Onteora Runners Club Grand Prix series offers something for every runner
The Onteora Runners Club Grand Prix of races has been a staple for the local running community for at least 25 years. It has been an excellent way to organize your yearly running calendar. It has provided many runners with an organized set of races that test their versatility and competitiveness.
The series consists of races from one mile up to a half-marathon (13.1 miles). The mile is run on the Dietz Memorial Stadium track and is often some runners’ only opportunity to run a track race.
While it may be the shortest race in the series, quite a few participants approach it with trepidation. They just are not used to the intensity of the race. I always do a few Wednesday night track sessions to prepare myself. Not only do these sessions get you ready for the mile, but they can also help your racing at any distance.
Every Wednesday night, a group meets at Dietz Stadium to do track intervals. We meet at 6 p.m. to warm up, and begin faster running at 6:25 p.m. The intervals are done by time, such as five times, five minutes. This method allows everyone to start together, recover together and begin the next interval together. No one gets left behind. The only thing that varies is how much distance each person runs. This format results in some individualization.
Intervals are proven to help with form and running economy. I find that they help people deal with more intensity, improve confidence, and learn to run faster.
The Grand Prix also includes two cross-country races. These races are run-off-road and are an excellent introduction to trail running. The Shawangunk Ridge and Williams Lake in Rosendale are the usual venues for these off-road races.
Another two races in the series are on unpaved but well-groomed carriage paths. One is at Olana State Historic Historic Site in Columbia County, the former estate of Frederic Edwin Church, a 19th century painter and prominent member of the Hudson River School of landscape artists.
• The 3.7-mile Barry Hopkins Memorial Run meanders throughout the estate, giving everyone some spectacular views of the Hudson River and the northern Catskill Mountains.
• The longest run in the series is the After the Leaves Half Marathon at Lake Minnewaska State Park. The park’s carriage paths were laid down at the turn of the
20th century to enable late Victorian-era ladies and gentlemen to enjoy nature. The route takes you along a beautiful ridge that affords views into five states. The half marathon course circles two glacial “sky lakes” formed during the last Ice Age.
Three of the remaining races in the series are road races. They are the Kingston Classic 10K, the Woodstock Races 15K, and the 4.4 mile Rosendale Plains Run.
Another race is tentative and planned for August at the Ashokan Reservoir. This race will be eight miles long.
Typically, all the Grand Prix races are one-day events, but due to COVID-19, the series will start with a “hybrid race” model. This model gives participants a nine-day window to go to the designated racecourse and complete the course. When guidance allows inperson races to begin, the series will transition to a more traditional race format. Given how unusual this pandemic has been, participants will have the option of showing up for the in-person day or running the course during the nine-day window.
One of the best things about the Grand Prix is that it doesn’t just promote the Onteora Runners Club. Four of the races are club events, but other organizations put on the other six races. All of the events raise money for nonprofit organizations and have affordable entry fees.
Grand Prix awards are traditionally done in open and age-group categories where participants score points based on their finish place in each race. This year, since not everyone will be running headto-head against each other on the same day, awards will be based on the number of races completed.
Tier I is all 10 races (Survivor), Tier II is 7 to 8 races (Warriors), and Tier III is 5 to 6 races (Soldiers).
The next race in the series is the Kiwanis Kingston Classic 10K, from April 24 to May 2.
The Classic route this year will use the Kingston Point Trail and the new Brickyards Trail. There have been rave reviews given by local runners who have run the course.
The Classic will also include a 1.5-mile run and a 5K. For more information on the Classic, visit the website kiwaniskingstonclassic.com.
The remaining races in the Grand Prix will be the Woodstock Races 15K (May 29 to June 6), The Bernie Stahl Mile (June 20 to June 28), the two summer cross country races (July 7 and July 26 to August 1), the Ashokan Run (August 14 to August 22), the Barry Hopkins Memorial Run at Olana (September 11 to September 19), the Rosendale Plains Run (October 9 to October 17), and the After the Leaves Half Marathon (November 13 to November 21).
All of these races are open to everyone, but to be included in the Grand Prix scoring, you need to be a member of The Onteora Runners Club. For information on joining, visit the website onteorarunnersclub.org.
• On April 11, a rare area in-person race was successfully organized. The Eastern Dutchess Road Runners (EDRRC) put on the first Millbrook Marathon. This 26.2-mile race was conducted on the scenic country roads near the village of Millbrook, N.Y. The course included more than 2,200 feet of climbing, including up the beastly “horseshoe.”
Making a very challenging course even more difficult was the warm temperature and high humidity of the day. Seventy-five runners completed the race. Participant numbers were purposefully kept low to abide by both the letter and the spirit of COVID-19 protocols.
The smaller numbers and the long race distance kept everyone safely apart. The race winner was Reid McGrath, who maintained a sub 7-minute per mile pace at 3:03:23.
Coming in second and third were Michael Dolan (3:14:11) and Jared Johnson (3:36:06). The top three women were Caitlin Sorriento (3:32:30), Wendy Ella (3:54:35), and Shayna Russo (4:04:02).
Congratulations to the EDRRC for taking the effort to put on a new marathon during a complex and challenging time. I’d also like to give Jennifer Murray and Lysandra Tetreault a big shout-out for completing their first-ever marathons.
• The Keegan Army 5K, the first race in the 2021 Onteora Runners Grand Prix, concluded April 11. Eighty-two people registered for the race. The course was a tour of Uptown Kingston, starting and finishing at Keegan Ales Brewery.
The top three males were Travis Greaves (18:44), Scott Hayes (20:01), and Ethan Ely (20:20). The leading women were Katherine Herne (21:21), Jacque Schiffer (23:30), and Susan Baxter (24:40). The youngest finisher was Elinor Kibbee (40:09), and the senior-most finisher was Kathleen Balthazar (55:20). It will be interesting to see how many runners complete all 10 Grand Prix races and earn the survivor’s honor!
Upcoming events UCSPCA Doggie Dash 5K
I became a pandemic pet owner last year, and what a joy Hazel is. Pets need what we need: love, attention, and a safe, healthy place to live. The Ulster County SPCA does a wonderful job of protecting vulnerable animals, finding them homes, and helping area pet owners with services. Its motto is “helping, healing, and adopting.”
Right now, the SPCA is planning its annual Doggie Dash 5K. This event is scheduled for May 15 through May 23. Participants can run virtually, meaning anywhere they want. So get out there with your pooch and run. The SPCA plans to have a gallery of photos of people running with their dogs.
If you don’t have a dog but want to support the important mission of the Ulster County SPCA, join in! Mark your calendar now and stay tuned for more details.
Rogers Run 4 AMC On Saturday, June 19, Rogers Run 5K for AMC will be a live-in person event in Red Hook, N.Y. This event raises money for an Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita (AMC) support group. It also awards a $1,000 scholarship to a student pursuing an occupational or physical therapy degree.
I’ve attended this event nearly every year and can attest to how well it is organized, but, more importantly, to the wonderful community spirit it engenders. The atmosphere is simply contagious.
This event features a 5K run, 5K walk, and a children’s 1-mile run, along with short dashes for the youngest participants.
For information, visit the website rogersrun4amc.com.
As you can see, with the weather warming up, so is the running calendar. Hope to see many of you out there.