People interested in recreational and competitive running and athletics are invited to join the Western Massachusetts Athletic Club based in the Berkshire County area. The Club was organized in 1979 when a group of competitive runners came together to form a club capable of fulfilling any runner's needs. We are active in trail running, snowshoeing, road racing, mountain running, bicycling, and whatever may interest our members. The Club's purpose is to promote sports activities for enjoyment as well as for competition. All are welcome to join.

The Club holds 3 annual trail races, including the Mount Greylock 1/2 Marathon, the Savoy Mountain 20 Mile Race, and the Monroe Trail Race plus adjoining 5 Km races held concurrently with the long versions. These events have a long history/tradition and together make up the WMAC Trail Race Trilogy. A champion is declared in men's and women's divisions each year. WMAC also hosts the Grand Tree series of trail races, a consortium of 15-20 races put on by running clubs in New England. Runners run as many races as they like, and may compete for best six scores or for total points. In addition to the trail races, WMAC also holds various road races, including the Mount Greylock 8-mile road race, the Fall Foliage 5k, the Turkey Trot 5k, and the Moby Dick 16-30 mile fun run / snowshoe run. The Moby Dick is known for its extreme weather conditions.

Winter is not a deterrent as the WMAC holds a Dead of Winter Series consisting of the North Adams Fat Ass 50km, the Idita Pub 20 and the Moby Dick fun run. If snowshoeing is your winter preference, the club hosts the WMAC Snowshoe Series of roughly fifteen snowshoe events each season. The emphasis is on exploration of the many underused state parks in Western Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont. Locales change from year to year but standards are the South Pond Shuffle, Greylock Glen, Hawley Kiln Klassic, and the Moody Springs Mini Marathon.

The WMAC holds group training runs Wednesday evenings year round in Adams, MA. Weekend training runs of longer distances are common during the "off" season. During the racing season there are many opportunities for group travel throughout New England for racing events. The club also has many members who run a spring or fall marathon, most often traveling as a group. If it is ultradistance you are interested in, the club has many ultra runners who venture up to the 100 mile distance. This doesn't mean that runners of shorter distances should feel discouraged from joining - there is a place for runners of all abilities and distance desires. The only common thread is that most of us seem to enjoy trail running.

The WMAC newsletter (Trail Running News) is distributed during the year to inform members about upcoming races and news about Club activities. The newsletter is published 6 or 7 times a year, and a supplemental edition is available for each of the three trail races held during the year. The newsletter is a guide to trail running / racing in the northeast. It is available to all club members at no charge. For a free sample issue, just drop a line to Will Danecki

Membership in the club also includes discounts at local sporting goods establishments, links to training and racing, and new found friendships. A Christmas party is held each December to end up the year.

Officers 2004
Officers elected for the 2004 season are as follows:

President: Ed Saharczewski
Vice President: Denise Dion
Secretary: Ellen Mach
Treasurer: Fran Mach
Newsletter Editor: Will Danecki
Webmaster: Perry Burdick

WMAC Address