With an ever-increasing number of people vaccinated and COVID-19 infection rates low in the community, we’re moving toward running together more:
- Spring races are here—hit the trails with WDF, Thom B., and Tortoise & Hare!
- FLRC’s marquee ultra, the Finger Lakes 50s, will take place on July 3rd, 2021.
- The FLRC Challenge is going strong! Can you complete all ten courses in 2021?
- Looking for low-key group runs? Our first and third Saturday group runs are back!
- FLRC offers a free year of club membership for those hurt by the pandemic.
On to the particulars!
Spring FLRC Races: WDF 5K, Thom B. Trail Runs, and Tortoise & Hare
We’re pleased to announce that FLRC has racing opportunities for you soon, with the Women’s Distance Festival 5K and the Thom B. Trail Runs in May, and the Tortoise & Hare Trail Run in June! New race directors Lorrie Tily and Chris Irving have moved WDF to a new date and location: Sunday, May 9th at Dryden Lake, with an out-and-back course on the Jim Schug Trail. As always, WDF is open only to women; men are welcome to volunteer or cheer. Race director Gary McCheyne says that Thom B. will take place on Saturday, May 22nd, with a new staging area in the field next to the Hammond Hill-ton warming hut, right near the parking lot. And Mickie Sanders-Jauquet’s Tortoise & Hare will return to its traditional course at Buttermilk State Park on June 6th. All three will adhere to the FLRC COVID-19 Race Safety Precautions. Sign up today!
Finger Lakes 50s scheduled for July 3rd, with registration opening soon
It takes time to train and plan for an ultra, so it’s not surprising that we’ve fielded more questions about the Finger Lakes 50s than any other FLRC race this year. Thanks to the efforts of new race directors Pete Dady and Mike Stone, and the help of past race director Alex Kleinerman, we’re ecstatic to say that the race is a go! Registration will open soon and usually fills up very quickly, so pay attention to the FLRC Forum for details.
FLRC Challenge in full swing—it’s never too late to sign up!
With over 140 local runners signed up and all courses open, the FLRC Challenge has become a popular way to get motivated to run in 2021. It’s a series of ten open-course races you can run as many times as you want. Run, hike, or walk all ten to win the coveted FLRC Challenge medal. Congratulations to those who have already completed the FLRC Challenge: Jamie Loehr, Caitlin Loehr, Gabrielle Woo, Bob Walters, Pete Kresock, Karen Ingall, and Liz Hartman! Overall, we’ve run nearly 4500 miles so far.
We’ve also seen a bunch of informal challenges completed, such as the Pseudo Skunk Cabbage Double Half Marathon and the Black Diamond Trail 30 Miler (Pete Kresock), the Triple Course Run (Bob Swizdor and Sam Lagasse), the Quad Course Run (Heather Cobb), and the FLRC Challenge Insanity Week (Gabrielle Woo). What’s next? The official FLRC 100K Ultra Challenge, in which ultrarunners will attempt to run all ten courses in a single day. Mike Stewart called it “such a phenomenally bad idea that it makes me tear up with pride.”
Don’t miss checking the FLRC Challenge leaderboard to see how each day’s results change the standings and statistics. Will PGXC champion Adam Pacheck sweep the fastest times on all ten courses? Can Heather Cobb catch up with Pete Kresock in the Most Miles competition? What course will Olympic Trials marathoner Chelsea Benson crush next? Can anyone compete with Caitlin Loehr’s stellar age-graded performance across all ten courses? Join the fun!
FLRC Kids Challenge encourages family and youth running
Most of the FLRC Challenge course distances are too long for younger kids, so FLRC has partnered with the Ithaca Youth Bureau on the free, age-appropriate, and non-competitive FLRC Kids Challenge. Families run together through October 31st, logging miles on the FLRC Kids Challenge Dashboard, with cumulative kid targets of 25, 50, 75, and 100 miles. Congrats to Toby K. and Phoebe S. for joining the 25-Mile Club! They’ve received personalized virtual race bibs, and we expect to be sending out more of those this week.
Bi-weekly group runs focus on exploring FLRC Challenge courses
Happy (Satur)days—group runs are back! On the first and third Saturdays of each month, Heather Cobb and Mickie Sanders-Jauquet have been leading group runs. Rather than just running up and down the Black Diamond Trail each time, the group runs are moving around as a way of introducing runners to the FLRC Challenge courses and some of the area’s most gorgeous trails. The next group run is scheduled for Saturday, May 1st at 8:30 AM at the start of the Danby Down & Dirty course. Check the Group Runs & Workouts forum for future locations.
FLRC offers a free year of club membership to those hurt by the pandemic
To support local runners who have suffered from reduced income, lost jobs, and other financial repercussions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, FLRC would like to offer a free year of club membership to anyone who could use a little extra help, no questions asked. When you join FLRC or renew an FLRC membership—individual ($20) or family ($35)—at any time in the next year, use coupon code 2021FORFREE to waive the fees (online signups only, please). Along with a sense of belonging to the running community, FLRC membership brings with it discounts on the FLRC Challenge and most of our races, free entry to our track meets and Winter Chill 5K Series, and participation in workout groups and the FLRC Family Running Program.
Until next time, stay fit, stay healthy, and we look forward to running with you again!
—Adam Engst, FLRC President and VP of Track