About The Great Bear Run - Sunday, May 6, 2012

It's a major running event in the west suburbs of Boston. It's truly multi-generational.. It has many unique traditions. It is The Great Bear Run, Sunday, May 6, 2012 at Pollard School, 200 Harris Avenue, Needham MA 02492. Events include 5K Run, 1 Mile Run, 1 Mile Prostate Cancer Walk, and many kids races.

--- All Proceeds from the run go to benefit Prostate Cancer Research---
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Age Groups

5K: 0-10, 11-14, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80+
1M: 0-5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13-14, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60+
400: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
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Early Runner Number Pickup


10 am - 1 pm on Saturday, May 5

Pollard School Parking Lot, 200 Harris Ave, Needham MA

Pick up your T-shirts and runner numbers

**NOTE -- you can always pick these up on race day.
  • Medal or trophy to ALL runners
  • Teddy bears to ALL kids
  • Refreshments
  • Live Entertainment: Magic, Face Painting, Crafts, the Great Bear
  • All cotton T-shirts
  • $100 to 5K winners
  • Large trophies to 1 Mile Run children age group winners
  • More information: Contact us.
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Results Photos

Crowds Brave Rain at Great Bear Run

The strongest turnout in years braved rain to participate in our annual Great Bear Run with runners from as far away as Sweden and from 11 months to 79 years in age.

Matt Carter of Saugus clocked 15:48 as he repeated last year's men's 5K win - his 2-year-old son, Charlie, ran in his 1st Bearathon.
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Dorothy ZIrkle of Brighton captured the women's 5K in 18:42.

Charles Beard repeated multiple men's wins in the 1 Mile Run with 5:27. 13-year-old Valerie Collins of Wellesley scored a women's win in 6:41. Boys winning Bob Ayoub trophies included Sam Thomas, Michael Caron, Jonah Berg, David Muir, Anton Ciccarelli, Peter Crapsey, Jack Cronin, and Jonah Renz. Girls capturing Bob Ayoub trophies were Valerie Collins, Emelyn Chaing, Lexie vonderLuft, Katie Cronin, Lily Segal, Carmel Fitzgibbon, and Anna Barrett.

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Our next generation of fast runners (age 0-3) took to the rear of Pollard School to complete the 26.2 meter course much to the cheers of the accompanying crowds.

Our up and coming 4-14 year olds showed their grit in running in downpouring rain to complete 100 meter, 200 meter, and 400 meter races.

Completing the day were the passionate 3K Prostate Cancer walkers, ever resilient in the rain, marching for our day's cause -- Prostate Cancer awareness and research.
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