Upcoming Fall races

Following are some upcoming races that may be of interest to local runners.

The third annual Malta Business & Professional Association 5K, Saturday 9/08/2012, will benefit the Saratoga Rural Preservation Council and Town of Malta First Responders. The race course follows a new route this year, making a circuit of bike paths and roads through Luther Forest that will offer participants an opportunity to view the new Global Foundries chip fab plant up close. I don't run a lot of road 5Ks, but I'm running this one looking for a sub-20 minute finish, so hopefully the new course is flat and fast.

Also on Saturday, 9/08/2012, the Camp Challenge 5K Run, will benefit Double H Ranch’s programs serving children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. The race course is on trails at Double H’s camp facility in Lake Luzerne. A Camp Challenge Ride will also be held on the same day, with cyclists riding 15 miles, 30 miles or a Metric Century through the Adirondacks to help raise awareness and funds for Double H.

The Moreau Lake 15k Trail Run will be held Sunday 9/09/2012, on the trails at Moreau Lake State Park. The race is billed as “a classic trail run: a brutal start up the ‘Staircase of Death’ leads into miles of rollers, creeks, etc. before heading back down the ridge to the beach.” Sounds like my kind of race, but I'll have to put it on my calendar for next year. An aquathlon (1.5k swim, 5k trail run) as well as 1.5k and 3k open water swims are also scheduled for the same day.

More than 1,000 runners are expected to compete in the Saratoga Palio Half Marathon and 5K on Sunday, 9/16/2012. I'm not running this year, but Beth will be doing the half marathon. Established in 2006 to honor the life of Melanie Merola O’Donnell, the race has raised scholarship funds for candidates pursuing an advanced degree in the mental health field. The race's success and popularity in recent years has also enabled it to benefit other local non-profit organizations such as the Franklin Community Center and Saratoga Bridges. This year, the race will support World's Window, Inc., an Albany-based non-profit that promotes education in areas of need and fosters opportunities for youth and adults locally and globally.

Saturday, 9/22/2012 marks the 35th running of the Whiteface Mountain Uphill Footrace. As they say, there's just one hill... but it's more than eight miles long and 3500 vertical feet. I've been lookiing forward to this race all summer, not just because of the spectacular scenery but also because it represents a return to a race I last ran 9 years ago. It'll be interesting to see how my time compares.

The Leaf Cruncher 5K trail race will be held Sunday, 9/30/2012 on the cross-country ski trails at Gore Mountain. On that same day, the Run for the ROC 5K (benefiting Saratoga Hospital) will be held on the grounds of the Saratoga Race Track. I ran in the ROC race last year, and can recommend it as a fast - though a bit turny - 5K course. I'd like to run either race (especially the Gore trail race), but Beth is running in the Ragnar Relay from Saratoga Springs to Lake Placid that weekend. Maybe I'll get a babysitter lined up...