I Need A Valentine 5Km or Abouts

Same Day Registration Available; Join Us Early!

Doors open for same day registration at 8:00AM.

About This Event:

We are excited to invite you to participate in the 2025 Run4Veterans 5k Road Race/Walk with Veterans Inc. at Polar Park! We look forward to a fun morning of activity in support of Veterans and their families in need. Registration begins at 8am. Help us do more for the Veterans we serve while enjoying the home of the Woo Sox! Run to win, walk for fun, but most importantly sign up and have fun for a good cause! All Fitness Levels and Strollers Welcome!

All Pre-Registrants will receive a commemorative event running shirt, and all participants will enjoy food, beer, music, prizes, and more after the race. If you can’t make it in person this year, we are offering a virtual sign-up option as well! Just run a 5k before the deadline, submit your times, and we will recognize your participation and honor the virtual winner alongside the in-person honorees.

Rep your branch or wear your Red, White, & Blue.

Packet Pickup Options

Can’t make it early on race day? Stop by one of our pre-race packet pickups:

Thursday, October 30 | 4–7 PM – American Flatbread, Worcester, MA

Saturday, November 1 | 10 AM–2 PM – Sneakerama, Worcester, MA

Event Shirts:

Event shirts will be distributed at race packet pickup or on race day while supplies last.

Awards Ceremony:

An awards ceremony will begin at 11:30am at Polar Park. We have a winner’s podium and trophies for the top 3 placements in each category. We encourage all to gather and participate in this exciting portion of the post-race festivities!

Awards:

Awards to the top 3 male/female overall

Top male/female runner in each age group 1-14, 15-22, 23-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80+

Top male/female Veteran

Top male/female wheelchair

5K For Good:

Join us in supporting Veterans Inc., Abby's House, and Reliant Foundation as we run (or walk!) to make a difference in Worcester County! Every step helps provide stability, empowerment, and wellness for those in need. Register for all 3 races NOW!

Reliant Foundation 5K: October 4, 2025

Abby's House 5K: October 18, 2025

Veterans Inc. 5K: November 2, 2025

The Tiny Footprints 5K brings together runners, joggers, and walkers of all ages and athletic abilities to celebrate our NICU grads and remember those families who experienced a loss. Your support provides money for equipment and services for the UMass Memorial NICU at the Children's Medical Center and to help put on the annual Memorial Service hosted for families who experience a loss.

This new location offers a fun racecourse through downtown Worcester. It should be a great course for those taking on their first 5k, as well as competitive runners looking for a PR. It's an easy walk for those who prefer using the 5K to share the time with family and friends.

The event day will be filled with festivities including a memorial service for families, DJ, fun run for kids, face paint for kids, baseball field concession stand behind home plate will be open with food, drinks for sale. There will also be some fantastic raffles (cash or venmo). The park is credit card only.

Overview

Please join us for the 20th running of The Mass General Brigham Health Plan Canal Diggers 5K and Kids Fun Run on Saturday September 12, 2026! We will once again begin and finish the race at Fiddler's Green, 19 Temple Street, Worcester.

Pre-Race ceremonies will begin at 9:20 AM followed by the Kid's Fun Run at 9:30 AM. The 5K will begin at 10:30 AM and end at the Hibernian Cultural Center where there will be post-race food, refreshments, live entertainment and beer for those over the age of 21, in addition to non-alcoholic beverages.

For those of you, who are not interested in running in crowds, or who may be busy on Saturday September 12, we will, once again, offer a virtual run as well. Virtual runners will have from Monday September 7, 2026, at 9:00 AM until Friday September 11, 2026, at 12:00 PM to run a virtual 5K and submit your time. The winner of the Virtual 5K will be announced Saturday September 12 with the in-person runners.

As you know, each year we strive to improve this all-volunteer, 100% charitable race, making it the premier 5K in the area. This year will be no different. All in person runners can expect the traditional post-race food, water, and, of course, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages, provided by our friends at Atlas Distributing.

The first 600 registered participants, whether virtual or in person, we will receive a long sleeve shirt.

Please join us on September 12th as we celebrate 20 years!!!

Pricing

5k - Online Registration Cost

$20.00 until June 1, 2026.

$30.00 from June 1, 2026, until August 31, 2026.

$35.00 from September 1 until September 9, 2026, at 12:00 PM

On-Line registration ends at 12:00 PM on Wednesday September 9, 2026.

After on-line registration ends runners may sign up at packet pick up at Sneakerama on Thursday September 10, 2026, from 4:00 to 6:30 PM or Friday September 11, 2026, from 4:00 - 6:30 P.M. for $40.00.

Packet pick up will also occur on Race Day at 19 Temple Street, Worcester until 10:15 AM.

THERE WILL BE NO RACE DAY REGISTRATION! All registration will close at 6:30 PM on Friday September 11, 2026.

Youth 1K Registration Cost - $15.00

5k - Undergrad Rate*

*All persons using this registration MUST present a valid college ID at packet pick up

$20.00 until the end of registration at 6:30 PM on September 11, 2026.

THERE IS NO MAIL-IN REGISTRATION

Runner amenities

The first 600 pre-registered runners will receive a performance t-shirt. In addition, all our in-person runners can expect water, pizza and two (2) courtesy tickets for beer for those over the age of 21. All Virtual Runners are guaranteed a medal.

Teams

Wanna run as a team? Be our guest; you'll find the option on our registration page. Minimum of (3) members, please, & awards to the top (3)! Tell yer friends....