New York > Woods Walk & Trail Run Half Marathon Portville, NY addthis
Date
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Event
Details
The inaugural Woods Walk & Trail Run Half Marathon took 150
runners in the summer of 2007 through the hilly, challenging trails of
the Allegheny
Mountains just outside the town of Portville, near the southwestern
corner of New York State. Hosted by the Pfeiffer Nature Center, a
local nonprofit dedicated to preserving more than 600 acres of forest
lands in the mountain areas outside Olean and Portville, the race takes
participants along portions of the nine miles of hiking trails the
center maintains, and offers visitors a chance to sample its
educational programs and take in the area's spectacular mountain views.
The half-marathon race -- the event also includes a two-mile race, 5K
and 10K -- is considered the most rugged and challenging part of the
event. "Designed for serious runners, this trail will push you to the
limit," organizers say. Along the well-established foot paths through
the woods, you'll tackle some serious elevation changes, ranging from
1,400 feet to more than 2,200 feet above sea level. The most
challenging hills in the race occur between miles 1 and 4, and miles 8
and 11, as half-marathon participants run a 6.5-mile loop trail twice.
While the half-marathon portion of the event is open only to runners,
walkers are encouraged to participate in the 2-Mile Walk (which, as the
name suggests, is open to walkers only), and in the 5K and 10K races.
Race
Weather & Climate
The late weeks of spring/early weeks of summer bring mild, pleasant
weather to the Portville area, with June temperatures that average
between 76°F and 49°F. June is also the town's wettest
month of
the year, with just over 5 inches of rainfall on average for the month.
