This is my third time running this 15k race. It is said to be the oldest “major” 15K road race in the USA.

I was the most prepared the first time (after 3 half marathons that fall) and got a PR.

2011 – 1:36:08

Last year, I ran it also and wasn’t as successful…not sure why.

2013 – 1:42:22

This year, I am hoping for a rebound… faster than last year!!

But since this is a brand new course…who knows??

With over 2000 runners in this race, they were forced to make some changes.

It no longer starts and ends in Central Park (I will miss those fire places!!) It also starts earlier – 8:30 am

The Stockade-athon 15K course was modified in 2014 and now starts near Veterans Park in downtown Schenectady. The course travels west on State Street for 1K before entering the historic Stockade District and proceeding on a scenic bike path in Riverside Park along the Mohawk River. The course exits the Stockade District via Front Street after crossing Erie Blvd. The course then proceeds east on Nott Street past Union College before entering the historic GE Plot residential neighborhood via Lenox Ave, Douglas Rd and Rugby Rd. The course exits Rugby Road and proceeds north on Waverly Place near the 5K mark. The course turns east off Waverly and follows Grand Blvd to the city boundary with Niskayuna, then proceeds south on Dean Street to Central Parkway past 8k. After a 1K residential loop on Central Parkway, the course enters beautiful Central Park and follows a bike path around Iroquois Lake and Duck Pond before reaching its highest elevation near 12K. The final 3k is mostly downhill or flat as the course exits Central Park and proceeds west through historic Vale Cemetery and Vale Park before a final downhill section on Franklin Street to the finish at City Hall.

Someone on FB posted this commentary of the NEW course:

In the 1st mile, after you run down State Street and turn right onto Washington Avenue, you have to make sure you’re tight to the right curb on Washington as you get to the end so you can get into the path correctly.The short road up to front Street will be tight if you’re in a crowd and then it evens out till you cross over Erie Boulevard onto Nott Street. The @1.5 mile section going up Nott Street to Lennox and then up through the GE plot crossing Wendell and up Rugby to Waverley where you hit 5k is also challenging in that it goes up and it flattens out and goes up and flattens out 3X. At the end of Waverly, the right turn onto Grand Boulevard starts another @ 1000 m climb to mile 4 at the very top. At the top of the hill The course kind’ve flattens out and it’s @400 m to a right turn to Dean Street and then another 800 m to cross Union St. From there the section where you approach Central Park then go around Central Park and into Central Park again, through 7 miles is fairly flat, with what seems like an incline going up Dean Street. After mile seven going around the duckpond, maybe in about 400 m, you start to climb over two short bumps and then a general incline to the Central Park middle school.From that point down Bradley down Brandywine through the cemetery and down through Bellpark onto Franklin is about 1.8 miles of SAST course.

I can’t tell if the course is harder or easier.  It still seems challenging.

To save time, I will pick up my bib on Saturday. It is more convenient than in the past since Fleet Feet in Albany is hosting early packet pick up.

Before the race, there will be a bag check at the YMCA in downtown Schenectady (2 blocks from the start/finish).

The Awards Ceremony will be held indoors at the GE Theater (Proctors) one block south of the race finish area.  I don’t think I’ll have to worry about an age group award.  Last year I was 24 out 29 – the speedy ladies will be there. Raffle prizes will be awarded at random to those in attendance at the award ceremony. Maybe I’ll be lucky.

Key Hall (Proctors) will be the location for refreshments, and just across the arcade hallway, runners will have access to an indoors Farmers Market.

There is also supposed to be more parking than before.

So I am pretty excited to run this race. It is local. There should be many familiar faces and I know that it will be well organized.

Race Goals:

A: PR  (under 1:36:08)
B: Faster than last year (under 1:42:22)
C: Finish happy and healthy (hopefully without any blisters!)

And the weather?  It will be cold….30s!! Hoping for at least dry, little wind and some sun!

I will be cold…got a jacket & pants for before & after.

Happy Running! Any running or races planned for this weekend?