RACES

AUGUST 2008

AN EVENING 5K FOR A CHANGE. The Shawangunk Shuffle 5K is Saturday Aug. 23, at 6:30 p.m. Runners and walkers are welcome. At the Wallkill Volunteer Ambulance Building in Wallkill Registration form or send an email to scny42(at)aol.com.

PHIL CARDUCCI AND MUCH MORE. The Altamont 5K is 9 a.m. on Aug. 23 at Bozenkill Park in Altamont, featuring T-shirts to first 300 to pre-register in the 5K, over 125 door prizes, top 3 overall male and female awards, 5-year age groups to age 80, walk division, music on the course and at the finish area, lots of refreshments, kids races, health expo and more. This web site has everything you'll need.

SEPTEMBER 2008

FOR RUNNERS, LABOR DAY IS ALSO KNOWN AS MAD DASH DAY. You won't start your Labor Day right if you don't begin with the Mad Dash, Rhinebeck's dynamic pair of races. Why is this event so successful? Maybe it's the runners who organize it; maybe it's charming Rhinebeck; maybe it's chowing down on the post-race donuts and brownies while gazing at those huge trophies. Take your choice of a 5K or a 10K. Mark Labor Day, Sept. 1, on your calendar as MAD DASH. Race starts at the Church of the Messiah on Route 9 in Rhinebeck, NY There is also a 5k walk. The 5K run and walk start at 8:30 a.m. and the 10k run starts at 9 a.m. Mini-dash races for children start at 10 a.m. preregistration (before Aug. 23) is $16 and race day registration is $20. You may pre-register on line at www.active.com. Here's a link with everything you need, including an application.

GO RUN A 5K FOR THE CURE! The third Cystic Fibrosis 5K for a Cure is at Marlboro High School on Saturday, Sept. 6, at 11 a.m. Proceeds go to the cause of looking for a cure for cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease affecting approximately 30,000 children and adults in the United States. A defective gene causes the body to produce abnormally thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections. Median life expectancy is 37 years, and there is no known cure. Here is your race entry form, and also details about becoming a sponsor.

IN MEMORY OF ALEXANDRA. The Catch a Rae 5K Run, 5K Walk and Kids Fun Run is Sept. 6 at 9:45 a.m. THIS IS IN LOVING MEMORY OF ALEXANDRA RAE GRAVINO. Come to the Red Hook High School: 8 - 9 a.m. is registration at the track. 9:30 is the walk, 9:45 for the run, and 11 for the kids fun run. Here is the application in PDF form.

FLAT 5K COURSE.The Wendell D. Harp Memorial 3-Mile Walk and Run on Sept. 6 benefits Hospice Foundation, Inc. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. on the campus of Ulster County BOCES Route 32 North in New Paltz. Race starting time will be 9:30 a.m. Registration by Aug. 15 is $15, after Aug. 15 $25. High school students can register for $10. Call 473-2273, ext. 1107.

THIS RACE MATTERS. The Ossining MATTERS 6th Annual 5K Run/2 Mile Walk on the Old Croton Aqueduct is Saturday, Sept. 6, at 9 a.m. Check-in 7:30 to 8:30 at the Ossining Community Center. Runners and walkers raise money for Ossining MATTERS, the community Education Foundation that funds enriching programs for students throughout the Ossining School District. Race features chip timing, awards, kids festival and refreshments. Application.

COME FOR THE RACE AND STAY FOR THE DESSERT. The 4th Annual Lederman Children's Center 5k Run/Walk is Sept. 11 at the beautiful Spring Farm on The Mohonk Preserve. Come enjoy the scenic course, fantastic post race meal, and great race events for kids. This year we will also have a silent dessert auction. You can get all the race details and download the registration form.

The Barry Hopkins Run is Sunday, Sept. 14, at 9:30 a.m. at the Olana State Historic Site in Hudson, NY. Registration is only $10 and the children's run is free. The course is a tough 7.6-mile double loop race or 3.8-mile time estimation run (no watches allowed) traversing carriage roads in the designed landscape of Hudson River School artist Frederic Church. The runner finishing closest to the time they predicted beforehand wins the time estimation run. This was one of Barry Hopkins' favorite types of competitions. Unique awards for children, overall double loop winners, top five in time estimation. I have an application for you.

RUN AGROUND IN MASSACHUSETTS. This triathlon is not too far away, and it's an old favorite. The Josh Billings RunAground Triathlon is Sunday, Sept. 14 at 9:30 a.m. in Great Barrington. Get from Great Barrington to to Lenox by way of a 27-mile bike ride, 5 miles in a canoe or kayak, and finally a 6-mile run. "The Josh" is the second oldest bike, paddle, run triathlon in the world and goes through five scenic towns in the Berkshires. Visit the Web site or e-mail Patty Spector at patty@joshbillings.com.

THE CLASSIC IN DUTCHESS COUNTY. This event on Sept. 21 is more of a running celebration. Where else can you get a half marathon, 5K and kids race all in one day? This is the closest half marathon around for many of us, and the event is 29 years old. It's at the Wappingers Recreation Center. Race entry form. But wait, there's more! On Saturday, September 20 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Arlington High School on Route 55 in LaGrangeville you can pick up your race packets and enjoy free hors d'oeuvres, light snacks, mini-sessions with massage therapists and Reiki practitioners, yoga instructors, physical therapists, chiropractors, reflexologists and personal trainers. For more information, go to the Dutchess County Classic web site.

FOND OF APPLES? Boy, do I have a race for you. The Esopus Fall Festival 5K Run on Sept. 27 is all about apples and the small community of Port Ewen, which is in Esopus. The race steps off at 9:30 a.m. and you may register at 8:30 a.m. for a very reasonable price. This may be the bargain of 2008 for a 5K race with T-shirts and prizes. Speaking of prizes, the winner will get an apple pie. Second place gets you a gallon of apple cider. A bag of apples will be waiting at the finish line for the third place finisher. Throw in free kids races and the Fall Festival after the race and you have a day (or at least a morning) of great fun, especially if you like apples!

A COLD-HEARTED HILL AND SOME HOT CHILI. The 2008 Pfaltz Point Trail Challenge is Sunday, Sept. 28, at 9 a.m. This is a popular 10-mile trail race on the spectacular trails and carriage roads of the Mohonk Preserve near New Paltz, NY. The race is a benefit run to raise money for the Mohonk Preserve, the nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the beautiful Shawangunk Ridge. Runners enjoy a delicious post-race chili-feast donated by the Main Street Bistro in New Paltz. Check-in begins at 7:45 am. Race begins at 9 a.m. sharp. No race day registrations. Start and finish at the Mohonk Preserve's Spring Farm trail head on Upper 27 Knoll Road (off Mohonk Road) in High Falls. The race is limited to 300 runners. Web site and application.

A RACE TO BRAG ABOUT. Our Lady of Lourdes Brag Rights Run is at Our Lady of Lourdes High School (town of Poughkeepsie) on Sunday, Sept. 28, at 10 am start) and the one-mile kids run is at 9:30 a.m. Race flyer.

OCTOBER 2008

A NEW RACE! The Little Ones Learning Center, a non-profit early literacy program for children in Accord, is presenting the 2008 Towpath Run on Sunday, Oct. 5. The 6K (3.7 mile) race, a fund raiser for the organization, will be from Alligerville to Accord on Towpath Road. Towpath Road runs parallel to the former D & H Canal and the towpath was used to ferry canal boats during the 19th century. Runners and walkers will meet in Accord, where there's ample parking and facilities, and be taken by bus to Alligerville for the start. The race will start on a bridge on Ulster County Route 6, and runners and walkers will trek back to Accord through the autumn covering of the western Shawangunk ridgeline. Beautiful.Web site and race application.

DATE PENDING FOR TACO JUAN'S RACE. The Woodstock Classic will feature the TACO JUAN 5 mile Hudson Valley Championship road race, the Corinne Amari Memorial 5K Walk, the Rick Carlson Youth Mile and the Doug Maloney Duathlon (new; a 2 mile run, 12 mile bike, and 2 mile run). The event has been run for the past 16 years as the Taco Juan Woodstock race. Participation has averaged about 400 competitors, with entrants from NYC to Albany, no doubt in part to the allure of Woodstock and leaf-peeking season. John Grant, Taco Juan himself and owner of the boutique eatery in Woodstock that bears his name, feeds upwards of 500 people after the race, including volunteers and spectators, and is well known for his delicious post-race buffet. Leo and Corinne Amari, respected for their efforts as participants and proponents of competitive walking, installed the 5K Walk in 1997, helping make the race a desirable destination for bipeds of every persuasion. Check out this colorful Web site.

Sports Museum 5K: The Sports Museum Hall of Fame of Dutchess County has a 5K cross country race on Oct. 26 at Bowdoin Park, Sheafe Road, Poughkeepsie. A mile run for boys and girls up to 13 is at 10:30 a.m. The 5k will start at 11 a.m. Entry form or call race director Pete Sanfilippo at (845) 297-7950.

NOVEMBER 2008

AFTER THE LEAVES HAVE FALLEN, running at Minnewaska is beautiful. If you don't believe me, come to the After the Leaves have Fallen 20K race on Nov. 2 at 11 a.m. You'll see some of the best trails at Minnewaska State Park, which is on Route 44/55 in New Paltz. The course starts at Lake Minnewaska and follows Hamilton Point to Lake Awosting, then runs along incredible cliffs, and circles pristine glacial lakes. Registration starts at 9:30 a.m. Cost is only $10, and that is a bargain given how great a race this is. This is also a fundraiser for the Kingston High School girls cross country team. The park charges a $7 fee per car at the entrance. Take Exit 18 off the NY State Thruway. Make left onto Route 299 and follow to intersection with Route 44/55. Make right onto 44/55; continue about 5 miles to Minnewaska State Park, on left. Go to parking lot on mountain top. Here is your application!

DECEMBER 2008

Knights of Columbus Holiday Run: The Knights of Columbus of Wappingers Falls has the 29th annual Holiday Run on Dec. 6. The race will start and finish at the Knights of Columbus Building on East Main Street, Rt 9D. A 1 mile race for boys and girls up to age 13 will start at 10:30 a.m. The 5 mile race will start at 11 a.m. Application.