500 run the 2023 ADK 5K race in Lake George

This Saturday, September 16, 500 runners competed in the 2023 ADK 5K road race. The runners ranged in age from 9 to 81, and some came from as far away as Phoenix, Arizona and Waukesha, Wisconsin. Some pushed children in strollers, others were joined by their dogs. One man ran the entire route holding a banner. The event, hosted by Adirondack Pub & Brewery, is part of the Great American Brewery Runs.

Malissa Hale of Russell, New York, said she achieved her personal best on the route that took runners from the Adirondack Brewpub, down Elizabeth Little Blvd., up Beach Road past Million Dollar Beach, to Route 9L where they looped around to run along West Brook and return to the pub. Hale says this is the first time she did the ADK 5K, but she is not new to competitive racing. She has been entering races for three years and just completed a race in Virginia Beach. When asked why she decided to enter the ADK 5k, she lit up, “We love Lake George. There’s so much to do here!”

The ADK 5K is a chip-timed, USA Track & Field-certified race. Divisions are divided into Male and Female in 10-year age increments beginning with under ten years, up to 70+. Jonathan Lindenauer of Ballston Lake, New York took 1^st place in the Male Overall and Erika Abrantes of Lake George took 1^st in the Female Overall. Visit Albany Running Exchange for a full listing of race results.

After the race, runners and their fans enjoyed a party with food trucks, craft beverages, lawn games, a stein-hoisting contest and live music by aBlast.

The ADK 5K is one of the few races that continued in person during the pandemic with health and safety measures in place. Adirondack Pub & Brewery owner John Carr says, “That put this event on the radar for a lot of people. People who would run these races in other places came to Lake George and it continues to grow each year.”

A portion of the race proceeds benefit the Lake George Land Conservancy, a not-for-profit land trust that works to preserve the Lake George water quality by protecting land within the Lake George watershed.

In a press release, Carl Ewald, Executive Director of Great American Brewery Runs says, “We love this race because there is no other race in the world that has a more beautiful view coming out of the gates. Lake George is the perfect backdrop for the race and for the finish line festival. There is no better way to end a run than with live music on the Adirondack Brewery lawn and enjoying an Adirondack beer on the shores of Lake George.”