Coach Mike Slinskey Celebration of Life 5k

Coach Mike Slinskey Celebration of Life 5k is organized by the Mid-Hudson Road Runners Club in Wappingers Falls, New York, on November 8, 2026, in memory of the local runner and coach whose work shaped the Hudson Valley running community. The kids' one-mile race goes off at 9:00 a.m. and the 5K at 9:30 a.m., with a virtual option and a Slinskey Surprise sprint inspired by Mike's coaching style. Proceeds go to the American Brain Tumor Association and to a scholarship in his name.

Awards go to the top male and female finishers and to each age-group winner, so there is something to race for whatever your speed. Club races of this kind are a good place to run your first 5K: the fields are welcoming and the distance is reachable on four to six weeks of running three times a week. Taking the virtual option instead means running it as a time trial on ground you already know.