Sleepy Hollow is quickly developing a reputation, and not for its famous ghosts.

The village is becoming the destination for regional athletes looking to train and test their endurance against their peers.

The village already hosts two major athletic events – a sprint triathlon and a three-mile swim across the Hudson River, the latter of which will be held next month. Now you can add two more endurance events to the list – a 10k run and a half marathon.

Both distance races are being organized by a group called Rivertown Runners, which was founded earlier this year by Sleepy Hollow resident Kristen Idalski.

"I started it as a way to get people together to run, whether they are beginners or old marathon runners who run everyday," she said.

Rivertown Runners also offers membership options for those who want to get discounts on events, or are looking to better their running abilities.

"We can provide support to those who want to start off slow or are just getting into running to develop a more healthy lifestyle," Idalski said. "It's a good way to get info and training plans, and to meet other runners who might be at your pace."

But as an organization, Rivertown Runners has a larger mission aside from developing running events for members and other runners. Much like the sprint triathlon and the Swim for Life, which benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Rivertown Runners' events will raise money to benefit local charities and causes.

"Part of our organization's mission is giving back to the communities that we hold our events in," Idalski said.

The 10k run is the first event that Rivertown Runners is organizing, and a portion of the race's proceeds will be donated to support the renovation of the Morse School playground which is being converted into a community park.

The race is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. on October 23. The course takes a winding path through the inner village and up around the Manors before ending where it began, at Morse School on Beekman Avenue (see attached map). There will be live music and giveaways at the start/finish line to entice people to come out and cheer on the runners, there will even be a designated costumed kids cheering zone.

A half-marathon based in Sleepy Hollow is also in the works, and a date of March 26 has been set. The date is important because it is three weeks before the start of the Boston Marathon. Idalski said that could bring a lot of attention to Sleepy Hollow, as many top runners will be building up to their peak performance come the Boston Marathon.

"We're hoping to attract some of our elite runners to come out and race," Idalski said.

With two races in the works, Idalski and Rivertown Runners aren't eager to slow down their momentum – larger runs are already in the pipeline.

"Our goal it to grow and put on more events," she said. "My biggest goal is to get a marathon along the river, that one might take a bit of time."

You can sign up for the 10k run here. Rivertown Runners is also seeking sponsors for the event, you can contact Kristen Idalski through the Rivertown Runners website.