The Course

The Course is what The Classic 10K is all about. The route is Frank Shorter's boyhood training loop and is literally a "Tour of Middletown" and its historic neighborhoods. Due to the construction of a new track at Middletown High School, the center of festivities, including the Start and Finish, has moved to Twin Towers Middle School.

The Start on Wisner is flat for a block before it begins to pitch downhill, where you turn right onto Corwin and right again onto East Main to join the original course. Run slightly uphill for 0.4 miles through Mile 1, followed by a 0.6 mile tour rolling through downtown Middletown. There is a steep 50 meter climb at 2.1 miles. The next mile goes down steadily, then up steadily.

The mile 3 and 5K marks are on a flat, which continues for 0.6 mile into the park and around Davidge Lake. The next half mile puts the "height" in Randall Heights from 3.7 to 4.2 miles, but the neighborhood spectators will cheer you on. What goes up, must come down; crest the hill, go 0.2 mile downhill, turn right onto Roosevelt Avenue and enter "The Slingshot" an abrupt 50 meter drop.

From this point to the finish, the pace picks up and the race really takes off, as Wisner Avenue is mostly downhill or flat. After mile 5, hop off Wisner onto Sproat. Bear right onto Wickham and hang a sharp left onto Albert for two blocks. Right on Grand, left on Prince, then left onto Irwin, up one last gradual rise and accelerate downhill to the Finish, which is behind Twin Towers Middle School.