GENESEO – The long-anticipated Annual Oak Tree Half Marathon, the most popular running race in Western New York, will begin within two weeks, on August 31.
More than 300 runners, led by a cyclist from the Livingston County Cycling Club, will start at 8:00a.m. from the Geneseo Central School, head into Main Street Geneseo, and then complete a grueling 13.1 mile half-marathon on local roads with a spectacular view of the Genesee Valley. The course runs straight through thousands of acres of some of Western New York’s most impressive valley scenery, all preserved and protected by the Genesee Valley Nature Conservancy.
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The 5K running and walking event will better suit participants looking for a more moderate distance. About 400 5K runners, led by a Genesee Valley Jeep, will briefly tour the Village of Geneseo, starting at8:15a.m. southbound on Main Street and continuing onto Center Street, Highland Road, North Street, Church Street and Route 39. Runners will turn into the Geneseo Central School track and complete a ¾ loop to finish. All of these roads will be closed to vehicle traffic during the race.
The bigger half-marathon starts off south into the Village of Geneseo on Main Street, circles the fountain downtown, then returns north on Main Street, north to Route 39, passes the starting line, continues onto Nations Road, Roots Tavern Road, Route 39 to Houston Road, Nations Road back to Route 39, then south toward the Geneseo Central School, turns right onto the school driveway, turns right to enter the track, and finally turns onto the track and completes a ¾ loop to finish. See a course map here.
The course is designed to run straight through the National Historic Landmark District of Geneseo, and skirt idyllic Oak Grove savannahs, sheep pastures, and horse farms.
The race will again provide the amenities for which it is so loved, making it a small-town race with entertainment and food on a big city scale. Live music will play at multiple spots along the course, historic aircraft will periodically fly overhead, and hand-made finisher medals, that showcases the beauty of the Genesee Valley.
Walkers are welcome to join in, but are required to start at 7a.m. if they do not expect to finish before the course closes 3 hours and 15 minutes after start time. All early starters will have to walk for a minimum of 3 hours. Runners are not allowed to register for the early start time.
There will be seven water stations and five gatorate stations along the way, and restrooms at mile 1.5, mile 4, mile 11, and at the start and finish.
Medical personnel will be patrolling the course on an ATV with basic medical supplies, a defibrillator, and emergency water. EMS personnel will be staged at the finish line in case of emergencies.
All registered runners will receive male or female fitted A4 Technical t-shirts. Surplus shirts will be sold at the event for $10 for the 2014 shirt, and $5 for previous years.
The post-race feast at Geneseo Central school will be courtesy of GioVanna’s Pizza & Pasta, Wegmans, and Tops Friendly Markets.
Finishers will receive a hand-made pottery medal featuring an Oak Tree from Hog Shed Studio, with a custom printed lanyard, and a commemorative Oak Tree reusable plastic cup.
There will be plenty of prizes for placing finishers, record breakers and lucky raffle ticket holders, including a $100 cash prize, framed photos of Geneseo oak trees, engraved Genesee Valley Conservancy glasses, Once Again Nut Butter products, and Monks’ Bread from the Abbey of the Genesee.
Top finishers will also receive a small live oak tree, grown from a Genesee Valley acorn, to be planted somewhere special and keep the valley green.
PHOTO CAPTION: File Photo.