Good Samaritan Run, Syracuse

Like virtually every race in the U.S., Syracuse’s annual Good Samaritan Run was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting shutdowns. Originally scheduled for April 18, the race was postponed until May 23 before organizers went the virtual route.

Races such as the Good Samaritan Run, The ARC Race, Cupid’s Chase, and the Superhero 5K in Auburn often serve as significant, even primary fundraisers for local charities and hospitals. According to a Syracuse.com article about the financial consequences of losing or postponing races, the Good Samaritan Run raises between $12,000 to $15,000 for the Christian Health Service of Syracuse. These events are literally the lifeblood of many organizations.

The organizers had already ordered shirts, glasses, and medals for the event when the state shut down; while this gave the organizers an incentive to continue the race, sluggish registrations due to the uncertainty surrounding future dates meant that the race, should it happen, would likely incur a loss.

Traci and I saw the event’s striking tech shirts and unique medal at the expo at the Shamrock Run. This was one of two major local races scheduled for that weekend; the popular Earth Day Half Marathon was scheduled for the same date, and I would miss them both, as I had signed up for the Helderberg to Hudson Half Marathon in Albany, which was also scheduled to run on the 18th. As fate would have it, I have run or am hoping to run in all three.

When organizers tentatively moved the GSR to a virtual event running from June 1-7, registrations started to pick up. As of the last count the event had over 400 signed up for the 5&10K events. Traci and I signed up as soon as we saw the initial date change, and while we were hoping the event could be run in-person, having the option to support a local event—and to be able to do so on the event’s course—made up for the disappointment of not being able to attend in person.

The 2020 holographic medal.

The course begins at the Ten Eyck drive parking lot near the Syracuse University boathouse. Participants cross the Long Branch bridge over Maple Bay before turning on to Restoration Way, the trail along Onondaga Lake’s west side. This provides runners and walkers with a safe, mostly closed course. The rail is narrower than the Parkway running through Onondaga Lake Park, but it is scenic, less travelled, and wide enough to accommodate a large field.

The path is scenic, shaded, and less-frequented than the Parkway, though I wouldn’t count on shade (or the need for such shade) in the race’s tradition mid-April state date. Participants in the 5K turn back near a footbridge crossing 690 by Lakeland Park (for reference; neither are visible from the trail), while 10K runners loop around St. Joseph’s Amphitheater. This year’s course is well-marked, flat, and fast.

The giveaways are exquisite and include a choice of long or short-sleeve tech shirts, a bag, and a holographic medal. The shirts and medals are CNYRacing products and are stunning. Past—and hopefully future—editions of the race featured a number of food and craft vendors as well.

I’ve participated in a number of virtual events and challenges over the past few months. They’ve been enjoyable, motivating, and uplifting ways to add a competitive flair to my running, and they’ve allowed walkers and runners to support charities and businesses. Most of these events are now over, and many were one-time races or challenges specific to this year of Covid-19.

Because the Good Samaritan Run, the Earth Day Half Marathon, and the Mountain Goat Run are well-established local events, and because I’ve had the opportunity to run the actual courses, I can share course information with perspective participants. I plan to add course descriptions for the Mountain Goat and Earth Day runs to the races page. The Earth Day race has been rescheduled for July 12, so while I have run the course as a “virtu-real” event, there’s a possibility that I’ll have a more traditional race report to add to my write up.

On a final note, Traci and I had the opportunity to meet some of the organizers at the packet pickup, and again at Long Branch this past weekend. They were friendly, kind, and truly humbled by the number of people who signed up for the event. The Syracuse.com article I linked to above was written in April; at the time, no one knew what would happen to local races, which provide an irreplaceable source of funding for many organizations. With sponsors putting funding on hold and organizers potentially looking at bearing the costs of merchandise ordered before the pandemic, the picture was truly grim. It’s heartening to see so many people signing up for virtual local events. Doing so supports charities, helps to ensure that the races will return next year, and supports the local shops and companies so heavily invested in the sport.