The Conquer the Trail tradition hosted at Mercy University welcomes the Dobbs Ferry community to celebrate the final lap. It will be last year of the 11-year event.

Many runners who participate in this event are not competing for a trophy, but are doing it for fun and exercise. 

The preparation of organizing this event collaborates with the celebration of the institution’s milestone and partnering with local sponsors. The training that the competitors endure over the course of the seasons has helped raise awareness of runners’ personal goals. 

In honor of Mercy’s 75th Anniversary, Conquer the Trail is going to bring a special ending to this year’s running event.

Assistant Professor for the School of Health & Natural Science, Amanda Bireline, gives a message on what this year’s racing event is about. 

“Running is so much more than exercise. It brings people together to achieve a goal, establishes community connections, and benefits health,” Wireline said.

Conquer the Trail, originally started by former faculty and students at Mercy,  later led to the exercise science club and race director, also an alumnus at the university, taking over the race. The racing event began as a 5k and expanded to 10k over the years.

Over 100 people from the community dedicate their time to running through the trail and become members of the school’s environment. For the final edition of the race, the run will be 7.5k along the scenic Cronton-Acquetic Trail, in celebration of the university’s milestone.

Bireline gives a breakdown of the process of setting up the event and how the timing of organizing the final race was important for the school.

“We typically start organizing the event around six months prior. This year, due to it being a bit bigger and wanting to involve some community partners, we started about nine months ago,” Bireline said.

In celebration of the final race, a limited-edition 75th-anniversary t-shirt will be handed out to the first 75 runners to register before they begin the run. All the proceeds from the race will go towards the Mav Market, which helps secure basic needs and empowers students to reach their full potential. Mercy.edu describes it as “a judgment-free, inclusive, and confidential resource providing nutritious food and personal care items at no cost to our Mercy Mavericks (students, staff, and faculty) experiencing food insecurity. By easing the burden of securing basic needs, the Mav Market empowers students to stay focused on their studies and reach their full potential as Mavericks.”

Conquer the Trail will also be awarding prizes to the top three male and female runners who complete the race. Anyone who does not make the top three still has an opportunity to win prizes in race-day raffles.

“The run is a fun run. People may be competing for various reasons. This race is a fundraiser that our club puts together. We do have a wonderful sponsor, Cronton Running Company, that offers prizes to the top male and female winners. They will receive a gift card to the running store.”

The trail event would not be complete without the volunteers who spend their time setting up and handing out water to runners while they focus on the race. Anyone from the community or who attends Mercy is welcome to help ensure the race runs smoothly.

Runners who have been a part of the race tradition challenge themselves to cross the finish line when they did not think it was possible. Running improves heart function, reduces the risk of chronic disease, and enhances blood flow. 

Bireline shares a moment from the Conquer the Trail race, serving as motivation for people to believe in themselves.

“People train for this and have never done something like this before. Seeing them achieve something they are striving for is so rewarding! It’s also great to see so many people connect on Mercy’s campus to make this happen,” Bireline said.

 The final edition of Conquer the Trail will wrap up with the longest run and a satisfying end to a tradition in Westchester. The eleven years of running have changed from a collaboration with Mercy alumni holding a small event to the involvement with the community participating in the race. 

The race continues to invite runners who are interested in following the promotions of the website, social media, and promotions by the race director. To learn more about the Conquer the Trail race and celebrating the traditions final special edition, visit www.mercy.edu/conquer-trail-7.5k