Vibrant June Races to Kick Off the Summer

By Mona Kulkarni Caron

Spring racing season continues in June with events every weekend. Sign up for a few events to kick-off summer, improve your fitness and well-being, and connect with other runners and walkers. Beat the summer heat and hit your running and walking goals with these events.

Start the month with the 14th annual LifeSong Dash 5K at the Halfmoon Town Park in Halfmoon on Saturday, June 6. Run through the park and adjacent neighborhoods and finish back at the park. Open to runners and walkers of all abilities, the race also offers a Junior Dash before the 5K. There’s also live music, food trucks, vendors, face painting, rock climbing wall, and an auction. 

It’s a great opportunity to learn more and support LifeSong’s work with 250 adults of differing abilities and their families. Based in Clifton Park, Lifesong, is a not-for-profit organization that empowers people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through community-based day habilitation and supported employment services. Sign up for the 5K, a USATF sanctioned event, to be a part of the community that comes together to support their valuable work: lifesongdash.com.

Also on June 6, the 29th annual Charlton Heritage 5K Run/Walk is held on Founders Weekend and celebrates the founding of the Town of Charlton. Enjoy this community run at the Old Red School House featuring rolling hills and flats, with a downhill finish on the USATF certified course. There’s also a Kids’ One-Mile Fun Run with shirt and medal. Proceeds benefit the Charlton Historical Society: zippyreg.com.

Head south for another June 6th race, the 26th annual Kinderhook OK5K Run/Walk, a flat and fast 5K that’s part of USATF Adirondack’s Grand Prix Series, and walkers are also welcome. There’s a free Kids’ One-Mile Run, and free D.A.Y.S.I. 100-Meter Dash – inclusive for all abilities. Stay for the awards and kids’ activities including face painting. All proceeds go to local nonprofit organizations: ok5krace.com.

On the following day, Sunday, June 7, check out the fifth annual Woofstock 5K Run, Walk-a-thon & Music Festival. Bring your furry friend, family, or go solo – every participant helps support the animals at the Animal Protective Foundation. The 5K starts and ends at Lions Pavillion at Collins Park in Scotia. Woofstock is one of the area’s largest outdoor fundraising festivals celebrating dogs, their people, and the joy they bring.

After the run, stick around for the Woofstock Music Festival. Enjoy live tunes, explore food and pet-friendly vendors, sip on local beer donated by Paradox Brewing Company and Woodstock Brewing, and shop for unique pet products. All 5K and Walk-A-Thon participants receive automatic admission to the music festival. Children 12 and under walk for free: runsignup.com.

Also on June 7, join the Capital Region Heart Walk & Run. It’s a three-mile walk and run, based from the UAlbany’s Casey Stadium, traveling through the university and Harriman State Office Building campuses. Participants are encouraged to fundraise their contribution to heart disease prevention with the American Heart Association. The AHA invites runners and walkers to join the Heart Walk to broaden their impact by turning bystanders into lifesavers by having one person in every household confident and prepared to perform CPR. capitalregionheartwalk.org.

Kick-off the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Flag Day Parade at the 17th annual Route 50 Mile in Burnt Hills on Thursday, June 11 at 6:50pm. It’s a fast, fun, and family-friendly race with 300 runners and thousands of cheering fans! This cherished tradition supports CAPTAIN Community Human Services vital programs providing food, housing and critical services to those in need. It’s also part of the “American 250” Mile Series, which includes the Freedom Mile in Clifton Park on July 4: captaincares.org/route50.

On Saturday, June 13, try the Run for the Ages 5K, organized by and held at Tackett Chiropractic in Queensbury. The 5K bridges generations, encouraging runners and walkers of all ages to participate, and the first 150 receive a race T-shirt. Proceeds benefit Glens Falls Senior Center and Big Brothers, Big Sisters of the Southern Adirondacks: runsignup.com.

On Saturday, June 20, it’s the 12th annual Good Karma 5K Run/Walk. For a family-friendly event head over to Shenendehowa High School in Clifton Park for this flat, fast, feel-good race. The campus roads are closed to traffic so kids and walkers can feel safe on the course. Enjoy a mini-excursion to India, with a yoga warmup and post-race Indian street food, henna artists, and popular Good Karma T-shirt. Finish your race to the beats of fun Bollywood music! 

There’s also a free Good Karma 0.5-Mile Kids’ Run. Proceeds benefit AIM for Seva which builds student homes for the less fortunate in rural India, and locally the Regional Food Bank and Shenendehowa’s Backpack Program. For those who wish to support the cause, there’s a virtual option too: zippyreg.com.

Also on June 20, is Hudson Mohawk Road Runners Club’s 19th annual Tri-City ValleyCats Father’s Day 5K at Bruno Stadium at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy. The first 200 registered receive a race t-shirt. Awards go to top three males and females, father/daughter and father/son teams. A 0.25-Mile Kids Race will also take place, held on the baseball field: hmrrc.com.

For a longer, more challenging race, join the Adirondack Runners for their Adirondack 7.5-Mile Race to the Lakes on June 20. Launching at 8am from SUNY Adirondack in Queensbury, runners will traverse scenic country roads and the wonderful Warren County Bikeway, past Glen Lake, to a dramatic downhill finish at Battlefield Park in the Village of Lake George – with beautiful lake and mountain views. All registered by 5/30 receive tri-blend performance shirts. Buses back to SUNY Adirondack start running at 9:30am. Proceeds benefit local fire depts, rescue squads, and Adirondack Runners club scholarships: zippyreg.com.

Also on June 20, it’s the 8th annual Wilmington Whiteface Whiskey Run held at Preston Festival Field in Wilmington. This popular event features a 5K Whiskey Run/Walk and 10K Whiskey Run. Runners receive a race shirt, local swag, and whiskey flask medal! Stay for whiskey tastings, local distillers, food, festival, entertainment and raffles. If you can’t make it, there’s a virtual option. The run is a benefit for the Wilmington Historical Society: runsignup.com.

For a community summer race series, check out Camp Saratoga 5K Trail Run Series at Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park on Mondays at 6:15pm on June 22, July 6, July 20, August 3, and August 17. Hosted by Saratoga Stryders, the series is directed by legendary Laura Clark and the Saratoga Stryders. Camp Saratoga is a scenic, challenging 5K trail course, and it’s open to all ages and abilities, including walkers. It’s an affordable family affair with low race and series fees. To minimize trail erosion, a cap is set at 75 runners so register early. The club donates proceeds to the preserve/park: campsaratoga.saratogastryders.org. 

Get registered while supporting these quality events and great causes – we’ll see you out there!

Mona Kulkarni Caron (mona@adkports.com) is an editor for Upstate Sports and Vermont Sports, the race director of the Good Karma 5K Run/Walk, mentor for the Run for Women 5K Training Challenge, and enjoys running, cycling, and the outdoors, when she’s not working at the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.