The Upstate Classic is professionally produced by ARE Event Productions and offers a 5K and Half Marathon* as well as kids races (Half Mile and One Mile). The event is staged from the spacious Altamont Fairgrounds just a few miles outside of Albany, NY, and entreats you to an absolutely gorgeous course at the base of the Helderberg Escarpment around rural Guilderland.
*A (full) marathon was previously part of the event. This option is no longer offered.
Sunday, November 24, 2024
8:30AM: Kids Races
9:00AM: 13.1M Start
9:10AM: 5K
Altamont Fairgrounds
129 A Grand Street
Altamont, NY 12009
PPU will be offered as follows:
| Date | Hours | Locations |
|---|---|---|
| Fri, 11/22 | 4PM to 6PM | AREEP Office (1028 Broadway, Albany, NY 12204) |
| Sat, 11/23 | No PPU on Saturday. | |
| Sun, 11/24 | 7:30AM to 8:30AM | Altamont Fairgrounds |
Entry fees are NON-REFUNDABLE unless you purchase the registration insurance at the time of registering.
There are no deferrals. Transfers are permitted through November 13. Complete details below.
| 5K | 13.1M | |
|---|---|---|
| July | $20 | $45 |
| August | $20 | $55 |
| September & October | $22 | $60 |
| November | $25 | $70 |
The kids races are $5/child and for those age 12 and under.
Registration remains open through 8:30am on race morning.
REGISTERYes, you are permitted to do this, and it is done via your confirmation page, accessible from your confirmation email or here. If moving up in distance, you pay the difference. If dropping down in distance, there is no cost to do so. (You are not refunded the difference.)
Deferrals are not permitted. If you are not certain about attending, we recommend purchasing the registration insurance.
Transfers are permitted through November 13. It is $15 to process a transfer. Click here for complete details.
Please read our Cancellation/Refund Policy before registering.
Live tracking and results will be available. Exact locations of course splits will be announced race week.
Our Top 3 M & F finishers based on GUN time in each race will receive an award. Age groups are based on NET time.
Both races will award the Top 3 M & F finishers in the same age groups:
14-u,15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80+
Children 12 and under are welcome to participate. They have the option of either racing the Half Mile or One Mile. Both distances are approximate, with the half mile being 1 lap of the track surrounding the fairgrounds infield, and the mile being 2 laps of that track. All finishers receive a ribbon and a post-race meal. There are no other awards nor giveaways in the kids races. It is $5/child.
Please be sure to read our FAQ and general event rules before contacting us. We are unable to grant exceptions nor diverge from the information we've made publicly available.
Have a question not answered on this site or the Participant Handbook? Reach us at director@upstateclassic.com
The Half Marathon requires that you maintain a 16:00 per mile pace to continue on the course (and an entire course cut-off time of 3:30).
Those who are behind pace are subject to being picked up by our course support team along the route, and driven back to the finish.
We strongly encourage that you provide your own water containing device. (ie. Bottle, hydration pack, etc.) Yes, we will have cups for you if needed, but for the sake of reducing litter and waste, we discourage that you rely exclusively on them. These stations will all provide water - any additional items/nutrition you must provide yourself. You are permitted to receive support from your friends/family. (There is no on-course water provided for the 5K.)
ToiletsIn addition to ample portable toilets being available at the Altamont Fairgrounds (start/finish), at least one portable toilet will be available at every water stop.
| # | Distance | Gap | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3.20 | 3.20 | 156 and Gardner |
| 2 | 6.20 | 3.00 | Hennessey just south of RR tracks |
| 3 | 8.75 | 2.55 | Depot and Alexander |
| 4 | 11.10 | 2.35 | Hawes and 146 |
The event has been professionally and comprehensively designed and will be deployed in full compliance with all CDC and NYS Guidelines and Regulations. Based upon the inherent advantages of an outdoor venue with relative ample space, the event is experientially safer (more square footage per person) than visiting a grocery store, retail store, restaurant, or any similar experience. Other than receiving your packet, a boxed meal, and possibly touching a restroom door, there are no other points of contact. Hand sanitizer will be available at those locations. There is no scenario in which you should not be able to socially distance - any moment for which you may end up in closer proximity will be transient - and with masks required for those moments. The start is highly staggered as detailed further below in this FAQ.
We encourage you to watch this 2 minute video from our August race held at the same venue. It provides an opportunity for you to get a feel for the venue, along with a general idea of how this event will be deployed. (The staging is slightly modified for 11/15 from what is seen in the video. More details in the documents in the section below.)
YOUR PASSION IS OUR PURPOSE - and we kept racing alive as an in-person sport in 2020 and 2021.
Yes, for those curious, here are several documents that provide you with the level of planning that went into our permit applications and logistical operations for many of our races. They are lengthy but surely informative and welcome you "behind the scenes" into how and why we gave it our all to keep racing alive in 2020.
Druthers Helderberg to Hudson Half Marathon
Learn how we made this event happen, laying the groundwork for the Upstate Classic.
At the time of registering for the race, for an additional $12, you can purchase registration insurance which provides for a no questions asked refund of your fee paid (not including the $12 nor the processing fee) if requested by Thur, 11/21 at 11:59:59PM ET.
If the event is ultimately canceled, your refund is processed automatically the week of 11/25 without you having to request it.
If the event is not canceled but you desire not to attend/are not able to attend, you must request your refund prior to the deadline above by emailing director@upstateclassic.com requesting your refund. The insurance does not apply for requests made after 12AM ET on Fri, 11/22.
If you do not purchase registration insurance, your entry is non-refundable per the details here.
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