By Kate Hill

Staff Writer

Earlier this month, Cazenovia High School graduate Stacy Marris participated in the first ever Dunn Tire Virtual Mountain Goat Run.

Each year, the not-for-profit Mountain Goat Run Foundation presents a closed-to-traffic 10-mile road race through the City of Syracuse streets under the guidance of Syracuse Police, AMR medical personnel and 500 on-course volunteers.

In light of COVID-19, participants in the 42nd annual Mountain Goat 10-mile run and 2-person relay were invited to join in a virtual event May 3-10.

Marris, an avid runner who lives and practices law in Syracuse, has been spending time at her parents’ house in Erieville during the coronavirus pandemic.

On May 3, she completed her first Mountain Goat with a run from her childhood home to Cazenovia High School.

“I have always wanted to run from my parents’ in Erieville to Caz,” said Marris “It’s a route I’ve driven thousands of times and I knew it was about 10 miles, so when the race went virtual, I figured now was as good a time as any. Plus, I’ve always wondered how hard that Route 20 hill in Nelson actually is (spoiler: it’s not fun) and since the Mountain Goat is a race known for its hills, I figured the route worked out well.”

The most challenging aspect of the Rt. 20 hill, Marris discovered, was its length rather than its slope.

“Surprisingly, I would say the mile after the steepest part of the hill on Rt. 20 [was the hardest],” she said. “You’re expecting the steep part to be hard, but you don’t quite realize that’s it’s a steady incline for quite a while once you make it to the top of the steepest part.”

En route, Marris received support from her sister, brother-in-law, and baby niece.

“My mom, my brother and my dog, Lady Winston of Ham Sandwich, met me at the end of my run,” Marris said. “I wasn’t about to run back to Erieville.”

According to the Mountain Goat website, race registration fees, along with sponsor contributions, generate the funds to provide items for racers, medals for finishers, time-bonus patches, age group awards, shirts for volunteers, entertainment along the course and in Clinton Square, post-race refreshments, police and medical support, and contributions for partner not-for-profits.

“I knew the race was taking into account that this is a tough time for everyone and issuing some sort of refund for your race fee if you wanted it,” Marris said. “But I also knew that portions of the race fee went to local not-for-profits, which made my decision to run it virtually, a no-brainer.”

Last year, Mountain Goat Run donated over $18,000 to the following organizations: Greater Strathmore Neighborhood, Good Ole Boys Bassmasters Club, Tully Interact Group, Kirk Park Colts, Westhill High Student Activities Fund, Friends of Camillus Park, Tully Boys Running Club, Fifty-six Cases, Syracuse Track Club, Upstate Foundation, Wonderful Tipperary Hill Neighborhood Association, The MOST, Downtown YMCA, and Section III Athletic Scholarships.

To learn more about the annual Mountain Goat Run, visit mountaingoatrun.com.