On the Sunday after Mother’s Day, runners and walkers gather in the heart of Ellenville for a tradition that has become as much a community reunion as a road race.
Since 1983, Run Like the Wind has raised money for local causes while drawing generations of participants to the village streets and, more recently, the O&W Rail Trail. Over four decades, the event has evolved from a simple race into a full-day community celebration complete with food, music, beer and wine tents, and an after-party centered around Aroma Thyme Bistro.
For organizer and restaurateur Marcus Guiliano, the race’s staying power comes down to one thing: community.
“It’s the community,” Guiliano said. “The community has supported us every year, no matter what the cause is, no matter who the race director is over the decades that it’s been out there. It’s just this community tradition that happens like clockwork on the Sunday right after Mother’s Day.”
Over the years, the event has adapted to changing times and changing expectations. Guiliano said the race once featured a larger street closure and a more extensive course, but organizers eventually shifted their approach as more races emerged throughout the region.
When Guiliano and his wife Jamie took over organizing the event in 2015, one of their first priorities was bringing back the after-party atmosphere.
“We immediately brought back the after-party, the beer tent, the wine tent, the food,” he said. “We created this event around a race.”
Today, participants don’t even need to run to take part in the experience.
“You can come just hang out with your friends who did run or walk,” Guiliano said. “Or if you want to support the community, you can just show up and pay your reduced fee and hang out and drink great beer and wine and eat amazing food.”
The race now begins and ends at Aroma Thyme Bistro, a move Guiliano said helped simplify logistics and create a more cohesive experience. Previously, organizers managed both a 10K and a 5K course that required staffing dozens of intersections.
“With the economics and the logistics, we downsized the race to a 5K race and we redid the course,” he said. “We consolidated the start and finish line to the restaurant where the after-party is.”
For first-time participants, Guiliano describes the course itself as one of the event’s biggest draws.
“The course is straight and flat,” he said. “You start in the heart of the village and you’re out in the country in no time.”
While the race has become a signature community event, organizers say its mission remains rooted in giving back. Guiliano said proceeds have supported local first responders, food banks, youth athletics, scholarships, and emergency community needs over the years.
“Since 1983, all the money has gone back to the community,” he said.
Among the recurring donations are annual contributions to local Little League programs and scholarships for graduating seniors focused on athletics. Organizers also help food pantries throughout the year, especially during the holiday season.
Despite the scale of the event, Guiliano said the reward comes after the final runners cross the finish line.
“I look forward to the end of it,” he said with a laugh. “Everybody’s crossed the finish line, the police can go home and the roads are opened and we’re all relaxing and I can actually grab a beer myself.”
Registration remains open through race morning at Ellenville Run Like the Wind. The race begins at 10:30 a.m., and organizers encourage participants to register online ahead of arrival to streamline check-in.
Ellenville Run Like The Wind is a financial supporter of Radio Catskill.
Image Credit: EllenvilleRunLikeTheWind.com