This was my second time running the Harvest Classic which, like last year, was staged at the Emmi Farm near Baldwinsville. Last year’s race traversed the grassy paths near the blueberries. This year’s edition followed a more circuitous route following farm trails and roads.
In spite—or perhaps because—of the pandemic, this year’s field was considerably larger than the 2019 edition. This meant multiple waves to reduce density and more competition. I won my age group last year, but I had no illusions of repeating last year’s success. My lingering knee and IT band issues have temporarily put an end to my training; this race was my third run this month, and I suspect the good form I enjoyed this past spring and summer has largely evaporated.
As with previous Willow events of the COVID era, the race was broken into a series of waves to comply with state law and ensure distancing. Our group, the first of four such waves, set off at 9:45. In addition to Traci and I, several members of our lockdown-prolonged distance training group set off at the same time. Kali, a runner who started around the same time I did last year, has been tearing it up in her recent 10Ks and half marathons, and she set off at a torrid pace.
I would have been up with her in June or July, but I knew, or at least suspected my limits and consigned myself to a realistic pace.
The course was a bit of everything: asphalt, gravel farm roads, and grassy paths. I wore my Speedgoats in case the terrain got a little gnarly, but there was really no need for trail shoes on the paths, though a smattering of fairly large stones made vigilance a necessity.
My race was uneventful beyond a successful, prolonged chase of a single runner and the all-too-familiar twinge outside my right knee, which announced itself two miles in. The course was flat and fast. With the dry weather, even the final mile of grassy path was comparatively easy. I was shooting to break 30 minutes, and I finished in just over 28, well off my sub 25 minute times from June and July, but it’s the best I can do presently.
Location: Baldwinsville, NY
Website: Willow Running
Cost: $35
Swag: Shirt, medal, post race food
Events: 5K
Field: 103 Fields were divided into waves of 50 and start times were spread out.
Result: 36/103@28.07; 9:30; 4/9
Shoe: Speedgoat 3
