In 2018 we were working on a long-term goal of completing a half marathon in all 50 states. This was an ambitious goal for two average, middle-aged runners, but we had started off well, having already accomplished Texas, Michigan and Nevada by the beginning of the summer. When we booked a trip to Ithaca, we knew this didn’t really fit the mission as we’d already run a half marathon here two years prior. Ithaca is a beautiful little college town tucked into upstate New York on the south end of Cayuga Lake surrounded by trees and well-known for its waterfalls and dramatic gorges.

As it was probably our favorite course to date, we determined that duplicating a state was worth the money and time. Excited and planning ahead, we had booked flights, a place to stay, reserved a car, and registered for the race several months prior to the run, expecting we’d be in prime condition to tackle the route again. The best laid plans …