Ashenfelter 8K Classic

First thing’s first: this is a Thanksgiving day race. It’s a great way to start the holiday considering how much you’ll be eating afterwards. If you drank a little too much the night before, that’s okay. Because the 8k starts at 9:00, not 8:15. The «Ridger Romp,» a 1 mile run, starts at 8:15 so don’t make the same mistake as me and get there earlier than necessary for the 8k. Packet pick up starts at 7 AM on the day of the race or you can pick it up the night before from 5 – 8 at the high school.
I’ve now run this race twice (2011 and 2013) and both experiences were positive. For $ 30 (2013 price), you get a long sleeve technical tee and the volunteers hook you up with food and drinks before and after the race. Just for example: Bloomfield’s Best Bagels, Dunkin’ Donuts, bananas, PowerBars, NutriGrain bars, OJ, coffee, water, and hot chocolate.
As for the course, it’s not super flat nor free of inclines. The last hill around 4.5 miles going back up to Ridgewood Ave. is a bitch! But by that point you’re only about .47 miles from the finish line. There are 2 water stations throughout the course and plenty of supporters along the way.
Once you’re done, there are massage tables set up inside the school gym, but I’m not sure whether those are included in the $ 30 entry free. My guess is they’re not otherwise the line would be out the door.
As for parking, I arrived around 7:15 on the day of the race and couldn’t get a parking spot in the school lot so you’ll likely have to rely on street parking.