Rich on Running: Time for Clock to the Rock

One week from today, runners will gather in Central Square for the seventh annual Clock to the Rock 5K, a race that links several Lynn landmarks.The race starts at the distinctive Central Square clock beneath the Commuter Rail tracks.When runners reach the Item building on Exchange Street, they turn right onto Spring Street and continue to Washington Street.Then it?s a left up Sagamore Street until the end, where they cross over onto Ocean Street until it intersects with Lynn Shore Drive near the Swampscott border.From there, runners go right on Lynn Shore Drive until Christie?s, where they turn right onto the Lynnway before making another right on Washington Street, going back up Spring Street and finishing at the Square.John Olson, president of Columbia Insurance, has organized the race the past seven years. Now he?s working with a new group to organize the race: the Downtown Lynn Cultural District Collaborative, which he describes as “an organization made up of a number of arts organizations down here and other private businesses, including myself.”Sponsors of the race include The Item. You can register online at www.active.com.Olson describes the route as mostly flat, although not entirely so.?The real hill is Sagamore Street,” he said. “It?s got a nice slope to it early on in the race.” Meanwhile, he noted, “the downhill at Lynn Shore Drive has a nice, easy escalation to it. When you come downhill, it?s flat the rest of the way, pretty much.?At Catholic Charities, there?s a little escalation heading up, then downhill at the beach, and flat the rest of the way.”Typically, about 150 people run the race, and Olson said “it looks like we?re on pace” for that again.He noted “a wonderful turnout from Lynn District Court, Judge Albert Conlon and his crew of 30 to 50 runners every year, and Jennifer Kirk from North Shore Community College, with another 30 or so runners.?Both organizations traditionally come over and run as a group in the race.”From start to finish, runners will have chances to admire the scenery, including the beach and its “rocks” … Red Rock and Egg Rock.?We?re actually running right by,” Olson said. “If you look over to the left, you?ll see Red Rock and Egg Rock.?We?re not on the beach side, but on the other side of the street.?We?ll be along the beach almost one mile. You do have a nice vista there as you?re running.”He also said that on Ocean Street, “you?re in our Diamond District. You?ll see a lot of beautiful homes that people don?t necessarily think of (when they think of) Lynn. It?s a very tranquil run.”While the houses add serenity, the waves crashing onto the shore can sometimes add a sense of drama to the beach.?I?m sure if there are some big waves crashing, it?ll be enjoyable,” Olson said. “We?ll be on the other side. It will not impact (runners).” He quipped about the waves: “They won?t be that high!”In his seven years associated with the race, Olson has experienced just about every type of weather under the sun.?We had years when we ran in the rain,” he said, “and years when it was 80 degrees out.”Perhaps it?s appropriate that the race starts and ends at the clock in Central Square.?I think (the clock is) a sign of the rebirth of downtown, especially Central Square,” Olson said. “It?s really the first new ornament, I?ll say, that came with … all the activity starting to happen in the mid-2000s.?It was an investment from the city into the area that coincided with private construction. A light went up. It?s time. You?ll start to see good things happen in downtown again.”