1. This race is an excellent motivational idea to get fellow runners psyched. They'll develop even more of a sense of camaraderie and working together because one runner's performance builds upon another's from relay leg to relay leg. A sense of psychological momentum builds over the course of the relay as each team member realizes they are a vital, integral part of their team's performance.
2. Try the unusual instead of the usual 5 or 10k. Variety is the spice of life.
3. Because there are ten different relay legs, you could run the CMRR five years in a row without running the same relay legs twice.
4. The spirit of the race is consistent with the original spirit of our sport: running through the countryside with nature.
5. Be part of a travelling running community which circumnavigates the Catskills for 62 miles over 6 to 12 hours.
6. There is no other race with a scope as wide as this in the region. What race director do you know whose race takes place from 5 AM to 5 PM?
7. This is the longest single-loop race course in NYS.
8. The CMRR is one of only two road relay races in NYS.
9. The CMRR is the only double-leg road relay in NYS.
10. Going up CMRR's Winisook Hill; it is steeper than the Roosa Gap Roller Coaster's steepest hill. "Going down Peekamoose Hill makes Rt 23 from High Point to Port Jervis seem like a billiard table in comparison." In bike measuring the steep Peekamoose downhill on the CMRR, the friction of the course measurer's brakes melted a hole in his inner tube and blew out his tire.
11. The CMRR's course is the main character in this play. People feel humbled by the power and immense scale of this course. The CMRR threads its way up through mountain passes, by sixty miles of streams, and circumnavigates twenty-three mountains. These mountains have been the subject of a National Geographic article: they are the hardened remains of rock where a meteor impacted the Earth millions of years ago. The hardened impact site remained and eventually became mountain tops as the forces of water wore down the earth around these peaks. The CMRR course follows much of the Esopus, a geological rarity among rivers; it wore a 270 degree clockwise arc around these hardened mountains from Winisook Lake to the Ashokan Reservoir.
12. Perhaps the beauty of this area is in the power it possesses; people can feel humbled by its scale, impressed with its grandeur. The awe-inspiring views can take your breath away, yet inspire you to drink deeply of the mountain air. Wildlife abounds throughout the area; fox kits, porcupines, bear and coyotes. This is where deer were first brought from the Adirondacks to re-establish a herd in southeastern NYS. The air in summer is always much cooler up in Peekamoose Notch. There's an ice cave along the relay course with ice in it in late June.
13. Until you go out on this route and run this race, you'll always be missing what the CMRR is really about. It's an experience that words can only attempt to describe, that pictures can only attempt to portray. Run it and experience the CMRR for yourself!

 Rave Reviews of the Catskill Mountain Road Relay 

"One hundred years ago harried city dwellers travelled to the Catskills to get away from it all. The 100K Catskill Mountain Road Relay proves the downstate pipeline is still alive - only instead of sitting around talking in the fresh air, 'tourists' will be running ... and running ... and running ... The 1992 race drew runners of all levels from throughout the tri-county and greater New York area." - Bob Crego, Sullivan County Democrat

"We had a fantastic time! Because of the good spirits among all the participants, the beautiful course, and the terrific weather we all want to come back and try it again." - Betty Marolla, President, Central Park Track Club

"One of the highlights of the season was the 100K Catskill Mountain Road Relay." - Ken Pillsworth, Sunday Freeman

"Our club members formed several teams; all were completely satisfied. The genuine fellowship and camaraderie around the finish line was overwhelming." - Bernie Stahl, Onteora Runners Club Newsletter Editor

"One of the most fun races I've ever done. I've raced twenty to twenty-five times a year for the past six years and I can't think of any race I've enjoyed as much." - Denis McGee

"A 100 km team race through some of the hilliest and prettiest terrain in the Catskill region." - Pete Colaizzo, Free Time

"We will be giving it rave reviews to everyone in the Onteora Runners Club and will be lobbying for greater participation next year." - Debbie Briggs

"Our club appreciated the opportunity to enjoy a day of running in the beautiful Catskills! You can take justifiable pride in a job well done." - Mike Polansky, President, Plainview Old Bethpage Road Runners (organizers of Long Island's 50 mile Ocean to Sound Relay)

"It was an adventure! Lots of hills, good scenery!" - Scott Slingerland

Review of web site: "There's a lot of information there; it's pretty impressive." - Erica Johnson

Options for more information
explore this web site's links further:

www.sullivanstriders.org/cmrr.htm