7 fall races that can give you an instant PR
Signed up for a fall race? Sure, you could do a traditional distance: 5k, 10k, half marathon, marathon. Or you can try something different, if not to switch up your race distances, but to grab yourself a new personal record because you've never run it before - and maybe a burger or two in between.
Here are seven fall races that can give you that instant PR.
Dine and Dash Burgers and Trail Race on Sept. 5 in Hamburg, Pa. This is a two-mile run with a meaty twist. Runners start by eating a burger. Then they run a mile, eat another burger, and run back to the start. Awards go to fastest male and female, best costume, and a judge's choice. Why hamburgers? It's not just because of the location - it's because the race is on the same day as the town's Taste of Hamburg-er Festival. More information at bluemountainwildlife.com.
Tim Kerr 7 Mile Island Run on Sept. 6 in Avalon. This race is seven miles because of where it's held: the island that's home both Avalon and Stone Harbor, which is seven miles long. They have a 5k too if you're not scoping out a new PR, or you have friends or family who want a shorter race. More information at timkerrcharities.org
Ocean City 5 Mile Beach run on Sept. 7 in Ocean City. Five miles might not seem like an odd distance, but you don't see many of these races because it's smack in the middle of the much more popular 5k (3.1 miles) and 10k (6.2 miles) races. The extra challenge here is that the race is on the sand, and running on sand is more difficult than running on asphalt. Even if you have a five-mile PR, you could set your five mile sand PR on Labor Day instead. More information at ocnj.us.
Parks to Pavement 4 Miler on Sept. 12 in Ambler, Pa. As the name of the race suggests, this is a combined road and trail run. It begins at Temple University's Ambler campus and finishes at on the trails of the Rose Valley Preserve and Robbins Park. More information at runtheday.com.
L.B.I. 18-Mile Run on Oct. 11. This 18-mile race runs the length of Long Beach Island, starting in Holgate and heading north. Many runners use this as a tune up for a fall marathon, or to get in an 18-mile run with other people. The race has a 10:30a.m. start, and the course doesn't have much shade - so make sure to remember your sunscreen. More information at stfranciscenterlbi.org.
Sloppy Cuckoo Trail Run Quarter Marathon on Oct. 11 in Philadelphia. That's right - a quarter marathon, or 6.55 miles. You'll be part of a larger event in Pennypack Park that also includes a half and full marathon plus a 12-hour race. This batch of races was supposed to be held on Sept. 27 but moved to Oct. because of the Pope's visit. Since it's a trail run, leave your road times behind. Like running on the sand, running on soft trails is harder and will slow you down. More information at uberendurance.com.
Delaware Canal Twenty Miler on Oct. 25 in Washington's Crossing, Pa. Much like the LBI 18, this race is used by a lot of runners as part of marathon training - either to do a 20-mile training run with aid stations and support, or to get in a long run at harder effort to see where they're at in preparing for the big 26.2. The race is held on the Delaware Canal State Park towpath, which is a clear, flat, well maintained trail but not paved. More information at runbucks.com.
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