Syracuse Festival of Races

SFoR News:

September 27, 2007
Traffic Advisory for the 15th Annual Syracuse Festival of Races™

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – On Sunday, September 30th, more than 2,000 runners and walkers will be participating in the 15th annual Syracuse Festival of Races™ in the Manley Field House area. Drivers who normally use E. Colvin Street, Meadowbrook Drive, and either Lancaster Avenue or Buckingham Avenue south of Broad Street are asked to plan alternate routes during the hours of 8:45 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. that morning.

All four of the Festival’s events—the Men’s 5K (9:00 a.m.), the Women’s 5K (9:45 a.m.), the 3K Fun & Fitness Run (10:45 a.m.), and the Dermody, Burke & Brown Community Fun(d) Walk (10:50 a.m.)—start and finish on E. Colvin St. near Manley Field House.

Participants in the Festival of Races will range from area school children and their families to competitive runners from Canada, Russia, and a dozen states. In order to insure the safety of all race participants, the Syracuse Police Department and race volunteers will close the courses to normal vehicular traffic.

East-side motorists can avoid the race courses entirely by using Comstock Avenue as a north-south route, and Euclid Avenue as an east-west route. Drivers are also encouraged to use Crawford Avenue (one block east of Meadowbrook Drive) to travel between Euclid Avenue and Nottingham Road from 8:45 a.m. and 10:15 a.m.

The Syracuse Festival of Races™ appreciates the cooperation of area drivers as Syracuse hosts this popular community fitness event!

September 27, 2007
Fascinating Faces in the Festival Fields

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – As entries for the 15th annual Syracuse Festival of Races pour in, there’s a growing list of interesting stories among the people who’ll take part in the four events scheduled to start and finish outside Manley Field House on Sunday morning, September 30th.

Margret Betz, 71, of Conklin, NY, will be attempting to run the fastest 5K road race ever by a U.S. woman aged 70 or older. Betz, who has previously set several US 5K records on the Festival of Races course, needs to surpass the pending record of 24:18, run by Toshiko D’Elia, of New Jersey. Should Betz average seven minutes 49 seconds per mile at the Festival, she’ll set both the U.S. single-age 5K road race record for women age 71, and the U.S. 5K road race age-group record for women 70 – 74—bringing the number of U.S records set or tied on the Syracuse Festival of Races course to nineteen.

Rick Carter, 57, of Anchorage, AK, will be running the Festival of the fourth time in the past five years, which wouldn’t be terribly remarkable if he lived in Baldwinsville or Chittenango. But Rick Carter lives in Anchorage, Alaska, making his the longest trip to and from the Festival of anyone in this year’s field.

Hope and David Grady, of Mercersburg, PA, are both natives of Syracuse. They make the trip home to CNY each year to lead the fundraising efforts of "Lauren’s Gold Ribbon Runners," a group of their friends and family members who participate in the Festival of Races in memory of the Hope and David’s daughter, Lauren, who died from a brain tumor at age two. "Lauren’s Gold Ribbon Runners" come to the Festival from three states, raising money and awareness about childhood cancer on behalf of the local Jonathan Cancer Fund, Inc.

David Anthony, 18, or Liverpool, NY, is a veteran participant in the Festival of Races who’ll be wearing a different hat at this year’s event. Self-described as having run the Festival’s 3K Fun & Fitness Run with the group from Long Branch Elementary School "every year from when I was six until I was about thirteen," David, now a freshman at SU, will be volunteering at the 2007 event. He and a handful of fellow members of the SU Sports Management Club will be among the nearly 200 volunteers helping to make this year’s edition of the Festival run smoothly.

Major sponsors of the 2007 Syracuse Festival of Races include: Dick’s Sporting Goods; Dermody, Burke & Brown; News 10 Now; Citadel Communications; the Syracuse New Times; Family Times; Stickley, Audi & Co.; P&C Food & Pharmacy; the Niagara Association of USA Track & Field; and the Syracuse Chargers Track Club, Inc.

September 11, 2007
Calendar Quirk Accelerates Pace of Festival of Races Entries

Syracuse, NY — For only the second time in the event’s fifteen-year history, the Syracuse Festival of Races will slide forward from its usual “first Sunday in October” onto the final Sunday in September, the 30th. The reason for the shift is 2007’s exceptionally early Columbus Day. The calendar anomaly has individual runners, club team coaches, school group coordinators, and non-profit group organizers racing to get themselves and their groups entered before the big—and unusually early—weekend.

The Festival of Races, which starts and finishes outside Syracuse University’s Manley Field House, includes four distinct events: the Men’s 5K; the Women’s 5K; the 3K Fun & Fitness Run; and the Dermody, Burke & Brown Community Fun(d) Walk. Its flat and scenic courses have developed a large and enthusiastic following among all types of participants—from runners seeking fast finishing times to first-time road racers and fitness runners and walkers.

“The super-early Columbus Day Weekend first pushed the Festival onto September 30th in 2001,” notes race director Dave Oja, “and it’ll come early in 2012 and 2018 as well. Then we won’t see it again until 2029.”

According to Oja, the calendar quirk had no apparent impact on the total number of entrants in 2001, but it gave runners and walkers the impression that they had one less week to get themselves, their family members, and their school or non-profit groups entered. And with September now nearly half over, the rush is on to get those entries in.

Fortunately for those not yet entered, race web sites and online race entry have made last-minute entry is easier than it was six year ago. Both online entry and downloadable entry forms are available to runners and walkers at www.festivalofraces.com. People can also call 446-6285 for additional information or to request hard copies of the entry form. Dick’s Sporting Goods in Shoppingtown Mall will host day-before-race registration from 10:00 to 2:00 on Saturday, September 29th, and people will be able to enter at Manley on race morning, the 30th.

Major sponsors of the 2006 Syracuse Festival of Races include: Dick’s Sporting Goods; Dermody, Burke & Brown; News 10 Now; Citadel Communications; the Syracuse New Times; Family Times; Stickley, Audi & Co.; P&C Food & Pharmacy; the Niagara Association of USA Track & Field; and the Syracuse Chargers Track Club, Inc.

August 31, 2006
BACK TO SCHOOL MEANS BACK TO FITNESS FOR FIDELIS CARE 3K FUN & FITNESS RUN SCHOOL GROUPS
SYRACUSE, NY - As students, parents, and educators shift into "back to school" mode, organizers of the Fidelis Care 3K Fun & Fitness Run are gearing up for the 2006 edition of Central New York’s annual celebration of youth and family fitness.

Each year for more than a decade, the non-competitive 3K (1.86-mile) running event – one of the four events at the 14th annual Festival of Races on Sunday, October 1 – has attracted over 2,000 participants from age 3 to 83. Participants include individuals, entire families, and school groups from as many as 40 area elementary and junior high schools.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for families to take part in an activity that promotes exercise, fun and fitness," said Peter Avvento, Assistant Vice President of Marketing for Fidelis Care. "It is our hope that Central New Yorkers of all ages lace-up their sneakers and hit the ground running for what is sure to be an exciting event."

As usual, Fidelis Care and Festival organizers are focused on introducing children, novice runners, and infrequent exercisers to the many benefits of participating in a non-competitive event like the 3K Fun & Fitness Run.

"Pace and finishing time aren’t important in the 3K at the Festival," says Linda Oja, who organizes the group from Woodland Elementary School in East Syracuse. "The flat course, the expectation that there will be as much walking as running, and the celebration of finishing all make this event perfect for first-time participants."

The Syracuse Festival of Races will start and finish at Syracuse University’s Manley Field House. Advance registration for the Fidelis Care 3K Fun & Fitness Run is $5 (13 and younger) or $8 (14 and older)—by far the most affordable entry fees of any CNY road running or walking event. All participants will receive a Fidelis Care 3K Fun & Fitness Run T-shirt. Awards are based on participation, not finishing place or time, with the largest school group earning the opportunity to design the artwork for next year’s 3K T-shirt.

The Festival of Races provides participating schools with step-by-step instructions on how to organize a school group in the Fidelis Care 3K Fun & Fitness Run. Interested individuals and schools should call (446-6285) or e-mail (festivalofraces@a-znet.com) to request the packet or other information. Would-be participants are also encouraged to visit the event’s Web site at www.festivalofraces.com.

Major sponsors of the 2006 Festival of Races include: Fidelis Care; Dick’s Sporting Goods; Dermody, Burke & Brown; News 10 Now; Time Warner Cable; Citadel Communications; the Syracuse New Times; Family Times; Stickley, Audi & Co.; American Airlines; P&C Food & Pharmacy; Kinney Drugs; and the Syracuse Chargers Track Club, Inc.

Founded on the belief that all New Yorkers should have affordable, quality health insurance, Fidelis Care is a non-profit health plan serving more than 260,000 people in 36 counties across New York State. Through the Child Health Plus, Family Health Plus, and Medicaid programs, Fidelis Care members are covered for regular checkups, preventive care, hospital and emergency care, prescription drugs, immunizations, eye exams, dental care, and more. Fidelis Care members have access to a provider network of more than 29,000 healthcare professionals statewide. Regional offices are located in Syracuse, Buffalo, Albany, and Rego Park (Queens).

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SFoR News: September 27, 2007 Traffic Advisory for the 15th Annual Syracuse Festival of Races™ SYRACUSE, N.Y. – On Sunday, September 30th, more than 2,000 runners and walkers will be participating in the 15th annual Syracuse Festival of Races™ in the Manley Field House area. Drivers who normally use E. Colvin Street, Meadowbrook Drive, and either Lancaster Avenue or Buckingham Avenue south of Broad Street are asked to plan alternate routes during the hours of 8:45 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. that morning. All four of the Festival’s events—the Men’s 5K (9:00 a.m.), the Women’s 5K (9:45 a.m.), the 3K Fun & Fitness Run (10:45 a.m.), and the Dermody, Burke & Brown Community Fun(d) Walk (10:50 a.m.)—start and finish on E. Colvin St. near Manley Field House. Participants in the Festival of Races will range from area school children and their families to competitive runners from Canada, Russia, and a dozen states. In order to insure the safety of all race participants, the Syracuse Police Department and race volunteers will close the courses to normal vehicular traffic. East-side motorists can avoid the race courses entirely by using Comstock Avenue as a north-south route, and Euclid Avenue as an east-west route. Drivers are also encouraged to use Crawford Avenue (one block east of Meadowbrook Drive) to travel between Euclid Avenue and Nottingham Road from 8:45 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. The Syracuse Festival of Races™ appreciates the cooperation of area drivers as Syracuse hosts this popular community fitness event! September 27, 2007 Fascinating Faces in the Festival Fields SYRACUSE, N.Y. – As entries for the 15th annual Syracuse Festival of Races pour in, there’s a growing list of interesting stories among the people who’ll take part in the four events scheduled to start and finish outside Manley Field House on Sunday morning, September 30th. Margret Betz, 71, of Conklin, NY, will be attempting to run the fastest 5K road race ever by a U.S. woman aged 70 or older. Betz, who has previously set several US 5K records on the Festival of Races course, needs to surpass the pending record of 24:18, run by Toshiko D’Elia, of New Jersey. Should Betz average seven minutes 49 seconds per mile at the Festival, she’ll set both the U.S. single-age 5K road race record for women age 71, and the U.S. 5K road race age-group record for women 70 – 74—bringing the number of U.S records set or tied on the Syracuse Festival of Races course to nineteen. Rick Carter, 57, of Anchorage, AK, will be running the Festival of the fourth time in the past five years, which wouldn’t be terribly remarkable if he lived in Baldwinsville or Chittenango. But Rick Carter lives in Anchorage, Alaska, making his the longest trip to and from the Festival of anyone in this year’s field. Hope and David Grady, of Mercersburg, PA, are both natives of Syracuse. They make the trip home to CNY each year to lead the fundraising efforts of "Lauren’s Gold Ribbon Runners," a group of their friends and family members who participate in the Festival of Races in memory of the Hope and David’s daughter, Lauren, who died from a brain tumor at age two. "Lauren’s Gold Ribbon Runners" come to the Festival from three states, raising money and awareness about childhood cancer on behalf of the local Jonathan Cancer Fund, Inc. David Anthony, 18, or Liverpool, NY, is a veteran participant in the Festival of Races who’ll be wearing a different hat at this year’s event. Self-described as having run the Festival’s 3K Fun & Fitness Run with the group from Long Branch Elementary School "every year from when I was six until I was about thirteen," David, now a freshman at SU, will be volunteering at the 2007 event. He and a handful of fellow members of the SU Sports Management Club will be among the nearly 200 volunteers helping to make this year’s edition of the Festival run smoothly. Major sponsors of the 2007 Syracuse Festival of Races include: Dick’s Sporting Goods; Dermody, Burke & Brown; News 10 Now; Citadel Communications; the Syracuse New Times; Family Times; Stickley, Audi & Co.; P&C Food & Pharmacy; the Niagara Association of USA Track & Field; and the Syracuse Chargers Track Club, Inc. September 11, 2007 Calendar Quirk Accelerates Pace of Festival of Races Entries Syracuse, NY — For only the second time in the event’s fifteen-year history, the Syracuse Festival of Races will slide forward from its usual “first Sunday in October” onto the final Sunday in September, the 30th. The reason for the shift is 2007’s exceptionally early Columbus Day. The calendar anomaly has individual runners, club team coaches, school group coordinators, and non-profit group organizers racing to get themselves and their groups entered before the big—and unusually early—weekend. The Festival of Races, which starts and finishes outside Syracuse University’s Manley Field House, includes four distinct events: the Men’s 5K; the Women’s 5K; the 3K Fun & Fitness Run; and the Dermody, Burke & Brown Community Fun(d) Walk. Its flat and scenic courses have developed a large and enthusiastic following among all types of participants—from runners seeking fast finishing times to first-time road racers and fitness runners and walkers. “The super-early Columbus Day Weekend first pushed the Festival onto September 30th in 2001,” notes race director Dave Oja, “and it’ll come early in 2012 and 2018 as well. Then we won’t see it again until 2029.” According to Oja, the calendar quirk had no apparent impact on the total number of entrants in 2001, but it gave runners and walkers the impression that they had one less week to get themselves, their family members, and their school or non-profit groups entered. And with September now nearly half over, the rush is on to get those entries in. Fortunately for those not yet entered, race web sites and online race entry have made last-minute entry is easier than it was six year ago. Both online entry and downloadable entry forms are available to runners and walkers at www.festivalofraces.com. People can also call 446-6285 for additional information or to request hard copies of the entry form. Dick’s Sporting Goods in Shoppingtown Mall will host day-before-race registration from 10:00 to 2:00 on Saturday, September 29th, and people will be able to enter at Manley on race morning, the 30th. Major sponsors of the 2006 Syracuse Festival of Races include: Dick’s Sporting Goods; Dermody, Burke & Brown; News 10 Now; Citadel Communications; the Syracuse New Times; Family Times; Stickley, Audi & Co.; P&C Food & Pharmacy; the Niagara Association of USA Track & Field; and the Syracuse Chargers Track Club, Inc. August 31, 2006 BACK TO SCHOOL MEANS BACK TO FITNESS FOR FIDELIS CARE 3K FUN & FITNESS RUN SCHOOL GROUPS SYRACUSE, NY - As students, parents, and educators shift into "back to school" mode, organizers of the Fidelis Care 3K Fun & Fitness Run are gearing up for the 2006 edition of Central New York’s annual celebration of youth and family fitness. Each year for more than a decade, the non-competitive 3K (1.86-mile) running event – one of the four events at the 14th annual Festival of Races on Sunday, October 1 – has attracted over 2,000 participants from age 3 to 83. Participants include individuals, entire families, and school groups from as many as 40 area elementary and junior high schools. "This is a wonderful opportunity for families to take part in an activity that promotes exercise, fun and fitness," said Peter Avvento, Assistant Vice President of Marketing for Fidelis Care. "It is our hope that Central New Yorkers of all ages lace-up their sneakers and hit the ground running for what is sure to be an exciting event." As usual, Fidelis Care and Festival organizers are focused on introducing children, novice runners, and infrequent exercisers to the many benefits of participating in a non-competitive event like the 3K Fun & Fitness Run. "Pace and finishing time aren’t important in the 3K at the Festival," says Linda Oja, who organizes the group from Woodland Elementary School in East Syracuse. "The flat course, the expectation that there will be as much walking as running, and the celebration of finishing all make this event perfect for first-time participants." The Syracuse Festival of Races will start and finish at Syracuse University’s Manley Field House. Advance registration for the Fidelis Care 3K Fun & Fitness Run is $5 (13 and younger) or $8 (14 and older)—by far the most affordable entry fees of any CNY road running or walking event. All participants will receive a Fidelis Care 3K Fun & Fitness Run T-shirt. Awards are based on participation, not finishing place or time, with the largest school group earning the opportunity to design the artwork for next year’s 3K T-shirt. The Festival of Races provides participating schools with step-by-step instructions on how to organize a school group in the Fidelis Care 3K Fun & Fitness Run. Interested individuals and schools should call (446-6285) or e-mail (festivalofraces@a-znet.com) to request the packet or other information. Would-be participants are also encouraged to visit the event’s Web site at www.festivalofraces.com. Major sponsors of the 2006 Festival of Races include: Fidelis Care; Dick’s Sporting Goods; Dermody, Burke & Brown; News 10 Now; Time Warner Cable; Citadel Communications; the Syracuse New Times; Family Times; Stickley, Audi & Co.; American Airlines; P&C Food & Pharmacy; Kinney Drugs; and the Syracuse Chargers Track Club, Inc. Founded on the belief that all New Yorkers should have affordable, quality health insurance, Fidelis Care is a non-profit health plan serving more than 260,000 people in 36 counties across New York State. Through the Child Health Plus, Family Health Plus, and Medicaid programs, Fidelis Care members are covered for regular checkups, preventive care, hospital and emergency care, prescription drugs, immunizations, eye exams, dental care, and more. Fidelis Care members have access to a provider network of more than 29,000 healthcare professionals statewide. Regional offices are located in Syracuse, Buffalo, Albany, and Rego Park (Queens).
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