Finger Lakes Runners Club

05/27/2026

Change of plans for tonight's (Wednesday) practice for FLRC Marching in Ithaca Parade! New meeting spot 6:30 PM: Cornell Vet School B Lot. Stewart Park is reportedly going to be overflowing with 30 volleyball games and the IYB track program, so we’re moving to the canonical XC carpool spot at the back of Cornell’s B Lot off Rt 366/Dryden Road (https://maps.app.goo.gl/asiucBiXa3KypExJ7), where it says Park Here in the image in the comments. We’ll decide on a post-practice drinks location once we’re there (Brewer's, Hopshire, Personal Best, Liquid State?).

Hey FLRCers—get ready to show your club colors! We had big fun marching in the Ithaca Festival Parade last year, and FLRC will be doing it again this year on Thursday, May 28 from 5-7 PM. FLRC Marching in Ithaca Parade

We want YOU to join us! We’re celebrating the full spectrum of Ithaca’s running community, from speedy tracksters and rugged trail runners to gritty road racers and stroller-pushing parents. Everyone in FLRC is welcome, whether you’re working your way through Couch to 5K, cheering from the sidelines while nursing an injury, or making it all happen as a volunteer. The more, the merrier!

We’ll have a low-key practice session the night before at Stewart Park for those who can make it, with drinks on the club afterward for anyone who wants to stick around.

Let’s show Ithaca what FLRC is all about—fun, fitness, and community. Bring your club pride and plenty of pizzazz!

If you’re in, fill out the poll questions on the forum below so we can get a sense of the numbers, and be sure to let us know which FLRC-focused shirt you’ll be wearing.

https://forum.fingerlakesrunners.org/t/march-with-flrc-in-the-2026-ithaca-festival-parade/9967

05/24/2026

Hey FLRCers—get ready to show your club colors! We had big fun marching in the Ithaca Festival Parade last year, and FLRC will be doing it again this year on Thursday, May 28 from 5-7 PM. FLRC Marching in Ithaca Parade

We want YOU to join us! We’re celebrating the full spectrum of Ithaca’s running community, from speedy tracksters and rugged trail runners to gritty road racers and stroller-pushing parents. Everyone in FLRC is welcome, whether you’re working your way through Couch to 5K, cheering from the sidelines while nursing an injury, or making it all happen as a volunteer. The more, the merrier!

We’ll have a low-key practice session the night before at Stewart Park for those who can make it, with drinks on the club afterward for anyone who wants to stick around.

Let’s show Ithaca what FLRC is all about—fun, fitness, and community. Bring your club pride and plenty of pizzazz!

If you’re in, fill out the poll questions on the forum below so we can get a sense of the numbers, and be sure to let us know which FLRC-focused shirt you’ll be wearing.

https://forum.fingerlakesrunners.org/t/march-with-flrc-in-the-2026-ithaca-festival-parade/9967

05/24/2026

Now we’re really hitting our stride with the FLRC Challenge! We’re up to 128 of our friends and neighbors running, and we just set a weekly mileage record for the year, with over 750 miles this week. Lots of items to go over, and only so much space here, so check out all the details on the forum: https://forum.fingerlakesrunners.org/t/update-5-for-the-2026-flrc-challenge/10018

*Get a shirt (register this weekend!)
*Get a lawn sign
*Duck Trails reroute: https://fingerlakesrunners.org/challenge/duck-trails/
*Fall Creek Trails closed Thursday May 28: https://forum.fingerlakesrunners.org/t/fall-creek-trails-star-posts-2026/9859/2
*Tortoise & Hare shortened: https://fingerlakesrunners.org/challenge/tortoise-and-hare/
*Edit your Personal Challenge
*Waterfront Trail group run Sunday: https://forum.fingerlakesrunners.org/t/flrc-challenge-group-run-sunday-5-24-at-9-am-at-stewart-park-waterfront-trail/10019
*Record WDF and Thom B finishes
*Our first finisher!
*Overall leaders

To finish, here are some excellent photos of Challengers crossing off courses and a goose day care center on the move.

More info: https://fingerlakesrunners.org/challenge/
Register: https://www.webscorer.com/register?pid=1&raceid=424732

05/15/2026

The FLRC Challenge community grows every week, and we’re now up to 115 participants, with 67 people having recorded at least one run so far, totaling almost 2,500 miles. That total miles number is extremely helpful when we talk about the Challenge—and FLRC in general—with other trail, club, and political leaders in our area, so please record all your Challenge-eligible runs even if they’re not part of your Personal Challenge. For instance, everyone running the Thom B Trail Runs - 8.5, 17, or 26.2 miles tomorrow can record one, two, or even three completions on the Thom B. course. (So, no group run this weekend—see you at Thom B!)

More info: https://fingerlakesrunners.org/challenge/
Register: https://www.webscorer.com/register?pid=1&raceid=424732

Keep recruiting your friends! We're planning to place the shirt order on Monday, May 25, so anyone who wants to be sure of getting a shirt should register by then.

Lots more fun stats on the forum! https://forum.fingerlakesrunners.org/t/update-4-for-the-2026-flrc-challenge/10003

05/14/2026

The race directors, food crew, timing team, and others are finalizing preparations for the Thom B Trail Runs - 8.5, 17, or 26.2 miles on Hammond Hill this Saturday, May 16. The race will offer 8.5 miles of trail (run one loop), 17 miles (run the loop twice), or 26.2 miles (run a baby loop and then complete the loop three times). The 3-loop marathon starts at 7 AM, the 2-loop 17-mile race at 8 AM, and the 1-loop 8.5-mile race begins at 9 AM.

More info: https://fingerlakesrunners.org/race/thom-b-trail-runs-2026/
Register: https://www.webscorer.com/register?pid=1&raceid=420039
Volunteer: https://app.helperhelper.com/inst/1131/opportunity/583773
FLRC Trail Circuit: https://fingerlakesrunners.org/flrc-trail-circuit/

Runners, please sign up today: Registration closes for good at 6 AM on Saturday morning. There is no in-person registration at the race.

Parking can be limited; please sign up to carpool if you can.

We especially need a few more volunteers to help make race day run smoothly: Please sign up on Helper Helper if you are able to help out on Saturday. We are currently looking for course support, cleanup crew, and check-in volunteers.

We’ll see you on the trails!

05/08/2026

Our third week of the FLRC Challenge is almost in the books! We’re up to 104 participants, and we set a new high-water mark for weekly mileage this year with 683 so far (the first two weeks were 565 and 532).

More info: https://fingerlakesrunners.org/challenge/
Register: https://www.webscorer.com/register?pid=1&raceid=424732

Beebe Lake remains the most popular of the Classic Challenge courses, and of the Personal Challenge-only courses, Cornell Botanic Gardens is at the top—lots of interest in the relatively short Cornell-adjacent courses.

There’s no group run this weekend because we have the Women's Distance Festival 5K on Sunday morning. Those who aren’t women could instead run the Belle Sherman 5K on Saturday—a finish in either can be submitted to the Lakefront Loops course with a race report.

Find the rest of the stats, photos, and some important course updates on the Forum: https://forum.fingerlakesrunners.org/t/update-3-for-the-2026-flrc-challenge/9969

05/07/2026

Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 10, the same day as FLRC’s 2026 Women's Distance Festival 5K, a race that celebrates women’s running.

More info: https://fingerlakesrunners.org/race/womens-distance-festival-2026
Register: https://www.webscorer.com/register?pid=1&raceid=420041

Held in memory of race cofounder Diane Sherrer, the event brings together women and girls of all ages to run, jog, or walk together on the scenic Dryden Rail Trail. Please note that registration closes two hours before the race; there is no “day-of” registration for this event. Also, word on the street says that we will have an open bathroom! (Friends and family who aren’t running are welcome to come hang out and cheer.)

05/06/2026

Runners, it’s time to register for FLRC’s first trail race of the season: the Thom B Trail Runs - 8.5, 17, or 26.2 miles! If trail racing makes you happy, you can’t go wrong spending the morning on Hammond Hill, wending your way through the woods and enjoying the springtime foliage.

More info: https://fingerlakesrunners.org/race/thom-b-trail-runs-2026/
Register: https://www.webscorer.com/register?pid=1&raceid=420039
Volunteer: https://app.helperhelper.com/inst/1131/opportunity/583773
FLRC Trail Circuit: https://fingerlakesrunners.org/flrc-trail-circuit/

The race follows an 8.5-mile loop. You can run the loop once, twice, or three times with a mini-loop add-on for a full marathon. The 3-loop marathon starts at 7 AM, the 2-loop 17-mile race at 8 AM, and the 1-loop 8.5-mile race begins at 9 AM.

Thom B is also a race in the FLRC Trail Circuit, and participants will be automatically included in the annual Pebblehead, Stonehead, and Boulderhead rankings.

Not quite ready for 8.5 trail miles? Please sign up to volunteer! Volunteering is a great way to meet people, give back to the community, and stay in touch with the club—and it’s a lot of fun!

Runners of all abilities are welcome, and we hope to see you on the trails!

05/02/2026

We're closing out week two of the FLRC Challenge with 94 participants. As those who have participated before know, the Challenge is way more fun when you can do it with friends, so please, recruit your friends!

More info: https://fingerlakesrunners.org/challenge/
Register: https://www.webscorer.com/register?pid=1&raceid=424732

We’re over 500 miles for the week again, with the Beebe Lake course still the most popular, but trailed closely by East Hill Rec Way, Duck Trails, and the new course on the block, Sights of the Heights. Having it go by the doors of a few dedicated Challengers should make for a spirited competition for its sign by the end of the year.

Check out the Forum post for more stats and administrivia: https://forum.fingerlakesrunners.org/t/update-2-for-the-2026-flrc-challenge/9943

Some great course photos this week again, such as the base of Taughannock Falls, and Fall Creek winding through the FH Fox course.

05/01/2026

Join us at FLRC’s Twilight 5K race on the scenic Cayuga Inlet on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. Whether you run or walk, you’ll enjoy the flat, paved pedestrian trails of Cass Park and the Treman Marina as you catch a breeze off the lake and look for ospreys overhead. With few road crossings and chip timing, it’s a perfect 5K for all ages and abilities. Race start time is 7 PM, and after you finish, we hope you’ll stick around for the pizza party! Register today!

More info: https://fingerlakesrunners.org/race/twilight-5k-2026/
Register: https://fingerlakesrunners.org/race/twilight-5k-2026/
Volunteer: https://app.helperhelper.com/inst/1131/opportunity/586723

Are you coming to the race to cheer for someone else? Please sign up to volunteer! Volunteering is a great way to meet people, give back to the community, and stay in touch with the club—and it’s fun! To sign up, click the Volunteer to Help button on the race page or pick a job in Helper Helper.