Blue Back Mitten Run Draws 1,800 Participants

The second annual Blue Back Mitten Run, the Hartford Marathon Foundation's final race of the season, drew almost twice as many runners as it did the first year. About 1,800 people ran Sunday's 5K road race, which was won by Chris Bowman of Sheffield, MA.

Crowds gathered in front of Town Hall about an hour before the start of the 10 a.m. Kids' Fun Run to register and pick up their T-shirts before the event. Several hundred children ran the 1/2 mile and 1-mile courses.

It was a brisk start for the older runners at 10:30 a.m., with temperatures still in the 30s. A scant 17 minutes later, Bowman crossed the finish line in .

Schuyler Schuster, who came in third, and Marisa Jones, the first woman finisher, are both from West Hartford. See results and time for every registered runner online by clicking here.

The West Hartford Exchange Club and the  were both beneficiaries of the event. The Exchange Club will receive $5 per entry in the Kids' Fun Run to support their community service programs.

The town's department of Human and Leisure Services will distribute hundreds of pairs of donated mittens and gloves, as well as hats and other cold-weather accessories, to clients who need them through "The Town That Cares" program.