Contribution: Yvonne Mery Edited/posted by Harold
Event Name: E-Race Cancer Half Marathon
Date: Sunday, Oct 22, 2023
Location: Bridgeport, NY
Synopsis – what was memorable at this event?
A small town event with a friendly atmosphere. First time running through someone’s backyard during a race!
Briefly describe the overall venue & course:
The race is in Bridgeport, NY (24km from Syracuse). Event includes a 5km, 10km and a half marathon. The half marathon course was flat with many turns, paved roads, mud, leaf covered paths, grass, and the route even went through someone’s backyard. There were 93 finishers for the half marathon, 28 for the 10km and the 5km had 72 participants. After the race, everyone was invited to enjoy the post race party with music, food, and drinks. Awards were given for the Overall M/F, Master Overall M/F and Age Group winners.
My Race Experience:
After, I got my PB at The Chicago Marathon I realized that I only needed two more items for the RunK2J award: a half marathon and a race report. So I spent a few hours looking for a race that wasn’t too far from Ottawa and was at least two weeks after Chicago. Luckily, I found one in Bridgeport, NY, The E-Race Cancer Run. I had never heard of it! According to Google Maps, it was just a little over 3hrs away. Then I signed up and convinced Mike McAuley to join as well since he also needed a half marathon in order to have an extra entry into the Abbott draw for Tokyo.
We arrived in Bridgeport on Saturday afternoon to pick up our bibs/race shirt. There wasn’t an expo like most of the other races we’re used to, instead there was just a canopy outside with a couple of tables where you could buy a beer glass and some t-shirts. The volunteers informed us that the course was marked and we were welcome to drive it. So glad we did!
Race Day:
We arrived about 30min before the start, and this gave us enough time to warm up, stretch, and visit the porta potty.
The American National Anthem was played, then we were off! Right on schedule! The first 500m of the course was muddy as it had recently rained, once on the main road, I tried to remember the course from driving it the day before: run past the school, turn left, then turn right and run an out and back.
Up next was the gated neighborhood but the gate was closed! Runners were forced to squeeze past a small opening. Further along, we ran out of road under our feet and we had run across a grassy field to get to another road. If that wasn’t strange enough, we had to traverse through someone’s backyard! I didn’t get lost but definitely needed to watch for the turn signs. I noticed a couple of runners either missed a turn or decided to skip a segment??
For the majority of the race, I was running solo, I wasn’t able to see any runners ahead of me. Running alone, made it challenging to keep on pace. Throughout the race, there was very little fan support, but the fall leaves and the multitude of Halloween decorations kept me entertained nevertheless.
With only 3km left, one of the runners from the front group had slowed down. I decided that I’d push hard in order to catch up to him. Eventually, I did and passed him with 1km left. Now, I had to run even faster than before so he didn’t pass me. With only two more turns remaining, I knew I would soon be done. Once, the finish was in sight, I looked down at my watch and knew I had a PB. By the time I finished, Mike was already done, his race was a personal best for him as well.
Mike’s results:
+ 4th Overall
+ 3rd Male
+ 1st Master’s Male (40+)
+ 1st 55-59 Male
My results:
+ 6th Overall
+ 2nd Female
+ 1st Master’s Female (40+)
+ 1st 50-54 Female
We both received a prize with some nice swag for our placements.
After the race we stayed and enjoyed the DJ music and had some food, unfortunately the wind was picking up and the temperatures were dropping so we didn’t stay too long.
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Would you do this event again?
I most likely won’t do this event again. I’m glad I ran it and I am delighted that I got a PB and some merch. In the future I will look for other small town races.
Would you recommend this event?
Absolutely! Many of us runners focus on the Big Races. It was fun to go away for the weekend and participate in a small town race. This one isn’t too far from Ottawa and it was well organized.
Closing thoughts. Any hints for others planning to do this race? Where to stay? Things to bring? What to wear?
– Any hotel in the Syracuse area would suit.
– If you need more than 3 sips of water and it’s over 7 degrees Celsius then I would suggest you bring your own water.
– Don’t wear brand new racing shoes if it’s rainy they will get muddy, even before you start running.
– Bring a mylar blanket from a previous race, we used ours from Boston.
Overall Venue Rating: :
3 – Good
Please rate the course:
3 – Good
Please rate the aid stations:
2 – Okay
What was provided at the aid stations?:
There were only three water stations throughout the half marathon. The last station had one cup of Gatorade. There weren’t any gels given out.
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WordPress AI Excerpt (Enjoy!!): The E-Race Cancer Half Marathon took place on October 22, 2023, in Bridgeport, NY. It was a small-town race with a unique course, including paved roads, leaf-covered paths, and even a section through someone’s backyard. With limited crowd support but a festive Halloween theme, the event offered a 5km, 10km, and half marathon, with 93, 28, and 72 finishers respectively. Post-race activities included a party with music, food, and drinks. Despite its quirks, it was commended as being well-organized.
Run K2J 