The 2023 Black Diamond Express

5K & Half Marathon Races

USATF Certified Course USATF 2017 Sanctioned Event

Sunday, August 27, 2023

Half Marathon starts: 8:00 AM • 5K starts: 8:20 AM

For 2023 (our 12th year!), we have CASH PRIZES for the Half Marathon ($300 to the male and female winners; $100 to the male and female 2nd place runners), and USATF Course Certification for the Half Marathon (NY17052JG).

Rochester Runner of the Year Series Logo

We are proud that our Half Marathon is part of Greater Rochester Track Club's Rochester Runner of the Year (RROY) Series!

Sponsored by:

Gold Sponsors include Rochester Running Company, Lattimore of Pittsford Mendon Physical Therapy, Mendon Meadows Marketplace, and Dunkin' of Honeoye Falls.

Silver sponsors include At Home With Wellness, LLC, Mendon-Honeoye Falls-Lima Sentinel, Patriot Pickle, Mendon 64, Cottage Hotel of Mendon, The Ice S'coop of Mendon, and Pizza D's of Mendon

[2022 Black Diamond Express Half Marathon]
The start of the 2022 Black Diamond Express Half Marathon. Photo by David Burnet.

[2019 Half Marathon Finish]
The finish of the 2019 Black Diamond Express Half Marathon.

The Lehigh Valley Trail is the former home to one of the most celebrated American railroads of all time: The Lehigh Valley — home of the famous Black Diamond Express passenger train, which ran from New York to Buffalo.

While the land that comprises the Lehigh Valley Trail is owned by Monroe County Parks, this rails-to-trails project was created by (and is maintained, year-round by) a small but passionate non-profit group called the Mendon Foundation, and we at the Mendon Foundation depend on privately-collected donations and volunteer help to mow, groom and improve it so that you can continue to enjoy it, year-round, for walking, hiking, biking, running, and more.

If you’re a runner, one of the best ways you can support the Trail and the Mendon Foundation is to run the Black Diamond Express Races, on Sunday, August 27, 2023.

Register early for the best prices online or on paper.

Frequently Asked Questions

We have a Frequently Asked Questions page, which answers all of the questions we tend to get about these races. Please have a look!

The Black Diamond Express 5K

Race Course - 5K
The Black Diamond Express 5K starts in the Hamlet of Mendon near the baseball fields south of Route 251, runs 1.55 miles west toward Chamberlain Road, turns around, and ends right where it began!

The Black Diamond Express Half Marathon
(USATF Certified Course NY17052JG)

Race Course - Half Marathon
The Black Diamond Express Half Marathon starts in the Hamlet of Mendon near the baseball fields south of Route 251, runs 6.55 miles west toward Rush, turns around, and ends right where it began! The Black Diamond Express is the first half marathon event in the southeast portion of the county – and a flat and exceptionally beautiful one at that!

Here's what the 2018 handmade ceramic medals by Mendon's very own Geoff Gretton look like!

[New 2018 Medals]

Testimonials for the Black Diamond Express Half Marathon

UNLEASH T-Shirts & Mugs

Due to popular demand, we also have a special series of our Unleash Your Inner Locomotive t-shirts and mugs available for purchase by the public (these are different from the shirts/mugs you receive as a registrant). You can purchase them at our CafePress store. They are available in 5 themes to reflect your favorite activities on the Trail: RACE, RUN, HIKE, BIKE, and WALK. (HIKE is depicted below.)

Hike The Trail Shirt

⇒ Bookmark this page, check back often as 2023 develops, and visit us on Facebook, too!