Central Mass Striders duo running a 5K in all 351 Massachusetts towns

On a current stunning spring day, a pair of runners clad in neon yellow windbreakers posed for a photograph in entrance of Scituate Lighthouse.

It was one of many nicest lighthouses they’d seen, one among them stated later, and the photograph was the very best they’d taken of the ocean to this point – and these two have been round.

The runners, Scott Schaeffer-Duffy, of Worcester, and Karen Pajer, of Leicester, are operating 5Ks in each Massachusetts city, a part of their private Massachusetts 351 venture. 

The earlier yr, they participated within the Streets of Worcester Problem the place they ran each single road in Worcester over the course of 5 months, six days, 22 hours for a complete of 733.5 miles.

Considering they have been carried out, they advised a Worcester Telegram reporter once they completed, they didn’t have another initiatives lined up. Not till Pajer heard a few lady who was operating each city in Rhode Island.

“And I stated, ooh, that feels like enjoyable,” stated Pajer.

The wheels have been turning. How might she recruit her operating accomplice she met by the Central Mass Striders for one more loopy venture?

Persistence paid off for Pajer, and the 2 of them have been off on one other journey.

“I feel when Karen throws down the gauntlet, [I would say stubborn, she would say determined], that it’s going to occur,” stated Schaeffer-Duffy.

After asking Schaeffer-Duffy infrequently over the course of six months concerning the venture, Schaeffer-Duffy requested Pajer if he was operating the cities along with her on Halloween. 

As a result of it was Halloween, she thought it might be enjoyable to start out in Salem at dawn and to run 6.67 miles there. (Her spiritual sensibility wouldn’t permit her to run the 6.66 miles that she initially thought can be humorous to do)

Despite the fact that it was early, there have been loads of individuals out with their costumes. Pajer and Schaeffer-Duffy took footage that planted the seed for what their venture would change into.

They determined to run a 5K in every city and discover one thing distinctive or attention-grabbing in every city to doc for the venture.

“It’s actually sort of attention-grabbing, the stuff you don’t know,” stated Pajer, “which can be proper in your personal yard.”

For Pajer, that was the caves in Upton Heritage Park, proper subsequent door from Worcester.

“You suppose your state, you suppose your city, there’s extra to see, there’s extra to study, there’s extra on the market than you notice,” stated Schaeffer-Duffy.

They found buffalo in Haverhill, did some studying in Studying, discovered a fish enterprise in Dighton that isn’t match to print, ran by Hopkinton and Ashland through the Boston Marathon, and recreated a scene within the film, “The Proposal,” in Rockport. They just lately found that Uncle Sam was primarily based on an actual particular person in Arlington. 

The South Shore additionally had its memorable moments for the duo.

They ran Plymouth the Sunday earlier than Thanksgiving. They explored Gray Seashore in Kingston, checked out the herring run in Pembroke, and located Nathan Cushing’s homestead in Norwell.

A key factor to the venture that may be lengthy and arduous is having enjoyable whereas doing it, Pajer stated.

“We bicker banter, and complain the entire time, and that’s what makes it extra enjoyable. The extra depressing he’s, the happier I’m.”

Schaeffer-Duffy is completely satisfied to dish it again. He mistook Marshfield for Mansfield on the drive there. He insisted on calling it Mansfield the remainder of the day, and made a degree in informing individuals they bumped into that Pajer thought it was referred to as Mansfield.

To complete the venture in 351 days, they must run three or 4 cities every day of the weekend to be as environment friendly as potential. It took them six hours to do their runs in Scituate, Hanover, and Norwell that day, together with the three hours of journey time from Central Mass to the South Shore. So far, they’ve run 211 of the 351 cities.

Operating is an efficient metaphor for all times, in response to Schaeffer-Duffy.

“You set effort in, you do one thing, you get an unlikely response as a rule,” stated Schaeffer-Duffy.

Operating has supplied them a option to be more healthy, unimaginable adventures exploring Massachusetts, and most of all, friendship and numerous tales to inform.