Running has been a refuge for many during the Coronavirus pandemic, and members of the Wild Rovers have been able to stay fit and sane by getting out for daily runs. Still, the running world has been hit hard as well, including the local running scene. The necessary social distancing restrictions have caused races to be postponed or canceled and the team has had to miss out on weekly group long runs. This past weekend (April 18th and 19th) was supposed to have been an important weekend of races, with the Helderberg to Hudson Half Marathon and the Delmar Dash both on the calendar. With those races postponed and cancelled respectively, the Wild Rovers raced “virtually,” challenging themselves to virtual versions of those half marathon and 5 mile races.
Two Rovers re-created the Helderberg to Hudson. John Deer followed the original course, running from Voorheesville to Albany mostly along the Helderberg Hudson Rail Trail in well under 7 minute pace. Al Faller found a 13.1 mile loop through the hills south of Delmar.

In town, six Rovers raced through the Delmar Dash course at different times on Saturday and Sunday. The guys ran solo but found inspiration competing against teammates and Delmar Dashes past. Eamon Dempsey paced the squad by running 28:17, a time that would have placed 5th in the 2019 Delmar Dash (and almost two minutes faster than Eamon himself ran last year). Paul Mueller, Alejandro Gauna, Greg Potestio, Peter Koch, and Chris Chromczak also time trialed the course, with Gauna and Chromczak both under 6 minute pace.