View of the Mohawk River from the transition area at Riverview Orchards.

The Twelfth Annual Mohawk Towpath Byway Duathlon will be from a new venue this year.  The event scheduled for Sunday morning, October 19, will start at 8:30 AM with a two mile run from Riverview Orchards then transition to a seventeen mile bike ride at the orchard and finish with a two mile run to the finish.  Riverview Orchards is located at 660 Riverview Road, Rexford.

The courses are designed by our veteran participants Tracy Perry and Kristen Hislop who have experience in international multi-sport competition.  The run legs are a relatively flat out and back course and the bike ride is on rolling terrain with a loop that we have used before.  It’s all set within the historic context of the Erie Canal corridor and against the backdrop of colorful fall foliage.

This annual event attracts top local multi-sport athletes as well as recreational runners and bikers.  The first 100 athletes registered receive a high tech moisture wicking t-shirt and other goodies, and awards will be given to the top 3 finishers in each 10 year age group. In addition a gold medal is awarded to  each member of the winning men’s, woman’s, and mixed teams.

Timing is conducted by Finish Right Timing of Saratoga Springs.

Also new this year is a Giffy’s Bar-B-Q chicken dinner for all athletes preregistered by Saturday, October 11, as a post race feed!

“We are very excited about hosting this event at Riverview Orchards,” says Isabel Prescott, owner of Riverview Orchards.  “We have had many festivals, survived many seasons of apple-picking, hay rides and birthday parties, but this is the first time we have had an athletic event.  There will be a fun youth race through the orchards as kids pick apples.  We are looking forward to it.  The event will be first thing in the morning, and by afternoon the orchard will be back to business as usual.”

Proceeds from this event benefit the Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway Coalition, Inc. a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation that seeks to increase awareness, enjoyment and linkage of the wide variety of scenic, recreational and historic resources along the Mohawk River and Erie Canal corridor from Waterford to Schenectady.