Feel the energy around every corner. Celebrate the goodness Rochester has to offer. The breathtaking views along the historic Genesee River. The overwhelming crowd support from neighbors and volunteers. The perfect mix of elevation changes to keep you challenged. The inspiration from participants alongside you. The Fleet Feet Rochester 1/2 Marathon & 5K has it all.
The Fleet Feet Rochester Half Marathon & 5K is a sight to see. The Half Marathon starting at Maplewood Park heading north to Charlotte via the beautiful Turning Point Trail along the Genesee River towards the O’Rorke Bridge overlooking Lake Ontario and the majesticness of the harbor. Heading south along the festive neighborhoods of Irondequoit then towards Seneca Park Zoo with another fantastic bridge overlook. Continue south along the Genesee River through historic Maplewood Park then towards the lower falls over the RGE Bridge to the final stretch of the High Falls District toward the final energy filled finish line stretch in front of ESL Ballpark – Home of the Red Wings.
The 5K follows along the final 3.1 miles the half marathon so 5Kers can also experience the final two bridges and fall overlooks finishing at ESL Ballpark. The kids race starts right in the heart of High Falls Industrial District where once upon a time the Flower City utilized the falls and the river to help build Rochester. Kids too get to experience the same robust finish line as the other two races.
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I didn't realize how pretty Rochester is
Even though I have now lived in Rochester for a couple years, this was my first time getting to do this race. In the past there was a marathon, half … MORE
Even though I have now lived in Rochester for a couple years, this was my first time getting to do this race. In the past there was a marathon, half marathon and a 5K. The marathon appears to be a causality of the pandemic and wasn’t held the past 2 years. I don’t know if they plan to bring it back in the future or not. This is produced by Yellow Jacket Racing who also produce the Flower City half marathon which is the big half marathon in the Spring in Rochester. A useful race guide is emailed before the race. I got my packet on Friday before the race at the Fleet Feet store. There was also a mini-expo. Packet pick-up was easy and you could buy anything you needed at the store and they had race discounts. Packet had a ton of swag: tech shirt, running buff, running gel, 13.1 bumper sticker, and a drawstring bag that could also be used as a drop bag. The race ends at the minor league baseball stadium in downtown Rochester and starts about 2 miles north in a park. There is plenty of easy, free parking at the baseball stadium and then shuttles to the start. Start organized and the porta potty lines weren’t too bad. For the start they had you line up by pace and it was chipped time at start and finish. The course is a very different course than Flower City but both are great. Flower City is more of an urban course while this is more of a suburban course with most in parks and neighborhoods north of the city. This race while it didn’t pass by the most historic parts of Rochester, it passed by the prettiest. It also went through places I have never been. The first couple miles are through neighborhoods then it is a really pretty run through the park by the Genesee River. There was one really pretty part where you are running along the boardwalk next to the river. Today was unfortunately a gloomy and drizzly day but it was still gorgeous and would be particularly beautiful on a rare sunny day. The next section is through neighborhoods and then you loop around and run back to the stadium. You again pass through some pretty parks and at one point over a bridge with beautiful views and another passed waterfalls. The last mile is through the downtown area and ends at the baseball stadium. Course was extremely well marked and easy to follow with roads coned off, volunteers at all intersections and mile markers every mile. There were 5 aid stations with gatorade and water. It was enough for the colder weather this weekend but if it were a warmer day I would have liked more aid stations. There was on okay amount of spectators. I was expecting more for a bigger city race but I think the rain deterred some of the spectators. There was still a good number of spectators and the people who did come were great. The course is known to be hilly. However it was flat compared to yesterday. It was actually easier than I expected but still slightly above average difficulty for a road half. There were only 2 or 3 steep hills that I had to walk. I didn’t like the elevation profile though as the first half is net downhill and the second half net uphill. There is a slog where for 2 to 3 miles around the halfway point it is just a gradual uphill. I was a little nervous about the 3:30 time limit but I banked enough time in the beginning and was able to run-walk the inclines and just walk the steep hills and finish well under it. I didn’t think it was too hard a course to get an average finish time but the second half being uphill makes it a tough PR course and one reason why the marathon wasn’t that popular as it is the loop twice and it would be a difficult BQ course. The final mile is mostly flat and I was happy I was able to run the entire last mile after all the miles this weekend and it was my fastest mile of the weekend. At the end you are cheered on and get your medal which is nice and has Rochester written on in very large. My finishing time was pretty solid for where I am. I would have loved to have finish under 3 hours which I wasn’t able to do but I was well under the time limit. If you are worried about the time limit it didn’t appear strict as people 10 to 15 minutes slower than 3:30 got finishing times but if you are going to be much slower than 3:30 I wouldn’t recommend this race. The finish area was nice at the baseball stadium and worked well with a band, hop water (non-alcoholic drink) and plenty of snacks like granola bars, bananas, mini muffins, etc. I’m not sure if there was actual beer or not. The finish area was a bit empty due to the rain but I’m sure on a sunny day it is really great. Overall this was a really nice race. It is somewhat hilly and not a great PR course but the hills are very manageable. I would recommend either this race or the Flower City half if you want to come to Rochester for your 50 state journey. Both are nice, well produced, mid-sized race. This one is better if you are looking for fall foliage while Flower City is better if you are looking for urban views. I will definitely do this race again.
Rochester runs a great race
Many hills inclines and declines. This is challenging especially if you are sensitive with knees hams quads in terms of coming off injury or recovering MORE
Many hills inclines and declines. This is challenging especially if you are sensitive with knees hams quads in terms of coming off injury or recovering