Empire State Games return with Prospect Park qualifier on menu

By Ian Landau

Forget the 5.7% growth rate in the U.S. economy in Q4 2009. The surest sign that the economic crisis is easing is today’s announcement from the New York State Parks and Recreation Department that the Empire State Games are back.

As you doubtless are only too keenly aware, the 2009 edition of the games was canceled when the state declared that, in the face of the worst recession since the days of the Dust Bowl, it simply couldn’t dig up the dough to fund the largest amateur athletic competition of its kind in the country.

This meant that city cyclists were deprived their annual ritual of the ESG qualifier for the Open Division of the Games: a 74-mile road race around Brooklyn’s Prospect Park loop, with the top 10 finishers securing places to the Games.

Look for this year’s qualifier to return on its usual date: the first Saturday in June.

The race is run in an open format, with every category racing as one field. Women have a separate 50-mile race to determine the women’s team for the games, with the top three finishers guaranteed spots.

The games themselves are like a mini Olympics (replete with Summer and Winter editions), with six state regions competing against one another. In addition to NYC, the regions are Adirondack, Central, Hudson Valley, Long Island, and Western.

We here in NYC are traditionally the plucky underdogs (think Miracle On Ice), using our guile and expensive bike parts in battle against the large, farm-bred Western regioners, the equivalent of the Russian Red Army hockey team.

Anyway, the cycling events are set up as a stage race, with the men doing a 10-mile individual time trial; 78-mile road race; 32-mile criterium; and a 40-mile four-man team time trial.

Women compete in a 10-mile individual time trial; 58-mile road race; 20-mile criterium; and a 25-mile team time trial.

The lucky host this year is the Western region, with opening ceremonies in Buffalo.

Team members get free room and board while at the games, and in years past also a nifty track suit.

The 2010 edition of the ESG will be held July 21-25 in the Buffalo/Niagara region.

Go here for more info: empirestategames.org.