Race Report: MahoneySabol 5k at the Travelers Championship

In this race report, I'll be reviewing the MahoneySabol 5k, which is held at the TPC River Highland golf course annually by the Hartford Marathon Foundation.

Date: 25 April, 2026

Town: Cromwell, CT, USA

Distance: 5km

Conditions: The weather was overcast and cool in 2026. It was 52 degrees Fahrenheit when the race began.

Parking: There was plentiful parking in a grassy field, which had no rocks or potholes. Multiple volunteers were on hand to marshal cars into straight lines.

Check In: There were a lot of Hartford Marathon Foundation (HMF) tents at this event; the Registration tent was near the starting line. There was no wait as many volunteers were on hand to pass out bibs. I showed my ID at registration to prove I was over 21 years old, and I received a paper wristband as collateral for a free beer at the end of the race. Tee shirt pickup was right next to the Registration tent and I was provided with a free tech shirt, lunch box, and fidget keychain.

Course Description: While local roads were open during this race, I saw no local traffic on the quiet residential streets by the TPC River Highland golf course. The course was a lollipop shape and was predominantly flat. It was very well-marshalled by police and volunteers. The turnaround loop featured one small hill, and there was an incline as runners made the turn to return back to the start line

Course Map

Afterparty: There was still fun to be had after the race. An inflatable slide and a bouncy castle were on hand for family fun. Happily, the slide had a weight limit of 250 lbs (113 kg) and my running club friends and I absolutely joined in on the fun. I also retrieved my free beer, which was only one of the beverages on offer. In addition to water, there were canned electrolytes and a food truck handing out smoothies.

The food trucks didn't stop at offering smoothies. There was an ice cream truck with creamery treats and another food truck served grilled cheese sandwiches. HMF also handed out bananas and mini donuts at their refreshment tent. There was also a raffle for all runners to enter with prizes offered by local restaurants, sports teams, and other businesses.