Capital Region’s Fall Distance Races – Second to None!

By Megan James

When the temperature and humidity drop, Upstate New York becomes one of the best places for running – and running fast. On any given weekend, you can choose from a slate of local races ranging from the mile to the marathon or longer. Here is a preview of six of the most popular mid-distance fall races in the Capital Region, and some tips on training through the summer to prepare. 

Let me start by saying each of these races has a team of organizers who know running and take great care of their participants. They have a unique vibe, and the post-race parties are outstanding! I have run all these races, and Stockade-athon holds a special place in my heart as an annual favorite – and my PR from 2019! All these races have some serious competitors up front, but they are also very friendly to beginners and mid/back-pack runners.

On Sunday, August 25, the 11th annual Thacher Park Trail Running Festival will be held at Thacher State Park near Voorheesville. It’s produced by ARE Event Productions and is held on a gorgeous course for you to enjoy the park’s scenery on a summer’s day by participating in the 10K, 13.1M, 26.2M or 50K. 

All races start together, share the first six miles, and finish at the same place. The three longer races run along the escarpment trail, while 10k runners had towards the finish, and the longer races continue on the south side of the park. See the website for more course and race details. The event is a festive atmosphere with awesome post-race food. Visit: areep.com.

Run 4 the River Half Marathon on Saturday, August 31 boasts a net-downhill course along the Mohawk River on a Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike section of the Empire State Trail, from Mabee Farm in Rotterdam Junction to Frog Alley Brewing in Schenectady. It can be used as a tune-up race or test of fitness and race readiness for an upcoming fall marathon. You do take a bit of a gamble with residual late-summer weather here – but with summer training under your belt, you should still expect to run well with the generous course and competition for all levels. Given that this is a mostly flat course, you’ll want to do some longer training runs on flat routes like the Empire State Trail, other rail trails, or on safe roads. It can feel very fatiguing to run flat for so many miles, and you don’t want race day to be your first experience with that. In the last mile of the Run 4 the River, you come up a hill from the bike path, run a few blocks on State Street, then down a steep hill in the last 100 meters, and that’s about the extent of the hills on this course. 

The fifth annual race is directed by Nark Running & Strength. The post-race party takes place right at Frog Alley Brewing, and includes a vast selection of hot foods, beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), live music, and an exciting atmosphere for collecting your finisher’s medal and celebrating your race! Visit: narkrunningstrength.com.

Mohawk Hudson River Marathon & Half Marathon on Sunday, October 13 are also mostly flat but beautiful courses generally following the Mohawk and Hudson rivers. The marathon starts from Niskayuna Community Center, and half starts at Colonie Town Park, and both finish at Jennings Landing at Corning Preserve in Albany. For the full, there’s an uphill early on, then it utilizes 18 miles of paved, flat bikeways for a net downhill. There is a significant downhill around mile 13 of the full (mile 5 of the half) as you come off the bike path into Watervliet, but other than that it is flat. As with the previous race, you’ll want to be sure to get some longer training runs on a flat route so you’re ready for the challenge of a long, flat race. 

One of the unique things about the Mohawk Hudson race is that many local high school cross country and track teams manage the water stops. The team I coach, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, is at mile 8 of the full marathon and we have a great time every year – it is a fun way to give back to the community that cheers us on at so many other events – and we get to see some of the local coaches running their race! Jennings Landing is a wonderful place for spectators and runners to enjoy the post-race gathering, with a huge spread of food, massages, music, and an obstructed view of the Hudson! Visit: mohawkhudsonmarathon.com.

On Sunday, October 27, the Hairy Gorilla Half Marathon & Squirrelly Six Mile at Thacher State Park is part running race, part costume party, and is truly among the most unique events you’ll ever do! Be on the lookout for gorillas that have gone bananas, nutty squirrels, graves with your own names on them, and other inanity to keep you smiling and enjoying the beautiful views. Join AREEP for their 20th year of festive running mayhem at a Halloween event – you are highly encouraged to dress up. 

Both the six mile and half marathon are run simultaneously on the same course. For the last 7.1 miles, the half runs along the beautiful fence line of the park, then heads uphill for nearly a mile, and the rest of the race is mostly flat or downhill. Post race, you’ll receive a sweet finisher’s medal and impressive spread of post-race food. There’s also a half mile Gorilla Chase Kids Race with costumes encouraged. Visit: areep.com.

Stockade-athon 15K is on Sunday, November 11, and it’s my all-time favorite race and gets first billing on my race calendar every year! This course is quite a bit different from the half and full marathons. A competitive race up front, with team and individual prizes plus a downhill start make for a fast first mile – be mindful of your pacing as it will feel easy, but you could be running quite a bit faster than you think! After running through the unique Stockade neighborhood and along the river briefly, you turn and head back for a long gradual climb past Union College and into the former GE Realty plot, after which you’ll see some rolling hills for the next few miles. The final climb around mile 7 (exiting Central Park) can be a doozy, but then it’s almost entirely downhill and through historic Vale Cemetery to the finish next to City Hall.

I would call Stockade-athon a “fair” course as it is generally fast, but the hills add an element of challenge that the fast and flat races do not, so it’s a bit friendlier to those who don’t have quite the leg speed and turnover to handle a fully flat course. If the weather’s nice, there’s a friendly gathering of runners and spectators near the finish, and the post-race party is held indoors at the Schenectady YMCA – perfect for a warm-up while you enjoy some delicious local foods, including cider donuts! Visit: stockadeathon.com.

On Sunday, November 24, join the Upstate Classic in Altamont, offering 13.1M & 5K, as well as kids races. The fall event is staged from Altamont Fairgrounds, a few miles outside of Albany. The USATF certified half marathon entreats you to a gorgeous loop course at the base of the Helderberg Escarpment around rural Guilderland. The 5K is an out and back course. Visit: areep.com.

Training Tips for Fall Races

Now is the time to start building up your consistency and volume, if you haven’t already, so you can reap the benefits of aerobic training come fall. You can run a decent mid-distance race on as little as 3-4 days or 20 miles a week, so don’t feel pressured to run every day or tons of miles. I always opt for consistency and health over pure volume. If you work with a coach, make sure he/she is willing to accommodate your lifestyle and goals, rather than just churn out mileage and intensity that feel unsustainable to you. With training at any level, be sure to build in down weeks – a relative drop in volume every 3-5 weeks – to allow your body to “catch up” with the training, and minimize your risk of overuse injury, especially bone injuries. 

Incorporate these three types of runs into your training on a weekly or biweekly basis: long run, tempo run, and strides. I generally recommend matching the total time of your long run to the expected finish time of your race, at a slower pace (at least one-minute per mile slower), regardless of distance covered. Tempo runs are essential for developing your tolerance for a little discomfort. The standard tempo run is 20-22 minutes at an effort that you could sustain in a one-hour race, which tends to be roughly 30-40 seconds slower per mile than your 5K race pace. Strides can be tacked on at the end of a base or long run and help to open your stride and “feel fast” when you’re already tired. I recommend 4-6 times of 15-20 second near-sprints with about 30 seconds of recovery. 

Account for summer weather. I can almost guarantee that your runs will be slower on those hot and humid days – that’s OK. With high humidity, our sweat doesn’t evaporate from our skin, which means our bodies are less efficient at cooling, and the processes that help us to run are generally slowed down. You can expect to run a minute or slower per mile on some days just because of the weather. Some people claim that training in humidity is akin to training at altitude, based on the increased difficulty of breathing – it will pay off come fall if you can stick it out now! Basing your training runs on effort rather than a specific pace is extremely helpful in the summer. A standard base run and long run should feel easy, conversational and comfortable, rated 2-4 on a scale of 1-10 – with 10 being full-out max effort, collapsing at the end. A sustained moderately hard effort like a tempo run should be in the 7-8 range. 

Practice your race day! Assess your hydration and fueling strategies a few times before race day. Know what you can eat the night before and morning of the race that will give you energy without causing GI distress. Practice taking in food and fluids during a long or hard run so you know what it feels like and be able to take in nutrition within 30-45 minutes of finishing so you can start recovering. It is also smart to test out your race day outfit, and have a couple tried-and-true options available, based on what the weather might be like on race day. Nail down a schedule for race day – wake-up time, travel, digesting breakfast, bathroom lines – well in advance so you have no surprises. 

Have fun!! Racing is hard. Getting yourself out the door for training is hard. When you have fun and enjoy the process, it becomes less hard! 

Megan James (megan@ptimmersion.net) is a running specialist physical therapist and certified running coach. She is an avid runner, with special interest in 15K to half marathon distances, and loves tempo runs! Learn more: ptimmersion.net.

Megan James (megan@ptimmersion.net) is a running specialist physical therapist and certified running coach. She is an avid runner, with special interest in 15K to half marathon distances, and loves tempo runs! Learn more: ptimmersion.net.