Registration is open for Albany’s 44th Annual Freihofer’s Run for Women.
One of America's most prestigious all-female 5K road races attracts runners from around the world. The 2021 race was pushed from June to September and the 2020 race was held virtually due to the pandemic. Organizers expect a return to the normal schedule in 2022, with the race set for Saturday, June 4th.
Run for Women Race Director Kristen Hislop says registration is now open.
"So we’ll encourage everybody to get out there and register," said Hislop. "And I also want to say because I know there, there is some, you know, hesitancy to maybe sign up for events still, that we are offering a virtual 5k as well. So not only are we offering a virtual 5k, we're offering a virtual training challenge. And if you sign up for the in person 5k right now and decide right before the race that you want to do the virtual, we are just going to transfer that over. So if you sign up for the virtual now and you want to transfer into the in person later on, that's fine, too. So we want to give people flexibility. We know we know, it's a tough time still, it’s getting better, but we understand that.”
Tovah Lisky, Senior Vice President of Association Advancement for Capital District YMCA, says the Training Challenge to prepare for the race opens on March 21 at various area Y locations, as well as online.
“The YMCA is not only privileged to promote health and wellness in the city of Albany, but also to play a significant role in youth development, programming, our work and social responsibility and promoting our equity agenda," said Lisky. "We are very excited to open our doors to the athletes this spring. And for our staff to be volunteers cheering on women at the finish line.”
Lisky says participants will get a 12-week membership at the Capital District Y and that membership can be used at any of the locations.
Brian Yates is a certified running coach who mentors for the training challenge.
“Last year I had the opportunity to work with a group of beginner runners and intermediate runners and found it frankly very rewarding," said Yates. "As a coach, as a professional coach, I get to work with athletes all the time and everyone has their own reasons for joining the training challenge, and whatever they are, my role is to is to mentor and guide and provide support to the ladies that are out working on their fitness and wellbeing journey. Right now we're encouraging folks to become mentors for the training challenge. If you have any interest in becoming a mentor for the training challenge, reach out.”
Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan says it is important to think about our health during these challenging times.
“The Freihofer’s Run is something that is multi-generational by now here in the city of Albany and across the region," Sheehan said. "One of my favorite things is to see, you know, grandmothers, daughters, grandchildren, and sometimes even great grandchildren running in this race. And the community that builds up around it. I've done the training challenge before, I was really hesitant to run in this race, I'm not a runner, but it gave me the confidence and the ability to run a 5k, and then run it faster, and then run it even a little faster. So it is a really great opportunity for anyone who's out there thinking about being part of this tradition here in the Capital Region. And I can speak from experience to say, you'll be supported, you'll build your confidence, and you'll be surrounded by people who are there to cheer you on and to help you succeed in this.”
For more information on the 44th Annual Freihofer’s Run for Women, the annual Kids’ Run, and the Freihofer’s Junior 3K Run, visit the Run Sign Up Page. More information can also be found onFacebook,Instagram,Twitter, andYouTube pages
