Well, I signed up for this race because I like to think I am a hard core runner and I was drawn to the skull themed shirts from other years … MORE
Well, I signed up for this race because I like to think I am a hard core runner and I was drawn to the skull themed shirts from other years (comfort is a slow death//sleep when you die). I wore my Tupelo marathon shirt to the packet pickup (trample the weak, hurdle the dead). Alas, this year the shirt had an anchor and the slogan “one more lap.”
The good news was the weather was MUCH cooler than anticipated during training, so while it is summer, it was in the sixties for most of the six hour race.
The staging area was quite intimidating with the 24 hour runners setting up huge canopies with all their family and pacers etc. Good energy and chances to take photos near banners etc. What I didn’t see was a huge igloo cooler with a spout on the aid station table (as Annapolis endless summer six hour race had). Since my husband and I had flown this was quite a bad surprise as I was planning to fill up our yetis and go from there to the handheld as I passed him each lap….. so he did a quick run to the store to get bottles of water. Everyone else had come with cases of Poland spring water bottles so maybe I missed something in the fine print.
There were cups of water at the aid stations but I wanted to use my handheld and hubs needed to hydrate, too!
The other bad surprise for me was the trail section. It was 70% shallow roots, sometimes covered by a thin layer of grass. Like the maple roots in my yard. I tripped on loop four (jamming to my music) and loop ten (getting tired). Fortunately the landing was on dirt both times and I kept running. Nice runners nearby asked many questions to make sure I was ok. I didn’t see anyone else fall so I felt like a fool but am proud I kept going.
The paved part was great, the views during daylight were great, the energy was very positive and bad ass—saw the previous year’s winners (recognized them from web site). This was my first nighttime race, and all my training runs in darkness we’re in the morning (and usually without carrying light). My waist light worked perfectly. Adrenaline took over and suddenly it was 12:35 and I was done! I would do a night race again (though I absolutely could not sleep afterwards).
I liked the 2.45 loops—got to see the husband and lady on the mic often; the back aid station was chill and I used it primarily because I wanted to keep moving. There were plenty of people walking it in on the last couple of laps. And plenty of the 24 hour folks just running like it was nothing (one guy having a conversation on his speakerphone as he sprinted past me on the trail—respect).
I think this event is awesome and I am glad I did it!
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Very rooty trail, very hard core runners
Well, I signed up for this race because I like to think I am a hard core runner and I was drawn to the skull themed shirts from other years … MORE
Well, I signed up for this race because I like to think I am a hard core runner and I was drawn to the skull themed shirts from other years (comfort is a slow death//sleep when you die). I wore my Tupelo marathon shirt to the packet pickup (trample the weak, hurdle the dead). Alas, this year the shirt had an anchor and the slogan “one more lap.”
The good news was the weather was MUCH cooler than anticipated during training, so while it is summer, it was in the sixties for most of the six hour race.
The staging area was quite intimidating with the 24 hour runners setting up huge canopies with all their family and pacers etc. Good energy and chances to take photos near banners etc. What I didn’t see was a huge igloo cooler with a spout on the aid station table (as Annapolis endless summer six hour race had). Since my husband and I had flown this was quite a bad surprise as I was planning to fill up our yetis and go from there to the handheld as I passed him each lap….. so he did a quick run to the store to get bottles of water. Everyone else had come with cases of Poland spring water bottles so maybe I missed something in the fine print.
There were cups of water at the aid stations but I wanted to use my handheld and hubs needed to hydrate, too!
The other bad surprise for me was the trail section. It was 70% shallow roots, sometimes covered by a thin layer of grass. Like the maple roots in my yard. I tripped on loop four (jamming to my music) and loop ten (getting tired). Fortunately the landing was on dirt both times and I kept running. Nice runners nearby asked many questions to make sure I was ok. I didn’t see anyone else fall so I felt like a fool but am proud I kept going.
The paved part was great, the views during daylight were great, the energy was very positive and bad ass—saw the previous year’s winners (recognized them from web site). This was my first nighttime race, and all my training runs in darkness we’re in the morning (and usually without carrying light). My waist light worked perfectly. Adrenaline took over and suddenly it was 12:35 and I was done! I would do a night race again (though I absolutely could not sleep afterwards).
I liked the 2.45 loops—got to see the husband and lady on the mic often; the back aid station was chill and I used it primarily because I wanted to keep moving. There were plenty of people walking it in on the last couple of laps. And plenty of the 24 hour folks just running like it was nothing (one guy having a conversation on his speakerphone as he sprinted past me on the trail—respect).
I think this event is awesome and I am glad I did it!
A good event for first-time ultra runners
Moisture-wicking t-shirt, huge medal, the aid station is a veritable royal banquet. The course is looped and flat but doesn't feel repetitive or monotonous. There was an unfortunate mix-up determining … MORE
Moisture-wicking t-shirt, huge medal, the aid station is a veritable royal banquet. The course is looped and flat but doesn’t feel repetitive or monotonous. There was an unfortunate mix-up determining the top three finishers, so competitive runners would be wise to double-check the race results prior to the award ceremony. I would run the race again but only the 24-hour, not the 6 or 12, because the event starts in the evening and the 6 and 12 are mostly at nighttime in the dark.
Great event!
High quality swag, great volunteers. Warning: course includes a lot of asphalt, so if you're used to trail ultras, this would probably be a deal breaker for you. Overall, it's … MORE
High quality swag, great volunteers. Warning: course includes a lot of asphalt, so if you’re used to trail ultras, this would probably be a deal breaker for you. Overall, it’s great, and I really enjoyed it.