I’ll start off by confessing I underestimated this race, a bad idea for any ultra, but especially this one. I chose the Lookout Mountain 50 because of its scenery and … MORE
I’ll start off by confessing I underestimated this race, a bad idea for any ultra, but especially this one.
I chose the Lookout Mountain 50 because of its scenery and historical links (Civil War), and because the elevation profile intrigued me. It appeared that the toughest part would be the front 18-mile loop, where you basically go down the mountain and right back up. The back 32 looked tame by comparison. (Spoiler alert: it is definitely not.)
I’d just done an ultra in Colorado, at altitude, with the same elevation gain in just 55K, and done just fine. And the 13:38 cutoff time is tighter than most, but I didn’t anticipate any trouble with it. Well, folks, I scraped my sorry ass across the finish line with less than five minutes to spare. My feelings are somewhat assuaged by being the oldest finisher this year, and one of only six finishers over 60 in the last five years. Did I mention this is a tough race?
Here are some tactical and non-technical observations and ratings.
Course: Be prepared for a lot of steep drops and climbs, including a rope section, and several slippery creek crossings. And despite the race staff’s heroic efforts in blowing leaves off the trail, there are enough hidden rocks and roots to make Baryshnikov face-plant. And be forewarned: the map shows 48+ miles, but the course was changed to nearly 52. Many of us found out at the final aid station. 44 miles is a tough place to get bad news.
Marking: I’d call it adequate, with few “confidence” flags. A couple of times I had to guess direction (correctly, whew) and nearly missed a couple of turns. Luckily for me, another runner was nearby both times and showed me the correct route.
Views: Terrific, from sweeping vistas to waterfalls, interesting rock formations, and Civil War monuments. It’s a good thing my phone camera crapped out, because I didn’t have time for selfies anyway. But I did enjoy the sights in passing.
Race production: Good pre-race communication. Aid stations don’t have quite as much variety as other ultras I’ve run, but the keys – fruit, soda, salty stuff, broth – were all there. Plus campfires after dark. Not much at the finish line, though. And I have to take a point away for the course change without notice. A small thing in an otherwise very well run event.
Swag: in addition to a T-shirt I got a finisher’s sweatshirt (no medal, which is fine), and a “vintage” plastic race cup from 2014. Awards are limited to top three overall and first in age group. They’re custom-made and I haven’t got mine yet, but that’s okay. Finishing was reward enough.
Bottom line: I recommend the Lookout Mountain 50 for those looking for a new challenge. Train well, you’ll need everything you got.
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This is a beast
I’ll start off by confessing I underestimated this race, a bad idea for any ultra, but especially this one. I chose the Lookout Mountain 50 because of its scenery and … MORE
I’ll start off by confessing I underestimated this race, a bad idea for any ultra, but especially this one.
I chose the Lookout Mountain 50 because of its scenery and historical links (Civil War), and because the elevation profile intrigued me. It appeared that the toughest part would be the front 18-mile loop, where you basically go down the mountain and right back up. The back 32 looked tame by comparison. (Spoiler alert: it is definitely not.)
I’d just done an ultra in Colorado, at altitude, with the same elevation gain in just 55K, and done just fine. And the 13:38 cutoff time is tighter than most, but I didn’t anticipate any trouble with it. Well, folks, I scraped my sorry ass across the finish line with less than five minutes to spare. My feelings are somewhat assuaged by being the oldest finisher this year, and one of only six finishers over 60 in the last five years. Did I mention this is a tough race?
Here are some tactical and non-technical observations and ratings.
Course: Be prepared for a lot of steep drops and climbs, including a rope section, and several slippery creek crossings. And despite the race staff’s heroic efforts in blowing leaves off the trail, there are enough hidden rocks and roots to make Baryshnikov face-plant. And be forewarned: the map shows 48+ miles, but the course was changed to nearly 52. Many of us found out at the final aid station. 44 miles is a tough place to get bad news.
Marking: I’d call it adequate, with few “confidence” flags. A couple of times I had to guess direction (correctly, whew) and nearly missed a couple of turns. Luckily for me, another runner was nearby both times and showed me the correct route.
Views: Terrific, from sweeping vistas to waterfalls, interesting rock formations, and Civil War monuments. It’s a good thing my phone camera crapped out, because I didn’t have time for selfies anyway. But I did enjoy the sights in passing.
Race production: Good pre-race communication. Aid stations don’t have quite as much variety as other ultras I’ve run, but the keys – fruit, soda, salty stuff, broth – were all there. Plus campfires after dark. Not much at the finish line, though. And I have to take a point away for the course change without notice. A small thing in an otherwise very well run event.
Swag: in addition to a T-shirt I got a finisher’s sweatshirt (no medal, which is fine), and a “vintage” plastic race cup from 2014. Awards are limited to top three overall and first in age group. They’re custom-made and I haven’t got mine yet, but that’s okay. Finishing was reward enough.
Bottom line: I recommend the Lookout Mountain 50 for those looking for a new challenge. Train well, you’ll need everything you got.
The hardest race I've run
Beautiful and challenging race!! The first 18 miles are on Lookout Mountain, you run on amazing trails that were built as WPA projects in the depression. Gorgeous views of the … MORE
Beautiful and challenging race!! The first 18 miles are on Lookout Mountain, you run on amazing trails that were built as WPA projects in the depression. Gorgeous views of the valleys around you. The last 32 miles take you in the Lula Lake Land Preserve – these trails are a mix of very technical (even some rock scrambling), some runnable, and some fire road. The 2021 race was made much, much more difficult by rain and mud ( SO MUCH MUD).
This race has a cult following in the area. And the RDs put on a really great race. The volunteers are top notch! and it’s really well marked, and super inviting.
Here’s my word of advice though — this is a tough race, and it’s hard to gauge because they don’t publish their finish rate/DNF rate. So, be prepared. My estimates have at least half the field not finishing in 2021 (including me!).