The term functions as a compound noun, or more specifically, a noun phrase. The core or head noun is "race." The words "Patriots Day" and "road" act as modifiers, specifying the type and occasion of the event. "Patriots Day" is a proper noun functioning as an adjective, and "road" is a noun functioning as an adjective (an attributive noun).
In this grammatical structure, nouns are used to modify other nouns, creating a more specific concept. The sequence of modifiers narrows the definition from a general "race" to a "road race," and finally to a specific road race associated with the holiday. This is a common English construction used to form descriptive names for objects, events, and concepts without using explicit adjectival forms or prepositional phrases (e.g., "a race on a road on Patriots Day").
Understanding this classification is essential for proper syntax and article construction. The entire phrase should be treated as a single noun unit. This informs correct verb agreement (e.g., "The event is held..."), pronoun use (referring to it as "it"), and the placement of other adjectives (e.g., "the annual Patriots Day road race"). For information retrieval and SEO purposes, recognizing the term as a unified noun phrase ensures that content is correctly indexed and targeted toward searches for this specific event.
