2017 Race Reviews

After the race the reviews started to pour in. Yeah, they were good.

What can I tell you? Some folks practice hundreds of hours on a saxophone though they know they will never make money at it. Others paint canvasses knowing they will never sell them.

Me? Paine to Pain is my canvas. I’m glad that folks were able to enjoy the day. Here are a few of the comments I’ve collected about this piece of athletic performance art that you’ve been participating in. All email comments are reposted with permission, and if I find more I’ll tack them on later…
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Just wanted to say thanks for having me out to P2P this year. The race was an absolute blast. Humidity crushed me in the last few miles this year, but I’ll definitely be back, I’m already psyched about trying to better my time over those hills. Congratulations to you for putting it together, I saw so many happy faces and it seemed like everybody loved the race, so a job very well done on your part. — (Steve Crnic, men’s #2 in 2017 and course record holder (2015), via email.)

Your race is FANTASTIC.  We will be back next year to go after a fast time.  The course is AWESOME, so well kept, the people are awesome, it’s just a fantastic positive environment.  It’s one of my favorite races. LOVE the t-shirt and medal.  Again, thanks for working with me to accommodate our pre-race issue around guiding.  MUCH appreciated. — (Pam McGonigle, Paralympic champion and blind trail runner, via email.)

This was my 10th Half Marathon and my slowest by far…but I have fallen in love with P2P. Since I ran it on Sunday, I’ve told everyone who would listen that I will run this race every year from now on. There’s something truly special about it. I can’t stop thinking about the leaves, the smells, the challenges, the sweat, the pain…the smiles. I can’t wait to do it all over again. — (Natalia Ortega-Brown, via Facebook)

Will be back next year. This was the perfect mix of trail, endurance, speed and after race food stands. (Alkis Valentin via Facebook)

Despite the rain and humidity on Sunday, this was such a great race! So well organized, prime trail conditions, beautiful woods, and delicious food! Thank you! @painetopain  (rangerricknyc via Instagram)

Simply put, my favorite race, and I have run a lot of races! Most trail races are too long for me or unable to hold a decent number of runners. Everything about this race is just right. I love the history behind it and the heart that is put into it. Such a great team and a great spirit! Who could have a bad day out there? (Seth Parrish in the comments to the Race Director’s Recap)

Thanks @painetopain for such a fun trail race! Great forest trail not far from NYC. (marcolui via Instagram)

My third consecutive Paine to Pain Trail Half is in the books (5th, counting the 2 earlier course checks)!  I love this race – and the fact it’s practically run in my backyard only adds to its attraction.  The wet (e.g. on again off again rain) conditions only added to the trail running atmosphere (Run Dangerously)

Two days later, I still can’t feel my legs. 💯percent worth it! #painetopain  (bryn_gorberg via Instagram)

Paine to Pain is also a meaningful race for me because, like Escarpment, it exemplifies the communal spirit of trail running…Thanks to …the many other volunteers and sponsors for an awesome event! (Alan’s Adventure Reports)

Back up in New York for the 10th anniversary of the partially rainy, Paine to Pain Trail Half Marathon…Anyone that loves a mixed technical course, this one’s for YOU! (wilworksdc via Instagram)

I just want to thank you again for another wonderful experience (my 8th)!  P2P is what really connected me to running and this thing just gets better every year.(Edmund Dee, via email)

Everything felt right as far as organization: the amount of parking, the starting line area, the amount of portapotties, the volunteers cheering along the way, clear signs, and a finish line festival on the New Rochelle High School track/football field. The free food was delicious, fresh, and offered to finishers and family members alike. Standard (delicious!) bagels along with good hot food from local restaurants. The medal is my favorite: it has a spinning figure of Thomas Paine! The t-shirt is moisture wicking but has that soft cotton feeling, with a fun design. I wish I could wear it all week.

At the start, they had five waves of runners and it was all done punctually, according to schedule. There was a colonial era band with drums and flutes, and for every wave a rifle/musket (?) was fired, which was very exciting. The trail description seemed accurate but I have no frame of reference to really know what “technical” means as far as trail running. I highly recommend this race! Sorry my photos are a little blurry, my phone was in a plastic baggie. (Rachael Pothula at RaceThread)

What a great day I had on Sunday; I was very happy to see you at the finish line; in fact, pretty happy to see the finish line itself! …congratulations on your tenth anniversary; I was intrigued by the race when I first heard of it, but it took me seven years to work it into my schedule (2014). Now it’s a favorite, to which I look forward every year. (Tim Guscott, via email)

Thanks to the race organizers, volunteers and local police! It was my first time running it and had a great time! I mean my time wasn’t great  but I really enjoyed it and will be back next year. Great organization, great course and nice post race snacks! (Douglas Martin, via Facebook)

I wanted to thank you for another fun race.  This was my second, and this time I brought my wife along!  We both had a great time, and will be back again next year.  And great food! (Peter Soboroff, via email)

It’s been a week or so since I ran my first trail race…and I still haven’t cleaned my shoes. They’re pretty filthy, but it almost seems like a badge of honor to keep them that way…Let me first say that this was a fantastic choice for a first race…the organization here was top-notch. At every point where we came out of the trail and had to cross a road, there were always volunteers guiding and cheering us on, while police held up cars and directed them when to go…  much more here–> (The Lesser Known Runners)

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And if you’d like to post a review yourself without my intervention, the comments are open.