Short story: I chose this race after being delayed by prior marathon weather postponements and personal injuries. The multiple options for start time/day for marathon and 50K was pure serendipity. … MORE
Short story: I chose this race after being delayed by prior marathon weather postponements and personal injuries. The multiple options for start time/day for marathon and 50K was pure serendipity.
What I Liked: Parking was a breeze, even when choosing a seemingly-popular Saturday start time. Of note is that many distances can start at one of two times on any day, though commit to your chosen time on registration. The course is a simple 1 mile loop around the grounds. Not necessarily pancake flat, there are maybe three short hills of insignificant elevation (until you run a few hours, that is). Bathrooms and showers are shortly after the start finish line. There is a kitchen on hand with plenty of snacks to enjoy *after* your race starts, and a table upon which you can place your water bottle. The overall vibe made me feel very safe to do so. Wanna leave stuff in your car for a drop-off? Parking is hyper close to the course, and if you run longer distances there are options for parking a camper or setting up a tent. And the people! The people were super supportive! Swag this year was a plush embroidered bath robe – aside, since my old bath robe was from when I was several sizes bigger, this was a much enjoyed surprise!
What Could Be Better (But Can’t Fault The Organizers For): To make sure 50K and Marathon distances get their respective .1 and .2 miles added to their distance, we/they start after the timing mat and run “against the current” to the timing mat and immediately turn around. It was a bit dodgy, but was over with in seconds. The course also has a fairly tight hairpin you’d hit 26 times (marathon) or more. Finally, the course is quite open. Bring sunscreen, as sunny days with extended runs might get toasty. *AGAIN* I do not put this on the organizers, just be aware these things can happen. The good significantly and uncontroversially outweigh the awkward!
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First 50K!
Short story: I chose this race after being delayed by prior marathon weather postponements and personal injuries. The multiple options for start time/day for marathon and 50K was pure serendipity. … MORE
Short story: I chose this race after being delayed by prior marathon weather postponements and personal injuries. The multiple options for start time/day for marathon and 50K was pure serendipity.
What I Liked: Parking was a breeze, even when choosing a seemingly-popular Saturday start time. Of note is that many distances can start at one of two times on any day, though commit to your chosen time on registration. The course is a simple 1 mile loop around the grounds. Not necessarily pancake flat, there are maybe three short hills of insignificant elevation (until you run a few hours, that is). Bathrooms and showers are shortly after the start finish line. There is a kitchen on hand with plenty of snacks to enjoy *after* your race starts, and a table upon which you can place your water bottle. The overall vibe made me feel very safe to do so. Wanna leave stuff in your car for a drop-off? Parking is hyper close to the course, and if you run longer distances there are options for parking a camper or setting up a tent. And the people! The people were super supportive! Swag this year was a plush embroidered bath robe – aside, since my old bath robe was from when I was several sizes bigger, this was a much enjoyed surprise!
What Could Be Better (But Can’t Fault The Organizers For): To make sure 50K and Marathon distances get their respective .1 and .2 miles added to their distance, we/they start after the timing mat and run “against the current” to the timing mat and immediately turn around. It was a bit dodgy, but was over with in seconds. The course also has a fairly tight hairpin you’d hit 26 times (marathon) or more. Finally, the course is quite open. Bring sunscreen, as sunny days with extended runs might get toasty. *AGAIN* I do not put this on the organizers, just be aware these things can happen. The good significantly and uncontroversially outweigh the awkward!
Great support, fast course
Running on a flat, 1-mile, paved loop course might not seem very appealing to some runners, but there must be something that makes those who run it nearly every year … MORE
Running on a flat, 1-mile, paved loop course might not seem very appealing to some runners, but there must be something that makes those who run it nearly every year return again and again. Maybe it is the swag. Every year, they give out a piece of clothing with their monogrammed race logo. The first time I ran it, they gave out a Marmot rain jacket. This year they gave out a choice of a towel with race graphics or a bathrobe. Or, maybe it is the food at the aid station. They make a variety of “real” food items made to order. Most runners ask they to cook something up and then will pick it up on their next loop. For most participants, I think the attraction is the friends they make at the race. The first time I ran it, I didn’t know many people. However, the second time, I met quite a few runners that I had met before either at 3DATF or at other races. Although there aren’t too many motels to stay at close to the race, they do allow camping for a small fee every day.
Most unique event I’ve ever done
I signed up for the 48 hr event so I could get my marathon for NJ as well as tackle a personal distance record. A lot of the people stay … MORE
I signed up for the 48 hr event so I could get my marathon for NJ as well as tackle a personal distance record. A lot of the people stay for the entire 6 days. There are some ultra rock stars here. It’s a 1 mile mostly flat loop with minimal shade. It’s on a fairgrounds, you can set up a tent with sleeping options or you can rent an RV that is delivered to the site. The bling is amazing, you had a choice of a beautiful plush beach towel, a Columbia hiking kaki shirt or a Yeti cup. The awards bling were beautiful and you can accumulate miles year after year and it doesn’t have to be consecutive. The race director chats with you when you take breaks and his wife is involved as well. The entire family volunteers in the kitchen and the food is amazing. It varies throughout the day, breakfast quesadillas in the morning, hamburgers at lunch and dinner or hot dogs, they also had vegan options and plenty of other food choices. People return to the event year after year and they’ve built quite a tight, caring community. I ended up with 80 miles which is a personal distance record. I was aiming for 100 and could have done that if I had slept less but I had another marathon the following day so I wanted to reserve energy for that. I love the towel. I stayed at an Airbnb before the race in Hamburg, there is an excellent breakfast place called Granny’s Kitchen. Also there is an Appalachian Trailhead in Vernon NJ just a 1/2 hr away and it’s an easy section of AP. This race is really unique, you take enough breaks that the 1 mile loops don’t seems super boring and you can run throughout the night when it is much cooler,
1-mile loops in pouring rain! Ugh!
You only get a medal if you do 101 miles. I was only there for one race so I never got a medal. After 27 miles of running in the … MORE
You only get a medal if you do 101 miles. I was only there for one race so I never got a medal. After 27 miles of running in the pouring rain, all I had to show for it was a nice raincoat. Probably my least favorite race. I don’t like looped races anyway – 1 mile of the same thing over again in the rain is awful. I did like the nice bathrooms, showers and food at every mile.
Well managed ultra
This is primarily a timed ultra on a 1-mile loop although I did the 50K option. In addition, there were 6 day, 3 day, 48-hour, 24-hour, 12-hour, 6-hour, and marathon … MORE
This is primarily a timed ultra on a 1-mile loop although I did the 50K option. In addition, there were 6 day, 3 day, 48-hour, 24-hour, 12-hour, 6-hour, and marathon options. It was pretty amazing that the race director could keep track of all the different options and runners on the course, but they did. The one aid station was phenomenal, offering the usual snacks plus a grill that would make just about anything you wanted to order. Belt buckles were given out to runners finishing at least 101 miles and coins for shorter distances. This year, all runners were given a Marmot rain jacket with the logo of 3 Days at the Fair, which came in handy for most of the days of the race. I lucked out and picked the driest of the 6 days of the run. This isn’t one of those epic runs in a wilderness, but was fun seeing quite a few members of the Marathon Maniacs, 50 State Marathon Club, and many others. To me, it’s more of a social event than an athletic competition, although there were several elite ultrarunners. The race is in a pretty part of New Jersey, but the race course was on a flat fairground.