Local fun runs and benefit walks

For walkers, it's benefit season. For runners, it's road race season. Lace up your shoes and get ready to perambulate. Post additional walks and runs Walks: Bipedal benefits
By Scott Sutherland, Globe Staff
Boston is known as a great city for walking, and not just because of all the paths and those scenic views. Each spring and summer, the city is flooded with enthusiasts eager to walk for causes ranging from hunger to AIDS to breast cancer awareness. The events range from small and folksy to big, multi-day extravaganzas that raise millions of dollars. Suffice to say there's something for everybody.

The Walk for Hunger, Boston
May 1
This 20-mile stroll starts at the Boston Common and follows Beach Street through Brookline and Newton Center, crosses the Charles River, and returns to the Common via the Mass. Ave. Bridge. Along the way, walkers pass musicians performing in a variety of styles, as well as stops with snacks and drinks. Back on the Common, ice cream awaits. Donations go to Project Bread, which helps fund the state's soup kitchens, food pantries, food banks, and food salvage programs, including 126 in the Greater Boston. area. Registration from 7-9 a.m.; walk begins as soon as you've registered. Registration free; walkers asked to raise $100, but there is no minimum. 617-723-5000. www.projectbread.org

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, Boston
May 14-15
The walk begins at UMass Boston and heads in the general direction of Pine Banks Park in Melrose before returning to UMass. Walkers have the option of covering the entire 26-mile route on Saturday, or doing 13 miles, camping at Pine Banks overnight, and walking back on Sunday. Campers will be offered tents, plenty of food, showers, yoga classes, and - feet allowing - dancing to live music. The event benefits the Avon Foundation, and last year raised more than $5 million. ''Everyone has been touched by breast cancer,'' says organizer Tara Stepanian. ''When we're all together, we build a sense of community you can't find anywhere else.'' Opening ceremony 6:30 a.m., walk begins 7 a.m. $55 registration. Walkers must raise $1,800 to participate. 617-576-3113. www.avonwalk.org

NAMI Walks for the Mind of America, Brighton
May 14
About 4,000 people are expected to participate take part in this 5K walk to benefit the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. The walk starts at Artesani Park in Brighton and follows the Charles River. Along the way expect jugglers, dancers, musicians, and even Boston Mayor Tom Menino to pop up and entertain you. Registration 9-11 a.m., kickoff 11 a.m. Registration free; participants are asked to raise $100, but there is no minimum. 781-938-4048. www.namimass.org

Fifth-Annual Dog Walk, Hopkinton
June 4
More than 60 canines and their human companions walked last year in this fund - raiser for Hopkinton's Baypath Humane Society. Walkers can choose between 1-mile and One- or 3-mile routes, walks are offered, starting at Hopkinton State Park's Split Rock Group Area. , and Participants are invited to stay for a post-stroll cookout. A pet photographer will also be on hand. 9 a.m. registration, 10 a.m. walk. $10 per dog. 508-435-6938. www.baypathhumane.org

The Tufts-NEMC HarborWalk, Boston
June 12
This 6-mile walk benefits the Floating Hospital for Children and Tufts-New England Medical Center. The beach-walk course starts at Carson Place at the Bayside Expo Center and heads out on Day Boulevard, looping around Castle Island and Fort Independence before returning to Carson Place. Stick around for hot dogs, clowns, face painting, and the YMCA Youth Band. Registration 8 a.m., walk 9 a.m. $35, $25 before June 9, children 8 and under free. 617-636-9846. www.harborwalk.kintera.org

Boston Prostate Cancer Walk, Boston
June 19
This walk is held in conjunction with Dads Make a Difference Day, in honor of Father's Day, and benefits prostate cancer research programs statewide. The 5,000 expected participants start on the Common and walk a 5K loop through the city. ''This walk is to celebrate and honor the father,'' says organizer Stanley Klein. ''They walk with him, for him, and if he's deceased, in his memory.'' Registration 9-11 a.m., program 11 a.m., walk 11:30 a.m. $25, $20 before June 7. 617-625-4875. www.bostonpcwalk.org

Breast Cancer 3-Day, Nashua, N.H.
July 8-10
This benefit for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation is the Lollapalooza of summer benefit walks. The 60-mile, three-day jaunt starts at the Pheasant Lane Mall in Nashua, N.H., and ends at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. Participants walk 20 miles each day, and spend the two overnights in makeshift tent cities; food, water, snacks, and tents are provided, as are entertainment, showers, and more. $90 registration. Walkers must raise $2,100 to participate. Orientations are scheduled to review walk details. 800-996-3DAY. www.the3day.org

Road races: Shorter is sweeter
by Doug Most, Globe Staff
Another Boston Marathon has come and gone, and now you've got a nagging voice in your head pushing you to finally run it next year, while another voice tells you to get real because the truth is you get tired just driving 26.2 miles.

But here's the thing: You don't need to run a marathon to get that rush of crossing a finish line, of setting (and beating) time goals, of sprinting past a competitor in the final stretch, or just feeling that unmistakable mix of pleasure and pain. All over New England this spring and summer, on weekdays and weekends, hundreds of small, well-organized races will go off, taking runners through scenic city courses where drivers will honk at you just to encourage you, or through tree-lined small-town streets where children hold out cups of water while standing beside a sprinkler that feels blessedly perfect on a hot day.

So get over your obsession - you don't need no stinkin' marathon. Just run a few of our favorite 5Ks, 10Ks, or maybe something longer, like a 10-miler, to stretch your legs, enhance your T-shirt collection, and remind you that 26.2 is best handled on four wheels. If these races don't fit your calendar, check out www.coolrunning.com for an extensive race listing, or pick up a free copy of the New England Runner 2005 Road Race Calendar.

2005 Chef's Classic and Celebration of Food, Sharon
May 22
The name should be temptation enough to sign up, but if it's not, then the 10K (6.2-mile) course can be your added incentive. It starts and finishes at Post Office Square in downtown Sharon, with a loop around scenic Lake Massapoag in between. If you don't want to run, a walk is also available. It's a great family day, complete with food from more than a dozen area chefs, along with live music. 11:30 a.m. 781-784-5450. www.chefsclassic.org

Bunker Hill Road Race, Charlestown
June 12
This race has two things Boston runners know a little about - hills and history. The 8K course winds through the heart of Charlestown and is mostly flat, until it heads up one long, steep hill. History? Where do you think that hill ends? After starting in the Charlestown Navy Yard, you'll pass the USS Constitution, Warren Tavern, and yes, the Bunker Hill Monument, before returning to the Navy Yard. This year's race will be the 37th. 9:30 a.m. 617-242-1775. E-mail jatkinson@bgcb.org.

Great Harvard Fourth of July Road Race, Harvard
July 4
It may be the country's most popular day for road races, so it's no surprise that a lot of towns around these parts get into the act. North Andover, Dedham, Concord, Mattapoisett, Keene, N.H., Springfield, Hingham, and Freeport, Maine - all have good races, but my favorite is the one in the town of Harvard, which starts at the Bromfield School and follows a loop near Bare Hill Pond. 8:45 a.m. www.harvardraces.org

The 18th-Annual Jim Kane Sugarbowl 5-Miler, South Boston
July 21
A great weekday run, a quintessential city course, and one of the best local races every year simply because of its awesome post-race spread of ice cream, fruit, bagels, and soups, not to mention the array of running gear for sale. The course starts behind the Bayside Expo Center and follows a flat 2.5 miles along the water - as planes soar overhead into Logan - then turns around for the same 2.5 miles home. A warning: No shade and a July date usually add up to a scorcher of a race. 6:30 p.m. 617-743-7961. www.Lstreet.org

The Yankee Homecoming, Newburyport
Aug. 2
It takes a little effort to get up to Newburyport on a Tuesday evening (if you can't drive, take the commuter rail), but if it's a gorgeous day it's worth sneaking out of work early for this one. The event includes both a 5K and a 10-miler - something for everyone. The courses take you along the ocean and through a state park before finishing at Nock Middle School. The post-race spread usually includes hot dogs, cookies, and ice cream. Sea, sun, and sweets - what more do you need? 6:30 p.m. 978-376-5328. www.yankeerace.com.

27th Annual-Bridge of Flowers Classic Road Race, Shelburne Falls
Aug. 13
Use this race as a summer day trip to the Berkshires, since it's a scenic two-hour drive from Boston. The 10K course is challenging but rewarding, with its crossing of the Bridge of Flowers in the Deerfield River Valley. There's a lot of music happening along the course to motivate you, and a good party awaiting you at the finish. 413-625-9411. www.bridgeofflowers10k.com Post additional walks and runs