Articles Former Boxing Champion Chad Dawson to Run in Faxon Law New Haven Road Race
When Michael Dolan stepped into the ring against former world light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson at the Ring One Boxing facility years ago … let’s just say it was a rather one-sided affair.
“Chad knows how to pull a punch,” recalled Dolan, who served as Dawson’s sparring partner at the time.
When the two run together through the streets and hills of Hamden, however, the advantage decidedly belongs to Dolan, a local attorney and frequent marathon runner.
Dawson is looking to narrow that gap a bit, and he’ll be participating in this year’s Faxon Law New Haven Road Race on Monday.
“It’s more for training,” said Dawson, 37. “As I get older, I need to stay in better shape.”
Dawson is fresh off a victory in his first fight in over two years, a unanimous decision over Quinton Rankin on June 29 at Foxwoods Casino. He is slated to fight again on Oct. 12 at the Hartford Convention Center, though it’s not known yet who the opponent will be.
This will be the second time Dawson competes in the 20K race. He made his debut in 2015 and finished in a very respectable 1:35:03 — even better when you consider the New Haven product wasn’t exactly sure of what he was getting into.
“I didn’t know [the distance] was 12 miles until the day we got there,” Dawson recalled. “This time, I’m more prepared. I’m already in good shape. (Tuesday), I ran seven miles in the morning in 51 minutes.”
It was Dolan, the race’s president of the board of directors, who first cajoled Dawson into running in the event four years ago. The two had known each other since Dolan’s days as an amateur boxer, and had started to run together in Hamden.
“It’s always good running with him, because he’s a long-distance runner,” said Dawson. “Whenever I run with Mike Dolan, it’s always like a race. We push each other, we’re always battling.”
Dolan ran the first half of the 2015 race with Dawson before breaking away and finishing with a time of 1:24:44.
“He really embraced it,” recalled Dolan, who’ll turn 52 on Monday. “People were shouting out to him, ‘Hey champ!’ I think he enjoyed it, and I certainly enjoyed it.”
There will be one new wrinkle this year for Dawson: Two of his sons, Chad, Jr., 16, and Supreme, 8, will be running in the 5K race. It’ll be the first time for both kids. Chad, Jr. is looking to get into boxing, while Supreme “has enough energy, he should do well. He’s an active kid.”
Dawson is feeling pretty good about himself right now. His win over Rankin two months ago was a good way to kick-start his career again.
“I fought a kid who came to win, [who was competitive] almost every round,” Dawson recalled. “It was something to get the dust off, and I’ll be right back doing it again, hopefully get another win and, after this … get in position to get another world title shot.”
Though Dawson doesn’t know his opponent yet for the Oct. 12 match, it really doesn’t matter.
“Whoever it is, I’ll be ready for,” he said. “Like I tell everybody, I’m looking to get back in there for one more push, one more world title.
“I don’t have time for setbacks.”