Riggie Run and Riggiefest Return to Marcy to Support Veterans
Sitrin’s fourth annual community event combines a 5K, wheelchair race, family walk and Utica’s signature chicken riggies to raise money for local veterans.
MARCY, N.Y. — The Riggie Run, Walk and Riggiefest will return to SUNY Polytechnic Institute on Sunday, Oct. 11, bringing together runners, families, local restaurants and veterans for a distinctly Mohawk Valley fundraiser. The fourth annual event benefits Sitrin’s Military Program, which provides comprehensive care at no cost to post-9/11 veterans and service members dealing with combat-related physical and mental health needs.
The event is scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at SUNY Poly, 100 Seymour Road. SUNY Poly describes its 400-acre campus as being in Marcy, just outside Utica, although its mailing address is listed as Utica.
For participants, the day offers everything from a serious 5K competition to a race that requires eating a bowl of chicken riggies halfway through. For everyone else, there is Riggiefest, where local restaurants compete for bragging rights over one of the region’s best-known dishes.
Riggie Run offers events for different ages and abilities
Sitrin says people of all ages and abilities are invited to participate.
The Riggie Run and Walk includes:
- A traditional 5K run
- A 5K Riggie Challenge
- A 5K wheelchair race
- A wheelchair Riggie Challenge
- A 2-mile walk
- A free 1-mile Kids Run
The Kids Run begins at 9:30 a.m. The wheelchair events start at 10:05 a.m., followed by the 5K at 10:10 a.m. and the 2-mile walk at 10:15 a.m. Both the 5K run and wheelchair race will use chip timing.
Registration for the paid race and walk events is currently listed at $33.15, including a $3.15 processing fee, through the event’s RunSignup registration site. The Kids 1-Mile Run is free.
The Riggie Challenge adds a uniquely Utica twist
The event’s signature attraction is the Riggie Challenge.
Instead of simply running a 5K, challenge participants must stop at the halfway point and eat a bowl of chicken riggies before finishing the course.
For runners who would rather not mix pasta with their race pace, a standard 5K remains available.
The unusual format gives the fundraiser a strong local identity. Chicken riggies, typically combining pasta, chicken, peppers and a spicy cream or tomato-based sauce, have long been associated with the Utica area.
Riggiefest brings local restaurants together
After the races, attention turns from running shoes to dinner plates.
Riggiefest will run from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. inside SUNY Poly’s Wildcat Field House. Participating restaurants will serve their versions of chicken riggies while attendees taste the dishes and vote for their favorites.
Paid race and walk participants receive admission to Riggiefest at no additional cost.
For people attending only the food festival, Sitrin lists admission at:
- $10 for adults
- $5 for children ages 6 through 11
- Free for children age 5 and younger
Online ticketing services may add processing fees.
More than a dozen restaurants are expected to participate, according to Sitrin.
Last year’s event drew more than 550 registered participants for the run, walk and wheelchair race, while more than 1,000 people attended Riggiefest. Fifteen restaurants served chicken riggies. Maggiolino’s Italian Restaurant was voted best overall, while Tony’s Pizzeria and Sports Bar of Washington Mills received recognition for the most unique riggies.
More than $45,000 raised last year for veterans
Behind the food and friendly competition is a larger purpose.
Sitrin reports that the 2025 event raised more than $45,000 for its Military Program.
The program serves post-9/11 veterans and active service members experiencing conditions that can include post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injuries, depression, spinal cord injuries, amputations and suicidal thoughts. Sitrin says the care is provided at no cost to participants.
That makes the Riggie Run more than another fall road race.
For many veterans, returning home does not mean the end of the challenges connected to military service. Medical treatment, rehabilitation, mental health support and opportunities to rebuild community connections can remain important for years.
Sitrin’s program also operates a Military Civilian Coalition that brings veterans and civilians together through recreational and social activities. Sitrin lists programs including golf, gardening, yoga, biking, fly fishing, therapeutic hand drumming and an annual Warrior Retreat at Camp Sitrin.
Marc DePerno, Sitrin’s vice president of the Foundation and Communications, thanked Arrow Bank for serving as presenting sponsor.
“We are deeply grateful to Arrow Bank for continuing as presenting sponsor and their support of local veteran care,” DePerno said in Sitrin’s announcement.
Riggie Run teams with Utica Roadrunners event
The Riggie Run will also be paired with the Utica Roadrunners Skeleton Run, scheduled for Oct. 18.
Participants who register for both races can receive a $5 discount on each registration along with additional event merchandise, according to Sitrin.
That partnership gives area runners an opportunity to take part in two October events while supporting community organizations.
Packet pickup scheduled in New Hartford
Participants can pick up race packets from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, at The Sneaker Store, 24 Genesee St. in New Hartford.
The full Sunday schedule is:
- 8:30 a.m.: Registration and continental breakfast
- 9:30 a.m.: Kids 1-Mile Run
- 10 a.m.: National Anthem
- 10:05 a.m.: 5K Wheelchair Race and Wheelchair Riggie Challenge
- 10:10 a.m.: 5K Run and Riggie Challenge
- 10:15 a.m.: 2-Mile Walk
- 11 a.m.: Riggiefest begins
- 11:15 a.m.: Winners announced and race results
- 12:30 p.m.: Riggiefest ends
A Mohawk Valley tradition with a larger mission
Community fundraisers work best when people can see both the fun and the purpose.
The Riggie Run, Walk and Riggiefest manages to combine several pieces of Mohawk Valley culture: running, neighborhood restaurants, chicken riggies, family activities and support for military veterans.
Those connections appear to be helping the event grow. More than 1,000 people attended the food festival last year, while tens of thousands of dollars were raised for veterans’ services.
This year’s return provides residents with several ways to participate. They can run, walk, compete in the wheelchair division, bring children to the free Kids Run, sample chicken riggies or simply support the cause.
For Central New Yorkers looking for a fall event with a local flavor, Oct. 11 offers something beyond a typical road race. It is a chance to celebrate a famous Utica dish while helping ensure veterans and service members can receive care when they need it.
Registration and additional event information are available through Sitrin’s official Riggie Run and Walk event page.
Source note: Event details were checked against Sitrin’s official 2026 announcement and event page, its current registration listings, and SUNY Polytechnic Institute information. The original story supplied for this assignment identified the fourth annual event at SUNY Poly from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11. The post also follows the supplied Utica Phoenix blog-post requirements.
