Last week we mentioned that Run100s.com lists 64 North America 100-milers, 8 of which are scheduled to make their debut in 2010. That’s right, at least 8 new 100-milers to add to your list of possibilities and dreams for 2010. Today we will take a look at the 2010 newbies (that we knew of at the time of publishing) in chronological order. We’ve also added a list of other new-for-2010 100s that were flying under our radar. Let us know if you know any others and we’ll be sure to add them!
The featured new 100 milers are:
- 2/27 – The Beast of Burden 100 (Lockport, NY)
- 3/27 – Paulinskill Sussex 100 (Mount Olive, NJ)
- 4/10 – Lumberjack 100 (Port Gamble, WA)
- 4/10 – Labor of Love 100 ( Las Vegas, NV)
- 5/6 – McNaughton 100 (Pittsfield, VT)
- [Race Status Uncertain!] 7/29- Swan Crest 100 (Swan Lake, MT)
- 10/2 – Dirt Road & Endurance Trail 100 (Santa Barbara, CA)
- October – Syllamo 100 (Mountain View, AR)
Readers have added a couple additional new 100s to the mix for next year:
- 5/8 – Catoctin-Appalachian Trail Run (CAT) 100 – (Appalachian and Catoctin Mountains in Maryland) – A shake out run in ’09 had no finishers. Entry is free and limited to 20 runners.
- 7/23 – Fat Dog 100 (North Vancouver, BC) – Mountainous, non-technical course.
- 7/24 – Grand Mesa 100 (near Grand Junction, CO) – Part of what could be a beautifully simple set of runs (also 37.5 and 50 mile options) on the Western Slope of the Colorado Rockies.
- 9/11 – Gila 100 (New Mexico) – No details are yet available.
- 9/18 – Pine to Palm 100 – (Medford, OR) – A new point-to-point race from Rogue Valley Runners that’ll take you from near the coast up over the mountains. Entry is now open.
- 10/23 – 100 Mile Endurance Challenge (Coastal Southern CA) – A point-to-point race on pavement across three counties. Only three aid stations located at miles 25, 50, and 75. Crewing and pacing allowed throughout.
The Beast of Burden Winter 100 Miler & 24 Hour Ultra Marathon (February 27 in Lockport, New York) – Only 30 runners will get the opportunity to participate in the first ever BOB 100, and as of the writing of this post only 18 spots remain open. The mind behind this winter madness, race director Sam Pasceri, knows you can run 100 miles through hills, technical trails and desert heat. However, he asks if you can run 100 miles in the heart of winter, through inches, or even feet of snow, on the frigid Erie Canal Towpath? The course itself is advertised as not being for the faint of heart. “The conditions on the towpath in February can vary, but they are usually pretty harsh,” says Pasceri. He adds, “we all know that the human body is capable of running 100 miles…now, it’s come down to how challenging the course is or how harsh of an environment it is run in…some of the other 100’s in the US rely on the race director to plot out a challenging course in the woods or the mountains to test an athlete’s limits…our course is very simple but we rely on mother nature to test our athletes…Badwater has the heat, Western States has the mountains, we have the Buffalo winter weather.”
It all starts at the Wide Water’s Marina, moving first along a paved trail for about a mile, crossing one of Lockport’s historic lift bridges. It is all towpath after that – all the way to the 11.5 mile turn-around. As far as aid stations go, there are 3 located anywhere from 5-6 miles apart. There are some special requirements as well, among which are: All racers must show proof of ski mask or mask similar to the ones pictured on the race web-site prior to starting the race. All racers must bring a winter hat and winter gloves to the race. All racers must carry either a hand held flashlight or headlamp after 1 p.m. when leaving the start/finish aid station. Pacers are allowed after 4 p.m. Enter early to save some cash – the entry fee is $99.00 until the end of 2009, it jumps to $120.00 during the month of January, and then caps out at $149.00 during the month of February. This race is part of a two race series, with a sister event to occur sometime in August.
Paulinskill Sussex 100 (March 27 in Mount Olive, New Jersey) – This is a Fat Ass 100-miler. The course appears to be run on the Paulinskill Valley Trail and the Sussex Branch Trail, both of which are echoes from the past of thriving railroads that connect the surrounding cultural and natural environment. These once abandoned railroad corridors cross landscapes of mostly farmland, forests, streams and towns. The trails intersect at Warbasse Junction in Lafayette Township in Sussex County, and are part of Kittatinny Valley State Park and the New Jersey Trails System. Rock outcroppings, farmlands, small towns, forests and wetlands are among the diverse landscape features found along the Paulinskill Valley Trail. The Sussex Branch Trails passes through rural and forested landscapes, as well as swamps, lakes and small communities. If you want aid/supplies, there are plenty of cross streets along the way to have a crew meet you and provide aid. The race website has a few course maps.
Lumberjack 100 (April 10 in Port Gamble, Washington) – Eight 12.5 mile loops with three aid stations per loop. No need to worry about the 30-hour “official” time limit as the limit is “open for negotiation depending on how the runner is doing.” The course is mostly single-track trail, with some fire road and no significant climbs (the greatest being about 300 feet tops). The total elevation gain, however, is 12,000 feet (1,500 feet per loop). Official finishes will be awarded for 50 miles and 100k. The entry fee is a mere $50.00 and includes a technical short sleeve shirt.
Labor of Love 100 (April 10 in Lovell Canyon, Las Vegas, Nevada) – Starting and finishing at Lovell Canyon Road (elevation 4,500 feet), runners will experience high desert vegetation, including Joshua Trees, Pinion-Juniper, Mountain Rose, Sagebrush, and a relatively lush Toiyabe National Forest. The road twists and turns through the canyon, “a true treasure of the Spring Mountains N.R.A.” Yes, it is a road 100-miler. The race follows the paved Lovell Canyon Road as it twists and turns over rolling terrain. An 11-mile stretch of the road is run out-and-back 4 times (total 88 miles). A shorter out-and-back along the same stretch completes the 100-mile distance. Pacers are allowed after 44 miles. The race has about 8,000 feet of elevation gain and a 32-hour cut off. As to cost, the earlier you sign up the better. The entry fee is $150 through 12/31/09, $175 through 3/28/10, $185 through 4/8/10, and $200 on race day.
McNaughton 100 (May 6-9 in Pittsfield, Vermont) – Not only does this event have a 100-miler, but it also boasts a 150, 200 and 500 mile trail race, all run on a rugged 10-mile loop in the Green Mountains of Vermont. Runners will repeat the loops 10, 15, 20… or 50 times (depending, of course, on the race distance). Each loop has 2,400 feet of elevation gain, meaning the 100-miler will have a total of 24,000 feet of elevation gain. The weather in Vermont in May is cold, and runners should expect mud. Registration fees for the 100-miler are $120 until August 1, 2009 (oops, that’s long gone), $150 until December 31, 2009, and $180 until May 2, 2010.
[Grizzly related permitting issues as of May 28, 2010. Check website for status.]Swan Crest 100 (July in Swan Lake, Montana) – Originally scheduled to debut in 2009, a number of issues caused the postponement of the race until 2010. Kudos to the race directors for passing on giving runners “second rate service” in favor of a year or so delay. It is still unclear as to whether or not this race will take place in 2010. If it does, Swan Crest 100 will take runners north from the town of Swan Lake along the crest of the Swan Range, ending in the town of Columbia Falls. Running through the Flathead National Forest, the course is a point-to-point and consists of 90% single-track, 6% dirt roads, and a wee bit of pavement. The course has no flagging. Also, the Swan Range is home to a healthy population of grizzly bears, “so if you have any bear phobias, this is something to consider.” The course has over 23,000 feet of elevation gain, with the longest distance between aid stations at a whopping 24.5 miles. The race has a 36-hour cut off.
Dirt Road & Trail Endurance 100 (October 2 in Santa Barbara, California) – Like Swan Crest 100, the Dirt Road & Trail Endurance 100 (DRTE) was to debut in 2009. Unfortunately, this ass-kicking 100-mile point-to-point through the Santa Barbara front country was pushed off to 2010. The course is said to be relentless, with 34,989 feet of elevation gain and a 48-hour cut-off. The course consists of 40 miles of trails, 44 miles of jeep trails, 18 miles of fire roads, and 1 mile of pavement. Certain qualifying standards have yet to be posted on the race website, and entry is currently listed as being “TBA Lottery draw – May 1”, suggesting, of course, that there will be some sort of lottery to choose the 250 permitted entrants. This isn’t for those with a light wallet…..$275 registration fee before May 1, $325 from May 2 to September 18, and a steep $350 from September 19 to October 1.
Syllamo 100 (October in Mountain View, Arkansas) – Ah, another 2009 plan pushed off to 2010. In this case, a January 2009 ice storm in the Ozark Mountains destroyed much of the planned Syllamo 100 course. Despite hundreds of hours of trail work to clear the devastating ice storm damage, the forest service was unable to grant the race permission to use the planned course, forcing its postponement to 2010. With 27,383 of climbing and a 36-hour cut-off, the Syllamo 100 is a challenging event taking place on the Sylamore and Ozark Highlands trails in the Ozark Mountains, Sylamore Ranger District, Ozark National Forest of Arkansas. The course is completely single-track trails and primarily an out-and-back covering some of the most remote and beautiful terrain Arkansas has to offer. Runners can expect low humidity and temps that range from the mid 70s to the low 30s.
Know of any more 100-milers slated for introduction in 2010? Drop us a line and let us know.
