Fall Distance Racing

Many Superb Opportunities

By Megan James

It is officially summer here in Upstate NY, and runners are probably among the first to notice it! With the heat and humidity weighing us down, it can be hard to envision running hard, chasing PRs, and tackling long race distances in just a couple of months. But I assure you that the time and energy we put in now pays off in dividend down the road. There are many great races to choose from in the region, and some may even serve well as tune-ups for later races. Here is a preview of some of the popular local road and trail races, and a few summer-centered training tips to help get you to the start and finish lines!

First up, we have our late summer races: Thacher Park Trail Running Festival and Run 4 the River Half. Taking place on Sunday, August 24, Thacher Park TRF is produced by ARE Event Productions and held on a stunningly beautiful course through the state park, with some of the course run along the Helderberg Escarpment Trail. This event offers a 10K, half, full, and 50K. All races start and finish at the same location, making it good for spectators as well. Enjoy the post-race barbecue as you watch runners from the other distances come into the finish area. 

The following Saturday, August 30, R4TR is on! This race boasts a net downhill course along the Mohawk River on a section of the Empire State Trail from Mabee Farm in Rotterdam Junction to Frog Alley Brewing in downtown Schenectady. It can be used as a test of fitness or race readiness for an upcoming marathon, factoring in the potential for lingering summer weather. The post-race party takes place right at the brewery, where you’ll find a variety of hot and cold foods, beverages (alcoholic and NA), and live music. While almost completely different in terrain, both Thacher and R4TR offer high-quality and well-organized opportunities for all, ranging from the seasoned pros to new runners, and from highly competitive to recreational runners and run/walkers. 

Next, let’s head a bit farther north and check out the Wilcox Wild Ultra and Adirondack Marathon & Half. These two are also vastly different in terrain, but both will take a hardy athlete to get through them. The Wilcox Wild Ultra on Saturday, Sept. 13 is a 50K (31 mile) race that is advertised as “rugged” and held in the Wilcox Lake Wild Forest, about 35 miles northwest of Saratoga Springs. Aside from training to spend several hours on the trail, it’s essential to have several training runs on trails prior to the event so you are comfortable, confident and safe on this technical course. 

The Adirondack Marathon on Sunday, Sept. 28 offers a full, half, and two- and four-person relays so there really is something for everyone. On Saturday, Sept. 27 in Chestertown, there are 10K and 5K races for those who prefer shorter options. The full course goes around Schroon Lake, and half around the southern half of the lake, and the views are breathtaking – as are the hills, for some! Personally, I find a bit of undulating terrain helpful in longer races, because it’s similar to what I train on at home; so you may actually find it easier than running a fully flat course if you’re used to training on rolling or hilly routes. 

When we get to October, the options really open up as the leaves fall down: Flutters & Foliage Endurance Run, Lake Placid Classic (Half, 10K and new 5K), Mohawk Hudson River Marathon (Full & Half); and Hairy Gorilla Half & Squirrelly Six. If you’re looking for an adventure that supports a worthy cause but aren’t quite sure about the ultra-distance, Flutters & Foliage on Sunday, October 5 is a great option – there are no DNFs at this race, and it benefits Flutters of Hope, a non-profit that helps individuals and families affected by eating disorders. It is staged at Peebles Island State Park, near Waterford on a two-mile flat trail loop. You can sign up for a six-hour solo or three- or six-person relay, three-hour solo, or one-hour solo option, whichever works best for you and also have the flexibility to complete as many laps as you’d like. If you’d like a challenge, complete at least 50K to earn a belt buckle!

The following weekend, you can tackle a double-header between Lake Placid and Mohawk Hudson if you’d like! Lake Placid Classic on Saturday, Oct. 11 offers half marathon, 10K, and new this year 5K distances on a beautiful course, staged from the Horseshow Grounds, primed for leaf-peeping, which benefits local youth organizations. There are a couple of hills in these courses, but they pale in comparison to the Olympic ski jumps and stunning High Peaks views that will be surrounding you – not so bad, right? 

Mohawk Hudson River Marathon on Sunday, Oct. 12, well-organized by Hudson Mohawk Road Runners Club, offers full and half marathon distances entirely on pavement along the beautiful Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail mostly along the rivers, passing by the Watervliet Arsenal, and ending in downtown Albany right next to the mighty Hudson! These are historically very fast races, with some people even qualifying for the Olympic Trials here; but all runners in both races are cheered on by local high school cross country and track teams at the water stops along the route, no matter how fast or slow you click through the miles. The full is from Schenectady to Albany – with race pacing available, and the half is from Colonie to Albany.

For scenic routes with views of the Green Mountains and Adirondacks, consider the Middlebury Maple Run on Sunday, Oct. 19. It’s Vermont’s sweetest half marathon, 10K and 5K, with a mix of trail, paved, and dirt roads for all distances. There’s inspiring music on course, with pacing services available, a post-race breakfast, and Vermont maple syrup for top finishers.

For those looking to snag a fun, mid-fall trail race, check out Hairy Gorilla Half & Squirrelly Six on Sunday, Oct. 26 at Thacher State Park. These 13.1 and six-mile trail runs are advertised as “part running race, part costume party” so be sure to wear your best outfit and try to escape the costumed volunteers. These courses are very similar to those in the Thacher TRF from August, so while trail races are normally difficult to compare, you could get a pretty good idea of summer-to-fall gains by running both of these.

Getting deeper into the fall season, we see the Stockadeathon and Upstate Classic come into view. The MVP Health Care Stockade-athon on Sunday, Nov. 9 is one of the oldest road 15K races in the country, dating back to 1976 – and it’s right here in the Capital Region! HMRRC’s classic race gets first billing on my race calendar every year as one of my all-time favorite races, through Schenectady’s historic Stockade district, beautiful Central Park, and historic Vale Cemetery. Stockade-athon has a fast downhill start and finish (which means, yes, there is some climbing in between), great prizes and nice shirts, and you can peruse the Green Market before or after heading indoors for the post-race party.

The Upstate Classic on Sunday, Nov. 16 is a race that was born out of the Covid-year, when ARE Event Productions made it possible for runners to keep racing while following the health regulations and restrictions. These 13.1-mile and 5K races are staged at the Altamont Fairgrounds, just a few miles outside of Albany, and will delight you with views of the Helderberg Escarpment as you run around the rural roads!

Training Tips – Maybe by now you’ve selected which races you’re going to run this fall, and it’s time to get started on your training! Summer is a great time to enter into “base mode” which means you are simply logging time to lay the foundation for higher-level things like race-pace intervals and longer long runs. This is the time to build your consistency and volume while addressing any lingering injuries, nutritional deficiencies, or other challenges from previous seasons. You can run a decent mid-distance race with as little as three or four training days or 20 miles a week, so don’t feel pressured to run every day or tons of miles. I always opt for consistency, health, and enjoyment over pure volume or intensity; if you have a coach, make sure you’re on the same page with goals and values. With training at any level, it’s important to build in down weeks – a relative drop in volume (could be up to 50%!) every three to six weeks – to allow your body to “catch up” with training, and minimize your risk of overuse injury, especially bone injuries. 

Incorporate these three types of runs into your training on a weekly or biweekly basis: long run, tempo run, strides. I generally recommend matching the total time of your long run to the expected finish time of your race, at a slower pace (at least one minute per mile slower), regardless of distance covered: a 2:10 half marathoner would max out in the vicinity of two-hour long runs. If you are expecting to finish a race in over three hours, you can and should incorporate some walking into the long run so that your total running time is about three hours, but the total time on your feet might be four to six hours. 

Tempo runs are essential for developing your tolerance for a little discomfort and recycling the byproducts of the aerobic energy system. The standard tempo run is 20-22 minutes at an effort that you could sustain for a one-hour race, which tends to be roughly 30-40 seconds slower per mile than your 5K race pace. Strides can be tacked on at the end of a base or long run to help open your stride and “feel fast” when already tired. I recommend four to six times of 15-20 second mile-race efforts with 30-60 seconds of recovery, twice a week. 

Account for summer weather. I can almost guarantee that your runs will be slower on the hot and humid days, and that’s OK! With higher humidity, our sweat doesn’t evaporate from our skin, making our bodies less efficient at cooling. Similarly, with a high dewpoint, the air is closer to saturation and it feels “sticky” or “muggy.” Early mornings tend to be more humid, but later in the day is hotter; so you have to choose which one is more tolerable – I find that running around 7am is the hardest because the humidity is still high and the temperature is rising rapidly. Base your training runs on effort rather than pace: if your perceived effort is greater than 4/10 on a base or long run, you’re probably working too hard; a tempo run should be about 7-8/10. 

Practice for race day! Understand what works for your body with nutrition, hydration, clothing and footwear. Practice this during your training runs – it’s much better to experience GI distress or chafing during a training run so you have a chance to adjust things before race day. Fueling and hydration are important aspects of the run itself and recovering before the next workout. If you’re driving to meet with friends, don’t forget to pack the post-run snacks – recovery mode starts as soon as you’re done running!

Most importantly, have fun! It can be hard to get yourself out the door or to the treadmill after a long day or on a steamy morning. Focusing on the process versus strictly the outcome can be helpful, as is setting small goals to lead to bigger targets. Mix up running solo and with friends or a local group/club. Laugh, learn from busted workouts, check out new routes/trails, soak up the sunshine, and take a minute to appreciate that your body and mind allow you to do amazing things!

Megan James (megan@ptimmersion.net) of Charlton is a running specialist physical therapist and certified running coach. She is an avid runner, with special interest in 15K to half marathon distances, and loves tempo runs! Learn more: ptimmersion.net.