My Story: Meet Pace Bear Francesca Delucia

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Francesca DeLucia, from New York City), will run with the 3:45 pace group. Here is her story, courtesy of the ADK Marathon

"As a native of Troy, New York, I am excited to return upstate to lead the 3:45 pace group at the Adirondack Marathon. While living in China, I ran the 2011 Great Wall Half Marathon as my first ever “road” race. What started as a bet turned into an addiction and I’ve since ran numerous full and half marathons, including qualifying for Boston in my first marathon. I led a training group for the 2013 NYC Marathon and I’ve paced a couple of half marathons. I concentrated on helping other runners reach their goals while having lots of fun along the way. Given my motto “I run to eat..cake”, I may continue past the finish line and run to the nearest bakery!"

ADK Marathon 2014: Your Quickie Guide

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The 2013 ADK Marathon Start. Photo The Schroon Laker Connection

The 2013 ADK Marathon Start. Photo The Schroon Laker Connection

Here’s your quick checklist to this weekend’s Marathon Weekend. Remember, you can visit the Adirondack Marathon Distance Festival website for more information and to register for any of the races!

Friday, September 26

6-8 p.m. - 5K/10K packet pickup

Saturday, September 27

7-8:30 a.m. - 5K/10K registration

9:30 a.m. - 5K/10K start

10 a.m. - 5 p.m. - Race Expo & Packet Pickup

2 p.m. - 1K Children's Fun Run

3 p.m. - Strategy Session with former Runner's World shoes & gear editor Jeff Dengate, a 6-time finisher of the Adirondack Marathon.

4:45 - 6:30 p.m. - Pasta Dinner

Spectators at the the 2013 ADK Marathon  make a huge difference, cheering on runners. Photo The Schroon Laker Connection

Spectators at the the 2013 ADK Marathon  make a huge difference, cheering on runners. Photo The Schroon Laker Connection

Sunday, September 28

6:45-8:15 a.m. - Packet pickup

7 a.m. - Early Bird marathon start

8:40-9:05 a.m. - Half-marathon and relay buses depart

9 a.m. - Marathon and relays start

1 p.m. - Half-Marathon awards ceremony

The Prizes: The Winner's can't "Bear It" Photo The Schroon Laker Connection

The Prizes: The Winner's can't "Bear It" Photo The Schroon Laker Connection

2 p.m. - Marathon awards ceremony

2:30 p.m. - Course closes

4 p.m. - Postrace party at Witherbee's

ADK Marathon Wins Big

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The start of the 2013 ADK Marathon on main Street in Schroon Lake

The start of the 2013 ADK Marathon on main Street in Schroon Lake

The Adirondack Marathon  -- less than two weeks away --  has just been given top honors as the state’s best marathon. The award comes from the website Flipkey.com, a subsidiary of TripAdvisor.com. From race organizer Joel Friedman:

"If you haven't decided which fall race to run, we think we have the answer for you…Based on industry research and traveler feedback, FlipKey.com found the 50 most popular reviewed and positively reviewed marathon/races in each state across the country and the Adirondack Marathon has been selected as New York State's 2014 Top Marathon & Races Worth Traveling For.

The Adirondack Marathon is just one of several races that make up the Adirondack Marathon Distance Festival. The 18th Edition of the event will be held on the weekend of September 27 & 28 in Schroon Lake, NY. Not ready for a full marathon, we offer a 2 person and 4 person relay, a Half Marathon, 5k & 10k and even a fun run for the children. What a great time of the year to spend a weekend in the Adirondack Mountains, and especially in Schroon Lake"

To register for any of the events or for additional information click here. Are you running this year? Tell us about it in comments.