raised help Ipswich-Rowley Rotary support several of our important service missions, including school and camp scholarships. Since the inaugural race in 2016, our premier fundraiser has raised over $200,000.First among the men was David Perloff with a time of 1:19:46.36. First female finisher was Lauren Reissfelder, not far behind at 1:30:45.55. This scenic road race winds through bucolic Ipswich, starting and ending at the Trustees properties on Castle Hill and Crane Beach.
In the photo at the left, eventual male winner Perloff leads the charge up Castle Hill.
It takes many hands and a lot of planning to make an event of this magnitude successful. As President Tom Murphy so
aptly stated in his letter of appreciation to the community, we are especially grateful "to Andy Ellis, our Race Director extraordinaire for coordinating and guiding us all.” We also acknowledge the vital support provided every year by the town, including the Town Manager, the Ipswich Police and Fire Departments, and the departments of Building, Health, and Public Works. We also appreciate the area residents for their understanding during race hours.
aptly stated in his letter of appreciation to the community, we are especially grateful "to Andy Ellis, our Race Director extraordinaire for coordinating and guiding us all.” We also acknowledge the vital support provided every year by the town, including the Town Manager, the Ipswich Police and Fire Departments, and the departments of Building, Health, and Public Works. We also appreciate the area residents for their understanding during race hours. Seen at the right are Race Director Andy Ellis and Co-Chair Ted Garside
And this race is not possible without the generous support of our partners and sponsors. Principal partners include Ipswich Ale Brewery, the Ipswich YMCA, the Institution for Savings, the Trustees of Reservations, and Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospitals – and our onsite physician Dr Fiona Breslin. The event also is sponsored by Bank Gloucester, Kayem Foods, Marathon Sports, Action Ambulance, Ipswich House of Pizza, and East End Bagels.
President Tom added that “we cannot have a successful event without a swarm of volunteers … who ensure that the race operates smoothly and is safe for runners, spectators, and motorists.” Among the army of on-site volunteers who participated this year were dozens of Rotarians and Ipswich High School Interact students, including event Chairs Ted Garside, Mary Foote-Hill, and Lisa Shanko.
Seen in the collage below are a few of the many volunteers who made this event possible.
