Trails Collective

Weekly Rundown, December 4, 2020

Trails Collective Weekly Rundown for December 4, 2020

Registrations Opening

World’s End Ultramarathons are set to open registration on Saturday, December 5^th at 6:00 pm. Secondary to rollovers there are only 106 spots remaining in the 100k, and 5 spots for the 50k. The event, even when fully open to the masses, capped out in 3 minutes. So, not one to wait on. https://worldsendultra.com/registration/

Traprock 17k / 50k a classic northeast trail race using the MetaComet Single and surrounding doubletrack in Bloomfield, CT, is slated to run on April 17 – 18. Registration opens this Thursday, November 26^th. . With restrictions still in place they’re planning on opening the event to 50 entrants in each distance, but the hopes of being able to expand to 100 for each ahead of raceday.

https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=77352

CloudSplitter 100 on High Knob in Southwest Virginia, running a 25k, 50k, 100k, and 100M on October 16, 2021. Registration opens midnight on December 1^st. Reading from their UltraSignUp profile: “High Knob remains relatively untouched, and it is home to some of the greatest diversity of plant life in the Commonwealth of Virginia, making it a true ecological treasure. The unique trails on High Knob pass through dense forestland dotted with cliffs, water crossings, waterfalls, rock shelters, rhododendron thickets, caves and enormous sandstone boulders. This is one of the more physically demanding trails in the East, and it remains a significant unprotected wilderness area. On a clear day, four other states can be seen from the High Knob summit: West Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky and North Carolina.”  https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=81148

Laurel Highlands Ultra, one of the oldest and signature trail events on the #beastcoast. May be sold out already, and with the solo effort still working on paper applications. Look for our Facebook video update from the RD’s, and relay entries can head here: https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=81135

Events Ahead

December 5

Devil Dog Ultras –

Typically a 100k and 100 mile in Prince William Park in Triangle, VA, had to restructure into a limited field sized 50k called the Quarantine Puppy 50k which is capped out. http://www.devildogultras.com/

0 Degree Winter Trail Festival –

A 5M put on by the most excellent crew at #TrailsRoc in Pittsford, NY. COVID canceled the in-person event for this year, but it is virtual and raising funds for Trail Work. but stay tuned for 2021: https://trailsroc.org/wtf/

Beat the Bumble –

A 10k put on by Run Life Events at the Watchung Reservation in Mountainside, NJ is still open, with NJ kicking in heightened event restrictions starting the Monday after. They split the event into two days and 10k’s. Saturday is full, but space remains for Sunday so get on it: https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=79527

Campgaw Fall Series #3 –

Held at the Campgaw Mountain Reservation in Mahwah, NJ, and put on by the crew at the NJ Trail Series, the third in the series will run on December 5^th. The 5k loop course uses the Old Cedar and Silver NYNJTC Trails at Campgaw Mountain. Registration live for the 5k, 10k, and 13.1M options at: https://runsignup.com/Race/NJ/Mahwah/CampgawFallSeries3

December 12

Hellgate 100k: http://www.extremeultrarunning.com/

December 13

Naked Nick 25k / 50k –

Running at Blue Marsh in Leesport, PA, another gem put on the great community which is Uber Endurance Sports. Classic trail events at classic race fees. 25k is only $35 duckets, the 50k, only 39. Similar to that Bumble event…if you were hoping to get your Naked Nick on surrounded by friends this year, you’re also outta luck and should have followed by advice last week. Now you’re just gonna have to show up at a random person name Nick’s house, and when his spouse answers the door, you have to ask her if Naked Nick is home, then wink.  http://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=77795

Frosty Looper 8H –

Held at Cooper River Park uses a fast flat 3.75 mile loop with great views of the Philadelphia skyline and water in Pennsauken, NJ. It’s put on by the crew at Endless Endurance. Registration is open until 11:59 pm tonight, November 30. So get yourself in the hopper for a Frosty Looper campfire mug, beanie, beanie, and 8 hours of glorious punishment at http://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=79108

Frosty Forest 5k –

Runs in the Roosevelt Forest of Stratford, CT. There’s currently 39 registered but a cap of 50, so if interested, now would be the time: http://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=74464

West Rock Winter Fat Ass Extravaganza 8H –

Another wonderfully punishing option put on by the crew at Live Loud Running. This round is capped out at 50 entrants but also needed to move to a Virtual format of which you can still register through December 17th: https://www.liveloudrunning.com/event-info/west-rock-winter-extravaganza

Saturday December 19

Christmas in the Pines Trail 4 Miler put on by the Batona Trail Race crew – uses a mild and well-marked course in Beachwood, NJ, currently 70 registrants with COVID screening and 10-person waves. Registration open through December 16^th. https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=80610

Ugly Sweater Squatchy Night Trail Race – 10k, 5k, Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ put on by the Squatchy crew with awards for Ugly. Registration open through December 17^th at https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=80640

Media:

TC Interviews:

This week’s episode was live with Richard Heffron.

Regional Podcast World:

CULTRA – episode 105 with Ben Nephew

Facebook Musings / Runnings:

Going down in the VHTRC community –

Only 3 days left and we only have 7 finishers of the PHT!

Paul Sherlock and Alice Burns ran it together last Sunday and had quite the grand time. A dozen honks for “Spread the fat ass love” on Key Bridge plus a bicycle bell ring. A dead raccoon for “Wildlife selfie,” we never said it had to be alive! Proper wetting of junk in “Get your junk wet.” Perfect form in “You’re a wreck”. Plus some definite “Show your VHTRC love.” AND Paul is the first and only one to complete all Bonus Time challenges, so he got an extra 30 mins off his time. It’s still yet to be confirmed on whether they both got a COVID test during the run… DQ if they test positive and 1 hr off if they test negative! Who else will join this impressive group?

Gear Review

This week we post our initial review of the Topo Ultraventure Pro. How it runs, and whether the “pro” version is a better runner than our 2020 best seller, the Ultraventure. Check it out.

Results:

Shenipsit Striders E2E went down with a good number out for parts or the full.

VHTRC’s: Vicki’s Death March, or the Shenandoah’s Greatest Hits 25-mile Loop with highlights including White Oak Canyon, Hawksbill, Stony Man, connected by the ridge and AT.

FKT Friday

This week, in addition to regional state by state FKT marks from the week, we have the opportunity to hear from two from the Collective. Iain Ridgway shares a bit on what FKT’s have meant and provided for him this year. Richard Wayshner weighs in on a pretty cool FKT which started with a paddle followed by an ultra in the sand.

CT:

Robert ONeil, 2h 46m for a baseline unsupported mark on the 16 mile Quinebaug Trail

MA:

Keith Nadeau – 5h 36m for the Tour du Greylock, a 28.4 mile circumnavigation of Mt. Greylock tallying roughly 7,500’ of elevation gain. This lowers Iain Ridgway’s opening male unsupported mark by 49 minutes…a solid effort given Iain’s pretty fast and tough himself.

Iain Ridgway, 2h 53m for the 25.6 mile Ware River Rail Trail, lowering Steve Levandosky’s mark from only a week prior by 11 minutes

ME:

Xander Keiter, 1h 57m for the 9.3 mile Miles Knob Loop, lowering the most recent mark set in 2019 by 10 minutes.

NJ:

Nigel Bates, 2h 17m for the Blue Mountain Trail, a 16.9 mile stretch in the Stokes State Forest, an opening mark for this route.

NY:

Jay Whitbourne, 6h 57m for a baseline Unsupported mark for a 36 mile out-back on the Crescent Trail

Justin Kousky, 5h 26m for the Bear Mountain State Park 7 Summits, a 27.5 mile route that gains 7,500’ en route. This is an opening male unsupported mark.

PA:

Neil Barnaba, 4h 25m for a baseline Unsupported mark on the 24.7 mile Lake Marburg Circumnavigation

VA:

Melissa Peddy and Sandy Jones, 11h 49m on the 50 mile New River Trail, a baseline Female Unsupported mark

Multi-State:

MD & VA:

Gabriel Rufus Matyiko and Richard Wayshner, 7:08 37 miles worth of sand running to cover the length of Assateauge Island.