Come run with the herring- literally! Join the Mystic River Watershed Association and twenty-one Somerville residents, on Saturday, May 18, to celebrate the annual return of the herring. Each spring over 600,000 herring swim from Boston Harbor to the Mystic Lakes–the Herring Run and Paddle celebrates this spectacular wildlife migration.

The 23rd annual Herring Run and Paddle will take place at the Blessings of the Bay Boathouse in Somerville. Participants can partake in the 5k run and/or the 3, 9, or 12-mile paddle, or bike ride followed by food, music, prizes, and fun for the whole family. Run, walk, paddle, bike or cheer, this race is for all

Local Somerville businesses and organizations, Assembly Row, Paddle Boston, Community Credit Union, Gentle Giant Rowing, and the Law Office of Michael Fager, are sponsoring the race in addition to big-name outdoors companies like Patagonia and REI.

The event, which kicks off at 9:00 a.m., serves to raise awareness of the returning herring to the river, promote stewardship of the watershed, and provide access to open space and recreation for residents. It is a day to highlight the beauty and recreational value of the Mystic River as well as the environmental challenges it faces.

Scanner Cheung, winner of the 2018 Herring Run and Paddle’s Iron Herring Award, said, “I think the Mystic River Herring Run & Paddle really brings together some of the best and most unique parts of Boston: the waterways and the tight-knit running community. Some of the biggest events here are the Head of the Charles and the Boston Marathon, but not many races can claim to combine the two. I could tell this race was really a grass-roots event, sponsored by local companies – with great prizes – and dedicated to protecting the natural resources, like the Mystic River, that make exercising outside in Boston so great.”

“I had raced it a couple years earlier (2015) and remembered it being a fast, flat course,” said Beverly Atunes, winner of the Herring Run and Paddle women’s 5k race. “It is a really well-organized community event.”

Registration is open until Wednesday, May 15, and is only $25 per person. For more details about the event, or to register online, head to www.mysticriver.org/herring-run-paddle.

About the Mystic River Watershed Association:

The Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) works to improve the lives of the more than half million residents of Mystic River communities through its efforts to protect and restore water quality, natural habitat and open space throughout the 76 square mile watershed. For more information, see MysticRiver.org.