06/09/2025
Corrib dedicates race to Jim Roberts
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By Jeff Sullivan
The 31st annual Corrib Road Race, held by the Corrib Charitable Trust, went off without a hitch on Sunday to the delight of thousands of runners, residents, family members and officials.
Organizer Tony Bligh said they dedicated this year’s race to late board member Jim Roberts. “Jim Roberts was an integral part of this community for many years and he sadly passed away,” he said.
Bligh said Roberts was one of the founding members of the race and worked at the Boston Centers for Youth and Family (BCYF) Roche Center for many years. He added that at his job, he helped families with the ins and outs of the programming there to make sure he got in as many of them who needed help as he could.
Roberts’ son and daughter-in-law, Shawn and Sarah and Roberts and their daughter Kelly Roberts said he was a fervent supporter of the Corrib Race every year.
“This was one of my father’s favorite days of the year,” said Shawn. “He absolutely loved giving back to the community and this was one of his favorite ways of doing it. He looked forward to it every year and helped all the great charities the Corrib Trust goes to.”
Kelly said she had never run the race, while Shawn said he done it a few times.
“I’ve run it multiple times,” Shawn said. “Was debating it this year but just never prepared for it.”
“I always came to hang out,” Kelly said. “But my father always put us to work on race day.”
“If we weren’t running, we were working,” Shawn said with a laugh.
Both siblings agreed that between running the five kilometers of hills around Belleview Hill – the highest point in Boston’s city limits – or volunteering at the race, the latter was the harder of the two prospects.
“Definitely being there at 6 a.m., and getting the flyers and the barricades out and getting everything ready, that is tough,” Shawn said.
Bligh said in the 31 years of the organization, they’ve been able to raise and donate $1.8 million to local causes. He also congratulated his father on his 81st birthday this year.
“Happy 81st dad!” he said.
