By Brandon Lewis, news correspondent

On the morning of Oct. 18 in the Kevin W. Fitzgerald Park, runners eagerly lined up for the ninth annual Mission Hill Road Race. Some participants walked the 5K, others ran, but only Northeastern’s Peter Clarke, a junior computer engineering major, and Lindsay Weigel, a senior health science major, won the race in their respective categories. With impressive times of 16:29 and 19:59, Clarke and Weigel were the first-place male and female finishers of all age groups.

“I was super pumped to win this year. I won the 2011 and 2012 road races, but was unable to race last year, so this year I wanted to reclaim my title as winner,” Clarke, who is also the vice president of the Northeastern club running team, said in an email to the News.

The Northeastern club running team is part of the National Intercollegiate Running Club Association (NIRCA). Although NIRCA organizes races on Saturdays throughout the year, the Mission Hill Road Race (MHRR), which raises funds for the Kevin W. Fitzgerald Park, is one of the only races done by Northeastern strictly for charity.

Weigel says that it is good to give back to the community, especially because many of the club runners live in Mission Hill.

According to Clarke, the MHRR also brings the Mission Hill community together, as many members hang out in the park after the race to enjoy the rest of the day.

“I’m so glad that by running the Mission Hill Road Race, I’m able to support Kevin Fitzgerald Park,” Clarke said. “It’s one of my favorite places to hang out in Boston and provides a great space for relaxation and fun for the residents of Mission Hill.”

Weigel’s and Clarke’s wins in the MHRR also put Northeastern Club Running Team out there as a competitive group of runners. The Club running team practices every weekday at 6 p.m. and participates in races on Saturdays.

“Running is my way to relax at the end of the day,” Clarke said. “Practice is really just a time to meet up with all of my friends and goof around. On the Club Running team, we’re just as much a social club as a competitive one.”

While the focus of the MHRR race is on the winners of each category, there is also an additional competition known as the Pudding Pot. The Pudding Pot trophy is given to the organization that brings the most runners to the race.

For the past several years, Wentworth Institute of Technology has won the Pudding Pot trophy. Next year, Clarke hopes that it can be Northeastern’s turn to win. He encourages all students to participate in the race. The race offers either a 5K run or walk option and registration is free for all students, faculty, staff and alumni.

“Despite my competitiveness, I really just love running and my team,” Clarke said.

Photo courtesy of Patrick O’Connor