Samantha Legere's Staging Area

I’m biased. This is my home course, along the path I run almost every day. It’s gorgeous, green, pretty flat, intimate without being cramped.

The 10 mile race is along the bike path that parallels the Mohawk River, almost the entire race. There are a few small inclines, but they are barely noticeable. There are enough twists and turns along the bike path that it always feels like something different.

The way the race was set up, some marathoners and 10-milers passed each in opposite directions. That added another degree of excitement and inspiration to me – I got to see folks still going strong, after they’d begun their race an hour before I did and still had a ways to go!

This year was the inaugural year, and although it was high 80’s the week prior, it was rainy and 50’s day of. Still, water stops were fully supported and there was a great crew of cheerleaders along the way.

I would highly recommend this race for anyone looking for a fast 10-mile point to point course with some nice scenery along the way!

Pic below is of the last .1 miles – runners had just turned right away from the riverside bike path to do somewhat of a U-turn toward ur finish!

This was my second year running this race, and I loved it even more! Between all the photo ops, UnderArmor race shirt, expo, freebies from 3M, and great volunteers, the race was great even before we got to the starting line.

A few things really made my experience amazing this year:
-Clear and frequent communication via email – helpful reminders about logistics, drop-off, timing, and gear check
-GEAR CHECK! At the start of the race it was “feels like” 28 degrees. Ubering to the race, we had no idea how we would stay warm afterward… until we received that reminder email about the gear check. It was quick, easy, free, and well organized – and made our lives significantly easier!
-Frequent and well organized water stops, with clear signage… including “Nuun,” “Gu,” “Water,” and “Medical Tent” signs that were easy to see! Volunteers were even yelling what they were handing out, so runners didn’t have to guess. It was fabulous. I honestly have not ever seen so many medical tent options, and it was nice to see the support.
-Cheer squads! Many people cheering along the course.
-Downhill race – kind of rolling hills, but with more downhill than uphill. It is a fast course! I will always recommend.

This was my first marathon ever, and I’ll admit I wasn’t 100% prepared in terms of training. This course was phenomenal, and the organization/water stations were even better! I would recommend the Mohawk Hudson Marathon to anyone interested in a quick, flat course.

What stood out most:
-Water stops frequently included gatorade, water, and a few had a variety of “GU”s to choose from.
-Each water station was manned by many volunteers, many of whom appeared to be high school runners! It was great to have their goofy and enthusiastic encouragement 🙂
-Spectators along the way with some awesome signs, and sometimes pump up music!
-Beautiful course along the bike path – some may find that boring and redundant, but I found it to be so beautiful with the surrounding trees, changing leaves, tunnels, bridges, views of the river, and FLAT terrain.
-Consistent and clear mile markers each mile, with cute quotes on each one.
-Phenomenal weather. 45 degrees at the start, and no more than 65ish by the finish.
-Free massages provided at the end

Cons:
-There was apparently a medical tent at miles 18 and… 20-something. I was desperately in search of some icy hot or something to cover up a sharp nagging pain in my ankle, so was looking forward to stopping. I saw a sign for “medical tent ahead” (I think) and didn’t see any tent – just a couple cop cars – so kept going. I must have missed it, which was kind of a bummer. I wish the tents had been actual tents – would have been easier and more welcoming to just pop in to get assistance. Also, it felt a little late to have the first med tent at mile 18, but there didn’t seem to be any issues.
-This did not affect me in any way because I was not trying to qualify for Boston… but there is a set of railroad tracks around mile 18 and the race directors did not seem to know whether trains would come through. It was worded as “there is a timing mat before the tracks, so if a train comes through you will stop and then have your time adjusted”… but that would not be accepted by Boston. That may affect those looking to use this race as a qualifier, but it didn’t look like there were any issues with that.

I really enjoyed this race both for the course (just enough hills to make you work for it, without it being too impossible) and the atmosphere. It is a smaller race and a little disorganized at the start… a little unclear where to go for the start, and I think they shot off the start gun before everyone could hear major announcements. This being said, everyone racing was so friendly and it was a great time!
Post-race BBQ was a major plus!

Triple threat is a challenge, but worth it!
The mile, 5k and half all finish up the same hill and it’s kind of neat to be able to race the same finish three times in a row.
The 5k was fun, quick, and enoyable.
The views were spectacular, and the community was really great. So many friendly people. Would definitely recommend!

This is the hilliest race I’ve ever run. Do not expect a PR, but expect a feeling of accomplishment like none other!

Packet pickup was low key and easy, and the shirts are fitted, soft and cute! Highlights of the weekend were the live concert two days before on the Mad River green, and the farmers market the morning before the race.

The race was small enough to feel intimate, but large enough to be a really great experience. The marathon and half run together on the same course for the first 5 miles or so, and then meet up a little later.

The community feel of the race made the endless and steep hills much more bearable! Everyone was incredibly nice and supportive.

Most amazing part? The last few miles were almost completely downhill. I’d really recommend this race, especially for the views and the amazingly challenging course!

New favorite race! I ran the “Mighty Cow Challenge,” which was a 5k immediately followed by the main half marathon race. It was the first time I have ever run more than the half marathon, and I was a little injured. Thanks to the community, amazing runners and race organizers, I STILL enjoyed the race more than ever!

Upon packet pickup, I was blown away by the beauty and serenity of New Pond Farm. “Run for the Cows” is no joke! The race is literally surrounded by dairy cows and begins and ends on the farm, with the last few meters through a barn and across a grassy yard.

I enjoyed the rural beauty of the course, as we passed ponds, woods, small waterfalls, and creeks. It was almost pretty enough to distract me from the rolling hills of the course! What makes this race stand out is the obvious dedication and passion from the race director. There were SO many signs, all of which made me laugh and made it a very fun time. Categories of signs included: cows, hill marker (identifying how many of the 15 major hills runners had left), mile markers, inspirational quotes and more.

For a small race (capped at 1000 runners this year), it was EXTREMELY well organized. I was even able to grab a bagel and water before starting my race, which was unexpected and awesome. There were masseuses available after the race, as well as a small but sufficient first aid tent. Post-race food was pizza, bagels, baked goods, and fresh milk and chocolate milk from the farm! Highly recommend!

This year was the inaugural year of this race. I ADORED the course and ran my personal best time here – the course had so much variety and a great combo of slight uphills and downhills, and then ventured through the woods and on the bike path. I would highly recommend to anyone who likes the scenery to be mixed up a little bit.

As much as I loved racing this course, the inaugural race was really poorly facilitated. 5-10 minutes before the scheduled start time, there were still no runners lined up! Perhaps because it was cold and many people were huddled inside. The shortcoming was the announcer. It was hard to hear, and the announcer did not share much information or direct people to get lined up for the start. We were all lined up and ready to go when he announced that we would be delayed for a few minutes due to a truck blocking the route about 2 miles in. Then he provided an update that there was another hazard. This continued every couple of minutes, until the race began about 30 minutes late. The announcer was rather unprofessional about it, and kept “shushing” the crowd with phrases like, “Ladies, quiet down!”. It was almost comical for a women’s race.

At the end of the race, I went to the medical tent to find some ice for my leg that was bothering me. I stood there for a few minutes and came back a couple times, but there was no one manning the tent and no clear area for assistance. I ended up going without ice, which was fine… but was surprised that there was not more assistance available.

Despite the few strange hiccups with this inaugural race, I am definitely hoping to run it again. I really enjoyed the course, the medal and shirts were very nice, and there were plenty of photos taken and shared!

I really enjoyed this race, from the packet pickup/running expo to the post-race party. I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a fast course and a good running community.

At the start this year, the temperature was 35 degrees. We definitely hadn’t planned for that, so I would definitely recommend anticipating colder temperatures in the morning! All in all, it was a good course that definitely had a bit of a hill around the end… but I would recommend it.

This was one of the most exciting and swag-filled races I have ever participated in. The expo included so many vendors and give-aways, and I LOVE the performance long-sleeve and the tech shirt that were included with registration!

The views were stunning. It was incredible to run along the coast and see the water and palm trees alongside the road.

I would not recommend the course for someone who has not been training and who is not used to hills. It felt as though the first 6 miles were consistently uphill, directly into the rising sun. By mile 6, I was overheated and exhausted. I really wish that it was possible to begin the half marathon with the marathon, which starts an hour earlier. With a little less of the sun’s intensity on the uphills, it might have been a bit more bearable!

All in all, I really hope to run this race again someday when I am a little better prepared for the hills and the heat. It was a wonderful experience in a location that lends itself to a great vacation!