Aaron and Diana Knobloch know the drill now.
The married couple are in their second year of organizing the Delmar Dash, and Aaron said they used the knowledge they gained last year to get an earlier start in putting together the annual 5-mile race.
“We started thinking earlier about what we wanted to do with the race,” said Knobloch. “We were learning last year.”
The 26th edition of the Delmar Dash Sunday features one of the largest collections of Capital District road racing talent the event has seen in years. Besides defending champions Alex Paley (men) and Megan Hogan (women), the field includes the likes of Chuck Terry, Jaime Julia, Kevin Treadway, Christina Gracey, Kara Bertasso and Sara Dunham.
“We’ve got a lot of the really top-notch runners in the area,” said Knobloch. “We do have our defending champions back, but we also have more depth of talent this year.”
A reason for the increase in the number of elite runners is the timing of this year’s Delmar Dash. Unlike last year’s race, which was the day before the Boston Marathon, Sunday’s race is two weeks before the marathon. Knobloch said that’s allowing more of this region’s elite runners to include the Delmar Dash as part of their training for Boston.
“Because of the timing with Boston, that helps a little, but I think more of the top runners are entering overall,” said Knobloch. “It’s going to be an exciting race for people to watch.”
Gracey and Bertasso have both run sub three-hour marathon times, which should push Hogan in her quest to repeat as the Delmar Dash’s female champion. Last year, Hogan set a course record by finishing with a time of 27:38, which also placed her fifth overall. On the men’s side, Terry is a past Delmar Dash champion, having won the race in 2008, while Julia, Treadway, Ricardo Estremera and Tom O’Grady have ran well at other local races leading up to Sunday’s event.
Beyond the elite runners, the Delmar Dash is a showcase for the town’s road racers. Knobloch said many of the participants are from Delmar, and the neighbors along the course have been known to help out at a moment’s notice.
“We’ve had people coming out of their homes to volunteer as course marshals,” said Knobloch. “They’ve said, ‘Let me help. I’ve done this before.’ We’re pretty fortunate that we have this support system of volunteers to help out.”
Bryant Asset Protection is sponsoring the Delmar Dash, and Knobloch said its owner, Mark Bryant, has been offering he and his wife advice about operating the race when needed.
“He’s been very helpful and supportive in helping us put on this race,” said Knobloch. “He’s a runner himself.”
The Delmar Dash begins at 9 a.m. on Kenwood Avenue near Bethlehem Central Middle School and ends in the middle school parking lot. The annual Spotlight Kids’ Fun Run follows the adult race.