Test your speed at this in-person LIVE race series in Boston

This post was written by Coach Erica Knighton

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Join the Knighton Lions for the Knighton Runs Summer Olympics Track Series and compete in your favorite Olympic Events!

The Summer Olympics Track Series will allow athletes of all ages and abilities to race distances from 800-meters to 5000-meters on the track. Each night will include a bonus sprint race in addition to the featured distance race. Bonus races will be announced the week of each featured race and will be a short sprint (e.g., 100m) or a relay race (e.g., 4 x 400m).

Whether you’re training for the marathon or shorter distances, the summer is always a great time to work on speed and race on the track. The Summer Olympic Track Series will give you the opportunity to test your fitness in a low-key atmosphere.

Race in all four events for your chance to be crowned The Olympic Champion.

Track Series Details + Registration

WEEK 1: 3000-meters
Thursday July 1, 7PM

The 3000-meter race is 7.5 laps on a standard track. In women’s athletics, 3000 meters was a standard event in the Olympic Games from 1984-1992. The event was discontinued at the Olympic level after the 1992 games and replaced by the 5000 meters starting at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, GA. In men’s athletics, 3000 meters was an Olympic discipline only at 1912, 1920, and 1924 Summer Olympics. While it is not currently an official Olympic event, it is frequently hosted at elite track and field meets and is the ultimate test of both endurance and speed. We kick off the track series with this distance because it is a perfect fitness test run. The 3000 will have you running near your maximum heart rate, making your finishing time a good benchmark for the series ending 5000-meters.

WEEK 2: 800-meters
Thursday July 8, 7PM

The shortest middle-distance track event, this 2-lap race is arguable the most challenging. The 800 has been an Olympic event since the first games in 1896 making it a must for our track series. The 800 will test both your aerobic and anaerobic systems to a high level. Get ready to feel the lactic burn in this fast race!

WEEK 3: 1500-meters
Thursday July 15, 7PM

The 1500-meter race is quick 3.75 laps around the track. Many runners have clocked a 1-mile race, but most Americans have not raced the foremost international middle-distance track event. Come check this one off your racing bucket list this Summer. The iconic and historic 1500 has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896. Winning the 1500 can often come down to race tactics. Checkout American, Matthew Centrowitz, win gold by 0.1 seconds at the 2016 games in a historically slow race.

WEEK 4: 5000-meters
Thursday July 22, 7PM

The last race in the track series will be the longest and a great way to find out your official 5k time. The 12.5 laps around the track cover the same distance as a road race 5k. The 5000-meter has been present on the Olympic program since 1912 for men and since 1996 for women. The Olympic Final 5000 is the most prestigious 5K race in the world. As with all Olympic track competitions, the format typically has two qualifying heats leading to a final between fifteen athletes, but at our Summer Olympic Track Series, we will only have you run it once!

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Each race night starts at 7:00PM at Harvard’s McCurdy Track at 145 N Harvard St, Boston, MA 02134.

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These races are unofficial and just-for-fun on a track that is open to the public. In the unlikely event that the track is being occupied, we will move the event to the neighboring Harvard Tempo Loop around the Harvard Stadium.

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Our Training and Race Pace Calculator can help you estimate your track finish times.