Race calendar blooms with events as spring nears
The most challenging thing about winter is the darkness or lack of sunlight. It makes it tough on us mentally to wake up in darkness and often get home from work in the dark. We can layer our clothing and dress appropriately for winter cold, but we can do nothing about winter’s dark gloom.
Our traditional seasons are based on the relative location of the earth and the earth’s tilt toward the sun. They are called the astronomical seasons. This way of defining seasons dates back to the Julian calendar and the ancient Romans. This system is based on solstices and equinoxes.
Another system of defining seasons is based on solar insolation or increasing and decreasing daylight. Happily, solar winter ended on Feb. 4. Solar spring is from Feb. 5 to May 4. During solar Spring, daylight increases at the fastest rate of the year. We gain two to three more minutes of daylight each day. Those precious minutes are positively noticeable in the early morning and evenings.
Right now, there is light in the sky until 6 p.m., and light begins around 6:30 a.m. Taking my dog, Hazel, out for her morning and evening constitutionals is easier in the light. Our Moderate Monday group run that begins at 5:30 p.m. is now starting in daylight.
For runners, another harbinger of the onset of spring is the “heating up” of the race calendar. When March rolls around, the calendar of events starts to explode. A runner can find a race every weekend or choose from various events. Every day, I see spring races advertised and registration sites activated.
Groundhog Day was on Feb. 2. Using the solar calendar meant there were only two more days of winter. The solar calendar is a more accurate depiction of what is happening regarding the beginning and ending of the seasons than the traditional astronomical calendar. I know we have already experienced springlike days. I also like the idea of spring beginning on Feb. 5, much more than March 20!
On Sunday, March 10, the 36th annual Shamrock Run (two miles) and parade will take off from the Academy Green in Uptown Kingston. It will transverse the two miles of Broadway and finish at the Rondout Creek.
For many area residents, the parade and run is the unofficial start of spring. In 1989, Freeman “On the Run” Columnist Ken Pillsworth wrote, “Twas a sight to behold as 283 runners braved the bone-chilling temperature to be part of the 1st Shamrock Run.” The event has since evolved into a run with a few thousand runners and walkers.
The top three men in 1989 were Yours Truly (9:27), John Collins (9:30), and Jim Gregory (9:31). The top three women were Cathie Bischoff (11:33), Erika Sutton (12:08) and Joanna McNulty (12:15). The men’s and women’s course records were set in 1992 by Bouazza Abidi (8:19) and Michelle Franklin (10:38).
I remember the first race vividly. I was excited to run down Broadway, the city’s main artery where I grew up. I enjoyed running past my friends, family, and the crowd lining Broadway.
I felt a rush of excitement as I heard my name called out. As we turned down Broadway near St. Mary’s Church, we were locked in a three-way battle. I dug deep, called gravity my friend, and won the race. I’m sure each year someone experiences that same energy.
In 1991, the race became successful enough to raise money for a local charitable organization. This year, that organization is Mentor Me of Ulster County, which pairs at-risk youngsters ages
6-17 with inspiring adult mentors. Often, the race has raised approximately $10,000 for the selected charity.
In the first year of the race, the race picked a “best-dressed” Irishman and woman. Now, organizers honor an individual who has contributed to the race and community. This year’s “honoree” is Gerald “Tuffy” Schatzel. Schatzel served as a police officer and detective from 1989 to 2011. After retirement from the Kingston Police Department, he became an Ulster County District Attorney’s Office investigator. Schatzel unfortunately passed in this past January at the young age of 59.
What makes this event special is how it brings the community together. On the surface, it celebrates the Irish heritage in America. What it really honors is the sense of community that exists here. Thousands of people from all walks of life participate. The run is short enough that whole families join in. In a sense, the run is the first “float” of the parade, with everybody finishing downtown.
Every year, the race presents a trophy and a cash award of $500 to an area elementary school with the highest percentage of its students participating. This award was named in honor of Yvonne O’Connor Sill, who was very proud of her Irish roots. Sill passed away in 2018. She volunteered yearly and was a beloved first-grade teacher at Kingston’s George Washington Elementary School. In addition, she coached Kingston High School girls’ cross-country and indoor track teams. Sill was the longest-serving teacher in George Washington’s history and worked for the district for 40 years.
In 2023, the winner of the Yvonne Sill Trophy was the E.C. Meyer Elementary School in Hurley. What school will win this year?
There is a post-run party at the Rondout Community Center where people can enjoy beer and green bagels. There is a raffle of prizes for all participants, with the grand prize being a $1,000 gift card toward a trip to Ireland. After the party and raffle, I like to watch the parade. My favorite parts are the Kingston High School Band and the Shriners in their little cars.
We should applaud the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Irish Cultural Center of the Hudson Valley for this “green”; celebration. This event, which includes the run, parade, and thousands of spectators, is indeed more significant than the sum of its parts. For more information about the run, registration, T-shirt pick-up, or to volunteer, visit www. shamrockrun.org.
Kiwanis Kingston Classic
The Kiwanis Kingston Classic (KKC) race committee has been hard at work for the last two months to ensure that the Classic lives up to its reputation of being well-organized and fun.
This year’s event marks the 40th year of the event. The first Classic was held in 1983. Registration for the Classic is now open. The KKC has three races, making the event suitable for all and very family-friendly. There is a 10K, 5K, and a 1.5-miler. The race date is Sunday, April 28, with the 10K/5K starting at 10:00 am and the
1.5 miler at 10:15 a.m.
All three races will take place along the waterfront section of downtown Kingston. The 10K will use the Strand, the Brickyard Trail, and the Kingston Point Trail. The 5K will be out and back using the Strand and the Brickyard Trail. Finally, the 1.5mile run will follow the Strand and turn around on North Street.
Due to the generosity of the local businesses that sponsor the Classic, the Kiwanis Club has kept the race affordable. The 10K and 5K entry fees are $25, and the 1.5 miler is $15. Since moving to the waterfront, the race T-shirt has reflected the historic nature of Kingston and the Rondout area. The race organizers have a fantastic idea for this year’s shirt, and I can’t wait to see what local artist Judy Tellier does with the concept.
Race organizers will have special awards for the winners of the three races and a special gift for all entrants to mark the 40th running. In the 10k and 5k, there will be awards for the top three finishers in all standard 10-year age groups.
The Classic will continue its Books For Kids program. For every registrant, the Kiwanis Club of Kingston will provide a book to children in the community. Six hundred entrants will mean 600 books for youngsters. Over the last 10 years, the race has raised $25,000$30,000 yearly to help fund Kiwanis programs for the community.
Once again, the Ole Savannah Restaurant on the Rondout will host a fun, lively post-race party with music, beverages, ice cream, and other goodies. What could be better than a great race, a fun festival party, and an event that raises funds that benefit the community all year long?
For all information, to register for the event or to volunteer, visit the website www.kiwaniskingstonclassic.com.
Group Runs/Workouts
Three weekly group runs or workouts help people prepare for all these spring events. These workouts are a great way to meet other runners and connect with the local running scene:
* Mondays — Every Monday at 5:30 p.m. from Forsyth Park in Kingston, a group does a 5-6 mile easy run.
* Wednesdays — I conduct a tempo run/interval workout beginning at 6 p.m. from Edson Elementary School in Kingston.
* Sundays — The Keegan Army has a group 5K run/walk from Keegan Ales in Kingston every Sunday. The runs start promptly at 11 a.m. For information on any of these activities, email me at ssrun54@aol.com.
Calendar of Events
* Sunday, March 3 — Ed Erichson Memorial 5 mile/10 mile, LaGrangeville, New York. Visit www.mhrrc.org for more information.
* Sunday, March 10 — Kingston Shamrock Run (2 Miles), Kingston, New York. Visit www.kingstonshamrockrun.org for more information.
* Saturday, March 16 — St. Patricks 5K, Dover Plains, New York Visit www.edrrc.org for more information.
* Sunday, March 17 — Wallkill Scramble 5K, Wallkill, New York. Visit www.wallkillscramble.wixsite.com for more information.
* Saturday, March 23 — Sap Happy 5K, Wappingers Falls, New York. Visit www.edrrc.org for more information.
I hope to see many of you at these upcoming spring events. Be sure to get your “green” on for Kingston’s Shamrock Run!
Steve Schallenkamp has been active in area running circles since 1966 as a runner, race director, volunteer and coach. He is a member of the Onteora Runners Club and president of the Shawangunk Runners Club.