10K Thursday: Medved Lilac 10K

In order to give more information on races of many distances, I am going to start having different races on different days of the week. Thursday will be 10K Thursday. I will certainly cover 10Ks on other days of the week as well, but you can always count on finding out some information about 10Ks on Thursday. 

10K Thursday: Medved Lilac 10K

For the first 10K Thursday, I am actually circling around to a race in my hometown. I am not just being biased to my hometown. The Lilac Festival in Rochester, NY draws tens of thousands of people every year due its beauty and art. The festival draws artists of all sort to display their wares throughout the Highland Park which has the famous Lilac bushes. There are more than 1,200 bushes of over 500 varieties throughout the park. It is certainly one of the more beautiful plant displays around!

The festival itself ends with the running of the 10K and 5K races. The 10K draws well over 1,000 runners each year with the promise of a great course and good company. This race is one of the early racing season races for local runners so you will have a good mix of local talent as well as faster runners from other cities and states.

Here are some details about the Medved Lilac 10K:

• Registration information here
• Located in Rochester, NY
• To be held on Sunday, May 18, 2014
• Start time is 9AM
• Also a 5k offered – a family run that starts at 8AM
• Fee is $35 in advance and $40 for day-of-registration for both races
• The 10K will serve as the USATF Niagara Association 10K Championship
• Here is the course map

If you love beautiful courses, you won’t want to miss this race! In addition, Rochester is a very beautiful city that can give you a nice, medium-sized town feel. There are some great places for children as well, with the Strong’s Museum of Play coming in at the top. My kids absolutely love that place!

Getting There

The Greater Rochester International Airport is serviced by all the larger US airlines. Award availability is generally good. If you cannot find cheap prices or availability, the Buffalo airport is only an hour away and is slightly larger so may provide some better options. If you would be planning to come from Philadelphia, Chicago, or Washington DC, you can use British Airways Avios to fly to Rochester for only 9,000 Avios round-trip. For everything else (with the exception of United from Chicago or Newark at 20,000 United miles round-trip), the cost is 25,000 miles.

Staying There

There are quite a few hotels in Rochester. One of the best options is the Hyatt Regency Rochester. It is a Category 2 Hyatt so it only requires 4,000 Gold Passport points and $55 for a Points & Cash and 8,000 points for a free night. This hotel is not far from Highland Park and puts you in a great position to experience the city (it is only 2 miles away).

Another convenient hotel is the Radisson Hotel Riverside. It is across the street from the Hyatt (right on the Genesee River) and can be had for 28,000 Club Carlson points per night. Remember, if you stay for two or more nights on an award stay, the last night is free (if you are a credit card holder). That means that 28,000 points could actually cover two nights.

Summary

I will not be running it, but would love for you to enjoy my city! The Lilac Festival is a beautiful place to do just that! You should definitely consider running this race. There are many ways to get there for free or less, try your hand at one and enjoy yourself!