A community rallies around 54th running of the Marbletown Road Run

This year’s Marbletown Road Run will be held on Saturday, July 4. Registration is from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. with the race starting at 9 a.m. There are 13 divisions, including one for the Town of Marbletown and a unique division where racers get to predict their times. Registration is $15, and the first 150 people who register will get a t-shirt designed by Bob Johnson, one of the race directors.

This event is really a community effort, with race co-director Larry Skalla, Bob Johnson and a many others that make this happen.

Skalla said, “What started out as a July 4 celebration for kids that included a Road Run from the Kripplebush Fire House to the Marbletown Elementary School has become both a town and county tradition. After the run, there would be sack races, tricycle races and the like on the field behind the school. That part passed and the run became the event of the day. That was due in a large part due to the interest in running that was increasing throughout the county and to people like Joe Keller, Bernie Stahl and a very young Steve Schallencamp who has become an integral part of setting up and assisting with the race.”

Johnson had this to say about Schallencamp, “I just want to mention that Steve has been an integral part of the Marbletown Road Run from the beginning as a record holder runner and now as a finish line timer and race organizer. He represents the Onteora Runners Club and is a major race director with the entire running community in Ulster County.”

Schallencamp went on to say, “I have had a long relationship with the MRR. I was one of the 12 participants in the first race in 1971, and I won it for the first time in 1973. In the late 1990s, I helped organizers by bringing a finish line chute and getting Yvonne Sill to time the race. I have promoted the race to the running community and this year I will time the race. The Marbletown Parks, Trails and Rec Department always organizes the race. Part of the charm of the event is that it has essentially remained the same throughout its 53-year-old history.”

Folks like Schallencamp make the race happen and as the years go by, Jill McClean and Jess Phelan have taken on a larger role through their position with the Marbletown Parks, Trails and Recreation Department.

Phelan said, “The MRR is much more than a race, it is a tradition that has brought people together for 54 years and continues to thrive because of so many people throughout our community. It also serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of staying active as families. Seeing multiple generations up together on race day is a lasting testament to the impact of this event. As the years go by, Jill and I have been honored to take on an expanded role in helping organize and support the race. Witnessing the volunteerism, community spirit and family connections that define the MRR reminds us why the event is so special. Preserving and passing down traditions like this is something we hold deeply important.”

“The cooperation of the Rondout School District, The Kripplebush Fire Company, The Stone Ridge Fire Company, Marbletown First Aid, The Town of Marbletown and individuals willing to volunteer their help is what allows the Marbletown Road Run to thrive each year,” said Skalla.

It’s great to live in a community that values its traditions. We’ll see you at Marbletown School on the Fourth of July to continue this great tradition.