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Steel Rail Races Return Sunday

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. – The MountainOne Steel Rail Races will be held on Sunday, May 18, beginning at 7:30 a.m. with a Boston Qualifying Marathon followed by a Half Marathon at 8:30 and an 8K race at 9.
 
The events will start and finish at the Crane Avenue entrance to the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail.
 
Route 8 access to the Route 8 Connector Rd will be closed from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. The runners begin in Pittsfield following the rail trail north, then will cross Route 8 in Cheshire as they continue to Adams and back.
 
Race directors ask the community to expect delays in traffic.
 
More than 650 registered runners from 23 states including runners traveling over 2,600 miles to take part in events this weekend hosted by the Berkshire Running Foundation and sponsored by MountainOne.
 
The Berkshire Running Foundation produces the event as part of its nonprofit in which it creates and advances the positive impact the running community has on the neighborhoods in which we live.
 
Since conception of the event, more than $60,000 has been donated back to the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail. This year, the Foundation races will surpass $300,000 dollars donated back to the communities in the Berkshires. 
 
The Foundation will next host the Lions Club Memorial Day 5K in Lee on Monday, May 26.  More information on the Foundation can be found at their website www.berkshirerun.org.
 
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Pittsfield Now Sisters With Cape Coast, Ghana

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass.—The city has a new sister: Cape Coast, Ghana. 
 
On Thursday, Mayor Peter Marchetti and Metropolitan Chief Executive George Justice Arthur, of the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly, made it official with a signing ceremony.  The two leaders hope to honor the past and build the future through cultural, economic, and idea sharing. 
 
"As we watch our connection with other sister cities, it provides some real proud moments for folks of our other sister cities and their heritage descent to kind of honor and reflect," Marchetti said. 
 
"And I don't think we have done a new sister city in probably 25 years, so it's exciting for us to begin this journey." 
 
He explained that it was "a very quick turnaround" after Teeashia Scott, chair of the Cape Coast Sister City Committee, came to him with the vision, and he let her run with it.  Part two of the ceremony will take place in November in Ghana, as the committee has planned a group trip. 
 
"Honestly, it started as an idea for just an annual Ghanaian celebration here in Pittsfield," Scott explained. "We do have a lot of Ghanaians. There's a large Ghanaian population here." 
 
She said that all aspects of being a sister city are exciting. 
 
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