Erin Quinn

New Paltz is taken it to the streets, Main Street, to be exact. What are we doing? We’re going to run or walk (no wheels) a .45 mile segment around the village as often as we can or want to within the month of January.

The individual who completes the most segments of this loop will win free coffee and a scone for a year, from The Village Grind. (One cup of coffee and one scone per week for 52 weeks.)

The competition begins tomorrow, January 7th at 6am and goes until January 31st until the clock strikes 12. Well, 11:59 to be exact. Whoever has the most segments on the Strava Leaderboard will win the challenge.

This is the Route. Do it once. Do it twice. Do it as many times as you can until the clock runs out just before midnight on January 31st. Every lap counts. You don’t have to be the fastest, you just have to be the most tenacious, the most consistent, the craziest, the most unhinged. That description has New Paltz written all over it! Yes, you have to ‘be in it to win it,’ but you can also just join the challenge to have fun, meet up for coffee with a friend and run or walk around the Village.

https://www.strava.com/segments/40747964

Why are we doing this? Several reasons:

1. It encourages people to get outside and move their bodies. Walking or running or some combination of both. It’s less than a 1/2 mile, mostly on public sidewalks, making it doable and accessible for more people.
2. It creates community. You get to see other people running or walking the route as well as store owners and other community members. You root each other on. You stop and talk. You look into store windows or watch the sun rise or set over Main Street.
3. It helps support local businesses. This loop starts near The Village Grind at the Trailways Bus Station and travels down Main Street, passing at least a dozen wonderful local businesses. It brings people to the Village of New Paltz to exercise, shop and be part of something.

How did this idea come up?

This is the anti- Chipotle x Strava challenge that took place for several years in cities across the country. The Strava community had created various segments, which are usually made from popular trails and roads (sometimes airports when runners are traveling and get desperate.) Strava and Chipotle teamed up and offered free burritos for a year (or one per week, 52 to be exact) to the individuals who completed segments that passed by a Chipotle restaurant in major cities. It was fun, motivating and in some cities, became insanely competitive with people logging in 100’s of miles in the month of January. They would run the same tiny segment, usually less than a 1/4 of a mile over and over again just to win free burritos. But, we know it was about more than a burrito. It was about being part of something and doing something and friendly competition.

Jamil Coury, owner and founder of Aravaipa Running based in Arizona, competed and won an insanely competitive Chipotle x Strava challenge against friend and (then) rival Kevin Russ, last January in Tempe, AZ. When he found out that the challenge was called off in 2026, he decided to start his own. He launched the Burrito League, and has offered prizes of his own to those that run the most segments in Tempe throughout the month of January. Ultrarunning Influencer, Andy Glaze started his own January Strava Burrito Challenge in Redlands, CA where runners/walkers do a .35 mile segment in front of an local, independent Mexican Restaurant. These are being created around the country and in Canada and Belgium as I write. It’s all in real time, happening really fast, but don’t worry… you don’t have to be fast to win. You just have to be consistent, determined, stubborn, excited, and a bit unhinged to try and complete as many segments as you can.

While I enjoyed hearing about fun, silly rivalries and last-day dramas that played out in a few of the Chipotle x Strava competitions as highlighted by This American Life episode, That Other Guy, I was much more inspired when I saw it take a turn towards supporting local, independent businesses.

When and Where:

This is the Strava Segment

Run, walk, or jog this segment as many times as you can between now and January 31st, 2026 at 11:59pm. Every lap counts. Most segments wins.

The Prize: 52 Free Cups of Coffee and a Scone (one per week) from The Village Grind.

***If we get more prizes, I will let you know.

The Route Description:

Start by the Village Grind sign at the corner of Prospect and Main Street in downtown New Paltz. Run down Main Street, passed La Charla and The Lemon Squeeze, cross the crosswalk between the Elting Memorial Library and P&G’s Restaurant. Continue down Main Street and turn right onto Church Street, passed Inquiring Minds Bookstore. Run to the corner of Church Street and North Front Street and turn right again, up towards Handmade & More and the Library. When you get to the corner of North Front and Main Street, turn left and continue up Main St. until you get to the Village Grind sign again (or the Eastern Corner of Prospect & Main Street.)

The Rules:

Upload your runs publicly to Strava. Yes, you have to have Strava. There’s a free version that works.

Must be on the official segment (no hiding runs to later upload. That’s cheating and will result in a DQ.

Run, walk, or jog only. No wheels allowed.

Whoever has the most completed segments by January 31st at 11:59pm wins

This is our segment, our race, our community.

Fun. And we could all use more of that.

How to Join

Find the segment on Strava:

https://www.strava.com/segments/40747808

Run it as many times as you want between now and January 31st, 2026 at 11:59pm

Watch the leaderboard

Win Coffee and a Scone (or not)

The segment is live. The Strava club is ready. The clock is ticking. January 31st at 11:59pm.

Want updates?

Follow @erinquinnultraruncoach and @ccendurance and @burrito.league for updates and information.

Why The Village Grind?

The Village Grind is owned and operated by Craig Chapman, a born and bred New Paltzian. The “Grind” is located at the Trailways Station in the heart of the Village and offers some incredibly delicious gourmet coffee drinks and teas as well as fresh baked goods. If you’re going to be running in circles for a month, you might as well be running for a something worthwhile. In the meantime you can get your pre-run caffeine in and your post-run carbs with a scone or croissant. Chapman also supports outdoor activities with his bike rentals at the River-2-Ridge Trailhead and Kayak Rentals at the Sojourner Truth Park.

Parting Thoughts?

Community over corporations. Move a muscle, change a mood. Grab a friend, take your dog, push the baby stroller, put on a headlamp, walk it, run it, as many times as you can. Why the heck not? Start where you are, but start. Let’s go!

—- Erin Quinn