Adirondack Sports May 2024

RUNNING & WALKING
MAY 2024 13
Eenie, Meenie, Miny, Mo
Click Your Heels and GO!
With so many race options in June, unless you
don Dorothy’s red shoes or, more recently,
Hermione’s time-turner, every weekend presents
an eenie, meenie, miny, mo dilemma. The only
option would be to compete back-to-back Saturday and
Sunday, but even then, these races are so heavily stacked
that you would still be missing out. Perhaps this is the
time to reserve one day for racing and the other for running
with your kids – provided they are still slower than
you are! – or mentoring a beginning runner.
Let me preface our races with Global Running Day
on Wednesday, June 5. Join the Saratoga Stryders for a
6pm meetup to Celebrate Global Running Day with a
walk, jog, run event at Pitney Meadow Community Farm
in Saratoga Springs. For each loop you do, you get a raffle
ticket. Prizes include running shoes and gift cards donated
by iRun Local. Also, from May 26 to June 4, stop by iRun
Local to pick-up a special swag bag raffle ticket.
There’s FREE registration for three extra raffle tickets
and pizza from 9 Miles East: runsignup.com. Please do
register so Stryders can order enough pizza! Non-Stryders
will receive free membership for a portion of the year.
Basically, Stryders is paying you to have fun… Bring the
family and friends, and if you register online, dinner is on
us! This extravaganza is supported by a grant from Hudson
Mohawk Road Runners Club. It will be preceded by a June
4 Saratoga Springs proclamation at City Hall for Global
Running Day – and the Saratoga Stryders’ 40th anniversary.
Club info: saratogastryders.org.
Our whirlwind month begins promptly on Saturday,
June 1 with four races to choose from. The Sara Lee
Delightful Run for Women, formerly Freihofer’s, leads
the pack by giving women a big-time race experience,
complete with a two-day Health & Fitness Expo – and
course through downtown Albany, by the State Capitol
and City Hall, and beautiful Washington Park.
By Laura Clark
Now into its 46th year, with an anticipated 3,000 runners
and walkers of all ages and ability, the Run for Women
5K, has earned its place in history as a leading promoter
of women’s running. To achieve this goal, for the past 14
years, there has been an 11-week Training Challenge for
beginner, intermediate, advanced and virtual preparation
at various locations in the Capital Region. Don’t let the
sponsor change throw you, it’s still the same event, with
the same race director, Kristen Hislop, and the same delicious
Freihofer’s chocolate chip cookies.
The Run for Women is truly a family affair, with an
option for every female family member. Invite your
friends to sign up for one of the myriad team categories.
Encourage your girls and boys to do the Capital Kids 3K
(ages 8-14), and younger kids to join the free Kids’ Runs
– from one-mile to 400, 200, 100 and 50 meters. When registering
for the 5K, share your referral link, and if two of
your friends use it, you’ll receive a $10 refund. I encourage
women of all ages and abilities to participate, be inspired,
and support this wonderful event! Visit: runsignup.com.
Long known as the guys’ alternative to the Run for
Women, the 27th annual Charlton Heritage 5K Run/
Walk is part of Founder’s Day Weekend, with race proceeds
supporting the Charlton Historical Society. The 5K
is a USATF-certified route with rolling hills and flats on an
out-and-back course over scenic country roads. Ainsley’s
Angels, with their teams of pushers and riders, will also
participate wearing their signature pink – and celebrating
longtime members Shaun and Seamus Evans’ remarkable
Boston Marathon experience (see Community, page 45). A
Kids’ One-Mile Fun Run follows. Stick around afterwards
for the parade and party in the park. Go to: charlton5k.org.
If you prefer a more relaxed atmosphere on the Vermont
border, as well as a flatter playing field, head out to the
13th annual Rail Trail to the Footbridge 5K Trail Race/
Fun Walk at the Slate Valley Museum in Granville. Run
or walk on a scenic rail trail and road, finishing on a foot
◀ START OF THE 2023 RUN FOR WOMEN 5K IN ALBANY.
▲ ROLLING HILLS AT THE CHARLTON HERITAGE 5K.
■ WHITEFACE UPHILL FOOT
AND BIKE RACES IN 2023.
bridge spanning the Mettawee River, a tributary of Lake
Champlain. Youth can enjoy their own 1K Kids Fun Run.
Awards feature unique items you’ll actually use, Telescope
Furniture director’s chairs (made in Granville) for the first
three male/female overall winners, and maple syrup for
age group winners. Afterwards, make a day of it with a visit
to the Slate Valley Museum. Visit: runsignup.com.
Most difficult of the June 1st group is the 39th
annual Whiteface Uphill Foot Race on the Veterans
Memorial Highway in Wilmington, summitting New
York’s fifth highest peak, taking place concurrently with
the Whiteface Uphill Bike Race (runners start behind
the cyclists) – a very successful pairing! The highway will
be closed to vehicular traffic so runners and bikers can
spread out safely over the eight-mile, 3,500-foot ascent.
There are no aid stations enroute, so you must be prepared
to carry your own water and energy gels. The first
time I ran Whiteface, I figured I could also run down, but
it wasn’t pleasant due to the smell of brake fluid, so I recommend
signing up for the shuttle or finding a friend to
hitch a ride with. You have two hours to make it to the top
before you turn into Cinderella.
Despite any videos you may have viewed, the 8% grade
is steeper in real life than it appears. There are a few brief
respites from the upward motion, during which you can
look up and glimpse the reward castle at the summit. No
matter how tired you are at the finish, do not forego the
opportunity to enjoy the 360-degree panoramic view of
See RUNNING & WALKING 15 ▶