Adirondack Marathon Distance Festival sees massive participation

SCHROON LAKE | Touted as the most beautiful 26 miles, 385 yards a person will ever run, the Adirondack Marathon Distance Festival (AMDF) was held Saturday, Sept. 27 and Sunday, Sept. 28. This year saw a record-breaking 1,002 participants, 466 volunteers, and local lodges and hotels at full capacity, proving yet again that the long-standing tradition enhances not only an athlete's experience, but proves valuable to the economy as well. "Turnout for this year was staggering," noted Race Chair Linda Beers. "It was amazing, and we were ecstatic." 2025 marked year 29 for the festival, a two-day premiere running event around the communities of Schroon Lake, Chestertown, and Horicon that showcases the natural beauty and small town charm of the Adirondacks. Attracting runners from across the nation, AMDF featured a full marathon, a half marathon, a four-person relay, a one-mile kids run, and a 5k and 10k in Chestertown on Saturday. "The feedback from many runners is that this is their favorite road race anywhere alongside of a wonderful group of enthusiastic volunteers who are thrilled to participate in such an amazing community event," said Roger Friedman, one of the core creators AMDF. Initially starting as a 5K and 10K summer run with the last summer run in 1993, the event evolved over time. The summer race was fun, but it essentially brought no economic impact to Schroon. In 1995, 1995 a group called Community Partnership was created with the Chamber of Commerce with the support of ROOST, the intention to create new activities for Schroon Lake. Pete and Terry Johnson, Joel Friedman, Rosemarie Ritson,Walt Halbohm, Bruce Robinson, Irwin Diamond, Rita Skojec, Charlie Redmond, Don Nieradka, and Friedman himself were all contributing individuals in one way or another towards the marvelous new concept and launching of the marathon. "During the summer of 1995, a friend Dan Perry, who had runners in his family, stopped at our real estate office and said he just drove around the lake and according to his odometer it is just about the distance of a Marathon - 26.2 miles." From there, the idea took shape and moved forward. "It was overwhelmingly agreed upon that we wanted to tailor a race according to how runners envisioned what would be the ideal model for a race," Friedman explained. The first Adirondack Marathon took place in 1997. Many volunteers and organizers have stayed the metaphoric course over the years, the festival being an extreme sense of pride for all involved and for all who have and continue to participate. "Dan Kress ran again, which means he has run all our marathons since the beginning of this race, which is 29 Schroon Lake marathons," Beers reflected. "It was Fred Dunaway's 50th marathon and the 12th time running our race." The scenic course with vibrant autumn hues peppering the leaves greeted participants over the sunny two-day stretch, wrapping multiple miles of inclines and topographic obstacles. Known as one of the most physically demanding marathons due to the hills on the back side of the lake, Beers said that participants find the course extremely challenging, which for those who wish to push their bodies to the apex of athletic endurance, is yet another selling point. "People find it extremely challenging- we didn't say it was easy, we said it was beautiful," she playfully acknowledged. Beers, along with fellow board members Jodi Thompson, Kerrie Krah, and Joan Lawless convene every January to begin the planning process, meeting monthly to prepare for September. Multiple roadways were closed at different intervals throughout the day in Schroon on Sunday, and as runners crossed the finish line to the boisterous and encouraging throng of locals who had shown up in support, it was evident that the true joy in completing the course was the welcome greeting from residents and spectators. "The atmosphere at the finish line is devoid of sparklers or a cannon, there are no trophies; what we have is magnificent, beautiful hometown charm," Beers expressed. "Our whole community comes out to welcome people. We have pumpkins, mums, food, hand-carved bears, and maple syrup." The hand-carved bears, a race tradition, were keepsakes as poignant as this year's medals, the creative work of PR Running Hats. The 2025 medal featured a custom-made, removable badge that snaps onto the PR Running hats. "We work hard to make our T-shirts unique and our medals; we put a lot of thought into those," Beers united. Paradox Brewery was on site and provided post-race beer for runners, a complement to the athletic food tent and vendor delights available. It was a celebration, and athletes and enthusiasts alike relished their accomplished afternoon in the Adirondack autumn. Saturday evening was also a memory to be cherished. For the first time ever, the festival featured a keynote speaker at the traditional pre-race pasta dinner held at The Lodge at Schroon Lake. An endurance athlete and motivational speaker, Michael Hidalgo delivered an inspiring address, Run Your Race: Find Purpose and Resilience Beyond the Finish Line." Hidalgo's words will set the stage for the weekend, where determination, community, and the spirit of competition took center stage. For the 2024 AMDF, the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) performed a spending analysis, with more than half of the runners willing to provide their thoughts and figures. The average party was 2.96 (each runner bringing along about three people for the experience). Estimated total Essex County expenditures over the two-day period revealed that a total of $385,758 went to the local economy, including $106,760 was spent on local lodging, $64,163 was spent on food, and $26,759 poured into the local shopping scene. That sum total did not include the $62,182 in lodging expenditures outside Essex County. With 2025 seeing such a high registration number, who knows what this year's spend analysis will reveal. The marathon also makes sure to give back to the community. "We also do a scholarship program," Beers shared. "We give away four $1,000 scholarships each year supporting education and future leaders." Complete AMDF race results may be found at adirondackmarathon.org.

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Adirondack Marathon Distance Festival sees massive participation

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