RUNNING FUN
Silks and Satins 5K draws a crowd
More than 1,100 runners took the opportunity Saturday to race through the quiet and leafy streets of the city’s east side as part of the 22nd annual running of the Jeff Clark Memorial Silks and Satins 5K.
Equine lovers out early to watch the thoroughbreds work out found they had to share the normally quiet sidewalks and vacant streets near the track with runners dressed in tank tops, shorts, and running shoes.
With its flat route and cool early morning temperatures, the Silks and Satins race gives runners a great chance for a personal best.
The race is a memorial for longtime race director Jeff Clark who died in 2014. It’s also a fundraiser for Special Olympics New York. The proceeds go toward sports programming, training and competition for the athletes.
Colette Lawless is a race volunteer whose sons, Edward, 25, and Anthony, 20, are Special Olympics athletes. All three were up
early Saturday, manning the organization’s information tent near the race registration table at 415 East Avenue.
“Special Olympics is not just about including everybody in sports,” Lawless said. “It’s so much more, It’s about inclusions, whether it’s in the work world, the education world, or anyplace else. It’s the Inclusion Revolution.”
Lawless’ sons have been diagnosed with autism and intellectual disabilities and until a few years ago didn’t do much with sports. Now, the two Colonie High School graduates participate in track and field, softball, basketball and bowling.
“Autism is a social language disability and through the Special Olympics they are finding their voice,” Lawless said. “They’re taking the strength that they find in Special Olympics and bring it back out to the world, to society. They can advocate for themselves.”
Many of those who paid the $25 entry fee to run the race knew where the proceeds were going. Some had relatives or friends with intellectual disabilities while others worked in the field.
Amanda Archer joined her friend Theresa Felton for the race. Felton then joined with Dave Edwards, a friend from Emory College in Atlanta who was running the race. All three stood in the full morning sun with running bibs in place waiting for the call to the start line.
“I‘ve worked for ARC so I know who this benefits,” Archer said. “I’m a speech therapist. I’ve worked with quite a few people with disabilities.”
Asked if she ran a lot of races, Archer smiled and said she was working on it.
Of the three Felton was the one with the most experience with running the Silks and Satins.
“I’m a regular runner. I belong to the Saratoga Stryders and the Triathlon Club. I’ve run this (race) the last three years,” she said. “I have a niece who bowls in the Special Olympics. This is for a good cause.”
The third member of the group, Edwards, ran track at Saratoga High School and runs 5Ks and half marathons today. He was in town from Atlanta for the 25th reunion of the Class of 1993.
“I figured it was a great way to come back. I can go to the track, go out at night, run a 5K, and see my old classmates,” he said. “I signed up last night from a downtown sidewalk with my cell phone. At the time it just seemed like a good thing to do. And, it’s for a good cause.”
Domenic Penn of Boston was in town for the first weekend of the track.
“I’ve run it the last four years,” he said as he pinned his running bib to his shirt. “I’ve been going to these (horse) races for 30 years. I come over here because they’re closing Suffolk Downs for good. They have two more days of racing. The track was sold to a developer.”
After an a capella rendition of the Star Spangled Banner by Adam Hughes the starting horn sounded and the racers were off charging down East Avenue past the Oklahoma Track and groups of supporters cheering on their friends.
Fifteen minutes later Ryan Udavida, of Shorham, NY, a University at Albany cross country runner, came charging up George Street and flew across the finish line first. Three minutes later 13-year-old Ella Kurto of Ballston Spa was the first female runner to cross the line.
Heather Weller ran with her husband Tyson and was in one of the packs that followed Udavida and Kurto to the finish line. She also acknowledged having connections to several people with learning disabilities and gave the race high marks for its fundraising effort.
“This is my third year running,” Weller said. “I always wanted to run but didn’t start until I lost 110 pounds. In three years I’ve probably run 60 races. I’ve got a stack of bibs at home about 5 inches high. I was around the 30 minute mark. This is my PR, my personal record.”
The top three finishers in the race were Udavida, Shea Weilbaker of Saratoga Springs at 15.15 and Eric MacKnight of Saratoga Springs at 15.32.