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…
Racing is back! The story is familiar to legions of runners: We welcomed a busier race schedule in March and shelled out race fees in anticipation of a full slate of spring races. We even squeezed a couple of races in as talk of coronavirus and a pandemic gradually consumed the news. Then everything shut…
The congestion that dogged me in the Winter Warrior and Chilly Chili finally broke a week or so before the Super Couch Potato. I looked forward to a fast, flat race in relatively decent weather (for February). Instead, I spent Super Bowl Sunday in bed with gastroenteritis. Stomach bugs are always unpleasant, but I usually…
For many runners and walkers in the Syracuse area, Cazenovia’s long-running Chilly Chili 5K announces the start of the new running season—though we never really stop racing through the winter in upstate New York. My first, and prior to our move to Syracuse in 2017, only visit to Cazenovia had been for a bicycle race…
The final act of our 2019 season brought us to Seneca Falls, New York, home of the Women’s Rights National Historical Park and the inspiration for Bedford Falls of Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life. Fittingly, the race race starts on the steel bridge upon which the movie’s span was modeled. Or it would be…
A Sort of Homecoming My first race out of the Syracuse area was a return home—and to my old home. The Rochester Ugly Sweater 5K, organized by Willow Racing and actually held in Honeoye Falls, afforded us the chance to stay with my parents in Honeoye. After we arrived at the family home that morning,…
The final race of the Dick’s Sporting Goods Family Fun Series, run by Willow Fitness, was held at Onondaga Lake Park two days after many of us raced one of the turkey trots in Liverpool or Baldwinsville. I’d set a PR at the latter and initially wondered if I’d recovered enough to run a decent…
The Baldwinsville Turkey Trot is one of the oldest and largest races in the region. It comes in two flavors: 5K and 10K, with both courses starting at CW Baker High School and weaving through town streets. I opted for the 5K. Race day way cold, windy, and wet, and I opted for my waterproof…
Liverpool’s Lights on the Lake display through Onondaga Lake Park is a popular and often crowded rite of the Christmas season. When we learned of the opportunity to run through much of the display without traffic, we jumped at the chance—which was fortunate, as the race quickly sold out after being promoted on the local…
The Halloween Run, hosted by the Syracuse Track Club, is a well-established event in the Syracuse area. The race, held at scenic Green Lakes Park, is something of a cross between a trail run and a road race. Green Lakes boasts a number of trails; the Halloween Run followed the main trails down the east…
The Inner Harbor 5K, benefitting It’s About Childhood and Family, is another part of the Syrathon series. The race sets off from the brand new Iron Pier apartments and shops immediately adjacent to the Creekwalk. The race started on Van Rensselaer Street, weaved around Leavenworth Park, headed to Franklin Square, and finished on West Kirkpatrick,…
The venue shifted from one of Syracuse’s gems to Emerson Park, the pride of Auburn. The Superhero Run/Walk, in its second year, is a fundraiser for the Cayuga Centers and sponsored by a host of regional businesses. I’d tased in Auburn in 1989, so this was my second competitive event held in the city. Emerson…