We never Run Out of Spring Fever
Irena Kaci
Even as early as last month, the thrum of burgeoning life has been palpable. Given that our sun soak time is limited in this part of the world, there’s no time like the present. For athletes, and outdoors folks this is the perfect time to start shopping for your next outside exercise fix. Enter Central Massachusett’s two major running clubs.
More than a shoe store, Sneakarama offers the opportunity to make sure that your gear is serving your fitness goals. Every Thursday evening at 6:30pm, runners can meet at 12 Lake Avenue, and begin their three mile journey. The spirit of the meet is community and comfort. Everyone is encouraged to go at their own pace and folks can end their walk whenever it feels like the right time, without pressure to keep going beyond their comfort zone.
Sneakarama offers the chance to check in with your shoe experts and make sure that the shoes are a good fit and serve your fitness goals. I had the great pleasure of speaking with Steven Genatossio, co-founder and owner of Sneakrama to learn more about how they do things over there.
“The Sneakerama Running Club is free and family oriented. All paces are welcome; you can run, walk or stroll. It’s a great place to meet people to share in the joy of athletic activity, to get your heart pumping.” The event runs on a loop so it ends where it begins, and everyone is welcome to complete the 3 miles in whatever way they are able. The running club began in 2012, and immediately there was a lot of interest. “Every week, we have an average of 75-100 people. In the winter, of course we lose a few. Especially this winter. This was a tough one. So we motivate people through our ‘Polar Challenge.” If you complete the run six out of eight weeks in January and February, you get a free sweatshirt. It’s amazing the motivating power of a hoodie sweatshirt. Every year we pick a different sweatshirt.”
Genatossio established the business with his father Louis Genatossio in 1978. “We sold basketball shoes and baseball cleats, mostly walking, running and hiking stuff. These days it’s geared towards adults rather than children. Because grown ups need a place too that takes care of their needs. As you age, you go to the doctor, you have all these health issues, you need that community to motivate you to stay healthy. They send them to us to get measured and started. I always say we have to grow old but we can do it kicking and screaming.”
Genatossio is deeply community minded. In fact, Sneakarama regularly raises funds for Abby’s House, Police and Fire Departments, and UMASS Memorial’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, to name only a few. They partner with vendors and athletic footwear companies to sponsor a variety of community serving events, including just minor ‘spring roll’ or ‘donut’ nights here and there. “One of our major sponsors is Brooksrun. We have reps coming from Asos, or Saucony, and it’s like a circus down there, with me as the head clown.” Perhaps the most exciting event is the Summer Block Party, hosted by Sneakarama and its running club. “ We look forward to our block party. Midsummer we have a band that comes and we do free refreshments and beer. Michelob Ultra usually comes. We share the limelight with all of our vendors. A big 5k, community building. Free food and free drinks. We really want people to get these things and not worry about anything. We encourage people to enjoy their family. “
If you’re a more serious runner, you might check out the Central Mass Striders (CMS). I caught up with Kim Gordon Laska to get the scoop on CMS. “CMS is one of the largest and oldest running clubs in New England! We have been around for decades, with over 800 active members, and another 3,000 members on our social networks. We are a full USATF and RRCA club. We have runners who have qualified for the Olympic Trials and runners working towards their first 5K. CMS got its start in the early 60s as the Wachusett Striders. Fred Warren, the legendary local coach, was an instrumental founder. The club morphed into the Central Mass Striders over the next few years, and we have been around ever since. We still host the Fred Warren race every July in his honor.”
But not everyone involved is a born runner. In fact the stories of CMS devotees are as varied as anything. Everyone joins for their own reasons but sticks around for the community and the wonderful sense of accomplishment. Kim shares her journey as a runner. “I joined the club in 2015. My best friend (an accomplished collegiate runner) cajoled me into running a half marathon with him. I somehow managed to finish that race and I was in awe… I never thought I could run that far. I started training with CMS more seriously the next year, and I really fell in love with long distance running. In 2017, I went back and ran the same half marathon I had run just two years before, and I took 35 minutes off my first race time. I was hooked. I began to volunteer with CMS around this time as well. I was so grateful for the opportunities to train with others, and I found that the running community is really composed of the most generous people in the world. I would time races for small non-profit groups with them, and help out at local events like the Worcester Firefighters 6K. Around that time, I also met the President of CMS, Steve Laska. He was so generous with his time, really looking out for all the other runners, and we became great running buddies. I was smitten. Anyway, we got married last year.”
What makes CMS especially accessible is that there are a variety of regular offerings, switching up both the day and time of the week that folks can meet up, as well as the kind of running that is in focus. “We have group runs and races almost every day of the week. Our Weekly 5K meets at Worcester State University every Saturday at 9am, that’s a classic series of many years. Mondays we meet for pub runs at Bay State Brewing, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are for hill workouts, track workouts, mountain runs, and our 11 minute plus pace group runs, depending on the season. Thursdays you can always find us at Sneakerama for their Fun Run. Sundays are for Long Runs. And we are also known for our 5@5 runs, 5 miles at 5AM group runs for our early birds (I am not one of them! haha).”
Still not all events are created equal, and Gordon-Laska is the perfect person to weigh in on some of the most exciting events run by CMS. “I have to shout out our club’s next big race (and not just because I am the Race Director) the Wachusett Mountain Race. It’s one of the largest mountain races in New England, and part of the USATF-NE Mountain Circuit. It’s only 3 miles to the top – if you have run a 5K, it’s a great next level challenge. And you can’t find a more stunning course anywhere. wachusettmountainrace.com We also launch our Summer Series in June: every Tuesday we have an awesome event lined up. Every Tuesday in July is our Lake Park 5K and Every Tuesday in August is our Newton Hill XC 5K, both right in the city of Worcester. I am also incredibly excited for the return of our Youth Track program, which debuted last year and is free for members. Seeing some of our kids go from hesitant about running to feeling confident on the track, and running around laughing and smiling by the end of the summer, was the best thing about 2025 for me (other than the whole getting married thing).
So, if this Spring you are at all runner-curious, please don’t hesitate to put yourself out there. “Running is for everyone! So many runners – from the fastest runners to people just beginning Couch to 5K – have doubts, insecurities, and worry that they won’t belong. But the running community is so supportive and so much fun. It doesn’t matter where you show up: try a Sneakerama Fun Run, come down to a CMS track workout, get to the Holy Cross stadium this summer for November Project Worcester, find the We Run Worcester Together or Pastry Pals run group on Saturday mornings. Just take the chance and come to a local community workout, you will meet amazing people and you’ll find so many runners that are just like you.”
In the end, Spring is just about making sure that what little perfect weather we do get around here is maximized and enjoyed to its full potential. So grab your best pair of shoes, gather your pluck, and put yourself out there Worcester County runners!
