Weekly Rundown for September 23, 2020

September 23, 2020

Weekly Rundown for September 23, 2020

Registration Just Open For / Join Us At:

Bold Coast Bash, Cutler, ME, registration just opened for the November 15^th event, prioritizing the 30 mile distance, followed by the 20, then the 10, though it appears they have registrants for all distances, and with it being 2/3 full. http://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=79258

New Interviews, Reviews, and Products at the Trails Collective this Week:

On the TC Interviews Ellie released an interview this past Friday with Scott Parr, and, I believe, Debi Livingston is on deck for this week. Stay tuned, or better yet, help us out and subscribe to the YouTube channel to get that head’s up.

On Gear we released a review of five of the best women’s hydration vests 0f 2020 in case you or a friend may be in the market and looking for a bit of feed-forward. I’ll also be editing a few more this week on a few best-intro and budget vests. And, new into the shop this past week, the Coros Apex, the Petzl Iko Core, and the full lineup from Squirrel’s Nut Butter. We’ll keep adding more products to the shop, please consider us for your next round if without a good and valued local run specialty shop.

In some of what’s been shaking in the field….

In Virginia, a VHTRC crew got out to clear the Short Mountain stretch of the MMT. You can keep an eye on this page (https://new.vhtrc.org/work?fbclid=IwAR2BiDRpowiUfpXI4YhjvbKejf2Q-x32TxuUQxFUNoNszmQnjGHFOpDd22Y) for future trail work opportunities and events.

Linked on the VHTRC page, was a nice writeup on Sheila Vibert who run the northbound 107 mile AT FKT through Shenandoah Park in Virginia. The source was a page and entity called Women of the Mountain. It looks like a well done and inspirational site plugging, as the name implies, women in the mountains. Check it out: https://www.facebook.com/WomenOfTheMountain/

Virtual events in motion:

The NYNJ Trails Conference’s 100 Mile Trail-A-Thon is now a week or two in an getting a great amount of needed support from the community. We checked back in for an update and bringing that to you here: https://runsignup.com/Race/NJ/Virtual/100Milesfor100Years

4th Annual Mt. Agamenticus Trails Challenge, a 1 mile and 5k in York Maine, Virtual for 2020, with runs to be completed between September 1 and 30th. Also have trail work days on the originally scheduled event date of September 19th, and an invasive species management day on October 10th.

https://runsignup.com/Race/Events/ME/York/4thAnnualMtATrailChallenge5K1Mile

Diakon Outdoor Adventure Challenge Virtual 5k in Mechanicsburg, PA. Adventure center looks pretty fun for when it’s back in action in person for 2021: https://www.diakon.org/giving/outdoor-adventure-challenge/

The Virtual edition of the Nasty 9 Trail Run, with 9 and 3-4 mile options at Brushy Hills in Lexington, VA. Run the white-streamer marked course in September: https://runsignup.com/Race/VA/Lexington/Nasty9TrailRunVirtual

Trails to Prevail 10k, a virtual option from the week of September 20 – 26th, move in any way you choose, and to celebrate wellness, trails, and the power of community in Portland, Maine and raising awareness and funds for Portland Trails. http://trails.org/events-2/races/trail-to-ale/

Patapsco Trail Fest in Ellicott City Maryland, with virtual running window between September 18 and October 18th, and further information at https://pvsptrailfest.com/

Results From Last Weekend

Saturday, September 19th

***This one missed in the video: The Kismet Cliff Run, one of my top-target events for great looking course and vibe for this year (if only I could pull it off on the schedule…here’s to 2021) and most competitive race of the weekend: Results here: http://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=75707

2nd Annual Morgan Hill Meat Grinder, put on by Salt City Sports, in Morgan Hill State Park and Toggenburg Ski Resort in Fabius / Cortland, NY. The ½ marathon wins went to Abraham Gnann and Erika Zazzara, with my Altra / UD / GU Rep John Roadarmel holding his own for third overall. In the marathon the wins went to Steven Young and Rhonda Bullard. The race for the women’s title looked down to a lean with Rhonda edging Kimberly Wrate by only 8 seconds. Good stuff! And weighing in from the Collective and on behalf of the Meat Grinder, RD and owner of Salt City Sports, Scott English. Take it Scott.

https://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=75523

4th Annual Forgotten Forest Ultra, a 9 Hour timed run in Stratford, CT, With 45 entrants, registration live through Thursday at UltraSignUp

https://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=71225

48 Finishers remembered the Forest on this round, with Eric Ciocca of Northampton taking the overall distance win by a scant .001 miles over Chase Arsenault from Shelton, CT, with top distancing female going to Clorice Rinhardt from New Haven at 46 miles.

FireBird Trail Races, 5k, 13M, and 50k events run in Windham Maine and with a course which uses the Cross-Falmouth Trail from Windham to Falmouth. The 5k win indeed went to the solo entrant April Huddy. The 13 miler had 19 finishers with David Foster and Emily Raisch taking the top spots. And the 50k, 21 finishers with Brian Burke and Kylee Parker securing the top spots. https://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=71238

Sunday, September 20th

TAM Trek’s beautiful 19 mile event to benefit the Trail Around Middlebury annual maintenance costs. Also have 10K and 2-mile family fun runs. Jump in this community event with a really runable course via No results yet listed.

Bishop’s Event’s Gnarled Orchard Hard Cider Challenge 5k, 10k, and Half at Valley View Farm with proceeds benefiting the Friends of Sky Meadow’s. 28 finishers of the 10k with wins going to Mike Wilkinson and Kirsten Whitaker. For the Half, 35 finishers with And the 5k? 56 finishers, with Zachary Wedding beating out what I’d guess would have been a twin brother by 15 seconds for the men’s win, with Tess Halliday on the women’s side Nelson M, eeking out the win by 5 seconds over Vladimir Martinez, and Andrea Rodman for the women.

https://bishopsevents.com/race_results/2020-gnarled-orchard-hard-cider-challenge-5k-10k-half-results/

In the FKT World

Brian Kimmey, 24m 28s for the Hancock Brook Trail

Steve Levandosky, 1:56 for the Monoosnoc Ridge Trail, lowering Ryan Williams mark from May by 2.5 minutes

Stephen Kerr, 1h 8m for the Rutland State Park and Barre Falls Loop, shaving 12 minutes off of Iain Ridgway’s time from earlier this year.

Sarah Cary, 4h 18m for the Tumbledown, Jackson and & Little Jackson, a 11 mi section billed in the route description as “arguably the most hiked mountain in Western Maine”. This mark is a first.

NH (and Maine):

Jesse Wall and Carissa Winning, 9:59 for the 31 mile Mahoosuc Traverse section of the AT

Michelle Merlis, 5:29 for the oh-so-awesome Devil’s Path, shaving 4 minutes off of Charlotte Winkler’s unsupported mark from earlier this month

Paul Mayol, Ariana Gerdis, and Lachian Moore for the Cold River Loop

Daven Oskvig, returned and hammered through the revised Northville Placid Trail, coming in somewhere around 39 hours for the trail which is now longer by roughly 20 miles, and tougher (replacing road with trail) than when the existing FKT or mark for the trail was set.

Sarah Walcott-Sapp, 5h 38s for the Wiisahickon Four Corners urban wilderness of a loop, and for a baseline unsupported female mark.

Shawn McDermott, 6:28 for the 45 mile Washington & Old Dominion rail Trail

Matt Cymanski, for the wicked tough and iconic stretch of AT through Shenandoah, covering 110 miles with 31,500 feet of gain in 23h 14m, taking 10 minutes off of Daniel Fogg’s time from October 2019. This marks the 5^th FKT set on this stretch since June.

Tai Roulston, 2h 30m for the Mills Creek – Turkey Pen loop in the George Washington National Forest

Krista Alderdice and Guy Alderdice Jr., 11h 35m for Mount Ascutney, a baseline mark for a mixed-gender team with the All 5 Trails Up and Down configuration

In-Person Events Coming Up

September 25 / 26

Pemberton 24, a festival of 5k’s, with a format of a 5k starting every hour with participants able to run as many as they like, whether one, five, or all 24. Camping included with registration, and team options in the mix: https://www.pembertonpark.org/pemberton-park/events/Pemberton-24

Friday, September 25

The Yeti 100 Mile Endurance Run – Gaining only 3000’ while crossing 141 trestles along the crushed cinder Virginia Creeper Trail in Abingdon, VA. A Western States Qualifier, with registration opening and capping back in January. 338 entrants in the mix. With a slogan of “Where Debauchery Is Welcome”, and in the spirit of the entity, we’re not going to tell you which entrant’s are ranked up top. We’re going to give praise to the three entrants with the distinction of being UltraSignUp ranked as the DFL, or, Dead Fucking Last podium contendors.., Miranda Riley, Tara Pagano, and Eva Jones…get out there and get it done!

Saturday, September 26th

***Missed in the video rundown: the classic Laurel Highlands Ultra. For over 40 years, an original, with beautiful singletrack, a challenging profile, set in a pretty cool part of the world. Registration is closed, but a few spots still remain…and, well, I know a guy, so lemme know and we’ll see what we can do: https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=79039

The Squatchung Surprise, 3hr, 6hr, and 5k this year at the Watchung Reservation in Mountainside, NJ and put on by the party people, Sassquad Trail Running. An event where your fate is influenced by the luck of the golf ball bucket draw. Registration was capped at 100 this year and long full, but check it out for next year. https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=77083

IronMaster’s Challenge: 50k canceled, 15k still running, at the Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Gardners, PA.

Live Out Loud Running’s Blue 2 Blue Challenge, in New Haven CT. Billed as CT’s Hardest 50k, making us of the Regicides and Quinnipiac Trails, and mixing in #BeastCoast Technicality, rugged coastline views, and 6,500 feet of elevation gain. 43 entrants currently in the mix with registration open through today at 11:59 PM, so get on it: https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=72845

The rugged, tough, remote, and beautiful World’s End Ultra’s 50k and 100k’s, going down in World’s End State Park and Loyalsock State Forest. Also a Western States qualifier, I believe long capped with 280 entrants. So long as PA stays off the NY State Quarantine List, I”ll plan to be out volunteering at the Dry Run Aid Station, mile 41 on the 100k course, for the duration. Stop in. https://worldsendultra.com/

Sunday, September 27th

Steep Endurance is back at it with the Angevine Farm Half Marathon, with a new push-back date and 50k option, and covering scenic, rolling, dual and singletrack in Warren, CT. About a hundred entrants currently. Get on it at https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=75951

The Mid Penn Trailblazer’s Dam Half Marathon Trail Race at R.B. Winter State Park in Mifflinburg, PA. A fun rolling course with a few rock gardens, and a signature end of race 700 foot ½ Mile Stairway to Heaven climb before a 1.5 downhill stretch into the finish. Sounds flowey and fun.Not seeing any updates on COVID or protocols which makes me a bit uneasy, but the course look and sounds great and it appears the event is on and registration open at https://runsignup.com/Race/PA/Mifflinburg/DamHalfDamFullTrailMarathon

Wednesday, Sept 30^th

Hump Day 5k at Blue Mountain Resort, PA, 6:00

Salomon’s Golden Trail Championships – 76 Golden Tickets, 5 in the US, with New England’s being the 17 mile iconic Presidential Traverse with the segment being the “new England Golden Ticket”. Looking for the top mark run between July 1st and October 1st. Only two weeks left to vie for the entries, flights, accommodations, and meals for the Golden Trail World Championships in the Azores starting October 29th.