Sunapee Harbor roads to close briefly for 5K fun run
Portions of River Road in Sunapee Harbor were closed from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. as runners and walkers headed out for the 10 a.m. poker fun run. The race also raised money for free public music in the harbor.
Drivers heading into Sunapee Harbor had to work around a temporary closure of portions of River Road Sunday morning as police cleared space for the Sunapee Harbor 5K Poker Fun Run. The road shut down from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., creating the biggest impact for anyone trying to reach the waterfront, The Landing or nearby businesses during the race window.
The timing was deliberate. The event was scheduled to start at 10:00 a.m., and the town posted the traffic alert the day before so residents and visitors could plan around the interruption. For anyone hoping to avoid the closure, the simplest option was to arrive before 9:30 a.m. or wait until after 11 a.m., when River Road reopened. In a compact harbor district where cars, pedestrians, boat traffic and weekend visitors often overlap, even a short restriction can slow the morning down fast.
Race check-in was set for Saturday, May 23, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Hoptimystic Brewing, 31 River Road. Registration for the 5-kilometer event cost $25 for individual runners and walkers, $15 for participants younger than 13, and $30 for day-of-race signups. The first 150 registered runners were slated to receive a T-shirt, and bibs, shirts and cards were to be picked up at the pre-race check-in.
Organizers described the event as the second annual Sunapee Harbor 5K Poker Run, with proceeds aimed at supporting free public music in Sunapee Harbor. Project Sunapee’s harbor calendar also put the race on a busy Sunday lineup that included Rusty Bones at The Landing from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., underscoring how quickly the waterfront fills with overlapping events in peak season. That kind of crowding is exactly why police coordination mattered: the closure helped keep cars out of the race route while runners, walkers and spectators moved through the harbor safely.
The 2025 debut helped set the tone for the return visit. That first version was promoted as a Kick-off to Summer in the Harbor and used a modified poker-run format in which participants collected cards in their swag bag, at the finish line and at Hoptimystic Brewing. Organizers also offered a custom T-shirt to the first 200 registrants and a beer or mocktail after the race for eligible participants, turning the waterfront event into a recurring seasonal draw rather than a one-off road closure.
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