The spring season is packed with local races – Daily Freeman
The weather was ideal for the 35th Shamrock Run, held in conjunction with Kingston’s annual St. Patrick’s Parade. It was cool but not cold or windy, which are perfect conditions for running.
The run had more than 2,100 participants. All of these runners and walkers, combined with the parade participants and spectators lining Broadway, resulted in thousands of people coming out to celebrate the coming of spring and Irish heritage in America. This event brings people from all walks of life together to enjoy where we live.
In ideal weather conditions, the race was fast, with the top three men under 10 minutes and the first two women under 12 minutes. The race was won by Tommy Struzzieri in 9:36. In high school, Struzzieri ran for Saugerties High School and is now the owner of Alpha Win, an endurance events management company headquartered in Saugerties.
Alpha Win is organizing the Hudson Valley Marathon on May 7th at the Walkway Over the Hudson in Poughkeepsie. This event is a celebration of racing with the marathon along with four other distances: a half marathon, 10k, 5k and one mile races. Alpha Win’s slogan is “One distance for all”.
Declan Dwyer-McNulty (9:43) and Daniel Renahan (9:57) finished second and third in the men’s race. Dwyer-McNulty ran for Red Hook High School, and Renahan lives in New York City with roots in Kingston.
In the women’s, former Kingston High School soccer star Hanna Longendyke won in 11:22, while Frances Duncan (11:41) and Red Hook’s Maureen Carney (12:11) chased them to the finish line. Personally, I ran the race with a time target of less than 24 minutes and was very happy with my 23:08. Many thanks to the Ulster County Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Irish Cultural Center of the Hudson Valley for organizing this fantastic community event.
Each year, the race presents a trophy and $250 cash prize to a local elementary school with the highest percentage of their participating students. This award is named in honor of Yvonne O’Connor Sill who was very proud of her Irish roots. Sill died in 2018. She volunteered every year and was a popular first grade teacher at George Washington Elementary School in Kingston. In addition, she coached the girls’ cross-country and indoor track teams at Kingston High School.
Sill was the longest-serving teacher in George Washington history, serving for the district for 40 years. The winner of the 2023 Yvonne Sill Trophy was EC Meyer Elementary School in Hurley. One suggestion for the race organizers is to consider a family fee to make the event even more family friendly and financially accessible to allow more families to attend.
On March 5, the Mid-Hudson Road Runners Club held the 42nd Ed Erichson Memorial Races. The group was formed in 1979 and this race was their first official event as a club. It was a 15K run, and the 5K was aptly named the opening run.
I had just returned to the area and joined this new young club. The club had a dedicated volunteer base including Pete Sanfilippo, Claude Bodely, Charlie Sprauer, Pete and Kathy Upson, Linda Stow, Joe Maggi and Eddie Erichson. Erichson designed the Inaugural Run courses, which included some of his favorite training courses in north Poughkeepsie and the Hyde Park area. The 15km course was a challenging and hilly course.
In 1984, Erichson was tragically killed by a drunk driver on his way to work. Linda Stow and Marry Phillips became the race directors. They honored Erichson by renaming the event and establishing a scholarship in his name at Franklin D. Roosevelt High School in Hyde Park. In 1980 I drove the race for the first time and finished fifth; In 1981 I was third. In 1982 the previous winners were announced together with Bruce Tulloh from England. Tulloh won the 1962 European 5K Championship and set the 1966 British six mile record. In 1969 he walked across America and chronicled his journey in the book Four Million Footsteps.
Tulloh was a sub-four-minute miler and a well-known writer and motivational speaker. He was in the area speaking at a talk hosted by the Mid-Hudson Road Runners. He was 47 years old and looked very much like a world class runner.
I was inspired (terrified) by his presence and took the race hard. I had one of those days you can count on one hand. Everything just clicked as I rode up and down the hills of Dutchess County. After the race, someone approached Linda Stow and said, “I didn’t know Steve was good.”
In 1999 the event was moved to LaGrange and became a five mile and a 10 mile race. It was usually the same day as the Shamrock Run, so I missed it a lot. However, I would occasionally skip the Shamrock Run to perform it. It was moved a week earlier, two years ago, and now I can enjoy both races.
The 2023 edition had a total of 104 finishers. In the five-mile dash, the top three men were Anthony Tanzi (27:55), Michael Tanzi (28:40) and Jack Handman (29:08). The fastest women were Maureen Carney (33:38), Morganne Cook (34:08) and Rose Tullo (37:09).
In the ten-mile dash, the top three men were Ryan Carney (58:25), Daniel Holl (59:18) and Jake Reinert (65:21). The leading women were Kristin Sherwood (70:22), Jean Norton (75:28) and Kristen Porter (81:45).
Mid-Hudson Road Runners events are always well organized and the next event will be the Barri
Donnellan Memorial Run/Walk on April 22nd. This event featured three races, a 5K, a 2 mile walk and a 800 mile children’s run. Visit the club’s website at mhrrc.org for more information.
Upcoming Events
On April 15th, the Mohonk Preserve will host its 11th Annual Rock and Snow 5 Miler. This race is held on the reserve’s beautiful and groomed carriage tracks. The race begins and ends at the spectacular Slingerland Pavilion at the Preserve’s Spring Farm Trailhead in High Falls. The course offers stunning views of the southern Catskill Mountains.
All participants will receive a very soft t-shirt, plenty of refreshments and awards in all standard 10-year age groups. Awards include apple pie, canned memberships and free entry to Shawangunk Runners Club races. Best of all, 100 percent of the proceeds help the Mohonk Preserve protect 8,000 acres of Shawangunk Ridge. To sign up and get all the information, visit mohonkpreserve.org.
YMCA Kids Classic
Also on April 15th is the 26th annual YMCA Kids Classic. This running club is for children from preschool through fourth grade. The distances range from the 50-meter dash to the one-mile run. The entry fee is a very modest $10, but time is of the essence as the entry deadline is March 29 to receive a free t-shirt.
The Kids Classic is normally held at Dietz Memorial Stadium in Kingston, but due to renovations at Dietz it will be held at Rondout Valley High School in Accord. For all information and to register, visit runsignup.com and search for the 26th Annual YMCA Kids Classic or call the YMCA at (845) 338-3810.
Millbrook Marathon
If you want to run a challenging and hilly marathon on scenic backcountry roads, consider the Millbrook Marathon on April 16 in Millbrook, NY. This marathon is well organised, inexpensive and has the hospitality and charm of the small town in which it is held. For all information and to register, visit the Eastern Dutchess Road Runners website at edrrc.org and click on the events calendar.
Kiwani’s Kingston Classic
The big race in Ulster County has always been the Kiwanis Kingston Classic and this year’s race is on April 23rd. The Classic has three race distances; 10k, 5k and 1.5 miles.
The Kingston Kiwanis Club is a charity focused on children. The Kingston Classic is one of its most important fundraisers. The Kiwanis scholarships for high school seniors have been around for many years.
Last year, the Kiwanis Classic Racing Committee started a program called Books for Kids, in which a child received a book for each competitor in the race. Overall, the Kiwanis Club did more than that, donating 2,600 books. When the children received their books at the book fair, their excitement was overwhelming.
What could be better for us runners than well-organized races on fast, scenic routes along Kingston’s waterfront and the Hudson River, with 100% of your entry fee going to benefit children? Add chip timing, a great looking t-shirt, and a fun, festive after-race party complete with food, beer, music, and ice cream, all for a modest $25 entry fee!
For more information and to register, visit the race website at kiwaniskingstonclassic.com. Remember to register by April 2nd to receive a commemorative race t-shirt in your size.
Congratulations to Warren Lawrence on 50 years of service at WKNY/Radio Kingston. I
I find it amazing that Lawrence has stayed at one station for half a century in an industry of constant change and turnover. He has certainly become the “voice” of Kingston. My mother died in 1994, but I remember many mornings listening to Lawrence’s morning show with her. Thank you Warren!
Steve Schallenkamp has been a runner, race director, volunteer and coach in local running groups since 1966. He is a member of the Onteora Runners Club and President of the Shawangunk Runners Club.
