Time to cram in those last minute training runs. April marks the start of the flat out, hardcore trail race season on the East Coast. With approximately fifty races on the eastern seaboard, off road runners’ options are plentiful. We’ll take a look at a few, but first let’s catch you up on some of the late winter events, where we blasted through several inches of snow to reach the finish lines.
East Coast Racing: Mid-February to Mid-March
Below are some late winter 2010 highlights from out East.
- Jeremy Donahue and Allie Husted were Fletcher, NC’s Black Mountain Marathon winners. This is a brutal race in ideal conditions. It takes you up the slopes of Mount Mitchell, the highest point in the eastern
- U.S.Dirty Spokes presented Xterra Thrills in The Hills in Winder, GA. Forty year old Errol Josephs and Indiana invader Amanda Holzhausen were fastest. (results)
- The Ugly Mudder 7.25 Mile Trail Run in Reading, PA saw nearly seven hundred people running through a foot of snow. Eighteen year old John Wallace stuck with defending champ Daryl Weaver for six miles before passing for the win. Julie Deery picked up her second “Mudder” in three years. (results pdf)
- Chris Bauer and Kristen Buddens made history, winning the first ever Long Island Xterra Series event, The Xterra Stillwell Trail Run, in Syosset, New York. (results)
- The New Jersey Winter Trail Series wrapped up a very successful debut season at Lewis Morris Park, near Morristown, New Jersey. The ten miler went to Miles Irvin, while Diana Smirnova picked up her second series win in the women’s portion. (results)
Eli and Laura Leader sprint to the finish of the New Jersey Winter Series ten miler near Morristown, New Jersey.
- Ex2 Adventures kicked off their Spring Backyard Burn Series in Annandale, VA. Weather forced extensive course changes, but all the key elements of a good trail race remained. Ken Delraso destroyed a strong field in the ten miler, winning by over five minutes. Always fast Beth Fahey was the ladies’ winner. (results)
- One of the fastest growing races in the east is The Geisinger Humdinger in Danville, PA. This 7.1 mile test of your early season legs drew nearly three hundred runners from seven states this year. No matter, as Danville’s Mike Hannon kept the trophy at home, while Carolyn Popovic, fresh off a top five at “Cilly Cheeks” was fastest female. (results)
- The many volunteer hours spent clearing the Seneca Greenway Trail Marathon course gave Mark Hoon enough traction to defend his title in under four hours. Cassy Crouse-Rizal scored her first Seneca win. (results)
- Florida’s Tampa Races continued their string of highly successful events with the Trout Creek Trail Runs in Thonotosassa, FL. There were three runners that finished the 15k in under one hour with Tommy Torgersen earning the win. Dana Parrot repeated her 2006 performance in winning the women’s race. (results)
East Coast Trail Races – April 2010
O.K., trying to narrow April’s list of races down to a few for this column came down to coin flips. I strongly encourage you to check out our full schedule at EastCoastTrailRacing.com. Here goes:
- Mount Penn Mudfest 15k: April 3rd, in Reading, PA. This is Pretzel City Sport’s 16th annual running of the event, which is now part of La Sportiva’s Mountain Cup race series. [iRunFar’s coverage of the LSMC] Pretzel City’s events are second to none, and this one draws several hundred people from 20+ states.
- Northern Nipmuck (pdf): New England’s Grand Tree Series kicks off with this sixteen miler in Union, Connecticut on April 3rd. While having no major climbs, the constantly rolling trail and steep technical sections will keep your heart rate up.
- Bimbler’s Bash 10k: Takes place on April 11th in Guilford, Connecticut on a series of innerconnecting single track hiking trails. A technical race featuring stream crossings and two rock scramble sections.
- Hyner View Trail Challenge: April 17th in Hyner, PA. Nearly seventeen miles of mountainous technical single track. Over 4,000′ feet of vertical gain. You’ll feel like you’ve done at least that much two miles in. Part of the Central Pennsylvania Grand Slam which has changed trail racing in this part of the country. This is a Trail Runner Magazine Trophy Series event.
- Babcock Gristmill Grinder Half-Marathon: April 17th in Clifftop, West Virginia, at Babcock State Park. The course features rugged terrain, spectacular overlooks, and short steep climbs. Also part of the Trail Runner Mag Trophy Series.
- Dirty Spokes – Chicopee Woods 10k, 5k: Part of the Dirty Spokes Trail Running Series. These folks are very busy, with many great races throughout the south. This event, in Gainesville, Georgia, features great single and double track trails, steep climbs, and stream crossings.
- Muddy Sneaker 20k Trail Run: April 24th in Naples, New York. This is a primitive area of the Finger Lakes Region. A great race that fills fast and is known for its rapid elevation gains and losses.
- Trail Triple Crown: April 24th in Newark, Delaware, at White Clay State Park. A unique event from the Delaware Trail Dawgs. The triple crown consists of half-marathon, 10k, and 5k races run in that order. A reasonable amount of time is alotted between races to give participants enough time to catch the start of the following event. Times are combined for the overall winners. Each race, however, is an event in itself. The 10k for instance, is part of the USATF Mid-Atlantic Off Road Series (series schedule as Word Doc). A marathon also takes place while all the other races are going on. This is a trailrunner’s dream.
- Whale Of A 5K Trail Race and Kids Fun Run: April 24th. Former national adventure racing champion Jennifer Shultis designed this course at Odiorne Point State Park, in Rye, New Hampshire. The race takes you through forest trails, as well as a rocky shore line. You’ll also run alongside historic military fortifications. Bring the family for Earth Day activities, including live music.
[The East Coast Trail Racing Report is a monthly iRunFar feature highlighting recent East Coast marathon or shorter trail racing results and presenting some trail race options for the coming month. States covered include Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, D.C., North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.]
