Printer Friendly Version - A Hybrid Format Planned for Chester Rotary’s 43rd Annual July Road Race

Operating under a new, hybrid format and with this new logo designed by Deep River artist Rachel Carlson, the Chester Rotary 43rd annual 4 on the Fourth road race kicks off virtually on Sunday, July 4 and in-person on Monday, July 5.Image courtesy of the Chester Rotary Club

Chester Rotary’s 43rd annual 4 on the Fourth road race will take place using a hybrid format this July, after last year’s event was held virtually. The race is a long-time tradition, with participants coming from the local area and from across the United States. All proceeds benefit Chester Rotary.

“It’s one of our biggest fundraisers,” said Deborah “Deb” Vilcheck, president of the Chester Rotary Club and chair of the Road Race Committee.

The road race kicks off Chester Rotary’s year-long fundraising efforts, to help meet the financial needs of various local non-profits and community groups.

“This is our first event of the Rotary year,” said Vilcheck. “The Rotary year begins July 1st and so it is our first event, and we really look forward to it.”

Prior to the pandemic, more than 500 people participated in the road race annually. Last year, the event was held virtually.

“We had about 180 registered runners for last year’s virtual race, who ran locally as well as in their own neighborhoods all around the country, New York, Florida, [and] Texas,” said Vilcheck. “Families made an event of it themselves where they all ran at the same [time] and made composite photos of their being together.”

This year, runners can participate either virtually or in-person via a hybrid format. The virtual race can take place from any location in the contiguous United States and any time between Sunday, July 4 and Sunday, July 11. Times are uploaded and ranked against others on the race website.

The in-person race will be held on Monday, July 5, starting at 9 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Church, 48 Middlesex Avenue. It is limited to 500 runners, with assigned start times, or waves, to help prevent large gatherings.

“We really want people to stay safe,” said Vilcheck, who adds that among several other COVID-19 safety guidelines, event organizers are asking participants not to gather after completing the racecourse and that there be no spectators.

In place of support from the sidelines, race organizers will again make the RaceJoy mobile app available for participants. This app tracks a runner’s progress on the racecourse, with audio from friends and family.

All participants will also receive a T-shirt, designed by Deep River artist Rachel Carlson, who has worked in downtown Chester for the last seven years.

The design shows Chester’s unofficial mascot, the squirrel, among trees, leaping across a finish line. A sun, in the silhouette of the rotary logo, peeks from behind the trees.

Carlson said that inspiration for the logo “came from the town itself and the way it has always been a warm, welcoming, and eco-friendly community.

“For many years, it has remained the same, keeping its quintessential small-town charm surrounded by nature, while growing to welcome people from all over with it’s carefree and friendly atmosphere,” she continued.

The T-shirt design was an opportunity for Carlson “to expand my horizons as an artist,” she said, adding that she typically paints realistic scenes in acrylics or oils, on a canvas.

“I hope people can feel like they are taking away a piece of Chester with the T-shirt design,” she said. “I hope they then keep it as a reminder of a wonderful day in a wonderful town.”

Although Chester Rotary is currently focused on planning and organizing its annual road race, Vilcheck said that other fundraisers will be held throughout the year, with other traditional events, like the duck race, potentially returning if transmission rates of COVID-19 remain low.

“Right now, we’re concentrating on this, but we’re always thinking of new ways to raise funds because the needs are always there,” said Vilcheck. “As we get through the race then we will be looking around [and saying], ‘Okay, what will we be doing?’”

The Chester Rotary plans to have a table at the Chester Sunday Market, which is scheduled to start on June 13 this year. The club plans to sell hats monogrammed with the Chester Squirrel in a variety of colors, with proceeds to benefit a variety of local non-profits and community groups, including Tri-town Youth Services, Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries, Bikes for Kids, Chester Community Fund and Food Pantry, Chester Hose Company, A Little Compassion, Inc./The Nest, Brian House, Inc., and Camp Hazen YMCA.

To register for the road race and to find more information, visit runsignup.com/Races.