Dutchess County Classic a gem of a race run with familiar faces taking the lead – Poughkeepsie Journal

Pete Colaizzo, Special to Poughkeepsie Journal Published 6:00 a.m. ET Sept. 17, 2019

The 41st Dutchess County Classic brings runners through Dutchess County and onto the Walkway Over The Hudson. Patrick Oehler, Poughkeepsie Journal

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So much was new and rejuvenating about the 41st running of the Dutchess County Classic on Sunday, the first time in its long history the race was staged from Dutchess Community College in the Town of Poughkeepsie.

All three courses started and finished at DCC, with the majority of all three races — 5-kilometer, half marathon, full marathon — being run on the beautiful William R. Steinhaus Dutchess Rail Trail (DRT). After a brief stint on Creek Road in the Town of Poughkeepsie, all races entered the DRT at the Morgan Lake trailhead. The 5km continued east on the trail, while the two longer races went west and over the Walkway Over the Hudson before returning to Dutchess County for the majority of the race.

Although the Walkway tends to draw the attention and the headlines for this Mid-Hudson Road Runners Club race, it is in the shade, solace and solitary miles of the DRT where the event draws its true identity. It is where the MHRRC’s signature event truly becomes a classic for Dutchess County. The temporary void left by the abrupt halting of the Walkway’s marathon race series was quickly forgotten on a sunny late-summer Sunday — filled with a gem of a race, an event by and for runners.

Scenes from the 41st Dutchess County Classic in Poughkeepsie on September 15, 2019.

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The men's and women's 5K Dutchess County Classic winners pose together. Mike Chow of Wappingers Falls is next to Pleasant Valley's Marisa Sutera Strange, who won the women's race for a 20th straight year.

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Friends and former Marist College track and field teammates Mike Kennedy (left) and Palmer Weimann pose after finishing the Dutchess County Classic half marathon. Wiemann won and Kennedy was second.

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Hyde Park native Garrett Burger crosses the finish line to win the men's marathon at the Dutchess County Classic on Sunday.

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Poughkeepsie's Meghan Mullins, who is four months pregnant, completed the 5K in the Dutchess County Classic on Sunday.

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Jeremy Maogo and Celso Rojas, who completed the half marathon, are joined by Jacob Velez, who helps run The Marathon Project, a local distance-running program for at-risk youth.

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Palenville's Madeline Mercado won the women's marathon in the Dutchess County Classic on Sunday.

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Maria Bournias competes in the 41st Dutchess County Classic in the City of Poughkeepsie on September 15, 2019.

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The leaders of the marathon make their way over the Walkway Over The Hudson during the 41st Dutchess County Classic in the City of Poughkeepsie on September 15, 2019.

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Runners make their way over the Walkway Over The Hudson during the 41st Dutchess County Classic in the City of Poughkeepsie on September 15, 2019.

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Jeremy Lucca of Suffern carries an American Flag while running over the Walkway Over The Hudson during the 41st Dutchess County Classic in the City of Poughkeepsie on September 15, 2019.

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From left, Hannah and Kate Polumbo of Marlboro cheer on runners during the 41st Dutchess County Classic in the City of Poughkeepsie on September 15, 2019.

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Nancy Foster of Hopewell Junction cheers on runners during the 41st Dutchess County Classic in the City of Poughkeepsie on September 15, 2019.

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From left, Lea Morlock, Judy Polito and Anna Gardey wait near the finish line to cheer on runners during the 41st Dutchess County Classic in the Town of Poughkeepsie on September 15, 2019.

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Lori Decker from the Mid-Hudson Road Runners cheers on runners as they near the finish line during the 41st Dutchess County Classic in the Town of Poughkeepsie on September 15, 2019.

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The Walkway Over the Hudson is readied for the 41st Dutchess County Classic in the City of Poughkeepsie on September 15, 2019.

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Scenes from the 41st Dutchess County Classic in the City of Poughkeepsie on September 15, 2019.

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Scenes from the 41st Dutchess County Classic in the Town of Poughkeepsie on September 15, 2019.

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And while there was a new-race feel to the Classic — with the Creek Road parking lot at DCC forming perhaps the most perfect pre- and post-race setting in the race’s five-decade history — some things remained business as usual: The winners of the 5km race were, as most years in recent memory, Mike Chow and Marisa Strange.

Strange’s winning streak at the Classic 5km continues unabated, as she remains in prime shape as the best masters’ runner at her age in the United States. For Chow, the 40-year-old from Wappingers Falls continues also to have remarkable staying power, as he has been at the top of MHRRC races for more than a decade as well.

Chow’s success is no secret: He runs a lot of hard miles in training, and he races frequently, usually at shorter distances like the Classic 5km. After he entered the masters category with his 40th birthday in January, in an email earlier this summer, he said: “If I could characterize my goals, they would be to keep at it, to continue doing what I have been able to do (train and race consistently), stay (relatively) injury free by being smart about the training and racing, and enjoy this late phase of a runner’s life cycle where the fire and desire to train and compete start to abate (slightly).’’

One concession to age is that Chow has lowered his weekly training mileage from the 90s to the 70s — still quite high for the relatively short distances he races. Chow is all about working hard and getting the results from it.

“What was a surprising result,’’ he said of the lower mileage, “is that I continue to set personal bests while on lower mileage. Quantity only gets you so far.’’

Chow said one other factor he considers due to age is the need for more recovery time between hard sessions, with his favorite speed venue being the track. The Classic’s flat and fast course on Sunday suits Chow’s training preferences.

“My favorite training venues continue to be on the flattest courses possible although I admit I could benefit from some runs over more challenging terrain,’’ he said.

So far, Chow’s formula for success seems to have passed the test of time. The new finish line at Sunday’s Dutchess County Classic was further validation of that. We’ll have more thoughts on the 2019 Classic in next week’s column.

Congrats to our good pal from the Poughkeepsie-based Middle-Aged Machines runners, Michel Joseph, who earned a Boston Marathon qualifying mark last week in Pennsylvania. The 52-year-old Joseph ran 3:23:59 at the St. Luke’s Via Marathon, placing 152nd out of 645 finishers.

Here is his race report:

“The St. Luke’s Via Marathon is a beautiful, flat, scenic, well-organized, smaller marathon that runs mostly on a towpath along the Lehigh Valley river. There is upbeat support between the runners. The volunteers and spectators were very enthusiastic and encouraging. The finisher’s medal is colorful and decorative. The finish line festivities were enjoyable. The stretches on the trails were forgiving on the legs and had lots of shade which kept it cool. I ran smart in the first half, not expending too much energy, stayed focus and hydrated well. The last four miles were challenging. From mile 22 on it was all mental; my legs gave out and I had a difficult time maintaining the pace. At that point, I tried to maintain the effort to get to the finish line. My thanks to St. Luke’s Via Marathon staff, the fans, and volunteers, to my family, my MAM’s running partners for their support and encouragement in helping gained my BQ2020!”

He will be joined by his MAMs training partner, John McKee, who earned a Boston qualifier with his 10th-place finish at the Classic on Sunday. Congrats to both men, who continue to inspire in their age group.

Mid-Hudson Road Runners Club member Pete Colaizzo, the track coach at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, writes on running every week in Players. He can be reached at runhed246@hotmail.com. For more club information, go to www.mhrrc.org

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