Spice It Up

By Jim Allott

Hey runners, bikers and adventurers! Mark those race calendars for the third weekend in October. There are not one, but two events that offer the opportunity for something new and different. Both the Mohawk Towpath Byway Duathlon and the Saranac Lake Backcountry 3P are considered multisport races meaning they offer at least two different sports – it’s not ALL about triathlons! Tired of the same old 5K foot race or local sprint tri? Ready to branch out and try something you haven’t done before? C’mon, join the party. 

Both of these exciting events offer a solo option and a team relay category… Solo is always an adventure, so think of it as cross-training! Relays are very popular and for good reason as they keep it simple for each participant plus all the benefits offered by being part of a team. Everything, from the organizing, the working together towards a common goal, the training, the cheering and camaraderie… the list goes on. Not everyone can or wants to do all of the different sports involved so why not invite a friend? This is a great way to introduce somebody into the more competitive side. 

I always love to see the teams hanging out post-race, always laughing, as they discuss some aspect of the race. Not to mention the fun – and pressure – of coming up with a creative and/or humorous team name. As one who has competed in plenty of multisport events (including Lake Placid’s Pedal, Paddle, Pole race in the ’80s), I always look forward to seeing all the awesome team names in the results. It always brings a chuckle. One year, at Lake Placid, not considering a team name until the last second, we came up with “Team Nads.” The humor of that later played out every time someone from our team would see a teammate on course and start jumping about and hollering “Go Nads!” The looks on the tourists’ faces were priceless. 

The Mohawk Towpath Byway Duathlon is in Clifton Park on Sunday, October 19. The directors, Eric Hamilton and Kristen Hislop, and volunteers know how to put on a race – it’s in its 22nd year, so tried and true! The course starts/finishes at Riverview Orchards, a 200 year-old Erie Canal farm, and it runs between the hamlets of Vischer Ferry and Rexford – near the Mohawk River/Erie Canal. 

In classic duathlon form, features a two-mile-run, a 12-mile bike, followed by another two-mile run. The race is on a paved route along the scenic byway in a quiet stretch of Clifton Park. The course is straight forward and is flat and fast. Individuals and teams of two can take on this well-organized, late season race that benefits the Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway. The duathlon includes lunch and commemorative items for the first 130 registrants. For registration and details, visit: trisignup.com.

The second annual Saranac Lake Backcountry 3P (Pedal, Paddle, Peak) is near Saranac Lake on Saturday, October 18. This 3P offers more of “a walk on the wild side.” It is set in one of the most scenic places in the Adirondacks, with most of the course lying within Saint Regis Canoe Area and Saranac Lake Wild Forest. Like its sister late-winter event, the course is designed to truly showcase the amazing outdoor beauty of the area, with start/finish at Charlie’s Inn in Lake Clear. 

The route is intentionally designed to have no pavement and is billed as the “Ultimate Adirondack Sampler.” The Backcountry 3P builds off of the very successful March 3P race, which adds skiing… plus the entire winter event is within the village of Saranac Lake! This fall’s race offers a new and improved course from last year’s inaugural event. The race has five legs but centers around the three sports of gravel/mountain biking, trail running and paddling. What a memorable event to share with teams of three or take on the solo challenge. I am honored to say I have finished in the top two (solo) in the last three versions and can safely say “you will likely never witness such a community-based happening that guarantees to offer the highest ratio of volunteers to participants!” The vibe and support is right up there! 

This year’s event will have you riding 10 miles on the new and stunning Adirondack Rail Trail, trail running three miles (which includes a small mountain, Floodwood Mountain), a two-mile ride, a breathtaking four-mile paddle across Floodwood and Rollins Ponds (which includes a 1/4-mile “carry”), and a final seven-mile ride to a well-deserved finish. For registration and details, go to: runreg.com.

On the 3P site, you’ll be sure to see their mission that I can attempt to summarize as fostering a positive community spirit and celebration around their love for outdoor activities that they all participate in regularly: saranaclake3p.org. In other words, a very active and experienced group of volunteers who “all wish we could do the race.”

Upstate Sports is proud to highlight these two unique multisport events and the opportunity to shake things up a bit. Whether it be the challenge of going it individually or joining a team of “crazies,” you will not regret giving it a whirl. Happy trails!

Jim Allott (jimallott@icloud.com) is a retired NYS Master Teacher. He coached 50 varsity programs in high school and NCAA including 35 seasons as Clarkson University’s XC running and Nordic ski head coach. He’s done the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii, Boston and NYC marathons, 50-mile trail running races, Adirondack Canoe Classic 90-miler, Norwegian Birkebeiner XC Ski marathon, and competes this month at the XTERRA Triathlon World Championship in Italy. He was the “Athlete Profile” in April 2025, and his van sticker reads, Adventure before Dementia.