2021 NCAA Niagara Regional Championships

The weather plays a role not just in the racing, but shooting photos as well. Leaving Buffalo, I had to make it through the area’s first lake effect snowstorm of the coming winter season. Large soft flakes began covering the road as I excited the expressway onto Route 20A making my way to Geneseo, NY. It is a little over an hour drive, but the whole time I was worried what the conditions might be for me as a photographer, but as also as one who likes to run from section along a course to get different shots. I had a plastic cover for the camera and this time I brought running gear and some light trail shoes to make it easier to run around for shots. When I arrived, I sure needed it.

The course was relatively flat, but with taller grass in the sections that I would be running in. My feet were soaked instantly as expected. More soaked than running through a stream on a trail run is how it felt. The men went off first in the rain, it wasn’t super heavy at first, but mid way through it started to pick up. The women’s race went off an hour later and luckily for me the rain stopped enough for me to ditch the camera cover and have unbothered control over the camera.

I can’t tell you who won the team race, but someone from Cortland won the men’s race and the ladies from Geneseo took 1st and 2nd. My legs were wet and muddy, but I shot a ridiculous amount of photos. The best thing about shooting these races is the photographer’s and runner’s high mixing together from trying to get to a photo spot in time before the runners. Ended up with almost a 3 mile run too.

-Jim