Adirondack Sports January 2024

JANUARY 2024 13
RUNNING & WALKING continued from 11
◀ SARATOGA WINTERFEST 5K IS
CELEBRATING 25 YEARS ON FEB. 4, 2024.
LAUREN HALLIGAN/SARATOGIAN
▼ THURSDAY NIGHT WINTER RACING
AT COLE’S WOODS IN GLENS FALLS,
FEBRUARY 2023. JODY KATZ
The fifth annual Gurney Lane 5K Snowshoe Race will
be held at Gurney Lane Recreation Area in Queensbury
on Sunday, January 28. On Sunday, head over to Gurney
Lane Recreation Area and enjoy a wooded, hilly 5K. The
route resembles a carefully threaded maze and is fun to
navigate as it is so well marked. There’s a heated warming
area with bathrooms, a pavilion with a fire pit, as well as
a playground and a small sledding hill for the kids. This
Winter Races event, presented by Town of Queensbury,
will be a great day as there will be Fat Tire Bike Group
Rides and Races in the afternoon, with some demos available,
courtesy of Grey Ghost Bicycles. Come out and run/
walk and then try some fat tire riding. To register, visit:
runreg.com. For fat bike info, go to: bikereg.com.
Rest up for the Frigus Snowshoe Festival at Moreau
Lake State Park on Saturday, February 3. It offers snowshoeing
for the entire family with a kids one-miler, 5K,
15K, 26.2 marathon, and 30-hour Ultra. None are a walk in
the park as Moreau is notorious for its gnarly trails and it is
best to arrive armed with a course map as there are plenty
of twists and turns. The 5K has 750’ of elevation gain, with
the other options boasting 2,300’ per 15K loop. There is a
10-hour marathon cutoff, but those attempting the 15K
loops have a generous time cushion. Poles can be helpful
and be prepared with water and snacks for energy. There’s
also a run across the frozen lake to the finish (weather
permitting). For details, visit: endurancesociety.org.
If you’d like to try snowshoeing, join us at the 25th
annual of the Saratoga Winterfest 5K Snowshoe Race
at the Saratoga Spa State Park on Sunday, February 4. To
celebrate Winterfest’s 25th year, we will once more have
new T-shirts! Winterfest was the first Capital Region snowshoe
race, and pretty much got the snowball rolling south
of the Adirondacks. It’s roughly the well-known XC running
course, with beautiful views and variety depending
on the snow. It includes a few uphills, but most are wide
and gradual – a good beginner’s trek or a fun run of the
spa park in winter. Visit: runsignup.com.
Winterfest is linked to the 20th annual Camp Saratoga
8K Snowshoe Race at Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park on
Saturday, February 10. If you preregister for both races,
there is a discount with one T-shirt for both races. Camp
Saratoga is an 8K route on wide groomed ski trails and
narrow singletrack trails – ideal variety for snowshoeing!
Afterwards, relax with hot chocolate and s’mores cooked
over a bonfire. Go to: runsignup.com.
The Brave the Blizzard 5K Snowshoe Race at
Tawasentha Park in Guilderland on Sunday, February 18,
offers participants a low-key and fun opportunity to try out
snowshoeing. Whether you’re experienced or this is your
first time, the park has a nice mix of fields and woods –
and in the absence of snow, it’s held as a trail run. You can
also enjoy the festive atmosphere with music playing and
Frosty the Snowman cheering for you! Visit: zippyreg.com.
On Saturday, February 24, the sixth annual Stone Bridge
Caveman 6K Snowshoe Race, an old favorite event is back!
It’s held at Natural Stone Bridge & Caves in Pottersville,
just 30 minutes north of Glens Falls. Home of the largest
cave entrance on the East, the run/hike/walk highlights
their 14 miles of groomed and singletrack snowshoe trails.
Enjoy views of Trout Brook with frozen waterfalls, southern
Adirondack mountains from the top of Catamount, and
dark hemlock forest groves. Starting at 900’ elevation, you
climb to 1,445’ just before halfway, then back down with
several flats. Afterwards, warmup around the bonfire, sip
hot chocolate and toast marshmallows. If no snow, it may
be a trail run/walk. Register: itsyourrace.com.
The grand finale weekend kicks off with the second
Brookhaven Snowshoe Race on Saturday, March 2, see
above for details. It is followed by Garnet Hill Snowshoe
5K Snowshoe Race at Garnet Hill Lodge & Outdoor
Center in North River on Sunday, March 3. The fun course
features twisty trails where you can see your friends coming
and going through the trees. Garnet Hill is well-known
for their late season snow so bring your cross-country skis
to explore the other trails afterwards. Visit: runreg.com.
Other choices include Winona Forest Snowshoe Series
in the Tug Hill Region, ongoing (runreg.com); Millstone
Madness Snowshoe Race in Barre, Vt. on Feb. 3 (cvrunners.org);
and US National Snowshoe Championships, in
Eau Claire, Wisc. on Feb. 9-11 (trailrunner.com).
No excuses now – get off your couch and get out there!
Since snow can be fickle, make sure you check conditions
ahead of time. Some events will change to a trail run/
walk if conditions warrant. In addition to the individual
sites listed, for weekly race updates by Thursday evening,
search Facebook (Dion WMAC Snowshoe Series) and
visit: dionnevitrek.com.
Laura Clark (snowshoegal133@gmail.com) of Saratoga
Springs is an avid trail runner, ultramarathoner,
snowshoer and cross-country skier. She is a children’s
librarian at the Saratoga Springs Public Library.