Dateline: Sept. 19, 2025

Runner from team 284 passes baton to expectant teammate

Runners worked in teams and started at the Lancaster, NH Fairgrounds Friday morning and ended at Hampton Beach State Park late Saturday. They were running not only to "Reach the Beach" but in support of several charitable causes. Support vans followed them along the race course.

Preparations at Catamount Pond

Firefighters arrived to setup light towers and bring in supplies

On Friday September 12th, the stone pavilion at Catamount Pond on Deerfield Rd. in Bear Brook State Park became the focal point of a beehive of activity for the Ragnar Reach the Beach Relay Race. This race attracts hundreds of runners from all over New England and beyond.

The Allenstown FireFighters Association (AFFA) brought in truckloads of equipment, food supplies, grills, coffee urns, tables, paper plates, cups, utensils, and signage. This is the biggest fundraiser for the AFFA each year.

Lots of portas-potties were installed on Friday

A dozen or more portable toilets and a huge dumpster were set in the parking lot near the path to the pavilion. High powered light towers were also set up in key locations for the hundreds of runners who would come through the park.

Inside the pavilion, volunteers waited expectantly for the first runners to arrive.

Chairwoman Diane Adinolfo, School Board member Keith Klawes, and others wait for the runners (Peter DeSantis photo)

Fire Chief Eric Lambert and Laura Lambert get the coffee urns and supplies ready (Peter DeSantis photo)

Runners started arriving in the wee hours of Saturday morning, so the AFFA was ready with breakfast sandwiches, pancakes, bacon, sausage, fruit, water, coffee, soup, muffins, and juice.

Early runners lined up for an early breakfast (Peter DeSantis photo)

This was one of the locations for passing the baton and maybe the only food stop along the race course.

Hundreds of fans waited to see their teammates pass the baton

As each runner arrived, a spotter on the road would call out the team number. The runner then ran along a path to the waiting gaggle of runners and fans, baton held out. The waiting teammate grabbed the baton, tucked it into a pocket or pouch, and immediately raced off along the path over the little bridge and back to the road.

The following videos depict the moment each runner passed the baton.

 Baton Handoff - No Team Number

 Baton Handoff - Team 284

All night and morning vans kept arriving and departing the pavilion parking area. Many were painted with runners' names, team names, or words of encouragement. Many others vans had stuffed animals on the front grill or colored lights wrapped around the vehicle windows, giving the event a festive look.

A constant stream of vehicles on Deerfield Rd.

During the peak of runner arrivals, the food line stretched at least 100 feet from the pavilion.

By 8:00 a.m. the food line was getting shorter.

Selectwoman Diane Adinolfo was a volunteer on the food serving line

Keith Klawes was one of the chefs. Selectman Scott McDonald (right) was on the sandwich assembly line.

Fire Chief Eric Lambert was the other end of the "kitchen" with School Board member Cheryl McDonald next to him. EDC Vice Chair Elizabeth Joyce can be seen waving.

AEMT Ron Adinolfo waved his spatula as he cooked sausage patties.

Elizabeth Joyce was busy cranking out hot sandwiches. EDC member Peter Desantis looks on. Ron Adinolfo was behind her at the grill.

By late Saturday morning, the last of the runners came through and it was time to pack everything up and then go home to catch up on lost sleep.

What You Can Do

Thank the Allenstown Firefighters and friends for their community involvement and service to this great event.