ARE Event Productions

11/14/2025

Meet Melissa, a marathon conqueror whose determination and vibrant energy light up every mile! Melissa's greatest accomplishment is completing her first marathon at the iconic NYC Marathon in 2024—a triumphant debut that showcased her grit and passion for longer distances. Lacing up her race-day favorites like the Nike Alpha Fly 3s, Nike V***r Fly 4s, or Nike Vomero 18s, she powers through with a visor or hat, goodr sunglasses, and Shokz headphones. For long runs, her Flip belt or running vest keeps essentials handy.

Melissa vibes to Peloton running classes, loving coaches like Marcel Dinkins for their motivating playlists and mantras. Music-wise, she blasts Soca, Afrobeats, hip hop, R&B, and EDM with BPMs matching her cadence. She thrives on perfect fall or spring days at 55-60 degrees—but skips cold, rain, or extreme heat!

Fresh off her completion of the 2025 NYC Marathon earlier this month, Melissa had an amazing year of running accomplishments! She crushed the Shamrock 8K & Half Marathon, the Delightful Run for Women 5K, the Baltimore Classic 5K, the Run 4 the River Half Marathon, the DC Half Marathon, the ATL “The Race” Half Marathon, and the Detroit Free Press (1-miler, 5K, International Half). Goals ahead: a sub-2-hour half and 27-minute 5K.

Her support crew is her powerhouse: Peloton fam sending encouragement and joining runs (many traveled for her marathon!); plus BGR Albany and Cap City Runners sharing miles, cheers, and OG wisdom.

Post-race, she celebrates with a burger, taco, and spicy margarita, Hugo spritz, or champagne—pure victory fuel! Join Melissa on her next adventure, where her marathon magic and community spirit will inspire you to lace up and chase your dreams!

11/13/2025

Join us for the Upstate Classic this Sunday! Drop your favorite photos and memories in the comments below📸! There is still time to sign up!

https://www.zippy-reg.com/online_reg/index.php?e=2286

11/11/2025

This Sunday is our GORGEOUS Upstate Classic! And if you're part of the fun, then there's only one* thing to do tonight: read the Participant Handbook! https://upstateclassic.com/handbook

*You should also eat dinner. And brush your teeth.

Volunteer assignments will be made/emailed tomorrow.

PPU is on Friday and Sunday - all the info in the Handbook linked above!

11/11/2025

Check out these two awesome events!! Links to each race in the comments below 🏃🏽🏃‍♀️🏃🏻‍♂️

11/07/2025

🏃🏽🏃‍♀️🏃🏻‍♂️Stockade-athon time!!!🏃🏻‍♂️🏃‍♀️🏃🏽

Check out the link in the comments below for more information.

11/06/2025

Meet Jess, a triumphant Ironman finisher whose perseverance and community spirit light up every mile! This year, Jess conquered her first full Ironman event in Maryland, overcoming her biggest fear of open water swimming from last year—a gratifying victory made possible by the local running and triathlon community's unwavering support. Lacing up her Hoka Mach X 2, On Cloud Runners, or Saucony Endorphins (she loves switching brands for the variety!), Jess powers through miles with her Garmin Venu watch, Shokz headphones, and Noxgear vest & light for safety in low-light runs.

For base runs, Jess vibes to positive and inspirational Spotify playlists of uplifting Christian rock, featuring favorites like Matthew West, Toby Mac, Forrest Frank, and Todd Coconato. On longer solo runs, she tunes into "The Healthy Runner Podcast" or podcasts on real estate and the local community, like "Inspire Saratoga." She thrives in 50-degree drizzle—perfect race-day magic—but anything under 20 degrees with a headwind demands extra mental grit!

This year, Jess has crushed the First Day 5K, Philadelphia Broad Street Run, Delightful Run for Women, Firecracker4, Malta 5K, Crystal Lake Triathlon (her first triathlon), and the Maryland full Ironman. For the remainder, she's eyeing the Stockade-athon 15k, and the Christopher Dailey Turkey Trot. Her biggest goal? Bringing a half marathon back to Saratoga Springs. Through hard work with iRun Local, the support of the city, and a dedicated committee, it’s happening on September 20th, 2026- mark your calendars!

Jess’s support crew is her powerhouse: her four children, whose cheers pump her up at every race, and her incredible running community at iRun Local, where she leads twice-weekly group runs. They feel like family, supporting each other through training highs and lows—it's hard to fail surrounded by positive believers.

Join Jess at the Stockade-athon 15 this Sunday, November 9th, where her fearless energy and community-driven passion will inspire you to lace up and chase your own running dreams!

11/04/2025

Thursday is the price jump for the 2025 Troy Turkey Trot. If you plan on racing it, get to https://troyturkeytrot.com/register before midnight tomorrow to save!

11/02/2025

Trotter on the loose! The Troy Turkey Trot's favorite turkey is at helping our team at the NYC Marathon!

What's Trotter's 2nd favorite day? Why of course it's the first Sunday in November for the NYC Marathon! If you have friends running, make sure they give Trotter a high-five at halfway!

10/30/2025

Three awesome events happening this weekend! Check out the comments below for links to each event. 🏃🏽🏃‍♀️🏃🏻‍♂️

10/30/2025

Hairy Gorilla Half Marathon & Squirrelly Six Mile
photos are here!! Click on the link below 📸

https://areep.smugmug.com/2025-Hairy-Gorilla-Half-Marathon-Squirrelly-Six-Mile

10/30/2025

Meet Darcie, a running sensation whose determination and inner strength light up every mile! At 47, Darcie’s greatest accomplishment is conquering the 2025 Mohawk Hudson Marathon after an intense 18-week training plan. Starting her running journey just four years ago at age 43, she’s tackled 19 races across the Capital Region—unlocking a profound sense of capability and power.

Lacing up with a pair of Brooks Glycerin Max, Mizuno, or Asics. She always looks for a pair with a splash of neon for flair. Her favorite accessories? A FitBit Versa 2 watch for tracking, Bravey socks, and her 261 Fearless bracelet from Kathrine Switzer’s organization, keeping her ready for any challenge.

Darcie vibes to folk pop and rock on Pandora, with artists like Antje Duvekot, Indigo Girls, Shawn Colvin, The Waifs, and Sarah McLachlan providing calming rhythms and poetic lyrics for thoughtful visualization.

She thrives on early morning runs in any season, where cooler temps and the magical moon-sun overlap make every stride enchanting. This year, she’s crushed the CDPHP Workforce Challenge, Delightful Run for Women, Run 4 the River Half Marathon, and the Mohawk Hudson Marathon. Looking ahead, she’s aiming to build strength and speed, with a dream trip to Italy to trace her ancestors and run the Rome Marathon.

Darcie’s support crew is her powerhouse: life partner Brian and chihuahua Fonzie, her parents and family, friends Nicole, Mayleen, Jess, Ryan, Esti, and Sonia, plus dietitian/trainer Mariana from Eat Guilt Free—all fueling her with encouragement, nutrition tips, and buddy runs. Post-race, she refuels with a banana, pita bread and hummus, plus a small hot latte with almond milk and lavender—pure, soothing victory fuel!

Join Darcie at the Troy Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving, where her transformative journey and unbreakable spirit will inspire you to lace up and chase your own running dreams! 🏃‍♀️