Kiwanis pleased with new course
Kiwanis Club more than pleased with success of 35th edition of event — 1st at Strand location
There were smiles all around on the face of members of the Kiwanis Club of Kingston after Sunday’s Kiwanis Kingston Classic.
The biggest smile of all, however, belonged to race co-director Carlos Perez, who beamed from ear to ear on the outcome of the event.
The Classic had close to 500 finishers in both the traditional 10-kilometer distance and the accompanying 2.1-mile, and it would have been hard to find someone who did not enjoy themselves.
“I think it was a home run,” Perez said.
“Between the course, the weather, which was fantastic, and the amount of volunteers we had, it was a very good day.”
The race was the beneficiary of a nearly 70-degree and full sunshine day and that brought out last-minute runners anxious to test the new route.
For the first time in its 35year history, the Classic traveled exclusively through downtown Kingston and a small portion of the town of Esopus.
All of those changes did not negatively impact its orchestration.
“We had a few very minor issues with road closures right before race time,” Perez said.
“But by the time we started, they were all taken care of.”
Perez said the course lent it-
self to ease of operation.
“This course is much easier to manage with the volunteers,” he said.
“Looking back, it’s another reason why it is so perfect and has helped us to put on an all-around great event.”
Perez said the Kiwanis Club has eyed this particular part of the city for years as a potential route.
“We really wanted to move the course so that most of it was in Kingston,” he said.
“Once the separation came with HITS, it was natural to do it this year. We had a lot of input from people inside and outside of the club, and once the rail trail was an option, that’s when it all came together.
“We wanted to give people views of the (Kingston)
Point and views of the lighthouse. It really took off after that.”
Perez said he and others involved had no worries about the number of inclines in the race, as those rises served a specific purpose.
“We knew that stretch coming back up Abeel Street and going over the Wurts Street bridge would be tough, but we had to figure a way to spread people out so that it wasn’t overcrowded on the trail,” he said.
“I haven’t heard of any issues with congestion on the trail, so I guess between that and running up Abruyn (Street) really helped provide that separation.”
Ron Swart, the other codirector of Classic, said he was happy that the volunteers were even more upbeat for the runners.
“This was a good group we had this year and I know
they really encouraged the runners,” Swart said.
“We had a group of 15 SUNY New Paltz students from their Circle K Club, show up last minute and we put them by the top of the hill in Esopus. We told them you’ve got a turnaround and you’re close to ice cream (Rainbow Drive In), so yell and scream for all the runners.”
The Classic ditched the marathon, half-marathon, 5k and 1-mile distances from the past few years and stuck with the traditional 10k and added the 2.1-mile.
Perez said those distances will likely remain the standard.
“There is so much history with the 10k that it has to stay,” he said.
“The 2.1 mile is perfect for those want to run a shorter race, or even just come out last minute and walk it. One change we are looking at is to use different color bibs for those in
the 2.1 mile race next year to distinguish them from the 10k.”
Perez said the club will not focus on numbers, with about 550 registered right before the race began.
“Numbers are great, but our goal is as a fundraiser for programs and scholarships we do in the city of Kingston. The real story is getting people out, enjoying the day and the scenery.”
Perez added that it takes much more than the Kiwanis Club to make the Classic a successful event.
“We could not do any of this without our generous sponsors,” he said.
“They help so that we can raise anywhere from $20,000-$30,000 at this event. I also want to personally thank Old Savannah Restaurant for hosting our post-race party and the large group of amazing volunteers who showed up to be part of our day.”