‘HIT THE TRAIL’

New Yorkers invited to participate in Canalway Challenge

WATERFORD, N.Y. » As the season begins to change, New Yorkers are invited to take part in the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor’s Canalway Challenge this fall.

Part fitness challenge, part journey of discovery, the Canalway Challenge was launched in 2019 as a recreational opportunity for those interested in tracing history and tracking miles along New York’s canals and Canalway Trail.

Nearly 200 years after its construction, the Erie Canal remains an iconic symbol of American ingenuity and determination, as well as a world-class tourism destination.

The ongoing Canalway Challenge is free and registration is open to people of all ages and abilities. Participants set their own mileage goal and walk, run, cycle, or paddle to achieve it.

Nearly 1,000 individuals, teams, and organizations have signed up for the Canalway Challenge in 2020, pledging to walk, run, cycle, and paddle 126,000 miles to date.

New this fall, participants are encouraged to take up a quest to visit great food and beverages, historic sites, parks, and more to discover what’s “Hot on the Trail” while completing the Canalway Challenge.

“Hot on the Trail adds a new element of discovery to the Canalway Challenge, while also supporting small businesses and attractions that have suffered from reduced visitation during the coronavirus pandemic,” Erie Canalway National Heri

"Hot on the Trail adds a new element of discovery to the Canalway Challenge, while also supporting small businesses and attractions that have suffered from reduced visitation during the coronavirus pandemic."

— Bob Radliff, Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor executive director

tage Corridor executive director Bob Radliff said in a press release. “It’s a winwin for both visitors and for small businesses and attractions that have reopened with safety protocols in place.”

From now through the end of October, Hot on the Trail participants are encouraged to visit sites in nine categories including food and beverage, museums and historic sites, nature preserves, state and national parks, canal structures, and communities. Participants who list their favorites sites in each category by the end of October will be entered to win a $50 gift card to the New York State Canal Store.

“The Canalway Challenge is another of countless opportunities – both on and off the water – for recreation and fun along New York State’s historic canalway, and I join the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor in encouraging all New Yorkers to enjoy all that we have to offer,” New York State Canal Corporation Director Brian Stratton said in the release. “Governor Andrew Cuomo is committed to supporting the heritage and future of New York’s historic canal system, with initiatives that feature local activities that combine some of the best of New York State’s historical sights and natural resources with recreational activities that help to support local businesses during this exceptionally difficult time.”

More information about the Canalway Challenge is available online at CanalwayChallenge.org, where anyone can sign up to participate.

LAUREN HALLIGAN — MEDIANEWS GROUP FILE A new section of the Empire State Trail runs right along the canalway in Schuylerville.

LAUREN HALLIGAN — MEDIANEWS GROUP FILE Canalway Challenge participants are joined by Congressman Paul Tonko at the Waterford Harbor Visitor Center in August 2019.

LAUREN HALLIGAN — MEDIANEWS GROUP FILE A group of people walk along the canalway in Waterford.

FILE PHOTO THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE Saratoga National Historical Park is included as a destination in the new “Hot on the Trail” feature of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor’s Canalway Challenge. Cyclists pass the Niskayuna Train Station as they bike on the Erie Canalway Trail.

LAUREN HALLIGAN — MEDIANEWS GROUP FILE Bob Radliff, executive director of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, speaks at a Canalway Challenge event at the Waterford Harbor Visitor Center.