With each passing day, the sun sets sooner and the air grows cooler. It’s only a matter of time before the leaves take their turn to change colors and fall to the ground.
Seconds after we walk out the door in the morning for work or school, we’re quickly reminded — by the goosebumps on our arms — to grab a coat before hitting the road.
This is a time for festivals and football, for carving pumpkins and dreaming up Halloween costumes. While many prefer to navigate the corn mazes wielding a pumpkin spice latte, I’m more of an apple cider guy, myself.
I’ve never met a person that’s disliked the fall season, but I can think of one group in particular that adores this time of year: Runners.
Conditions for running don’t get much better than this. With lower temps and humidity, breathing is much easier and our hearts are under less pressure. The risk of heat fatigue and dehydration is significantly reduced, not to mention we’re much less sweaty.
In other words, we can run faster and longer. Which is perfect considering the scenic backdrop of the fall.
It’s amazing how the vibrant leaf foliage, coupled with the gold autumn light, can lift our spirits and make us want to extend our runs. Whether you run in the morning to a chorus of birdsong or in the evening to the distant sound of a practicing marching band, fall running can also be a treat for our ears, in addition to our eyes.
Fall is the perfect season to start training for the Turkey Trot and building base mileage to prepare for spring racing. If you’ve also been running over the summer, there’s a good chance these miles will be stacking up faster than expected.
While fall running has plenty of practical uses in the competitive realm of the sport, I like to use it to help get ahead of the grayness and sadness that comes with the following season: Winter. For me, at least, running has been one of the best ways to counter seasonal depression, and that starts with establishing an exercise routine in the fall.
Why wait until New Year’s to lace up those shoes? The best time to go for a run is right now, in the fall.
1 STEP BACK, 3 STEPS FORWARD
Several runners from the Local.News1 coverage area turned in sparkling performances on the C&O Canal Towpath for Lock 2 Lock Marathon Weekend.
Hagerstown’s Harol Samir Baca Ponce took sixth overall in the marathon in 3:08:10, while Chambersburg’s Laurie Dymond posted a time of 3:26:02 to finish as second female. Other top times were provided by Hagerstown’s Umberto Marangoni Neto (3:32:59) and Sharon Allen (3:53:39), Chambersburg’s Bryton Hazelton (4:30:38), and Waynesboro’s Mark Spurrier (5:11:59).
Jonathan Kisas, of Smithsburg, was the top local finisher at the Lock 2 Lock Half Marathon, clocking a 1:32:48 to place eighth in the field of 149 runners. Chambersburg’s Rachel Stone (1:37:59) and Hagerstown’s Allie Isaacs (1:42:12) finished as second and third female. Those three runners were chased by Chambersburg’s Ryan St. Clair (1:50:57), Hagerstown’s Matthew Doyle (2:04:48), and Waynesboro’s Kevin Smith (2:00:41).
As for the Lock 2 Lock 10K, Angie Rhoderick-Kesecker finished as second female in 50:26, while fellow Hagerstown runner Lidiaveen Smith won the Masters Division in 1:01:02.
Locals flocked to two other races — the Furnace Run Trail Run 5K in Shippensburg and the Labor Day Free 5K in Gettysburg — and posted brilliant performances. In Shippensburg, Top 10 finishes were logged by Chambersburg’s James Kinton (7th in 21:46) and Jackson Faith (9th in 22:00), and Greencastle’s Matthew Smith (8th in 21:57), with Fort Loudon’s Dennis Reamer II (23:32) and Fayetteville’s Oliver Soper (24:36) also running fast races. The Labor Day race was highlighted by the efforts of Chambersburg’s Chase Goshorn, who recorded an 18:56 to take fifth overall in the field of 337 runners. Goshorn was followed by Fayetteville’s Dominic Decker (20:46) and Riley Decker (22:03), and Fairfield’s Matt Hobbs (23:03).
In Cascade, Md., the 3.8-mile High Rock Mountain Running Challenge saw two area runners land in the Top 10: Hagerstown’s Kevin Magno (4th in 25:49) and Waynesboro’s Kyle Downs (7th in 28:46). Notable times were also recorded by Chambersburg’s Katie Ziegler (30:55) and Hagerstown’s Shiloh Heurich (32:08).
Two Franklin County runners, Chambersburg’s Ziad Ahmed and Greencastle’s Evan Hill, zipped to top finishes at the Harrisburg Half Marathon. Ahmed finished in 1:38:46, while Hill crossed the finish line in 1:39:16 to win the 1-19 AG. The Harrisburg 10K included finishes from Chambersburg’s Christine Metcalfe (1:02:26) and Fairfield’s Jen Warden (1:02:49).
The Bird-In-Hand Half Marathon saw three area runners break the two-hour barrier: Chambersburg’s Jacob Ruzicka (1:50:25), Dana Rosenberry (1:56:05), and Esteban Padro-Rodriguez (1:59:01).
Waynesboro’s John Kotz led a sizable group of area competitors at the Savage Race Maryland in Kennedyville, Md. Kotz recorded a time of 1:25:21 to take third in the 40-44 AG, and was followed by Hagerstown’s Ana McClellan (1:49:54) and Henry Strand (2:05:14), Fairfield’s Bradford Shughart (1:54:49), and Waynesboro’s Travis Buffington (2:00:33), Victoria Buffington (2:00:34), Aspen Buffington (2:00:34), and Joshua Clapsaddle (2:00:36).
A number of others were active in races across the region and beyond, including Greencastle’s Brenden Gable (32:08 at Sasquatch Preservation Trail Run 5K), Matthew Smith (1:36:09 at Howard’s Half Marathon), and Mark Taylor (4:49:38 at Erie Marathon), Chambersburg’s Shawn Coldsmith (25:12 at Bird-In-Hand 5K), Larry Smith (28:32 at Howard’s 5K), Kevin Woy (31:54 at Tim Kerr 5K Island Run), and Stacy Guyer (1:29:53 at Sasquatch Preservation Trail Run 10K), Fairfield’s Ronald Black (54:39 at Lake Needwood 10K), and Hagerstown’s Wriley Eisenman (21:10 at George Washington Patriot Run 5K) and Mary Plank (2:07:57 at Charles Street 12).
And finally, a shoutout to Greencastle’s Rachel Scheitrum, who visited Wellsboro for the Pine Creek Challenge 100 Miler and completed the race in 28:41:16.
And now, a look ahead:
Inspired to Run 5K: Saturday, 8 a.m., in Mechanicsburg. Adventure Park will serve as the backdrop for this race, which calls itself a celebration of endurance, determination, and community. Find the race on runsignup.com.
Frederick Market Street Mile: Saturday, 9 a.m., in Frederick, Md. This race, which goes through historic downtown Frederick, has been running since 1983. Check out the event on frederickmarketstreetmile.com.
Uprise Festival 5K: Saturday, 9 a.m., in Shippensburg. Benefits from this race, held at the Shippensburg Fairgrounds, go to the Uprise Festival. Register for the race on timberhilltiming.com.
Also: 5K Run for Recovery (Saturday, in Lancaster); All Hollowed Out 5K (Saturday, in Carlisle); Boulder Field Ultra 50K/100K (Saturday, in Jim Thorpe); Creation House 5K Rugged Trail Run (Saturday, in Littlestown); Gretna Gritty Mud Run 5K (Saturday, in Lebanon); Hershey Miracle 5K (Saturday, in Hershey); Jack & Jill’s Downhill Marathon (Saturday, in Lehighton); Left, Right, Left 5K (Saturday, in Middletown); Medal Madness 5K/10K (Saturday, in York); Rock ‘N The Knob Trail Races 10K/13.1M/50K (Saturday, in Claysburg); Ron Shields Perry 5000 (Saturday, in New Bloomfield); Steel City Man vs. Horse 10K/13.1M (Saturday, in Burgettstown); E-Racing Prostate Cancer 5K (Sunday, in Harrisburg); Explore More Outdoors Community 5K (Sunday, in Lewisberry); Marshcreek Sprint Triathlon (Sunday, in Downingtown); The Dam Half (Sunday, in Mifflinburg); Thirsty Thursday 5K (Thursday, Sept. 18, in Reading); Amblebrook 5K (Saturday, Sept. 20, in Gettysburg); Boulder Beast 25K/24M (Saturday, Sept. 20, in Lock Haven); Distant Area Vol. Fire Dept. PB Festival Half Marathon (Saturday, Sept. 20, in New Bethlehem); FAAP Fall Classic 5K/10K/20K (Saturday, Sept. 20, in Pittsburgh); Fall Feet 5K (Saturday, Sept. 20, in State College); Medal Madness 5K/10K (Saturday, Sept. 20, in Akron); Morning Star Shooting Star 5K (Saturday, Sept. 20, in Harrisburg); Pennsylvania Brewery Running Series 5K (Saturday, Sept. 20, in Pittsburgh); Pretzel Twist Race 5K (Saturday, Sept. 20, in Lititz); Run to Revive 5K (Saturday, Sept. 20, in Manheim); Totally 80s East Pete 5K (Saturday, Sept. 20, in East Petersburg); Triple Dam Trail Ran 10K (Saturday, Sept. 20, in Green Lane); Troegs Rugged Trail Run for Conservation 5K (Saturday, Sept. 20, in Mifflinburg); YMCA Autumn Dash 5K (Saturday, Sept. 20, in Shrewsbury); Muddy Mamas Mud Run 5K (Saturday, Sept. 20, in Boonsboro, Md.); Baker’s Dozen Half Marathon (Sunday, Sept. 21, in Beaver Falls); Erie Duathlon (Sunday, Sept. 21, in Erie); Five Forks Church Autumn Harvest 5K (Sunday, Sept. 21, in Shippensburg); Forever Friends Memorial Run 5K (Sunday, Sept. 21, in Myerstown); Grind for the Run 3M Obstacle Run (Sunday, Sept. 21, in Warminster); Harvest Half Marathon (Sunday, Sept. 21, in Boston); Mountain Creek Mayhem (Sunday, Sept. 21, in Gardners); Race For Their Lives 5K (Sunday, Sept. 21, in Lewisberry).
