By Phoebe Mabuchi — Correspondent
When Will Anstey and Thomas Rivier found a sponsor banner sitting on a table at one of their high school track meets, they joked about wanting to take it to hang up at a track meet of their own.
As their conversation continued about this potential meet, they realized it was no joke.
The Sunrise Classic, organized by Anstey and Rivier, who just graduated from CCHS last month, is a dual 5K and one-mile track event scheduled for Saturday, August 3, at 6 a.m. at Emerson Field.
All proceeds from the event will go to Open Table, a non-profit that helps people facing food insecurity.
“We hope to make it an annual event,” Rivier said. “I have my brother who’s still in high school for a few more years, and I’m hoping he can help us out when we’re in college.”
Anstey and Rivier participated in every running sport CCHS had: Cross country, indoor track, and track and field.
When they decided to organize a meet of their own, they began to create a vision.
“We didn’t want a boring, same-old track meet,” Anstey said. “So what if we did a sunrise?”
Running for a cause
The duo’s vision expanded after a track meet where they met a coach with extensive experience in organizing running events. After talking with him, they were eager to start planning.
“I remember after that conversation [thinking], ‘Oh my God, we have to make this a big event. We want to attract everyone,’” Anstey said.
They knew of Open Table — a friend on the track team did advertising for them, and the non-profit had collected canned foods at their sports banquets.
Rivier emailed Open Table about a partnership. When they agreed, he worked to get funding for the meet by walking into stores, sending emails, and talking with friends. Sponsors now include Asics, Carlisle Cutters, Dow Law Group, Kimball Farms, Middlesex Savings Bank, and Run House.
Rivier will attend Colgate University and plans to run cross country, while Anstey will attend Northeastern University and plans to participate in club sports like track and rugby.
Open Table Executive Director Alexandra DePalo praised the two for their initiative.
“I am so impressed with William and Thomas for the commitment to make their idea a reality,” she said. “We are thrilled to be a part of the Sunrise Classic and celebrate all that it represents: youth leadership, a fun event for the running community, and food relief efforts.”
Race day
The night before the race, runners can pick up their bibs, meet other athletes, and prepare for the race. (Participants will, in fact, get the t-shirt.) On race day, runners will arrive an hour early to warm up before the mile and then the 5K.
Those signed up for the race range in age from 13 to participants in their 50s and 60s, and Anstey said he’s ecstatic to meet people on Sunrise Classic day and create a community of runners.
“This is a huge range of people who are all a little bit crazy because they want to wake up so early to do a track race,” he said, “and they are the same kind of crazy that I know Thomas and I are.”
Registration for the Sunrise Classic closes at 11:59 p.m. on August 2. To learn more, visit runsignup.com/race/ma/concord/thesunriseclassic2024 or instagram.com/the_sunrise_classic.
