MEXICO, NY – Sunday, September 18 2022, saw the running of the Mexico Chamber of Commerce 5k Cider Run.
Despite the threat of rainy skies, the annual athletic event went off as planned, sending runners coursing through the streets of the friendly, central Oswego County village on a warm autumn day. Light rain passed over the area as entrants signed in and prepared for the race, but the clouds lifted and the precipitation came to an end as the countdown for the 9 a.m. start approached.
Race Director and Mexico Chamber of Commerce President Amanda Magro had her eyes to the skies as race time drew close.
“I have been watching the forecast all week,” Magro said. ” It did sprinkle here for a few minutes, but it has stopped raining, which is great.”
The sound of high energy music filled the air as runners stretched and jogged around Mexico High School’s state of the art track facility, with members of the fitness community exchanging warm greetings and sharing stories of recent races and training sessions as they pinned on their racing numerals and tightened their laces.
An event of this nature requires much advance planning, with arrangements for the next year’s event being hashed out soon after the completion of the race. Magro said that preparations began last year, with registration opening in May of 2022, but that all things can not be organized too far in advance and that she and her team have been busy as the date drew near.
“The last few weeks is when we really had to get down to business,” Magro said.
With almost 100 runners registered, the event has grown in the last year, with the cost of registration reduced for children to encourage participation for young runners. The chamber is looking at ways to get more families running.
“We want to get more people out…get more people involved,” Magro said.
Magro said that she was a little nervous regarding the increased cost of living having an effect on participation, and that the staffing shortages affecting all aspects of the business world would reduce the number of volunteers, but that the turnout for both was a pleasant surprise.
“The turnout and support have been amazing,” Magro said.
For the fit, running five kilometers did not take long, and after taking a fast paced trip around the village followed by a quick lap of the school’s track, Mexico, New York native Christopher Halsey was first across the finish line in 17 minutes and 28 seconds.
The current Ithaca, New York, resident credited “solid, consistent training” and cross training for other triathlon events such as swimming and cycling for his speed on the Cider Run course. Halsey said that the first 5k run that he ever attempted was the Cider Run, and that the rolling course played to his strengths, and that the course was very scenic and enjoyable.
“It has been quite a season with triathlons, so to come and win an open running race feels pretty good, and I feel that I can represent my home town pretty well,” Halsey said.
Full results here.
