Skunk Cabbage Classic Half Marathon & 10K

Sunday, April 7, 2024 • Ithaca, NY • Course Map

Named for the plant species — and its unmistakably strong smell — that appears around the half-way point in the half-marathon portion of this Ithaca race event, the Skunk Cabbage Classic Half Marathon & 10K attract several hundred runners each year to both races combined in this upstate New York town, which is also the home of Cornell University.

The out-and-back loop race — both the half and the 10K share the same starting and finish lines — starts on Campus Road on the Cornell campus, and from there heads onto Garden Avenue and Tower Road before turning onto Dryden Road.

Runners can expect a steady (and gradual) uphill run for the race’s first five miles, which unfold first through campus and then through the rural areas just south of Cornell, including a crossing over Cascadilla Creek.

Once you reach Ellis Hollow Creek Road (the road along which most of the race takes place), the race course features some rolling hills, especially around the half-way point where the “famed” skunk cabbage is found.

Most of the rest of the running route — which is made up entirely of paved city streets — is fast and flat, or features some downhill stretches. After about miles 5 and 6, the race begins a long, steady and gradual downhill toward the finish line.

The course is sanctioned by USATF, organizers note, and the half marathon will feature four water stops.

Race Weather & Climate

The first weeks of spring bring warming weather to the Ithaca area, as temperatures for the month of April average between 56°F and 34°F, a welcome change from the prior months, which often see the mercury dip into the 20s and 30s. Wet weather is always a possibility, as Ithaca receives an average of just over 3.2 inches of rainfall during the month.

  • April 7 average low temp: 35ºF
  • April 7 average high temp: 48ºF

Past Results

Course Map

See the race route map for the Skunk Cabbage Classic Half Marathon here.

Starting Time

  • 10:00 AM – half marathon
  • 10:15 AM – 10K

Fees

See race website

Registration

To reserve your spot in the 2024 running of Ithaca’s Skunk Cabbage Classic Half Marathon or 10K race, register online at the event website here.

Official Race Website

www.fingerlakesrunners.org

Comments

Ever run in the Skunk Cabbage Classic? Share your impressions here, or post your review in the Comments below.

See more races in: April, New York

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