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Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
70th Westfield River Wildwater Races ‘a complete success,' says race director
Harry Rock, race director for the 70th running of the Westfield River Wildwater Races on April 19 said he believed the final head count was 293 paddlers on the river. 'It was a phenomenal day because of the great weather which led to many smiles and happy faces as people exited the river following their runs,' Rock said. 'As I drove both courses in the morning and afternoon I was struck by how much it reminded me of the old days when we had huge crowds coming out to line the river. There were large groups of people all along the river gathered at the various viewing spots and lining the bridges to watch the paddlers go underneath. There were family picnics taking place in backyards that bordered the water. What was really fun was to hear the clanking of all the cowbells we had sold so that spectators would have them along the river to cheer the racers going by,' Rock continued. He said his focus this year as race director was on safety, to ensure a quick response to any emergency if it was called in. They had the Westfield Police cadets lining the river, the safety kayakers positioned at each zone of the river, rescue kayaks and Russell police with throw bags to help pull in paddlers who had capsized. There was a command center at Russell Police headquarters to quickly respond to any calls that might come in. 'Both the expert and classic races went off with no events and no medical emergencies,' Rock said. He said the level of cooperation from both the towns of Russell and Huntington was 'amazing,' and credited the Police and Fire departments and Board of Selectmen from both towns. 'The Hilltown Ambulance had dedicated an ambulance to be on duty for the race and there were times when I saw two in place ready to respond if necessary. Fortunately, there was no need for any significant response but the preparation was in place to ensure that we could respond if necessary,' Rock said. He also thanked the Army Corps of Engineers for the use of the Knightville Dam and the scheduled water release, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation for the use of their Route 112 maintenance yard as a staging area and starting line and the use of the Route 20 pull off for the Expert Race finish line, the Hilltown Community Health Center for the use of their parking lot for racers and spectators, the Massachusetts State Police, and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. The committee also had a sweep kayak on the course who was following the last boater so they knew when the river was clear after everyone reached the finish line. This allowed them to quickly tabulate the results and give out awards, which was done in a much more timely manner than in past years, Rock said. 'The large number of volunteers enabled us to manage all of the details for this major event in a very efficient manner. My thanks as the race director to everyone who were willing to volunteer and help because they cared about their community and they cared about creating a positive experience on the river without looking for any reward or recognition. 'All in all, the 70th Westfield River Wildwater Races were a complete success and we will look forward to next year for another opportunity to keep the Hilltown tradition alive,' Rock said. Results Top 10 Classic Race: Jeff Parker 57:14 Eric Jones 57:41 Del Cummings 59:12 Carl Lafreniere 59:45 Ethan Gamble 1:00 41 Bryan Gore 1:01:59 Keith Duggan 1:02:30 Joseph Green 1:02:47 Elisha Jameson 1:02:48 Michael Payne 1:02:57 Top 10 Expert Race: Jeff Parker 32:23 Carl Lafreniere 34:33 Jeffrey Defeo 35:36 Eric Jones 37:08 Edward Hamel 37:11 Colin Pagnoni 37:16 Rick Howard 37:37 Christopher Burke 38:22 Julie Marcoulier 39:12 Patrick Melnik 39:32
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Last day to sign up for Westfield River Wildwater Races
Harry Rock, committee chair and race director of the 70th Westfield River Wildwater Races, said registration for the races closes at midnight on Wednesday, April 16. The cost is $75 per person, and people may register online at As of April 15, 262 racers had registered. Competitors will receive their bib number and start times by email at 4 p.m. on April 17. People may pick up their race packets Friday evening from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Shortstop Bar & Grill in Westfield. Otherwise Expert Race packets will be available at Knightville Dam at the start of the Expert course and Classic Race packets will be available at the Classic Race registration tent by the MassDOT maintenance yard in Huntington off the green Route 112 bridge. Advertisement The 5-mile Expert Race, beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Knightville Dam, ends at the Route 20 rest area across from the Hilltown Community Health Center. Racers and spectators can park in the health center parking lot. Spectators can also park at the Knightville Dam to watch the start there. The 8-mile Classic Race begins at 11 a.m. at the green bridge in Huntington and ends in the center of Woronoco Village. There is no spectator or race vehicle parking in Woronoco due to the road closure, but there is parking at Strathmore Park where the awards ceremony will take place. Racers and their boats will be transported by bus and canoe trailers from the finish line to Strathmore Park. Spectators may park at Huntington Town Hall to watch the start of the Classic Race and at Frog Hollow parking in Russell to watch the racers cross the Russell bridge. Spectators may park in the parking lot of the VFW to watch racers maneuver the Hill & Dale Rapids, or be dropped off at that location. There is no parking on Route 20, tickets will be issued; or at businesses across the street. The Wildwater Races Celebration at Strathmore Park runs from 12-4 p.m., where there are also paths to the river to watch racers on the final stretch. There will also be food trucks and music, and race sponsors will have booths set up under the pavilion. The awards ceremony will be held at approximately 3 p.m., after the last competitors in the Classic Race cross the finish line, Rock said. Advertisement 'As we head into our 70th year … we are working together to build a sustainable organization that will ensure the race continues to thrive as a community and sporting event. There is only one Wild & Scenic Westfield River and this race is a part of history as participants guide their boats around epic boulders, navigate portages around dams and have the time of their lives on a raging spring river,' Rock added.
