Delightful Run for Women

It’s a Special Event, Make It Happen!

By Megan James

Since 1979, Albany has been home to one of the premier women’s-only races in the country, the Delightful Run for Women. Historically and familiarly known as the Freihofer’s Run for Women, the event was rebranded in 2024 due to a sponsorship change. Whichever way you slice it, it’s more than “just a race,” and it is still all about women, by promoting health, fitness, and community support for girls and women of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. And all participants still receive a delicious box of Freihofer’s chocolate chip cookies! 

The race is on Saturday, May 30 at 9am in downtown Albany. Runners, joggers, and walkers will start at City Hall, run through Albany neighborhoods and Washington Park, and end with a fantastic downhill finish with loud cheering spectators lining the streets.

Personally, I am excited to be at the Run for Women for the first time this year as a registered runner – I’ve been a fan and supporter since childhood, but the schedule never quite worked out. This year, I’m doing it with my mom, sisters, and our daughters.

The Run for Women is special – It was one of the very early women’s-only events taking place at all in the 1970s, and only less than a decade after women were officially allowed to compete in distances longer than 1.5 miles. In its first year, over 500 women ran. Now, almost 50 years later, there are around 2,500 registered participants. A portion of the race proceeds go directly back into the Capital Region, supporting local organizations such as Girls on the Run CR, Albany Medical Center, and the YMCA.

Run for Women is an entire event designed to support girls and women in sports. There is an official Training Challenge program with experienced participants leading the charge as mentor coaches. There’s a race expo with speakers, giveaways, women-owned businesses and more; Capital Kids 3K Races, and fun runs of various distances by age for younger kids; and, of course, the sheer sense of empowerment when all of these strong women flood the streets of Albany! 

In the main event, Run for Women 5K offers competitive opportunities for bonafide racing teams and individuals of all ages and abilities in a super supportive environment. For teams, there are unique structures like mother-daughter, sister-sister, and even three- and four-generation female teams! The Run for Women is equally accessible to women who race professionally and seek course records, as it is to those who want to run, jog, or walk and talk with a group of friends or family members!

Get ready for race day – The official Training Challenge 10-week program launched on March 23 this year, but if the group setting and structured mentorship from past and present participants speaks your language, sign up for registration for 2027. There are also other local clubs and coaches that host training runs and get-togethers in preparation for spring 5Ks, including my own that starts up in early May (for info, see my social media). A group setting is a great way to build routines prior to race day, get to know new people who you can run/walk or carpool with, and hold yourself accountable to the training. 

Training solo is also an great option that may work better for your body, mind and schedule. In that case, it may help to hire a running coach to be sure you’re adequately prepared by gradually increasing your distance and intensity of training before race day. The Capital Region is home to many amazing running coaches, and all of us have our unique style of training – sometimes it helps to interview a few coaches in order to find the best connection. 

Either way, there’s plenty of time to get moving for this year! As a general guideline, it’s better to go into a race a little undertrained than be totally spent or “overcooked” before you even reach the starting line. If you’re new to the 5K, it is helpful but not necessary to run the entire distance prior to race day. The race atmosphere is very exciting and can help you cover the extra bit that you may not have reached in training! Beginners can start with 20-30 minutes of movement three days a week, alternating between one minute of running or jogging, and one or two minutes of walking.

Over the course of several weeks, aim to shift your ratio to a bit heavier on the running or jogging, and/or increase the frequency, time or pace. However, keep in mind that you only want to change one of these variables at a time to minimize your risk of injury, with the all-too-common “too much too soon” approach. Hill training – whether by repeating up and down, or by incorporating a few rolling hills into your run/jog/walk – is a great way to build strength and confidence, as there are a couple of hills on the course. 

The 5K distance is generally manageable for a wide variety of abilities, and the Delightful Run for Women is an excellent beginner-friendly event! It welcomes and encourages everyone to participate in this special event – no matter how fast or slow you think you are. See you there! To start, get registered: runsignup.com.

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