EVL Halloween Half Marathon

Saturday, October 21, 2023 • Ellicottville, NY • Course Map

A race through the rolling hills of western New York, cool fall temperatures and the chance to run in your favorite Halloween costume, any character you want — that’s what awaits runners at the EVL Halloween Half Marathon & 5K, which makes its 8th annual running this year in this tiny village in western New York, the home of the Holiday Valley ski resort.

Here in “EVL” — short for Ellicottville, a small town of just under 2,000 souls — runners will follow an out-and-back course that starts and finishes near the center of town, at the intersection of Monroe Street and Hughey Alley.

From there, the course heads north into the countryside, unfolding along a combination of rolling hills and tree-lined rural highways, which organizers say are lightly traveled and should see very little traffic on the morning of the race.

After turning from Monroe Street onto Elizabeth Street, runners then turn left again on Mechanic Street, which becomes Maples Road as they head north. For the next three miles, runners stay on Maples until they reach Kent Road, where they turn right and head north. Two miles later, they turn left on Hinman Hollow Road and then left again to get back on Maples, which starts the race’s biggest uphill stretch.

The next few miles head all uphill (gradually) as runners make their way south along Maples and then turn right on Hencoop Hollow Road, where they make roughly a mile-long out-and-back. Then it’s back to Maples and a right turn to head south back to Ellicottville, where they’ll cross the finish line back on Monroe Street.

If you don’t feel up to running 13.1 miles, there’s also a 5K race that starts 15 minutes after the half marathon’s 11:00 AM start time. Water stations will be placed about every 2 miles along the course, and runners will have 3 hours, 15 minutes to complete the half.

Organizers urge runners thinking of signing up for the race to do so as early as possible — so they can “start thinking about finding a costume that won’t chafe.” Very important, indeed.

Race Climate & Weather

Located in the Southern Tier region of western New York state, roughly an hour’s drive south from Buffalo, Ellicottville typically sees October temperatures between 37 and 57, while precipitation amounts average just over 4 inches for the month.

On the day of the race (Oct. 21), the average low is 33ºF and the average high is 52ºF.

Past Results

Course Map

See the EVL Halloween Half Marathon course map here.

Starting Time

11:00 AM – half marathon
11:15 AM – 5K

Fees

$60 – $85 for the in-person half marathon
$30 – $45 for the 5K

Registration

To reserve your spot in the 2023 running of Ellicottville’s EVL Halloween Half Marathon, 5K or Kids Race, register online at RunSignUp.com here.

Official Race Website

evlhalf.com

Comments

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