Ed's Blog: Light at the End of the Tunnel

By Ed Griffin

Sometimes the light's all shinin' on me
Other times, I can barely see
Lately, it occurs to me
What a long, strange trip it's been

(Robert Hunter & The Grateful Dead, 1970, Truckin')

It has been an amazing 12 months. A little over a year ago we started hearing about a new virus, and little did we know it would disrupt life as we know it. What was once unimaginable is now normal. Everyone has been impacted, some more, some less. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel as vaccines are being distributed, infection rates are down, and if you put your ear to the ground, there is positive news to report.

The One NY Virtual Challenge series has been a smash hit, helping runners, walkers and cyclists with motivation and community. Over 22,000 participants have participated in one or more of the three challenges and over $225,000 has been donated to New York State charities.

Some local running events are actually happening in-person. The Lake Effect Marathon is being held in a new location in Minoa on February 21. An in-person half and quarter marathon will be held with strict participant limits and wave starts while following COVID-19 safety protocols. Virtual options are also available as well, and the live events are over 80% full.

Other large iconic running events like the Boilermaker and Mountain Goat have sprinted to new fall dates: Sunday, October 10th, 2021 for the Boilermaker and Sunday, October 24th, 2021 for the Mountain Goat. Although the fall calendar of running events will be full, event organizers really did not have a choice. Large events take plenty of planning and require a lot of resources to accommodate thousands of participants. There is no way the events could currently obtain the permits they need for the original dates. We are all hopeful the situation continues to improve and that all events can be held safely in the fall.

Expect to hear some further announcements from events, new and old, in the upcoming weeks and months.

Ed Griffin and his wife Ellen own Fleet Feet Syracuse, which they founded in May of 2000. Fleet Feet Syracuse has received National Recognition as a Top 50 Running Store in America 12 years in a row and was named Best Running Store in America in 2012. Ed enjoys helping the team at Fleet Feet and our customers achieve their fitness and professional goals. In his spare time, Ed speaks to companies and organizations on a variety of topics, walks his dogs, enjoys good music and is the family chef. He can be reached at ed@fleetfeetsyracuse.com.