Adirondack Sports September 2023

SEPTEMBER 2023 17
▶ ALBANY TRICK OR TROT
PUMPKIN RUN 5K.
ANDRZEJ PILARCZYK
▲ MALTA 5K & 2K/3K TRAIL RUNS.
RUNNING & WALKING continued from 15
not sure they can handle grabbing a few
minutes of sleep as their van speeds to
the next relay checkpoint in the extended
Beast relay. Sound exciting? Before you
commit, be sure to study the website, as
there’s some planning involved. You will
need to own or rent a van, find teammates,
find backup teammates when the inevitable
injuries occur, select a team name,
round up mandatory gear, calculate team
pacing, schedule team meet-ups, and
more but it’s worth it for the fun of it all.
Register: p2brelay.com.
The following weekend, on October
22, take a trip down memory lane with a
jaunt through Winnie the Pooh’s 100 Acre
Woods at the Malta 5K & 3K/2K Trail
Races in Luther Forest. This is truly a family
affair, with the Kids’ 3K and 2K around
the playing fields attracting an impressive
contingent of enthusiastic children. After
cheering on the littles, adults and older
kids sample the 100 Acre Woods, always
on the lookout for Eeyore’s House and
Winnie. The trails, laboriously crafted by
the Roundabout Runners, are a mix of
stone dust, soft dirt and wooden bridges,
with the six-foot width allowing for easy
passing. There are enough steep hills to
offer an honest challenge.
The welcoming atmosphere and the
obvious pride the locals display when
showing off their meticulous trail-building
skills, makes it a favorite. The littles
each get their own ribbon, while 5K finishers
receive a wooden medal handcrafted
by Pooh’s helpers. This year, for the first
time, participants will receive running
caps. All proceeds go to the Roundabout
Runners volunteers so they can maintain
and improve this trail system. Register:
roundaboutrunnersclub.com.
When is a golf course not just a golf
course? Brookhaven Golf Course in conjunction
with the Town of Greenfield
has generously opened this location to
a myriad of exercise and entertainment
possibilities. For those wishing to take
their recreation a step further, there are
normally at least two snowshoe races,
and coming up this October 28 is the
sixth annual Brookhaven Octoberfest
5K Trail Run, followed by a much-anticipated
Halloween Bash. The 5K route features
a lively combination of trails, paths
and roads winding around the golf course,
providing a detailed introduction to the
facilities for first-timers.
Wooded trails are available for family
hiking and in the winter these same
trails and the golf course itself feature
free snowshoeing and XC skiing on volunteer-groomed
trails. Look for the donation
box near the starting bench to support
equipment updates. In the winter, the
Town of Greenfield, under the direction of
Rebecca Sewell, hosts guided snowshoe
hikes with rentals available. Everyone
is welcome at the snack and drink bar,
which frequently features evening musical
entertainment. Afterwards, plan on
hanging around to cheer the kids on their
1K Fun Run and then enjoy Greenfield’s
Halloween festivities, including music,
food, entertainment and golf cart decorating,
in anticipation of the 2-5pm Trick
or Treat. To reserve a cart, call Rebecca at
518-428-2267.
Register by October 1 to reserve your
wicking T-shirt. All proceeds are directed
to expanding Nordic ski opportunities and
to bring high school and citizen’s races to
the course, as well as to improve signage
and mapping for those setting out on their
own. Register: skireg.com.
For a flat, fast road experience on the
same date, try the Adirondack Runners’
30th annual Goblin Gallop 5K Run/Walk
at the Abraham Wing School in Glens Falls.
Many of the adults enjoy creating interesting
costumes and the kids who participate
in the popular free 1K Halloween Hop
immediately afterwards go all out, making
this race an interesting spectator experience
as well. The first 150 registrants in
the 5K receive a commemorative running
belt, while those in the kids’ event all take
home a trick or treat bag. Proceeds benefit
the Adirondack Runners and Nepal village
schools. Register: zippyreg.com.
Also, on October 28 but later in the
afternoon is the Albany Trick or Trot
Pumpkin Run 5K. Starting at 4:30pm,
the 5K is a great race for all ages, featuring
a beautiful Halloween inspired course
through Jennings Landing. Costumes are
encouraged and registration is limited to
400 participants. Following the race at
East Capital Park, across from City Hall,
awards and prizes will be given out to the
top male and female runners plus a best
costume prize for adults and children.
All runners will receive a wicking shirt.
Register before 10/1 to save $5. Register:
albanyevents.org.
See you at some of these races and
look forward to experiencing the season
in an active, celebratory manner!
Laura Clark (snowshoegal133@
gmail.com) of Saratoga Springs is an
avid trail runner, ultramarathoner,
snowshoer and cross-country skier. She
is a children’s librarian at the Saratoga
Springs Public Library.