1903 AUTOMOBILE ENDURANCE RUN

The Annual Catskill Conquest Rally commemorates the 1903 Automobile Endurance Run will take place on Saturday, September 23, 2023.

The Rally is a celebration of the experience of automobiling and the birth of publicly funded roadbuilding. It is also a celebration of the gorgeous scenery and communities along the historic route that includes the Catskill Mountains Scenic Byway along 52 miles of NYS Rte 28.
The event is open to all vehicles. We have had vintage pick-up trucks, modern and vintage sports cars, true classics from 1913 on and also Teslas. I say, “If you love your car, come and drive it on this route!”

In October 1903 the sole woman to complete the run, Edith Riker, was quoted as saying, “It is glorious, I think, to fly through the country night or day at a railroad speed over all sorts of roads.” That brought home to me that this was indeed the birth of the experience of automobiling. We take our Good Roads for granted and this project has raised my consciousness about the effort and investment it took to get us here and an appreciation for smooth pavement.

There is still time to enter. Visit www.1903autorun.com for information.
I can be reached at 845-657-6982 and at 1903autorun@gmail.com.