Saratoga Stryders Fall Back 5 Mile Trail Race

Saratoga Stryders Fall Back 5 Mile Trail Race is run in Saratoga Springs, New York, on November 1, 2026. There is one event on the card, a 5-mile trail run, and it starts at 10 a.m., a civilized hour for a race that will ask more of your legs than the distance alone suggests.

Five miles on trails sits in a useful spot: long enough to reward aerobic fitness, short enough that you can race it hard without a dedicated build. Wear shoes with grip, shorten your stride on the descents, and let your pace drift with the terrain instead of chasing mile splits. If you mostly run roads, a few sessions on soft, uneven ground in the weeks beforehand will make race day feel far more manageable.