Races
My objective is to update this site with specific races as I become aware of them. For now, I’ll limit myself to identifying the 2 major sources of calendars, Sound Shore and New York Road Runners. But first, some clubs:
Some Trail Races
There are three area trail races in the Spring, but two are held on the same day, April 2 this year:
On April 15, 10am is The Van Cortlandt Track Club’s Urban Environmental Challenge (second item). This is a fun, but hard 6.3 miler (don’t know where they get the extra 0.1) through the trails of Van Cortlandt. You run on the X-C course only briefly. For example, you cross thr bridge and start into the backhills, but after you crest the first hill, you turn right, into the woods. 2 laps (the second longer than the first) and one (shallow) stream-crossing. No steep hills.
On March 25 is the Mudders & Grunters 5M at FDR Park; 10:00am, put on by the Taconic Road Runners. Here are the 2006 Results, and don’t let it be said that they don’t warn you; here are pictures. Tom Maile of TRRC writes,
The Mudders and Grunters is a great race. We aim to make it as muddy as possible. It’s almost totally on the trails of FDR Park and the adjoining Downing Park. There are a few water crossings, the final one usually waist deep. We give awards to the muddiest and bloodiest, as well as the usual age groups. The race is very popular with trail runners, especially high school and college. We have a large group that comes down from Albany every year.
Third is a well-regarded trail race on April 22 at the Ward Reservation in Pound Ridge, The Leatherman’s Loop.
Here’s a link for New England Trail Race Schedule
TrailRunner.com, National List of trail races.
Cross-Country
The Van Cortlandt Track Club runs a series of 5K cross-country races at Van Cortlandt beginning on May 25 and running through August 17, 2006 (application) (at which point NYRRC and other X-C races are held. They are held on Thursday nights at 7, and cost $5. These are enjoyable races and a good way to get into cross-country shape. The course used to be a little short, so the start has been moved back a little. The NYRRC and others put on races at Van Cortlandt into the late Fall. A major new one is the Bad Boy 8K/5K II, by the Manhattan Track Club. I don’t know when it will be held in 2007. And here’s a list of course maps.
Westchester
Sound Shore’s calendar is comprehensive.
New York City
The New York City Road Runners Club calendar lists all of the races that the NYRRC puts on in New York.
Some Westchester Spring Races
Perhaps the premier Spring race in Westchester is the Rye Derby, a five-miler. It is on April 29, 2007 in the afternoon. I ran it for the first time in 2006; here’s a map that I drew from memory. It’s a pretty flat course. They bring in some quick men and women.In the Spring, there is the Rye Derby 5-miler at 1:45 on Sunday, April 30 2006 Results. I wrote up my experience on my blog. Bronxville has a 5-miler on the Saturday of Memorial Day week-end.
On March 18, 2007, the Taconic Road Runners, which puts on a number of events at FDR Park, just off the Taconic in Yorktown, had its annual St. Patrick’s Day 10K. I ran it for the first time this year, but I understand that the course was a little different from the usual, because of snow on the prior Friday and Saturday. We did 3 laps plus a bit more, with a sharp hill followed by an incline (which makes it very tough) on each of the laps. Here are the 2007 results.
On April 1, 2007, Scarsdale has a 15K or 4 miler (PDF of entry). (PDF of 15K map; PDF of 4 miler.) This is its 37th year. I ran it for the first time this year. The 15K does the 4 mile route and then heads out on a different route for the balance, with a finish after 3/4 laps of the track. There are 2 nasty but short hills, in mile 2 and in mile 7. The course is well marked. In 2007, there were 96 finishers in the 15K and 107 in the 4 miler.
The Larchmont 5K was held on July 1, 2006, but I hope it reverts to its traditional Memorial Day week-end date this year.
Some Westchester Fall Races
Most towns in Westchester have a 5K or similar distance, in the Spring or Fall. First in 2006 up was the Tuckahoe Challenge (Google Map), on September 10. Here you run a 1 mile on the road at 9 and the 5-miler at 9:30. Combined-time wins, with awards for the other races as well. Fairly flat with two quick but steep hills, at 2.5 and 3.5. I don’t have a link, but was given the date by the Village.
On the Saturday before Halloween (Oct. 29, 2006) is the Runnin’ Scared 5K at Sts. John and Paul (not that John and Paul but martyred Roman brothers) in Mamaroneck. I describe it, and my experience, here. There was also the Tarrytown Pilgrim Run (Google.Map), which is the Sunday before the Sunday before Thanksgiving; the course has one good-sized up hill and finishes on a grass field. Word is that the course is a little short. Good traffic control. One of my favorite races is the Mamaroneck Turkey Trot (Google Map), held on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, November 20 in 2005. Some results are in the Larchmont Gazette. It’s a nice flat course, recently measured by Gregg Rubin of Sound Shore Runners, who tells me it’s an accurate 5. Sound Shore has made it its home race and supplies many of the volunteers. The last 1.25 or so is along Route 1, with the finish in a park.
In nearby Ridgefield, Conn., there is the Ridgefield Half-Marathon on Oct. 7, 2007. The course is certified, but my GoogleMap is a bit short. There is also (at 8:45) a Half-Marathon in Central Park on October 7, the Grete’s Great Gallop. It’s a nice rolling course.
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Clubs
Westchester
Sound Shore Runners
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I used to list several clubs here, but now I’ll limit myself to Sound Shore Runners and Multi-Sport Club, of which I am the Vice President - Athletics. It’s relatively new club based in Mamaroneck, with runners along the Sound. Members are uniformly nice folks who take their running seriously but not too seriously. It has regularly scheduled runs throughout the week, including a Saturday morning run through Larchmont Manor, which I try to get to as often as possible. I think that as the Club grows, it will be competitive, at least in the Masters and up categories, where most of us suburbanites find ourselves. It looks like there will be a number running New York in November, so we’ll probably have some training focusing on that.
We have track workouts on Tuesday nights generally at Mamaroneck HS, but also off-site, such as on Paine Avenue in New Rochelle for hill work. If anyone is interested, just e-mail me. The Club had a team (I led off)at the Reach-the-Beach relay in New Hampshire in September, finishing 29th overall.
People do other sports too. In particular, there are group bike rides, although they start thrice a week at 6:00 am from Mamaroneck. SSRMC is a sponsor of one of my favorite races, the Mamaroneck Turkey Trot 5-miler. Eric Turkewitz of the Club has taken me out on a journey connecting a number of trails, known as The Green Loop, which is now the Colonial Greenway and leads regular runs along it. In addition to running, there are members who bike (and do bi- and triathlons), and there is a regular bike ride on the week-end.
Web-Sites
Let’s Run and Let’s Run Forum
I was banned for a while from the Forum for posting something about this site, but I’ve been let back in. The Forum itself covers a wide-range of items, most, but not all, related to running, and is frequented by a number of well-known and fast runners.
Cool Running
This site has a good running log; I've been using it for over 2 years. It also has a community which, unlike Let's Run, is divided up into sub-groups. Also unlike Let’s Run, you must be registered to post and things sometimes get nasty. I haven’t been into the Clubhouse, which is for non-running items, in about a year.
FloTrack
Great videos. For the real running geek.
The Central Park Track Club has a comprehensive Links Page as does The Westchester Track Club.
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Last edited on ... March 15, 2007
