Start of the 2023 Ellis Cardiac Classic in Schenectady. | | |
Thanksgiving Cheer at the Turkey Trots
By Laura Clark
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Fall is now upon us, with its crisp temperatures, scent of wood smoke, and comfy fleece wraps, begging us to hunker down with a warm drink and enjoy the company of family and friends. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, embrace your local community, where it seems as if every town hosts its own turkey trot. The Calendar of Events lists turkey trots within a three-hour radius to give you and family plenty of options whether you’re staying home or traveling.
Turkeys have no restrictions as they are self-propelled and their ability to travel is solely limited by how much they can stuff into their bodies. So whichever event you choose, be assured that our feathered friends from near and far will show up to strut their stuff. Turkey trots appeal to our community spirit as well as our Puritan heritage which demands that we earn our feast. And it is a justifiable excuse to escape those last-minute holiday chores!
And who doesn’t like turkey? If you just can’t get enough, know that you can also take part in pre-Thanksgiving at the Bolton PTO’s Turkey Trot 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, Nov. 21, launching from Bolton Landing’s Veteran’s Memorial Park on Lake George. Since turkeys favor big family flocks, this event is family oriented with budget-friendly fees of $5 per student, $20 per adult, and $40 per family. Poults can enjoy a one-mile Kids Block Trot through town. The route has a mix of hills and flats, leading to a scenic tour of Green Island, home of the Sagamore Resort. Afterwards, enjoy the concession stand where race shirts are also available for purchase. Before you come, empty out your coin jar for the “Help make a change with your small change” collection. Proceeds benefit Bolton parent teacher organization initiatives: boltoncsd.org.
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By Bethany Adams
This is an excerpt from Unsupported: A Story of Moving Fast and Letting Go – Setting a Speed Record in the Adirondack Mountains, Bethany Adams’ memoir, recently published by Rugged Outdoorswoman Publishing in early 2026. More than anything else, Unsupported is the story of a woman who fell in love with the Adirondack High Peaks and sought healing there, repeatedly. Set against a weeklong expedition in the High Peaks, to be one of the first women to climb them all in an unsupported manner, meaning no car rides, no food drops… just feet, she’s forced to reckon with the dissolution of her first marriage, and what it means to be supported in life, love, and adventure.
The forested peaks and whiskey-colored waters of the Adirondack Mountains have captured my heart. After four years of environmental studies at Paul Smith’s College, I can’t bear to leave. Though I miss the farmland of my central New York roots, something about this vast, jagged landscape feels like home to me. The sheer rock faces that rise to the sky, the thick pine forests, the blue ridgelines stretching toward Canada and Vermont. Plus, I love the idea of being close to Lake Placid, where Olympic athletes train.
But living here isn’t easy. The [2008] recession leaves my dozen job applications unanswered, so I piece together three seasonal tourism gigs just to afford the expensive vacation-destination rent. To save money, I bike and walk as much as possible, eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and picking wild strawberries along the roads and railroad tracks.
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| | “With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.” –Eleanor Roosevelt
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Thursday, November 5
OC Ski Club: New Member Party. 6:30pm. All new and current members are welcome for food, free beer, raffle prizes, plus learn about ski trips, instruction, and more. Polish Community Center, Albany. ocskiclub.org.
Saratoga Outdoors Fall Community Night – Sustainable Saratoga. 5-8pm. 30% of net sales donated to the nonprofit organization, plus $100 gift card to raffle. Saratoga Outdoors, Saratoga Springs. saratogaoutdoors.com.
Cuisine Solutions IRONMAN 70.3 Lake George: Community Launch Party. Kickoff/Media, Shepard Park: 4pm. Launch Party, Adirondack Pub-Brewery: 5pm. Public is invited to attend. Inaugural triathlon: June 13, 2027. Lake George. lakegeorge.com.
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Saturday, November 7
14th Revolutionary Run 5K. 10am. Celebrate “America’s Turning Point.” Walkers welcome. Post-race celebration. FC4 Events race. Fort Hardy Park, Schuylerville. runsignup.com.
Collar City Cranksgiving. Charity bike ride and food drive to benefit Joseph’s House & Shelter. Ride: 12pm. Afterparty: 2:30pm. Hill & Liberty St, Troy. capitalstreets.org.
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Saturday-Sunday, November 7-8
Willard Mountain Ski Sale. Benefits the Race Team. Hours vary. Equipment drop-off: 10/29 and 10/31. Willard Mountain, Greenwich. willardmountain.com.
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Sunday, November 8
Bethlehem Cup CX Races. 1,2 laps. 50-30min. 9:30am. CBRC CX Series. Elm Avenue Town Park, Delmar. bikereg.com.
50th MVP Health Care Stockade-athon 15K. 8:30am. Beautiful, historic course thru Stockade district, Central Park, and Vale Cemetery. Kids 0.5M run: 10:45am. USATF Adirondack GP Race. Hudson Mohawk Road Runners Club event. State Street, Schenectady. stockadeathon.com.
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Thursday, November 12
Saratoga Mobile Polar Plunge. 3pm. 4-feet deep cold-water plunge. Funds support Special Olympics New York. Open to all. Saratoga Springs High School, Saratoga Springs. Register/fundraise: events.nyso.org.
Saratoga Outdoors: Fall Community Night: Thacher Climbing Coalition. 5-8pm. 30% of net sales donated to the nonprofit organization, plus $100 gift card to raffle. Saratoga Outdoors, Saratoga Springs. saratogaoutdoors.com.
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Saturday, November 14
Girls on the Run 5K. 10am. Celebratory, non-timed run/walk. All welcome. Jennings Landing, Albany. gotrcr.org.
20th Albany Cranksgiving. Charity bike ride and food drive to benefit South End Children’s Cafe. Meetup: 11am. Ride: 12pm. Afterparty: 3pm. Kha & Mel’s Coffee-Tea Room, Albany. capitalstreets.org.
47th Annual Waitsfield Elementary Ski & Skate Sale. 9am-4pm. Find unbeatable prices on new & gently used alpine, snowboard, nordic, backcountry gear, ice skates, outerwear & accessories. Community members invited to consign new/gently used winter equipment/apparel. Waitsfield Elem. School, Waitsfield, VT. waitsfieldpta.org.
Cranksgiving. 10:30am. Annual "race" to donate food to Feeding Champlain Valley. See how many pounds of food you can ride with. Get a list of groceries and checkpoints and get riding! Free registration, prizes for heaviest load, best costume and more. Old Spokes Home, Burlington, VT. oldspokeshome.com.
Ski Movie Night. 6pm. Showing two new films. All Attendees receive 2-for-1 lift tickets. Snow Ridge Mountain Resort, Turin. snowridge.com.
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Sunday, November 15
Upstate Classic Half Marathon & 5K. 9am. Scenic courses below Helderberg Escarpment. Kids run: 8:30am. An AREEP event. Altamont Fairgrounds, Altamont. upstateclassic.com.
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Saturday, November 21
54th Sportsmart Gear Swap. 1-4pm. Scout Troop 75. Bethlehem High School, Delmar. troopwebhost.org.
Bolton PTO’s Turkey Trot 5K Run/Walk. 10:30am. Kids Block Trot 1M Fun Run/Walk: 10am. Veterans Memorial Park, Bolton Landing. boltoncsd.org.
Loaded Turkey Rail Jam. 9am. Frozen turkey for 1st place & all the fixings for 2nd & 3rd. Killington Resort, Killington. killington.com.
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Thursday, November 26
79th Pioneer Troy Turkey Trot. 5K & 10K. 10K: 8am. 1M Walk & Grade School Mile: 9:30am. 5K: 10am. Troy Atrium, Troy. pioneertroyturkeytrot.com.
45th Ellis Medicine Cardiac Classic. 5K Race: 9am. 2M Wellness Walk: 8am. 1M Kids’ Fun Run: 10am. Central Park, Schenectady. cardiacclassic.org.
25th Christopher Dailey 5K Turkey Trot. 8:30am. Walkers welcome. Saratoga Hilton, Saratoga Springs. zippyreg.com.
Running of the Turkeys. 9am. Family-friendly 5K run/walk. Kids run: 8:45am. Fisher Elementary School, Arlington, VT. bkvtr.net.
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Friday-Sunday, November 27-29
Audi FIS Ski World Cup: Stifel Killington Cup. Fastest female skiers compete in slalom and giant slalom. Superstar Trail, Killington, VT. killington.com
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Thursday, December 3
Smugglers’ Notch Women’s Night. 5-7pm. An evening all about community, connection & carving out time for yourself. Win raffle prizes (grand prize: Women’s Program Registration & Bash Badge), learn about Smuggs’ Women’s Program & more. Burton Flagship Store, Burlington. smuggs.com.
Sunday, December 6
Adk TOUR de SKI: XC Ski Races. Season opener of the citizens XC ski race series. Mt Van Hoevenberg, Lake Placid. adktourdeski.com.
Thursday-Sunday, Dec. 10-13
Schenectady Wintersports Club: Early Season Ski Clinic. Small classes, instructors, group tickets, welcome party, happy hour. Lodging at SWC Clubhouse in Waterbury Center, VT. A Schenectady Wintersports Club event. Sugarbush Resort, Warren, VT. swcweb.org.
Friday-Sunday, Dec. 11-13
Smugglers’ Notch: Weekend Warrior. Kick off winter, skiing, and riding, and eat really well. Celebrating 70 years of Smuggs – special anniversary edition! Questions: groups@smuggs.com. Smugglers’ Notch Resort, Jeffersonville. smuggs.com.
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Saturday, Dec. 12
Lapland Lake 10K Freestyle XC Ski Races. 10am. All welcome. Lapland Lake XC Ski Center, Northville. skireg.com.
Sunday, Dec. 13
HMRRC Doug Bowden Winter Series Run #1. 5K run/walk & 15K run. 10am. All welcome. Physical Education Building, SUNY Albany, Albany. hmrrc.com.
Whiteface Santa Sunday. All Day. Dress up as Santa or Mrs. Claus for a free lift ticket. Whiteface, Wilmington. whiteface.com.
RunVermont Freezy Cheeks 5K Series: First Frost. Open start: 11am-12pm. Embrace winter racing & stay on the move! Registration is open and includes a beverage. Discounts for registering with a buddy or for the entire four-race series (plus, get the 2027 Freezy Cheeks buff). Prizes for series winners and raffles from VT Brewers Assn. New location: American Flatbread, Stowe. runvermont.org.
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| MON-FRI Rock Your Fitness: Boot Camp Workouts. Mon/Wed/Fri: 5:30am, 6:30am, 9am. Tue: 5:30pm. Sat 8am. Special offer: Free week of class with registration for 2x/3x per week option. To register, text and use promo code “ADK fit” to 518-522-9765. Malta Community Center, Malta. facebook.com. |
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