A race is a major event when it has its own statue. Syracuse’s Mountain Goat Run, a ten mile race first run in 1979, is one of the oldest and largest races in the area. Last year, nearly 2,000 runners and walkers climbed to the three highest points in Syracuse on their way to the…
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…
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…
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…
I started running in July with this race in mind. There were times when I admittedly wondered if this was a bridge too far; I entered July as an avid walked, but I hadn’t run over a mile since high school. I wasn’t trying to go from the couch to a 5K in nine weeks—I…
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 Eastwood 5 Mile race is the last event in the Syrathon competition. The race starts at Henniger High School and winds its way through the Eastwood neighborhood. The promoters advertise the race as having “several challenging (but not too tough) hills.” This is a fair assessment of the course; the hills and five mile…
The Empire State Marathon, Half Marathon, and 10K is a large, polished local event usually staged out of NBT stadium, though construction shifted the start/finish area to the parking lot in 2019. I opted for the 10K as part of my preparation for the Syracuse Half Marathon the following month. The 10K was the last scheduled…
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,…
Located in the picturesque Strathmore neighborhood, the Parks Run is part of Syracuse’s Syrathon series and run by the Greater Strathmore Neighborhood Association. As with most local races, portions of the race proceeds go to local charities. Hiawatha Lake, a gem of the park, afforded us a scenic backdrop as we warmed up, with a…
I was an active, modestly competitive cyclist in the 1980s. I ventured back into the sport with less success in the early 2000s. The citizens’ bike races were to the 80s what 5Ks are today: local events drawing participants of every level into the sport. Seven dollars got you a tee-shirt, a post-race banana, and a shot…