Here are the 2023 St. Patrick’s Day 5K races in the Greater Boston area.

St. Patrick’s Day 5K races, like most holiday themed races, take place around the actual holiday.

St. Patrick’s Day falls on Friday March 17th, 2023

This gives you the opportunity to run a St. Patrick’s Day themed race two weekends in a row or twice in a weekend if you want!

To register for a race click the race title or the registration information link.

To order a finisher’s medal for your runner, click HERE.

Shamrock Shuffle 5K

11 March | 9:00 AM | Saturday | Medway

Medway Shamrock Shuffle, St Patrick's 5K

Sponsored by the Medway Elementary Parent Teacher Organization, the race raises funds for Medway’s elementary schools.

Supporting creative arts programs, cultural arts programming, teacher appreciation events, and other activities that benefit Medway schools and enhance the children’s education.

The 5K course winds through the scenic back roads of Medway and is open to runners and walkers of all ages and abilities, including children and families.

Registration is: Adults $30, 17 and under is $20. T-shirts available through February 1st.

Now in it’s 12th year, this race has cash awards for the top three male and female finishers. Age group medals for first through third place runners will be awarded. This race does not have a finisher’s medal for all runners.

Shamrock Stampede 5K

18 March | 11:00 AM | Saturday | Plymouth

This race is based out of the DCR Pilgrim Memorial State Park. Registration includes one free beer ticket for the post race party.

Proceeds benefit:

Kathy Frank Scholarship Fund – providing a scholarship to a graduate of Silver Lake High School going into the field of nursing in memory of Kathy Frank.

Kathy was a Kingston resident and a nurse at South Shore Hospital who lost her battle with ovarian cancer in April 2011.

Registration is $30 for adults, $20 for 11 – 20 and 70+, and $15 for 10 and under. Add $5 for race day registration. T-shirt with registrations through February 26th.

Awards for top 1-3, male and female and 1st place age-group runners.

This race does not have a finisher’s medal for all runners.

Mick Morgan’s St. Patrick’s 5K

11 March | Noon | Saturday | Sharon

Registration is: $30, $35 day of race. The first 300 to register receive a long-sleeve tech t-shirt. This race often draws up to 800 runners, so sign up before they hit capacity.

Event location: Mick Morgan\’s Irish Pub, 973 Providence Highway (Route 1), Sharon, Massachusetts 02067

Proceeds support HESSCO programs and services of providing support and services to seniors, individuals living with a disability and their caregivers in South Norfolk County.

HESSCO packages and delivers an average of 130,000 home delivered meals each year and serves an additional 30,000 meals annually in dining room settings. Our drivers not only deliver a hot, nutritious meal, but they provide a wellness check and a friendly visit. For many, this is the difference needed to maintain their dignity and independence at home.

It appears that this race does not provide a finishers medal to all runners. If you are bringing someone to their First 5K, make sure to order a My First 5K medal for them!

Marshfield St. Patrick’s 5K

18 March | 10:00 AM | Saturday | Marshfield

This St. Patrick’s Day 5K is sponsored by the Marshfield Education Foundation and is now in it’s 13^th year. This USATF certified race usually draws over 2,000 runners.

Registration is $30 for adults and $20 for 19 and under. After March 11^th, registration is $35.

Come celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at “America’s Most Irish Road Race”! Wear your green and join 4,000 runners, walkers and crawlers at the South Shore’s premier road race!

Flat, fast, USATF certified 5K ocean course with cash prizes ($683,$250,$100) for the top three overall male and female, along with $317 ($1,000 total!) for a new male or female course record! (M-14:39 & F-16:28). Age group awards first through third.

Great finish parties at the pubs and restaurants of Brant Rock! A fun day for all!!

St. Patty’s Day 5K/10K & Pub Crawl

11 March | 10:00 AM | Saturday | Portsmouth, NH

This race is entirely within the Pease Development Authority, on straight paved roads. These races used to be held in Salisbury Beach State Park.

The 5K is a single loop and the 10K is two loops plus a bit.

5k & 10k participants (21+ only) may redeem their Sam Adams beer ticket at Paddy’s American Grille or at Cisco Brewers, Portsmouth.

FREE photos and finish line video will be available at no additional cost! There is also a gear check for these races!

Age group awards start at 19 & under for both the 5K and 10K.

Registration is:

5K – $30 through race day of if available. Ages 12-20 $30 and under 11 is $10.
10K – $40 through race day of if available for all age groups.

Age group and top three male and female runners will receive awards.

Hyannis Shamrock Shuffle

~~15 March~~ – 11:00 AM – Sunday – Hyannis – cancelled?

This race is based out of the Michael Aselton Memorial Park in Hyannis. Registration includes a beer ticket for the post race party.

Proceeds benefit The Shawn Thornton Foundation. The Shawn Thornton Foundation is dedicated to helping find cures for diseases close to Shawn’s heart, specifically, Parkinson’s and cancer.

Registration was $30 for adults, $20 for 11 to 20 and $15 for 10 and under. Add $5 for race day registration.

St. Patrick’s Day Road Race

19 March | 11:00 AM | Sunday | South Boston

boys and girls clubs of Boston, Boston 5K road race

A Southie tradition since 1940, this race takes place just before the famous South Boston St. Patrick Day’s Parade.

The race is hosted and sponsored by Keystone, the Edgerley Family South Boston Boys & Girls Club Teen Leadership Program. Funds raised at the race will help support the Keystone program.

Event location: 230 West Sixth Street Boston, MA

Registration is open for only $30.00 though March 10^th.

Registration is limited to 650 runners and the race always sells out, so don’t wait!

The Connolly Medal is given to the first South Boston resident to finish the St. Patrick’s Day Road Race. It is named for James Brendan Connolly, a son of South Boston, who medaled in the 1896 Olympics in Athens and is considered the first modern Olympic champion.

The Father Lane Medal is awarded each year to the first place Edgerley Family South Boston Club Kid Finisher.

2022 Race Results

2021 Race Results

Guinness Celtic 5K

12 March | 11:00 AM | Sunday | Worcester

This race was cancelled due to the Corona Virus but is back for 2023!

Held at the Elm Park at 284 Highland Street in Worcester, this race features an extensive list of bars for post race parties. So you know it’s going to be a good time!

The Guinness Celtic 5k is the first race of Tour de Worcester, a three part race series starting in March

Registration is $32 through January 31^st.

The post race party takes place at five Worcester bars!

Mayflower Brewing St. Patrick’s Day 5K

? March 9:30 AM – Sunday – Plymouth – Cancelled

Plymouth St. Patrick's Day 5K, Mayflower Brewing

Sponsored by and based out of the Mayflower Brewing Company brewery at 12 Resnik Rd # 3, Plymouth, MA.

Registration was at $37.

Each runner will receive a short sleeve tech shirt and runners over 21 will get one Mayflower brew. So bring your ID. Free finish line photos will be taken for you!

This race does not offer a finisher’s medal for each runner.

Shamrocks on the Rocks 5K

12 March | 1:00 PM | Sunday | Lunenburg

This race is organized by the North Medford Running Club and is an out and back 5K Run and Walk around Lake Whalom.

The race is listed on the club site, but there isn’t a link for registration.

Custom designed apparel for the first 150 entrants and a party after the race at On The Rocks!!! with pizza from Embers Pizzeria!

Event location: 96 Lakefront Street, Lunenburg, MA

Prizes: Cash for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Male and Female Runners Overall Only. If you’re bringing the kids, spouse or a friend for their First 5K, make sure you get them a finisher’s medal!

Registration was $25.00 with race day registration available.

11th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Hibernian 5K

? March 11:00 AM – Sunday | Lynn – no info for 2023

Course: The Hibernian 5K is a loop course starting at Hibernian Hall that goes through some of the residential neighborhoods of West Lynn and finishes at Hibernian Hall. Walkers are welcomed!

Race Amenities: Long-sleeve dri-fit shirts to the first 500 pre-registered runners, race timing, water on the course, post-race raffles and entertainment.

Prizes for the top three male and female adult overall winners, and top male and female under 13 years of age, and top Hibernians.

Event location: Hibernian Hall, 105 Federal St., Lynn, MA

Registration was $30 through race day.

Holyoake St Patrick’s Road Race 10K & Walk

18 March | 1PM | Saturday | Holyoke

Registration is open for the 45th annual running of this race. The 10K is $30 and the walk is $25 until February 16th.

There is a FREE kid’s race that does not require registration for children 2 to 10 years old.

Rás na hÉireann 5K

12 March | 11:00 AM | Sunday | Somerville

This race has become a tradition among local runners over the past twenty years. The race took a 4-year hiatus between 2018 and 2022, but is back for 2023!

Run from Davis Square the course is moderately challenging and well marshaled.

The after party is one of the best with most bars in Somerville participating. Check the web site for locations and sign up!

Registration was $40.14 and included all fees, shirt and a medal. 2023 registration is not open yet.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, run well and may the wind be at your back!

Andy

Due to poor weather conditions the St Patty’s 10K and 5K road race was postponed. This allowed us to extend our Saint Patty’s Day celebrations just a wee bit longer!

St Patty’s 10K Road Race

I signed up for the St Patty’s 10K so long ago that I forgot that I had! I was reminded by an email from the race director with race details!

I signed up for the race around Christmas time when registration was $10 or something like that. The deal was so good I posted it to the Melrose Running Club Facebook page and a bunch of other people signed up also.

Don Keren drove and Diarmuid Cahill and I went along for the ride. It’s a pretty quick and easy drive to Salisbury and parking was plentiful in the State Reservation.

When we got out of the car to go pick up our bibs, we realized just how cold 35° is. Seems okay when you’re home looking at a number on your cell phone. But in running clothes you get to fully experience 35°.

The crowd was still small and we quickly got our bibs and shirts. On the way back to the car I wasn’t paying attention and stepped into a big puddle. Laughs all around! Even strangers standing around got a good laugh out of that one. My feet were going to get wet anyway, right?

After we got back into the car we saw Mike Sikkema parked in front of us and down a car or two. Mike was prepping like a pro. We finally got his attention and had a few laughs. It’s too bad he couldn’t have caught a ride with us, but he had to pick up his son after the race.

Around 9:50AM we ambled over to the start area and saw another Melrose runner, Matt Sazama. We managed to get someone to take out photo and everyone was wearing MRC shirts! Matt had a classic white singlet with our old logo on it. I’ve never seen a white MRC singlet before.

Mike headed off to the start line so he could get a good start. The rest of us hung out near the back of the pack.

St Patty's 10K, Salisbury

Running the St Patty’s 10K

Don and Matt were running the Saint Patty’s 5K and Durm and I were running the 10K. The start was on time but a little slow due to our position at the end of the pack.

After about a quarter mile it was me and Durm weaving through the walkers and casual runners. That’s what you get for starting in the back.

I had my Garmin and the goal was to run 9 minute miles. All of us are running The Eastern States 20 on Sunday, so we didn’t want to run this one too hard. At mile one our pace was 8:50. Not too bad but this included time stuck behind walkers and people out for a jog.

The first turn was around 1.25 miles. As we approached the turn we could see the leaders and Mike Sikkema was in 3rd place! The fourth place runner was way behind. We gave Mike some encouragement as he ran by.

Durm and I had settled into a good pace and kept passing people. Mile two came in at 8:40. Again, not too bad.

At about 2.25 miles we took a right into a camp ground area. They have utility hook-ups for campers which are painted white and look like tomb stones. It really looked like we were running around a cemetery!

Painted on the road was a 5 MPH sign. I joked that we were over the speed limit!

As the loop through the camping area ended, we approached the 5K finish line. I told Durm to hold back. Many of the people around us were 5K runners who were kicking it for their last quarter mile. We still had another 3.1 miles to run.

When everyone around you is picking up the pace, it’s easy to get swept along. As we approached the finish line they had the 10K runners go around the finish line. I was hoping we would get an official 5K split.

As we passed the clock, I saw that our 5K split was around 26 minutes which was about an 8:40 pace. Faster than I wanted, but still pretty good.

Running the 10K

The crowd thinned out some, but we still had company. We were now headed back out to the turn on State Reservation Road. Mile three came in at 8:30 so we were progressively getting faster.

We hit mile 4 about a quarter mile before the turn and it was 8:41. We had managed to dial it back a bit.

As we approached the turn we could see the 5K stragglers. I then recognized the 10K leaders and sure enough, Mike was still in 3rd place. He had dropped back a bit, but the 4th place runner was now way behind.

It was nice to make the turn and know we were headed home.

Mile 5 chimed in at 8:26 and just about on top of the Mile 5 sign. We both felt pretty good and were still having a conversation as we ran.

Normally at this point in a 10K we would start to pick up the pace. With 1.2 miles to go you see what you can do. But with a 20 miler the next day, you have to hold back.

Some people that we passed earlier now passed us. We still had to hold back.

We took the loop through the campground and the Mile 6 sign came into view. Just about on top of the mile marker my watch chimed 8:26 again.

With 0.2 miles to go, Durm and I kicked it in. We held back for most of the race so our legs still had a lot of juice.

For the last 0.08 of the race we ran a 6:34 pace! That’s one hell of a kick!

As we approached the finish line I could see Don off to the right. Durm and I kicked in just a bit more for the finish and I was about two steps in front of him as we crossed the line.

St Pattys 10K

St Patty’s 10K Finish

As we ran through the finish and walked to the end of the finish area, I was out of breath. I could hear Don behind me, but I couldn’t really speak.

I chugged down a 500ml of water and headed for the vendor tents to pick up a few treats. Not a lot of food, but enough. Instead of making a few rounds we headed for the car.

Mike was at his car changing up. I congratulated him on his run and we talked about the race for a bit. He wasn’t sure if he would get 3rd over all, 2nd place male or first in his age group. But he was going to win something!

The three of us weren’t going to win anything and weren’t interested in bar hopping. We had a 20 mile race to get ready for!

We had an easy ride home and a good, far-ranging conversation.

Run well my friends and see you in Hampton Beach!

Race Results HERE. Race photos HERE.