The Old Forge Half Marathon is one of several options offered during the Old Forge Marathon weekend. There are a total of 14 events held over 4 days. In addition to the standard 5K/10K/etc. there are also bike and kayak events that can go towards earning triple and quadruple medals. Because of the different races, there are various date/time options for some of the running events.
I chose to do the half marathon Friday evening versus Saturday morning. I figured it would be less crowded and cooler and I was right on both counts. The Willow Wellness events are small but well organized. Their races attract a lot of fast runners but have generous time cut offs for us back of the packers. I am always one of the last people to finish in their races but there are always people at the finish line and water at the water stops.
The time cut off for the half was 3:45 on Friday night. The cut off was at least 4:45 on Saturday. If you think you need more time, that is the better option. The course takes place on the Adirondack Trails. They are very gravely in some spots but mostly just dirt tree roots and river rocks. The trail is well marked and well maintained. Even though the trail itself is nothing to look at, the scenery along the trail is spectacular. You have views of the lake and mountains throughout the course.
There were water stops every 3-4 miles, many that you pass more than once due to the shape of the course. The pack broke up by the one mile mark. Aside from the two people just in front of me, I only saw other runners around the 6 mile mark when the first part of the bowtie doubles back. I prefer this type of course to an out and back where I have to run parallel with all the fast runners multiple times.
If you are a person who doesn’t like the trails and likes to run with the pack, this is not the race for you. For me this was a very meditative race. I enjoyed the peace of the trails in a low stress environment. It felt more like a training run than a race.
There are some very steep hills on this course which I choose to walk. My average pace was just over 15 min/mile. I finished around 3:20. I know a walker came in at the 4 hour mark and the finish line was still manned when he finished. The sun did set around that time so if you think you need 4 hours or more Saturday is a better option.
Old Forge is considered the gateway to the Adirondacks. It is very popular this time of year and full of tourists. If you are staying in town you will want to book your hotel or Airbnb early. There is lots of great hiking and boating along with a good mix of restaurants and a couple of wineries. If you have kids, there is also a water park in town.
The standard warnings for trail races:
The bugs are brutal at some points- I was bitten through my shorts and my compression socks.
Even though I started running at 4 pm it was still very humid and I was drenched by the end of the race.
If you want more than water you need to bring it with you. I took water at every stop and had shot blocks and gels with me. Many people were wearing hydration packs or belts.
There were no post-race refreshments for Friday night.
Why I liked this race:
Most of the trail is fairly shaded with a cool breeze but I was happy to have sunglasses and a hat for the unshaded parts. The weather was mid-70’s with high humidity.
Because the trails are fairly technical there is not a lot of local traffic. I saw 5 people on the trail that were not related to the race. It was much busier on Saturday.
The town was packed and the restaurants and roads were full of tourists. It would be easy to turn this into a vacation weekend and enjoy the town. It is located 2 hours north of Syracuse. For me, Friday night was perfect because I avoided the crowds and got out of town before all the weekenders came in. Old Forge is one of my favorite places. I would definitely repeat this race.
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