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Kingston, NY – A bit of tradition is on its way back in one Hudson Valley city. WAMC's Greg Fry reports that organizers hope one event will bring thousands to the region...
The Kingston Classic is a 10-K race run through the streets of the city known for its legacy as the first capital of New York state. The race was first run in 1982, and in its prime, drew in more than one-thousand runners during a weekend each spring. Last year the race wasn't held due to a number of issues - mainly the fact that there was no one to organize it.
That's all changed, as Greg Riley with the Kiwanis Club of Kingston, explains
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After a one-year hiatus, organizers hope that they can bring back thousands to the city for a weekend full of events, beginning April 16th. Riley says they've made some changes, in response to some of the criticism regarding the race
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The race will also tie in with a number of initiatives on the county level. Ulster County Tourism Director Rick Remsnyder says there's no better way to showcase the city, and all of Ulster County, than to have runners traveling through on-foot
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The race also fits in with a relatively unheralded tourism asset for the county. Again, here's Remsnyder
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From a public health perspective, county officials are using the race as an opportunity to promote their initiative to make Ulster County the healthiest in the state. It's an initiative that kicked off after Dr. Lamar Hasbrouck took over as the top official in the county's health department
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A number of county officials will participate in the race, including county executive Mike Hein. Riley says they've received a significant amount of support from the greater Kingston community, including sponsors
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A number of the details for the events on April 16th and 17th, such as policing, are still being worked out.