It's a tradition! I jokingly say it's why we moved to Manchester…read more 4.78 miles attract over 10,000 runners & walkers. The elite runners come from all over the world and it's always an exciting race. Then the mass of normal' runners go by in a dizzying blur. The amount of walkers has increased over the years too. Costumes, bands, crowds and food line the race route. It's the best way to start off thanksgiving day!

This Thanksgiving, I will be running the Manchester Road Race for the 5th time! One of my favorite…read moreThanksgiving traditions is this race, I honestly look forward to it and have changed around my Thanksgiving plans just to ensure my attendance. It is a tradition I plan to continue for as long as I live in Connecticut. This is one of the largest road races in the country. 2nd to the Boston Marathon as far as races in the Northeast go and that is saying at lot considering this race is under 5 miles (4.78 to be exact) and is on a holiday. It's hard to put the experience of the Manchester Road Race into words, you really have to experience it yourself to really appreciate it! There are over 15,000 runners (many elite runners from around the country, a bunch in costume, some drinking, etc etc). You see every walk of life running this race, that is for sure! There are SO many spectators too, I would say in the thousands. Whether you are a runner, a spectator or just someone looking to have some fun, the Manchester Road Race is the place to be on Thanksgiving!! See you there!

First time I've heard about the New England Challenge was in 2017, the inaugural series was held in…read more2016. What an insane way to pick up states for the half marathon or marathon goal in a minimal amount of time. I've been around the block, but 6 days in a row seems pretty nuts. I've been around long enough to know virtually everyone in the club who's done at least one round of the 50 states marathons. Race morning - day 5 started at the Nutmeg marathon / half marathon here in Hartford, Connecticut. The New England Challenge attracts veteran marathoners and half marathoners who wish to run a half marathon or a marathon up to all 6 states in the series. You decide on what states you want to do or need for your own personal goal(s). With that said, we arrived at Goodwin Park & Golf Course in Hartford around 5:30am on a brisk Friday morning, already tired from the previous 4 days. It was interesting to be genuinely not really tired after 4 consecutive days + a marathon in NY the weekend before. The New England Challenge / Nutmeg marathon & half marathon draws a small field, which is less than 100 individuals for both events. I ended up running the half marathon for Connecticut at this event, which was basically loops around a large city park / golf course. The event was small and felt like a training run, even though it's a race with a race number on your t-shirt. The overall experience here at The Nutmeg marathon / half marathon in Hartford, Connecticut was quite nice, quite excellent, and casual. The main thing about the entire series and not just this event is that there is no time limit. Many others do have a one, ranging from 6 hours to 8 hours, depending on the race. It's not festive like many races out there, but you can say that it has its purpose for goal oriented people - like myself. The course is basically multiple loops around Goodwin Park & Golf Course, which was 2.13 miles once around. We had a shorter out and back loop of 0.32 miles (0.64 for the marathoners) to do initially before we started the larger loop around the park. I didn't like the gradual uphill leading to the north parking area, but it is what it is. It was nice to see familiar faces each time I came across them. I did enjoy the scenery while I went around purposely and it help me motivate myself to keep moving and keep on smiling - since it was just day one and already a bit tired from doing the same thing in the other 4 New England states before. Goodwin Park itself was nice and we creeped around the main road through the park and weaved around the golf area. The only area where we saw cars was on Western Avenue, but there was a sidewalk. It was nice and serene, especially during a week day morning. Registration is conducted online, but they do have race day registration. Just need to get there early to fill out an entry form and pay the fee. There was an electronic timing station that was basically next to the main parking area at Goodwin Park & Golf Course. It recorded the time for every lap that we do, which is cool. The lone aid station was loaded with food and drinks - you probably could gain weight while doing a half marathon or marathon. The support staff was great, cheering us on lap after lap. It was inspiring to see friends out there to help me push forward, even though I had 1 more days to go after this - just different venues. It was a cozy race that was nice. Goodwin Park & Golf Course was the ideal location for this race. Upon finishing my half marathon, I announced that I was done and got my finisher medal. I hung out at the finish line area to wait up for a friend of mine to finish. Once everything was in order, we gingerly walked back to the rental car and headed to Rhode Island for day 6 and last day in Warrick the next morning. The appeal for The New England Challenge and doing marathons or half marathons is the economic factor. Doing them all together brings travel costs down a lot, but you'd have to be physically and mentally prepared for such an adventure. For the most part though, I enjoyed my time here in Hartford, CT at the Nutmeg marathon & half marathon. 5.0 stars for the overall experience. Consider this race or the series when you are running 50 states half marathon or marathons. Support local! Run More! A+

This race follows the Erie Canalway Trail, and has been running since at least sometime in the…read more1980's. I have fond memories from my childhood of watching the race from my backyard, which is within view of the bikepath along Rosendale Road in Niskayuna. All of those fond memories, unfortunately, were overshadowed by shock and outrage at how the crowd parking for this event treated my parents, who still live in that house, this year. Though it is illegal to park along Rosendale Road, which is winding, busy, and has next to no shoulder, when the parking lot at the Lyon's Park in Niskayuna filled up, people connected to the race started to park in the yards of local residents. My father was on the receiving end of all kinds of verbal abuse, mocking his age and sanity just because he asked people not to park illegally on their recently seeded lawn. My parents are retired public servants, both waging expensive and exhausting battles with cancer, and can't afford to repair the damage these people did. My father's the sort of person who, when out on that bikepath every day, often makes friends of complete strangers while walking my family's dog; he's a gentleman, a kind person, and a gentle man, and was not being abusive to these people as they were to him. The organization behind this race needs to ensure that wherever it holds this event has adequate parking available, that local law enforcement (and if necessary, private security) are protecting people who live nearby, and that you create an atmosphere of the respect this year's event was so clearly lacking among those involved. Shame on them for allowing what has historically been an event that fostered a sense of community to turn into a rude, destructive free-for-all.

Who doesn't want to run deep into the night? I found this 24 hour ultra while looking up races on…read morerunningintheusa.com. I signed up too late but managed to get into the 30 mile race event, which is a few more miles than the marathon distance. The Ghost Train 24 hr ultra & Haunted 30 miler is a themed ultra distance event in the heart of Milford, New Hampshire. The course was designed to be this way, since it was close enough to Halloween. The course was 15.5 miles per loop, set in a park trails around the Milford, NH area. The 24 hour event started at 9am on Friday and the Haunted 30 mile event started at 5pm on Saturday. It was an odd hour to start an evening race, but it was cool to be able to run in the middle of the night. Head lamps are required for a night time race. I arrived here at the race venue around 4pm via Uber. After picking up my race number, I chatted with the locals before we need to line up for the race start. At 5pm, we were off and started my 1st loop of 15.5. There was 2 aid stations on the course, along with the one at the start/finish area. The course was good and nice. Quite flat trail with an unexpected hill with roots and plenty of places to fall and hurt yourself. Since this is event largely takes place in the overnight hours, best thing to do is to carry a headlamp so you can see in the dark. As far as me though, I'm thankful that I had mine juiced up to an appropriate level so I could function in the dark and didn't have to avoid any injuries during the event. Safety first! It's It's a good one for New Hampshire and it's generally held in mid October. The weather is fairly good, but could get chilly in the overnight hours. Bring layers if you need to. The overall experience at the Ghost Train Ultra marathon event was good, fun,and definitely an educational experience. Doing this kind of thing at night has its hazards but brings a lot of rewards as well. I guess you just need to want it more if you are chasing a goal like many who sign up for these kinds of endurance events anywhere around the world. For someone like me who doesn't live in the area, knowledge of the event course and the general area can be a good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it. Thanks to the volunteers and everyone who made this event possible. It was cool to see Halloween themed items out there on the course, but if you're prone to seeing things that aren't there late into the night, it may be a problem! It was a fun addition though and kept up with the Halloween atmosphere. It was cool to be there, especially when the leaves were changing and the traditional fall weather was there to keep us cool, although for some, it was a little too cold. Not me though. Temps in 2024 started around 72 F and dropped to 45 F around 8pm, then 39 F around 3am. It was cool that they had a fire pit with a roaring fire to keep those who needed to keep warm. I was happy that the fire was there. I was happy that a volunteer at the aid station suggested that I warm up at the County building nearby. It was open and I could warm up there while using the restroom facilities too. It was great and much needed. After sunrise, I called an uber and got a quick reply to head back to the hotel. And so, if you want to run your first ultra marathon in New Hampshire or run with an Halloween themed race, consider this one in middle October. The Ghost Train 24 hour Ultra marathon and Haunted 30 miler is a good one. Definitely recommended but be aware of the hill! The Ghost Train 24 hour ultra marathon & Haunted 30 miler is staged in Milford, New Hampshire. Race organization was good and was good to have packet pick up on race day. It's a small ultra that feeds the soul. Like many others out there, race registration is online and requires a major credit card. They did offer merchandise sales on race day and required cash on site. Many participants drove, but the parking options here generally limited parking here for anyone and everyone who either volunteers or is participating. As for Me though, I ended up taking Uber to and from the event venue, which was good. Best bet would be to have some sort of reliable transportation option here since I don't know if the city of Manchester or Milford, New Hampshire has public transportation options to get you here. Or even from Boston, Massachusetts. Just be prepared for the long haul and you'll be definitely rewarded. The aid stations are stocked with your favorite foods, mostly snacks and water but the real food comes out later in the evening and the overnight hours. It's super fun and I encourage everyone and everyone to be inspired and run a marathon or beyond at least once in their lifetime. The Ghost Train 24 hour ultramarathon and Haunted 30 miler in Milford, New Hampshire is a great starting point. Definitely recommended! 5.0 stars for the overall experience. Support local! A+