Course Information
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| 1994 John Itati, 13:27 - Kenya, 2002 | Anne Hare, 15:36 - New Zealand |
The Men's 5K at the Syracuse Festival of Races was the second fastest 5K road race in the WORLD in 2002.
And it's not just the elite athetes who run fast at the Festival. EVERYONE at the Festival of Races enjoys a fast, USATF-certified, record-quality course. If you're looking for your fastest 5K of the year (or your life), plan on racing in Syracuse on the first Sunday in October.
We begin with an admiring nod in the direction of our course record holders:
And in order to properly note that more than a handful of other terrific athletes have performed remarkably on the Festival 's course in the past, we offer you a look at our 5K course's top 100 men's and women's performances of all time:
OUR 5K COURSE (See our course tour)
Our 5K races are run on the certified (NY97047AM) and validated (9/13/02), out-and-back course that has helped to produce numerous US 5K age group records and hundreds of 5K PRs for area runners. Water is available at two points on the 5K course, and split times will be called at the mile mark and at each kilometer. Thanks to great support from the Syracuse Police Department, the entire course will be closed to traffic.
Here's a description of the 5K course: The starting line is on E. Colvin Street, near the third utility pole east of the Coyne Stadium entrance. Runners head east from the starting line through the Colvin/Skytop and Colvin/Lancaster intersections to Buckingham Avenue. Runners turn left onto Buckingham and cover the one long block between E. Colvin and Meadowbrook Drive. They bend right onto Meadowbrook Drive and follow Meadowbrook Drive (eastbound) along Barry Park, across Broad Street, past its intersection with Nottingham Road, and to its intersection with Euclid Avenue. The Euclid Avenue intersection is the turnaround, with runners making a 180-degree turn to their left and proceeding back toward Manley on the westbound side of Meadowbrook. It's Meadowbrook Drive to Buckingham Avenue; bend left on Buckingham to E. Colvin; turn right on E. Colvin to the Colvin/Skytop intersection; and then bend right into the Manley south parking and follow the Manley bus lane (parallel to Covin St.) straight ahead (about 300m) to the finish line.
If you'd care to run the course in preparation, you'll likely see remnants of most of the split marks painted on the surface of the streets. Except for race morning, please remember to run facing traffic!
Both the Fidelis Care 3K Fun & Fitness Run and the Dermody, Burke & Brown Community Fun(d) Walk cover the first and last 1.5 kilometers of the 5K course (turning around roughly opposite the basketball courts at Barry Park).
GETTING HERE: The Lampe Athletic Complex surrounds Manley Field House at the intersection of Comstock Avenue and East Colvin Street in Syracuse.
PARKING IS FREE IN THE MANLEY FIELD HOUSE LOTS, and NO PARKING IS ALLOWED ON THE RACE COURSES.
ANYONE WITH SPECIAL PARKING NEEDS--INCLUDING SCHOOL GROUPS WITH BUSES--SHOULD CALL DAVE OJA (446-6285) PRIOR TO MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25!
Those of you arriving prior to 8:45 should park in the SOUTH parking area of Manley Field House (enter the lots from Colvin Street). Those of you arriving later than 8:45 should avoid Lancaster Avenue and use either Comstock Avenue or the Slocum Heights-Small Road detour off East Colvin Street.
If the number of entries warrants, we will provide additional FREE parking and a FREE shuttle service from the Skytop parking lots to the Skytop/Colvin intersection.