DORCHESTER, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — It was the perfect day for a road race on the streets of Dorchester Sunday.
More than 1,000 runners took part in the 41st annual Boston Fire Department Local 718 10K Memorial Road Race, a charity run raising money for the Boston Fire Department Relief Fund.
"It’s a great celebration of the lives of firefighters that have passed in the line of duty, whether it’s at a fire scene or some firefighter who may have succumbed to cancer," District Fire Chief and Race Director Jerry Powers told WBZ NewsRadio.
The race course began at Florian Hall on Hallet Street, went up and down Morrissey Boulevard across Dorchester Bay, crossed through Joseph Finnegan and Pope John Paul II parks, before concluding back at Florian Hall.
Former fire commissioner John Dempsey crossed the finish line dripping in sweat with a smile on his face.
"[I've] been a firefighter for almost 37 years before I retired, and they’re all special to me," Dempsey said. "All the guys, it’s for a very good cause."
Runners could enjoy free Liquid Death water, as well as free beer from Anheuser-Busch and live Irish music by Jinty McGrath.
WBZ's Suzanne Sausville (@WBZSausville) reports.