When we inaugurated our 5K Forest Run, we hoped for success, and we got it. The race has become a favorite of many who look forward to it every year. The race for 2026, our 20th, will be on August 15. Click here to register, and read this article from the Fall 2007 issue of the Newsletter for a glowing report of our first ever race.
Arboretum Inaugural 5K Forest Run Unqualified Success
On a day that was surely a meteorologist’s dream, close to 200 people gathered at the Capital Region’s Arboretum for the First Annual Arboretum Forest Run: a Cross Country 5K Classic.
The Saturday race was sponsored by Kintz Plastics of Howes Cave and NBT Bank of Duanesburg, NY, Members of the Albany Running Exchange arrived early and stayed late to provide the expertise and guidance needed to ensure success for the Arboretum’s initial foray into the running game.
For a completed list of participants and running times log on to www.albanyrunningexchange.org/results/searchResults.php. According to local realtor Jonathan DiCesare (Cobleskill), Arboretum trustee and 5K chair, “Josh Merlis of the Albany Running Exchange said we had excellent attendance – with a rock solid and impressive 128 finishers for a first-time race. We could not have carried off thie event without the help of the Exchange and the dozens of volunteers and supporters who worked so feverishly,” He acknowledged the support of Tammy Rumph, director of marketing for the Schoharie County ARC and board member of the FAM Run. He also adds with more than a little pride that his oldest son, Jonathan, and his mother, Alice, took top place in two bookend age groups.
Capital Region runners of all ages and levels of proficiency were invited to run and compete while enjoying spectacular view of the Schoharie countryside at the beautiful Landis Arboretum. Prizes were awarded in each age group (14 and under, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+) in this timed event.
“We’re very excited about the race itself – and about the fact that it is another first for the Arboretum,” says Mr. DiCesare. “Whether a runner is gearing up for the season ahead or winding down from a prior race or cross-country event, the Landis course will be as perfect as the natural beauty that surrounds it.” Mr. DiCesare invited all runners to use the Arboretum’s newly groomed 5K trails throughout the year. “We are open daily from dawn to dusk,” he told the crowd, “and 365 days a year.”
Mr. DiCesare, and agent for Realty USA, proposed the race in concert with another Landis trustee, Scott Trees, late last fall. At the time, he turned to Fred Breglia, Operations Director, for detailed knowledge of the Arboretum grounds, and to race coordinator Matt Nark of nearby Mechanicville, a seasoned and accomplished runner, for knowing the parameters needed to set a course that would be both challenging and inviting.
The result, says Mr. DiCesare, was threefold: a course that is challenging to runners at all skill levels, an inviting walk for those less interesting in running or competition, and appropriate use of the Arboretum’s spectacular 548 acres that straddle Schoharie and Montgomery counties.
The 5K course traversed many notable sites at Landis – including its Pioneer and Woodland trails, the 500-year-old iconographic Great Oak, symbol of the Arboretum, the Fred Lape Memorial stone, and the beautiful Van Loveland Gardens.
Discussion is under way regarding expanding the 5K event to include a race for younger children, a dog walk, and combining the 5K with Lape Day.
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The Landis Forest 5K, celebrating its 20th year in 2026, currently is under the management of Dave Roy and the S’cary Leg Runners. To learn more about Dave, read this article from the Summer 2017 issue of the Newsletter.