My 2nd 15K

15K
Nov 10, 2013

I did this race 2 years ago. Then I was in peak running shape – before broken ankle, stress fracture and broken foot. I had run 5 half marathons that year. And it was a week after I had run my 5th.

Stockade-athon 2011

My Official Time: 1:36:11 (5k time = 32;40, 10K time = 1:03:32, 10:20 pace). My pace was in the 9s the first half and 10’s the second half (and that was with a blister.)

Who knows what will happen this year but I doubt it will be a PR. The course is hilly and I am just not strong enough to run that fast (mentally & physically.)

The Stockade-athon is popularly recognized as the oldest “major” 15K road race in the USA. Starting in 1976 this classic 9.3 miler has become the highlight event on the fall racing season in upstate New York. New England Runner selected the Stockade-athon as its 2005 “Race of the Year.”

The course starts and finishes in beautiful Central Park, Schenectady NY. The course leaves the park at 1.5 miles and follows city streets until reaching the historic Stockade district near the half-way point. The loop course returns to the park after touring Schenectady’s revitalized downtown arts and entertainment district then taking a brief detour through Vale Cemetery before re-entering Central Park for a dramatic finish around Iroquois Lake.

Vale Cemetery

Last year:

The Stockade-thon made significant changes to its traditional course by moving off major city streets where possible while continuing to highlight Schenectady’s historic neighborhoods, parks and inner city greenways.

city streets

A record turnout for the 7th consecutive year also saw runners introduced to changes at the start, as men and women lined up separately for the first time on the divided roadway. “Women have fueled the growth within the sport for several years now, and the talent level at the top has also increased so we decided to seed runners and have them line up according to gender. Women deserve their own space” says director Vince Juliano.

The revised 9.3 mile course passes through two historic neighborhoods before a brief tour of the downtown arts district. The loop course then enters a newly constructed bike path through Vale Park and the historic cemetery before returning to Central Park.

Post race reviews of the course change were positive as 6-time champion Tom Dalton, 53 commented “I liked it, it’s a good solid course. Yeah, there are more turns, but that’s fine”.