Pace Setter : December 2023

Stockade-athon 2023: Run to the Top

by Charlie Ragone and Mat Nark's Running Team

              Ryan Udvadia, Charlie Ragone and Jack Huber

The above picture says it all. The top three duking it out. I asked Charlie Ragone #29 in the middle to add his account of the fight for first at the 2023 Stockade-athon and within minutes he sent this riveting narrative. Get ready for a rough ride! Full of turns and surprises but never dull!

Charlie Ragone

This year's Stockade-athon was hands-down one of my best races ever. Cracking 48 minutes and snagging second place? I never saw it coming.

From the starting gun, I tucked in with the front pack, feeling surprisingly good. Ryan Udvadia, Jack Huber, and I hammered the first 5k, the toughest stretch of the course. It wasn't easy; a massive house fire spewed smoke around mile two, making breathing rough.

Coming through 5k, we hit Grand Boulevard, and that's when I saw a flicker of opportunity. We held steady as a group until the turnoff, where Jack unleashed a surge, gapping us by five feet.

Having teammate Ryan beside me kept my confidence high. We reeled him back in, but around Union Street, Ryan started to fade. My moment arrived. I surged, taking the lead from 9k to 10k, feeling like a runaway train.

But hitting 10k at 32:13, the wheels started to wobble. Ryan and Jack pulled away, leaving me watching their backs shrink. Then, on Central Park's back hill, I saw Jack falter. Time to chase.

I poured on the gas down the first downhill, catching him in the cemetery. Downhill running has always been my secret weapon, so I stuck to his shoulder, waiting for the perfect moment.

The second downhill out of the cemetery was it. I emptied the tank, surging downhill for that final half-mile. Pulling away with second place and a massive PR was pure exhilaration.

This race was a gut-check, a reminder that anything is possible when you believe and dig deep.

Matt Nark’s Stockade-athon Warriors!!

Mat Nark asked his Members for their response to running the 2023 Stockade-athon

and this amazing piece is the result. Reading it will make you realize that the Stockade-athon is not to be taken lightly! This is a killer 15K where training is a must, and train they did..

Sunday was a GREAT day at the 2023 edition of the Schenectady Stockade-a-thon 15k! We had tons of good RUNS with PR's falling like snowflakes in November. Here are some of the high and low lights on the day!

Andrew Pavlou

1:01:13, 3:01 off my PR from last year. Disappointed to not go sub-60, but thought I ran a well-paced race. I may have been too conservative early on, but I’m okay with that. I gave it everything I had and ran about as well as I thought I could have.

Matthew Brown

Overall a pretty great race. Ran away with a 20 second course PR. Definitely could have been faster if my stomach was on the same plan as me but live to race another day! 55:14 time

Amy Nicholson-Smyth

Today was a good day. Legs started a little heavy, warmed up, and felt pretty good. I got a 2.5 min PR 1:10:28 from 1:12:55. 7:34 pace. I am happy.

Thomas Gabriel

PR. I’m really happy with my pacing. If I were a little more tuned up maybe I could have shaved 30-40 seconds but otherwise I’m happy with it.

Jamie Davenport

1:13:50 new PR, last year was 1:14:41. I really wanted to average under 8 min per mile and I averaged 7:56/mile today. Felt really good-had negative splits at each 5k. Really happy with today.

Wudu Girma

I think ARE had enough of me and took my name off. Anyways not my best performance but happy I managed to finish. 1:01:12. I’m sticking to that.

Holly Everett

My first 15k
Time: 1:30
Avg Pace: 9:45

Stephanie Harrington

1:49:03, 11:42, feel good that each of my 5k’s got faster over the race

Tara Travis

1:09:51. Stayed slower than GMP up the hills and near GMP though the park and cemetery. Effort felt relatively easy the entire way.

Carmela Giordano

1:15:57 TY compared to 1:14:30 LY. I was sooo happy to run with Alyssa Bové today (seems to be the tradition). I went into it like how did I run the paces I did last year?!?! Also legs heavy and for some reason struggled on the ups today which was normal!

Taylor Mead

1:29:23, 9:36 pace (First 15k!). Disappointed, as I feel the result/time doesn't reflect my actual level of fitness. Came down with bronchitis and laryngitis this week, considered scrapping the whole thing but felt okay enough today to give it a shot.

Carolina Elisa

Beat my last 15k by 10 min. I think? Either way, today was rough.

John J Sestito

No PR but it was a good race for me about a minute faster than last year 1:06:49. Today, my 5 k splits were pretty even. I did negative split last 5k. 4th in age group just missed 3rd place by about 30 seconds I didn’t know the guy.

Ryan Cooper

Went in with no specific plan other than don’t get hurt and run with what feels good. Plan was 7:15 pace best case and 7:45 worst case. Ran negative 5k splits 7:38 / 7:19 / 7:01 as after the first 10k I felt we would go for it at the end.

Suzanne Senger

My goal going into this race was to beat my 2017 time of 1:32:17. And I did it by 4 minutes!…coming in at 1:28:13, average pace of 9:28. The first half I felt great…the last 3 miles I was struggling BIG TIME to maintain my pace.

Timothy Doyle

First 15k 1:49:00. Enjoyed the run nice change up of park cemetery neighborhoods etc. was hoping for 1:45 but again had no idea since this my first. Didn’t really seem like the uphills ever ended. Enjoyed the downhill to the finish line though.

Drew Babitts

1:07:56. 30 seconds off a course pr from 2019. I went in with zero expectations, other than to not end up buried in that cemetery at mile 8.5. I forgot my bib, sprinting to the start line with no warm up. I started off very conservative at 7:48.

Smitha Harwood

My goal was to be able to run after taking a year break from running. I was able to finish in 1:37. I didn’t push any hard because I didn’t want to feel pain on my heel. I ran at a steady comfortable pace. I felt very comfortable and easy at the race pace.

Jennifer Bryant

PR - 1:08:28 this year and 1:09:41 last year. 1 min 13 secs faster than last year. I definitely tried to pace this year and start a little more conservative. Maybe it helped. I dunno. Felt pretty tired, but managed to finish stronger and faster.

Jamie DiCesare

Todays goal was to stay 9+ the whole way and have FUN! The last downward hills gave a little boost but this run was easy and relaxed. Saving everything for Philly!

Elisha Lyons

5:43 minute course PR from 2021, and 3:37 15k PR ( from this years Boilermaker) felt great! Started conservatively and had a great progression! Very happy with today’s results.

Steven Tinkler

59:33, a 2:40 PR over last year. 6:24/mi pace. Negative 5k splits: 20:07, 20:01, 19:26. I'm very happy with the outcome of this race and season overall. I feel fortunate to have a great coach and team to train with.

Jamal Vazquez

55:14, 1:42 PR from last year. Felt good throughout the race but felt that the first 10k was a little too conservative (18:59, 18:41). Hard to pace on the hills. Happy with the result nonetheless. Best race of the season for me time wise.

Shawna Walz

PR for a 15k and this course for me today with a 1:15:20 (the only other 15k I’ve ever run was this race in 2021, and I shaved over 3 minutes off that time today). I felt great and ran happy the entire race, which is what I’m always aiming for!

Tyler Morrissey

PR by about 45 secs finished 50:45 ish went out strong and wasn’t as conservative as I was planning to be, faded a little in the middle but picked it back up in the last few miles, did a lot better than I was expecting considering no training specifically for this event.

Laura Kelly

1:14:20, not a PR (1:13:35 in 2019) but I am very happy with how today went. I was 3 minutes faster than last year and this was the first time I have run this race properly by getting progressively faster with each 5k and finishing strong.

Kim Pommer

1:10:07, felt really good 15 seconds from PB in 2017 (1:09:51). Always my favorite race of the year!!

Jim McMorris

Decent run and about where I wanted to be based on fitness in which sucks. Felt good for majority of run and each 5k faster so move on from here. Couldn't quite catch Sunil at the end. 1:26:27

Len Leonidas

1:03:09 today. Missed last year’s PR by 6 seconds. Was trying to replicate that performance and pace plan. Negative 5 k splits. Felt pretty good and I’m happy with the performance.

Michelle Carr

I stopped my watch the 2 times I stopped. And according to my watch, I ran 9.4 for 1:03:36 for a 9 second PR for 9.4 miles.

Jenny Foosh

Did not even come close to racing this with Philly on the horizon. Although I look forward to doing that next year because I really do love this course and I must’ve have said that like 3x. Ran a chill final LR aiming to not run faster than 9min/mile!

Sean Stephens

PR (first 15k) and I think I paced myself decently, but next time I’ll shoot for a more aggressive 2nd 5k.

Kevin Beattie

Finished in 1:07:52, which is a PR of almost four minutes (1:11.26). Conservative (too?) at the start and managed the hills well. Had enough for fast finish and ran negative 5ks (23:53 / 22:36 / 21:24) so very pleased.

Julianne McCarthy

1:04:32 2 min off from my 2021 time 1:02:36 .. a bit disappointed wanted to be closer to my old time.. but ok with this as of now.. had stomach issues at mile 8 up the park hills, actually took 2 short walk breaks on the hills to calm my stomach down.

Sunil Kumta

Great run, probably one of the best races. Each 5k was better than previous. Ended with 1:25:56. Goal was 9:30 pace but ran faster than that!! Very happy

 

Stockade-athon Statistics

Awards - Clydesdale - $$$
Results
Photos
Event History
Gazette Article

 

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