‘Race The Lake’ Marathon Underway,

1st Cooperstown Event USTF Qualifier

COOPERSTOWN –  “Race The Lake,” Cooperstown’s first marathon, is underway.  Beginning at 8 on Susquehanna Avenue north of the Clark Sports Center, the leading running are expected to arrive at the finish line there at about 11.

The race is U.S. Track & Field certified, meaning that running who complete the loop under three hours qualify for next spring’s Boston Marathon, which Sport Center Director Val Paige said elevated interest in the race, bringing contestants from as far away at Boulder, Colo.

The runners are going up West Lake Road, and back on East Lake Road.  Paige said the route included a few passes back and forth in the village to reach the required 26.2-mile distance.

A group of half-marathoners will be dropped off at the Springfield Community Center, where their race begins at 9:30 a.m.

The event coincides with the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s 75th anniversary celebration, which included commemorations Thursday and Friday’s opening of  “Babe Ruth: His Life and Legend.”