Today, I will be recapping the Sao Paio 5k Road Race. This race has been hosted by the Naugatuck Portuguese Club for over 50 years, and it is held during the larger Sao Paio Festival. While the main festivities take place later on in the day, there is still plenty of fun to be had in the morning and runners are encouraged to return for the main celebration.
Course Map
Town: Naugatuck, CT, USA
Distance: 5km
Conditions: It was another cool morning for a road race in August, and mostly sunny when we started out. It was 57F for the 2025 race with a light breeze throughout most of the run. The sun did make it feel warmer than the ambient temperature would suggest.
Parking: Parking was a little tricky. I ended up parking at the Portuguese Club by accident, as I stopped to ask about parking and they told me to simply pull around back. That was very gracious of them! Most runners parked closer to the start line about a block away, as there was a Rite Aid store (permanently closed) with plenty of parking.
Check In: Checking in was a fast, smooth process. The ladies of the Auxiliary Club had all of the materials laid out for runners and I quickly retrieved my bib and free tech shirt.
Course Description: This road race was very well-marshalled by police and fire personnel. There were cones marking a nice wide path for runners on any streets with heavier traffic. The trickiest part of the race is that there was very heavy construction in the town of Naugatuck while this race was being held, so the roads were either cracked and potholed or in various states of repair. Race organizers did describe the construction in detail in the pre-race briefing, and I didn't see anyone trip or fall.
The race started out on a gradual uphill on residential roads, then went up a more industrial street for a 3/4 mile out and back. We then continued on a looping course through town for the second mile, guided by fire and police personnel at all turns and road crossings. The final mile took us past some converted mill buildings and into a park, where we lapped around a baseball field and headed back to the start line. The final mile did include a water stop, which could be accessed before and after the park section of the course.
Afterparty: The Club was already decorated for the festival later in the day, and there was quite a spread of refreshments laid out for the runners. There were croissants, filled danishes, orange slices, orange juice, water, coffee, and munchkin donuts. The awards were very cute - the ribbons featured the colors of the Portuguese flag. Each runner also received a free raffle ticket, and more were for sale after the race. The drawing occurred right after the award ceremony, and the prizes included Sao Paio tee shirts, bottles of wine, and gift baskets.
The festive race bib
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