Lace Up Your Running Shoes

In high school, I had two loves. Two after-school activities whose seasons both fell between September and December. They were theater and cross country, and all four years of high school they played a mental tug of war in my head. Theater was my creative outlet and my way of working with a team. Cross country taught me discipline, how to stay in shape, and the importance of meeting goals.

Ultimately, I gave up cross country my senior season to be in one last show. And while I don’t regret my decision, I do regret the fact that I stopped running. It’s one of the best feelings to be out in the fresh air with nothing but your thoughts, and this fall, Ellicottville wants more people to discover that joy.

The EVL Halloween Half/5K run is almost here! With the spooky season comes run season in Ellicottville, and the twelfth year of this classic run, which promises to be bigger than ever before. It’s a half marathon, 5k, and relay. The race takes place on Saturday, October 26th.

The Fall Scramble at Holiday Valley is only a few weeks before that, on October 12th. It’s newer, as this is only its fifth year, but it’s just as much fun. The race starts at 9:00am at Yodeler with a chairlift ride to the top of the mountain and offers a 4- and 8-mile terrain course. Scaling the hills of Holiday Valley in this timed scramble is not for the faint of… foot?

Both of these races are presented by Endurancefactor, an event management company located here in Ellicottville specializing in endurance sports. If you need anything running, cycling, or triathlon, they are the ones to call on.

I spoke with Doug Bush, the 15-year owner of Endurancefactor. Not only does Doug race direct several events in Ellicottville and the surrounding area, but Doug also raises money through a select few events. Namely, the run for St. Jude Cancer Hospital with 21,000 runners raises $18 million, and his EA2EVL charity bike ride has raised $150,000 for the Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail Association. Locally, Endurancefactor has donated over $30,000 to various community charities.

Doug, a serious triathlete who has competed in multiple Ironmans, got into the management business by meeting other directors during his time as a racer. “Ironman brought a bike race to Ellicottville around 14 years ago and I was a local director for that. I decided after that to find more local events for the community,” Doug said.

The EVL Half is “the event” of the season. Having snowsports dominating the winter and mountain biking, hiking, and golf dominating the summer season, endurance events are the name of the game before the snow starts to fall. The EVL Half is the biggest of these events, offering “a big race feel in a small town setting,” in Doug’s words.

“It’s after Fall Fest, kinda before ski season, and we wanted to do something that would bring people together in the community and bridge the gap between the two seasons,” Doug added.

Ellicottville Brewing Company is hosting the afterparty, complete with a band and a DJ. Music will be bumping all throughout the course though, but you better not get too distracted, because earning one of the “one-of-a-kind” finisher medals is a highlight of the event. “Those medals are something we’ve become known for, coupled with our cool merchandise t-shirts and quarter zips,” Doug said.

The Fall Scramble is also hoping to outdo itself this year, with Doug promising branded knit hats and a similar stellar afterparty. “We try to make it easier with a chairlift ride to the top, so you’re running downhill,” he added.

And if that’s still not enough racing for you, HoliMont comes in strong with their HoliTrot race just a day after the Fall Scramble on October 13th. It’s the first time HoliMont is putting together a fall run, organized by Travis Widger and Kristen Sciara. I spoke with Travis about the upcoming run and everything we can look forward to. “This is a family-first event. Kids of all ages can participate in our kid’s race, which is about half a mile and all flat. The actual 5k run meanders through what is sure to be some beautiful fall foliage and ends at the Exhibition lift,” said Travis.

The kid’s race begins at 10:00am with the 5k immediately following. Similar to the Fall Scramble, the HoliTrot begins by taking you up the hill on a scenic chairlift ride, leaving you to race to the bottom.

If you’re interested in racing the EVL Halloween Half, the Fall Scramble, or you’d like to learn more about Endurancefactor, you can check out their site at endurancefactor.com. You can register for the EVL Half/5K at evlhalf.com. It’s more than 75% full, so grab some friends and sign up! You can also find registration info for the HoliTrot at enchantedmountains.com/event/holitrot.

Lace Up Your Running Shoes

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