The Squantum 5 road race is an event that was born from the convergence of four entities; A philosophy, a worthy cause, an appropriate event and a suitable venue.

First was the belief that was instilled in me by my late father to give back to others whenever you can. My dad, John Larner, passed on 11/9/95. His wisdom and kindness is missed daily.

Armed with a philosophy, I could now move onto the next component and my involvement with the Dana-Farber marathon Challenge gave me a worthy cause. The DFMC is part of the Boston Athletic Association's Boston Marathon charity program. Each year the DFMC receives invitational numbers to the Boston Marathon. Individuals sign up and agree to take on the challenge of running the prestigious Boston Marathon and to raise money for the Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Now with a cause, we needed a vehicle. As a runner since my cross-country days at BC High and as many many time participant in road races and having the benefit of many many relationships in the racing community, it was a natural choice to put on an athletically challenging event. Specifically a road race.

Having chose the vehicle we needed a venue. As a life long Squantum resident here in Quincy, I've always been well aware that the area was a special place, offering panoramic views of the Boston skyline along the ocean's edge while giving a small town feel. It has always been a wonderful spot for a mind-clearing run and would make a perfect venue for a good competitive road race.

The confluence of these entities created the Squantum 5 road race and enables us to bring together the Dana-Farber, running and Squantum communities.

Thank you for your support and hope you can join us on the last Thursday in June.