Another Record Set At Manchester Road Race — This Time At The Annual Post-Race Blood Drive

MANCHESTER, CT — On the day after Olympians Edwin Kurgat and Weini Kelati rewrote the record book at the Manchester Road Race, the event organizers partnered with the American Red Cross of Connecticut to set a different kind of record.

MRR officials announced that a total of 385 pints of blood were collected Friday at the annual Ray Crothers Blood Drive, which was held at Manchester High School. The total number of units of blood donated Friday set a record for the event and surpassed the prior high total of 376 pints that were collected last year.

Friday's effort will help to reduce a critical blood shortage in the state and benefit 1,155 patients in need of plasma, platelets and whole blood, race officials said.

The new blood drive standard was set one day after Kurgat won the road race in the course record time of 20:54 and Kelati captured the women’s title for an unprecedented fifth straight year.

The Manchester Road Race Committee has been sponsoring a blood drive on the Friday after its Thanksgiving Day Road Race annually since 1986. The event is now named in memory of former champion and long-time participant Ray Crothers of Tolland, who died in 2008.

Donations of non-perishable food were also collected Friday at the high school for the MACC Charities emergency food pantry. The Manchester Road Race Committee designated the effort to alleviate food insecurity in Connecticut as its primary philanthropic focus this year.

"We are very grateful to all of our friends who gave blood and stopped by the school to donate food items,=" said Lance Morgan, a local physician assistant and MRR board member, who coordinated the drive. "Their kindness and generosity will help many of our neighbors in the community."

The Presenting Sponsors for the blood drive were Hartford HealthCare, and Eastern Connecticut Pathology Consultants. Additional support was provided by Highland Park Market and Fox 61.