By Steve Garone
Wayland Post Contributor
The annual Dudley Pond Fun Run kicked off the fall season on October 5, with attendance surpassing last year. There were 119 runners and competitive walkers, 13 fitness walkers, and 41 children.
A Wayland staple for 27 years, the event is a major annual fundraiser for the Dudley Pond Association (DPA). The Fun Run, which begins and ends at Mansion Beach at the junction of Lake Shore Drive and Mansion Road, is open to everyone.
Proceeds from the run, which include both individual participation fees paid and corporate and local business sponsorships, are used to support the DPA’s funding for weed management and other programs in conjunction with the town’s Surface Water Quality Committee. Several vendors promoted their services and assisted runners.
The activities included a trainer-led fitness walk along the scenic roads around Dudley Pond, kids’ age-based races ranging from 25 yards to a quarter of a mile, and a scenic 3.5-mile run along Dudley Pond. The course loop began with small rolling hills following the shoreline, then turned uphill before reversing to the starting line. Simultaneously, competitive walkers took the same route but turned around at the one-mile mark.
Winners in each category were announced at a ceremony following the events. The top four in each of eight age categories, ranging from 19 and younger to over 80 for both male and female runners, were recognized.
Local merchants contributed refreshments, which included fruit, coffee, pastries and ice cream. Participants and other attendees could purchase Dudley Pond merchandise like T-shirts, sweatshirts and even onesies.
The DPA, comprising neighbors living along Dudley Pond, is an organized watershed group with bylaws specifically for the maintenance of the pond. It focuses on weed control, litter control, safety, abuse and “nuisance” control and improvement of water quality. It also coordinates community-building events.
