Sawmill River 10K Run

02/27/2026

Hello Sawmill River 10K Runners!

I hope this finds you well. We have some fantastic news! The Sugarloaf Mountain Athletic Club (SMAC) has offered to assume the reins of organizing this great community event! We feel this is a wonderful gesture to the local running community, and there certainly is no better organization to keep this great tradition alive!

As some of you may know, The Sawmill 10K has been in existence since 1988 when local running enthusiast Dr. Allen Ross first brought it to the community. The event’s popularity was clear from the start, as some races during the early years saw runner participation well over 200. After a one-year hiatus in 2008, Montague Parks & Recreation proudly picked up the torch and has since overseen 17 Sawmill races. Clearly, The Sawmill has become a ritual for many, and we’re thrilled the race will continue.

As the race director, I have thoroughly enjoyed bringing all of you a quality event these past few years. Thank you all for your support of the Sawmill River 10K Run and Montague Parks & Recreation Department. The event’s success would obviously not be possible without your willingness to get up early New Year’s morning, strap on the running shoes and spend the morning with us. I would also like to take the time to thank my assistant, Jennifer, as well as the numerous volunteers who invested their time and energy over the years.

Keep an eye out for more information from SMAC with regards to The Sawmill Run. There is no doubt the race will be in capable hands. I look forward to reading about it for years to come.

Sincerely,
Jon Dobosz, CPRP
Director of Parks & Recreation, Town of Montague
(former) Sawmill 10K Race Director

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02/11/2026

Hello Sawmill Racers,
I hope this finds you all well, and that you’re surviving this very stormy winter.

I just wanted to reach out and inform everyone that we seem to be at a crossroads regarding The Sawmill River 10K. The last couple of years we’ve needed to absorb some additional, yet critical, expenses to address safety and accessibility gaps. Unfortunately, this has rendered The Sawmill Run financially infeasible in its current incarnation. Ironically, this event was designed as a fundraiser for our Sponsor-A-Child Scholarship Program, so we find ourselves painted in a corner where the event now loses money.
Adding to our concern, is an anticipated reduction in volunteers and the ever-present specter of poor weather (which certainly contributed to low participation numbers this past New Years).

We are currently looking at ways in which to still offer the event while ensuring that we meet our financial goals.
• Different season: holding the event in either the Spring or Autumn, as the Winter provides added expenses. We acknowledge that there are considerably more races held during those seasons.
• Changing to a 5K: this may attract more casual runners to participate. Unfortunately, this may force us to find a route in another part of the town.

Montague Parks & Recreation is a very small department with limited personnel and financial resources, so running an unsuccessful event that requires an exceptional amount of time and funding is disheartening and impractical. The Montague Parks & Recreation Commission will be meeting on Thursday, February 26 to discuss this matter further. Whether you are a long-time Sawmill runner or a first-time participant, we appreciate your thoughts, ideas, and general input to allow us to come to a well-informed decision on the future of the Sawmill Run.

Thank you for your time…..
Jon Dobosz, CPRP
Director of Parks & Recreation
Sawmill River 10K Race Director

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01/01/2026

SAWMILL RIVER 10K RUN RESULTS - January 1, 2026
Montague Parks & Recreation Dept.

*Updated Results*

Eighty-two runners crossed the finish line at a chilly Sawmill River 10K Run that was held in Montague Center on New Year’s Day. Frances Duncan of Somerville and Jacob Barnett of Whately were the Overall winners. Duncan finished with a final time of 41:47, with Barnett bringing in a time of 33:22. Results per Division are as follows: Open Division (Ages 18-39) – Duncan, Michael Keebler of Montague (33:30), and Liv Lohmeier of Hadley (44:43; Binary Division), Master Division (Ages 40–49) – Elena Betke-Brunswick of Hadley (41:58), Barnett, Senior Division (Ages 50-59) – Andrea Olkin of Springfield (1:33:53) and Daniel Mickus of Greenfield (40:35), Senior + Division (60 & Up) – Debra Hevey of Chicopee (56:27), and Jeffrey Mish of Hadley (47:49), Super Senior Division (70 & Up) – Sidney Letendre of Florence (47:49) and Bob Austin of Turners Falls (48:11).

Many thanks to Montague DPW, Montague Police, Montague Common Hall, all the runners and our amazing volunteers!

Complete results will be posted on

Home “Professional Race Timing” *MYLAPS Bib Tag Timing Systems* *Conventional Non-Chip Race Timing* *ONLINE RACE REGISTRATION* *RACE VIDEO BACK-UP* “We are a company that constantly evolves and changes with todays technology to better meet the needs of our Customers.” Copyright (C) 2020 Accu...

01/01/2026

Good morning, the race is still on. Montague DPW is out plowing and treating the race route. There will be areas of slush and snow along the route.

12/30/2025

Hello Runners (and Walkers)!
It’s time to ring in the New Year with the Sawmill River 10K! A few items of note before the starting horn goes off;

- Forecast – Wednesday's forecast shows partly sunny skies, with temperatures in the low-20's, and about a 15% chance of flurries.
- Final On-line Registrations – If you haven’t yet pre-registered the deadline is tomorrow, Wed., December 31 @ Noon. Simply click on the link and get it done! https://www.runreg.com/sawmill-river-10k-run
- Race Day Registrants – registration begins at 9:00am, and we encourage you to get there as close to that time as possible, so you don’t miss the start. Race Day Fee is $40.
- Location of Check-in/Registration – (Starts @ 9:00a); Montague Common Hall, 34 Main St., Montague, 01351. (Please do not park in front of the hall).
- Pets – please do not run with pets (dogs, hamsters, etc.)
- Headphones/earbuds – we encourage you not to wear headphones or earbuds when you run. Almost all of you don’t, but we still need to say it.
- No bib…don’t cross the Finish Line – If you, or if you see someone who does not have a bib at the start, do not cross the finish line. In other words, don’t run without a bib. Even though we’ll have automatic timing this year, this really screws things up for us….
- Walkers - will not be officially timed. Walkers will also start a couple minutes before the runners, have a different route (attached), and are assigned a separate finish line next to the runner finish line.
- Co-sponsors – a big thank you to Greenfield Savings Bank and Marathon Sports. We would also like to thank the Montague Common Hall for allowing us to use their facility.

- Accu-Spec will provide the automatic timing. Most of the course is open to vehicular traffic, so be sure to wear bright colors.
- Refreshments will also be provided (while supplies last) in the basement of the Common Hall after you've finished.
- If you have friends and family attending to support you, we love the sound of cowbells!

Also, if you plan on attending (but not running), we may need your help at the finish line. We're a little short with volunteers, so your assistance will help make this a great event.

Happy New Year, and we look forward to seeing you Thursday morning!

RunReg - online running event registration

11/01/2025

Thursday, January1, 2026
Montague Center Village
10am Start
9am Check-in @ The Montague Common Hall

Pre-registration has begun! Register on-line @ https://www.runreg.com/sawmill-river-10k-run
or www.montagueparksrec.com

Entry Fees:
- $30.00 (Paid before Dec. 31; Noon)
- $40.00 (Paid thereafter)

Divisions:
YOUTH: 17 yrs. & Under SENIOR: 50 - 59 yrs.
OPEN: 18 - 39 yrs. SENIOR +: 60 - 69 yrs.
MASTER: 40 - 49 yrs. SUPER SENIOR: 70 yrs. & Up

Now offering a 2 Mile Walking Route!
Entry Fees:
$15 (Paid before Dec. 31; Noon)
$20 (Paid Thereafter)

Proceeds benefit our Sponsor-A-Child Scholarship Program

RunReg - online running event registration

01/02/2025

Hello Again Runners!

Just wanted to send out a note of thanks to those who helped with the race. There are a number of logistical items that presented themselves yesterday that will need to be addressed, but for the most part it was a very successful event.

The race would not have been possible without the investment of time, energy, resources, and funding from many within our fine community, that's for sure.

We would like to thank Greenfield Savings Bank, A.H. Rist Insurance Co., Marathon Sports, and Turn It Up Music for their generous financial support, as well as The Montague Common Hall, the Sugarloaf Mountain Athletic Club, and the First Congregational Church of Montague Center for their services.

As many of you know, volunteer assistance is essential to the success of an event of this magnitude. Therefore, considerable appreciation goes out to The Franklin County Amateur Radio Club, the Montague Highway Department, Montague Police and many other volunteers who spent a good portion of their New Year’s Day helping us out during registration, along the race route, and at the finish line. We would also like to thank the Dobosz and Peterson families, as this race would not have been possible without their help.

Happy 2025!

Finally, we would like to thank the runners who participated in the Sawmill Run. We appreciate your support of MPRD programs!

Send a message to learn more

01/02/2025

2025 Sawmill Results link

Saw Mill River 10K Saw Mill River 10K Montague MA January 1, 2025 10:00amTiming and Scoring by: ACCU-SPEC (413) 214-4879 [email protected] www.accu-specracing.comPlace Name No. Ag Div/Tot Div City St Time Pace ===== =================== ===== == ======== ===== =============== == ======= ===== 1 Ow...

01/01/2025

SAWMILL RIVER 10K RUN RESULTS - January 1, 2025

One hundred and six runners crossed the finish line at the Annual Sawmill River 10K Run that was held in Montague Center on New Year’s Day. Frances Duncan of Somerville, MA and Owen Wright of Lakewood, CO were the Overall winners. Duncan finished with a final time of 40:20, with Wright bringing in a time of 32:34. Results per Division are as follows: Youth (17 & Under) - Cairo Harrell of Northampton (60:12), and Philipp Tischloder (64:08), Open Division (Ages 18-39) – Duncan and Wright, Master Division (Ages 40–49) – Marcy Cabanas of Greenfield (41:31), and Toby Briggs (43:27), Senior Division (Ages 50-59) – Jennifer Schimmel of Deerfield (47:49), and Christopher Gould of Amherst (39:36), Senior + Division (60 & Up) – Debra Hevey of Chicopee (51:40), and Steve Power of Bernardston (42:16). Proceeds from the event benefit MPRD’s Sponsor-A-Child Scholarship Program.

Results will be posted to

12/30/2024

Hello Runners!
It’s time to ring in the New Year with the Sawmill River 10K! A few items of note before the starting horn goes off, however….
· Forecast – Wednesday's forecast shows about a 50% chance of rain when the starting horn goes off with temps in the low 40's.
· Final On-line Registrations – If you haven’t pre-registered yet the deadline is tomorrow, Tuesday, December 31 @ Noon. Simply click on the link and get it done! https://www.runreg.com/sawmill-river-10k-run
· Race Day Registrants – registration begins at 9:00am, and we encourage you to get there as close to that time as possible, so you don’t miss the start. Race Day Fee is $40.
· Location of Check-in/Registration – Montague Common Hall, 34 Main St., Montague, 01351. (Please do not park along the grass in front of the hall).
· Pets – please do not run with pets (dogs, hamsters, etc.)
· Headphones/earbuds – we encourage you not to wear headphones or earbuds when you run. Almost all of you don’t, but we still need to say it.
· No bib…don’t cross the Finish Line – If you, or if you see someone who does not have a bib at the start, do not cross the finish line. In other words, don’t run without a bib. Even though we’ll have automatic timing this year, this really screws things up for us….
· Co-sponsors – a big thank you to Greenfield Savings Bank, A.H. Rist Insurance, Marathon Sports, and Turn It Up! We would also like to thank the Montague Common Hall for allowing us to use their facility.
- Accu-Spec will provide the automatic timing. Most of the course is open to vehicular traffic, so be sure to wear bright colors.
- Refreshments will also be provided (while supplies last) in the basement of the Common Hall after you've finished.
- If you have friends and family attending to support you, we love the sound of cowbells!
Happy New Year, and we look forward to seeing you Wednesday morning!

RunReg - online running event registration

12/20/2024

Race Volunteers Needed - We need a few people to help with registration, so if you plan on being there but not running, we will gladly accept your help.

Send a message to learn more