Paine to Pain Trail Half Marathon
New Rochelle, NY
October 4, 2015
Finishers:
Half Marathon 699
Results:
Don't listen to the weather man when deciding if you want to show up at your scheduled race.
The week leading up to this race threatened us with heavy rain and winds as hurricane Joaquin was tracked along the east coast. I was so grateful I had a trail race planned because unlike road races they don't back down from bad weather and neither do I. Sure the trails may be riddled with mud, puddles and slippery rocks. The wind may push against me and the rain may sting my skin but I'll be fine. That which we work harder for is more rewarding.
There is nothing like running in the trails
If you have never run in trails I encourage you to do so. Paine to Pain is the perfect race for you to see what trail running is really about. The trail has a bit of everything. There are catwalks, stream crossings, tunnels and scrambling over rocks. The less challenging stretches give a chance to run free and clear your mind.
The race director will greet you with a bit of history and share runners stories. You become part of the Paine to Pain family. The well organized event has grown to a 6 wave start. This alleviates crowding in the trails. Each wave is set off with a greeting form the RD and a musket shot sends runners on their way.
The morning was cool with temps around 52 degrees. No rain in sight with about 15 mph winds. Perfect running weather. It would be a good day in the trials. With over 24 hrs to dry out I expected the course would be in good shape. Truth be told I was a bit disappointed. Had the weather gone as the forecast predicted earlier in the week this would have been an epic day leaving us all with great stories to tell.
The volunteers along the course are a great group of friendly people who will cheer you on giving you a boost of energy. Thank You!
There are a few street crossing but have no worries as they are each manned by three or more people controlling traffic. Have you ever had traffic stopped for you? I mean just you, not a crowd of runners just you a single runner. Have you ever had that police officer put himself in front of a car that doesn't seem to be slowing down. I have! Please thank each and every officer you see when racing.
The sun began to peek through the trees around mile 8 and the cool light breeze rustled the leaves. The smell of autumn air filled the trails. Ahhh yes it was a perfect day in the woods.
Paine to Paine does a terrific job with this event. Plenty of porta parties at the start. A bag check is conveniently placed just feet from the starting line then brought to the finish. There are even showers!
We received a nice tech shirt water bottle and very awesome spinner medal.
I would just suggest that the finish line food and vendors stay set up a bit longer. This race stated a 3 hour cut off. I came in just under that and everything was already packed up. That is very disappointing for the slower folks and extremely disheartening to those first time half marathoner.
That said I have to recognize the Rd Eric for leaving the mat in place while many people passed that 3hr cut off. The results show several over that time and I'm sure they are more than grateful. As a mid pack runner who has fallen into the back many times for various reasons I can assure you we all work just as hard. The stories of triumph and perseverance are never more greater then in that of these runners.
Jenipher: Glad you had a great time! Your comment about food is duly noted, and one of the most difficult tasks we have. We have to figure out not only how many runners (and kids and families) will show up, but how much charitable food sponsors will deliver.
ReplyDeleteWe hope to see you again next year!
Thanks for the response Eric. Your job is not an easy one and you are a very involved RD who's passion for what you do shows.
DeleteI will absolutely be back next year hopefully with even more friends.