Trails Collective

Trails Collective Weekly Rundown | July 23, 2021

The Week in Northeast Trail Running

July 23rd, 2021

In the Media

NEPA Article on Ben Robinson at SkyRunning World Championships.

Mountain Peak Fitness Blog, Ben Nephew’s 2021 Breakneck Point

Upcoming Trail Community Event

Hike with Lee and the Burlington Land Trust

Sunday, July 25th, 2021

1:00 pm-4:00 pm

The Mile of Ledges/Tory Den

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Hot-List

New York

Tesla Hertz Run’s 100k and 10 milers slated for October 9 in Rocky Point, NY is holding steady at 92% full with only 2 spots remaining in the 100k and 3 for the 10 mile. The 50k already capped, there are 23 spots remaining for the 50 miler. The 100 mile distance is showing as safe at the moment. https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=81812

Virginia

The classic Iron Mountain Trail Races in Damascus, VA slated for September 4^th are nearing the warning track at 89% full, and with a total cap across distances from 16 to 50 miles.

Registrations Opening Next Week

July 25^th:

Tiadaghton Trail Challenge 10k and Half in Waterville PA slated for November 14^th.

FKT’s

In New Hampshire

Stefanie Bishop

On July 15^th Stefanie Bishop set off w/ the goal of an FKT for all 48 of the 4k+ summits in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. The shear # of peaks and elevation, as well as vertical gain of the equation is really incredible. She accomplished the truly incredible feet with data / stats still being processed. She cues us into the effort in the video rundown above for this week.

Jack Kuenzle

Jack struck again, this time on another iconic route with a step-down FKT history set by an incredible list of mountain runners. This round? The Presi Traverse, a stunning 18 mile route over the Presidential Range, offering roughly 8,500’ of gain. Jack’s mark of 3:37/3:38 lowers that of Jordan Field’s amazing 3:42 set in September of 2019.

“I said, certified freak, seven days a week, wet ass path, make that downhill game weak”

Actually the downhills were weirdly fast 🤨🤨. One of the hardest efforts I’ve ever done. Crawford Path was a mud fest but I just had invested too much time waiting for the weather to clear to not get this. Presi FKT. Nearly 3 inches of rain over the last 48 hours. I had initially planned on Sunday, then the weather turned and I switched to Monday, then the weather turned and I switched to Tuesday. All the while I’m just sitting in my camper slowly descending (further) into insanity. The wind had mostly dried rocks off over 5000 ft, below that everything was soaked. Super super dense fog. I did this effort eight times in nine days three weeks ago and the fog was so bad today I still managed to get significantly off multiple times 😡. Also, literally every time I ran the route for practice it was raining. I guess that worked out. Today it was drizzling on and off. This July has been the wettest in New England as long as they have kept rainfall records. I wouldn’t recommend trying to plan an effort 14 hours away from your place of residence on a mountain ridge with the “worst weather in the world” during a prolonged, extremely rainy cycle.

Jordan please chime in here, but looking at many segments we almost ran the exact same splits, with two exceptions. Typically he was slightly (a second or two at times) on the up, I was slightly faster on the down. He was faster Washington to Pierce by 7 seconds. I think we were neck and neck going up Adams but he missed the turn and gave me a 2:00-2:30 lead at the summit (I had a lead initially past Madison but blew it filling at the spigot). I basically just held that, and gave a little ground, until Pierce, when I was able to do the final downhill two minutes faster. The whole time I assumed the opposite, I thought I was sending the uphills and pounding and slipping slowly on the downhills. Kinda funny how that shook out.

Oh and ahem ahem I don’t think it’s appropriate to run this in the snow and claim the FKT. I think it’s totally valid and cool, but this effort is run in snow free conditions. It’s not fair to the runners that have raced this demented and horribly techy route to run it with a highway snowpack, in my opinion. I’ve taken some epic falls on this route training and was legit frightened going into this effort with the slippery conditions. I think it’s a mandatory part of the experience. Do what you want but I don’t think it’s right.

This route is aight. Great Range Traverse forever has my heart.”

Results

Northeast

In Vermont:

Goshen Gallop 5k & 10k in Goshen, VT

For Goshen’s 43^rd Annual Running (the second oldest still running trail event in the Northeast) they had 85 finishers in the 10k, and 62 in the 5k. For the 10k Ryan Collins of Portland, ME, took the overall win in 41:55 with Reilly Kiernan of Jamaica Plain, MA 4^th overall and 1^st women in a new CR of 45:59. For the 5k, Brent Crum took the win in 26:44 with Caroline McKenzie of South Burlington, VT for the women in 30:09.

100 Miles for Vermont Adaptive

Amy Rusiecki took on a solo 100 mile to raise awareness of and funds for Vermont Adaptive Sports. She has a clip woven into this week’s video Rundown above of the effort and mission.

In Virginia:

Night Owl 9k in Williamsburg, VA

Of 160 finishers, Roger Hopper took the overall win in 33:00 with Bethany Spector for the women in 38:39. Both laid down new Course Records. Taking us through the event and others in their upcoming lineup is owner of Happy Cat Events and RD Ellen Alexander.

In West Virginia:

Cacapon 12H Challenge in Berkeley Springs, WV

They fielded 63 finishers for their 9^th running, and with James Travelstead of Salem, WV taking the overall win with 57 miles, and Ashley Etue of DC for the women with 45 miles. Here to take us through the event is RD Jason Griffith.

National

Hardrock 100

Here to take us through his Hardrock experience, the Northeast’s first finisher, Bucks County PA’s Brian Compton-Jones. We also have Virginia’s Keith Knipling on his day and a half, plus that of what was an amazing VHTRC community in the mix this year. Both have video clips woven into the YouTube Rundown above.

Upcoming

This Weekend

July 23:

Soapstone Six 6H in Somers, CT

July 24:

Bear Brook Trail Races 10k, Half Marathon, and Marathon in Allenstown, NH

Wakely Dam Ultra 55k in Piseco, NY (report from Jay Whitbourne?)

MFAMTL (Maybe the First Annual Maybe the Last) 8H in Scottsville, NY

Mt. Sparta 24H Challenge in Pittsfield, VT

A Race for the Future 24H in Pownal, ME

MCW Westfield Ultra 3H, 6H, 9H, 12H, 24H in Westfield, NJ

Mozo Double Up 11 Miler in Stowe, VT (Postponed to August 1st)

July 31

Harriman Big Bear SquaTCh 7 Miler and Half Marathon, Tuxedo, NY

Escape from Castle Craig 5 Person Relay in Meriden, CT

Miner’s Lady 8H in Harper’s Ferry, WV

The Might Mosquito 99 Miler & Relay in Honeoye Falls, NY

Moosalamoo Ultra 14 & 36 Miler in Goshen, VT

Endless Summer 6H in Annapolis, MD

Beast of Burden 25, 50 & 100M in Lockport, NY

Jug End Loop Trail 4.2 mile and 6Hr Race, July 31^st in Egremont, MA