Over the years, the St. Patrick’s Day Road Race has become a symbol for the city of Holyoke. With this year being the 40th anniversary of the Road Race, it is a time where everyone seems to be looking back at all the fun memories they have made during their Road Race experience. The Road Race is a perfect start to the St Patrick’s Day festivities and is certainly a day that everyone remembers.

As for the runners, the Road Race is a day where they can claim bragging rights for the rest of the year and many Holyokers take the event very seriously. The people who never cease to impress the city every year is the Holyoke High School track team.

The Holyoke High track team is one of the school’s best sports teams and seems to have success wherever they go. However they always are ready to go at the road race and impress everyone with great times.

Tyler Tardy, a standout senior runner this year, finished last year’s Road Race in 66th place with a time of 37:48, a very good time which definitely earn him some bragging rights.

Maggie McAndrew, the school’s top female runner and only a freshman this year, finished last year’s race in 192nd place with a time of 42:08. Maggie captured the high school girl’s division title while only in the 8th grade last year and is continuing to impress everyone with her great skill this year.

Bryan Dec, one of the schools top runners and also the recent two mile indoor track record holder for the school, finished the race in 128th place last year with a time of 40:33. Dec said, “The track team likes to work hard and even in the offseason keep their mile times up,” he continued, “Running the Road Race is something we all enjoy and it’s fun to run with the whole city cheering you on.”

This great success doesn’t end at current track runners;  former Holyoke track runners always come back to run year after year. Former star of the Holyoke High track team and 2013 Holyoke High graduate, RJ Landry finished last year’s Road Race in 16th place and with the very impressive time of 33:24. Landry also secured the title of Top Holyoke finisher for the 2nd year in a row.

The 40th anniversary of the Road Race this year is shaping up to be a good one and this snow isn’t going to stop anyone. It will be chock full of memories, laughs, and great performances by many. There isn’t much I can guarantee about the 2015 St. Patrick’s Day Road Race, but what I can guarantee is a great performance from the Holyoke High School track team.