Brilliant green foliage and spring wildflowers in the rolling hills of Moraine State Park/Jennings Environmental Education Center in western Pennsylvania are the setting for the Glacier Ridge Trail (GRT) Ultramarathon & Trail Race. The event’s namesake refers to a meandering ridge that is actually the terminal moraine that corresponds to the most southerly point reached by advancing glaciers during the Pre-Illinoian ice age, some one to two million years ago.
The GRT offers four events from which participants can choose…
30K Trail Run / Endurance Hike: come out and give the trails a whirl!
50K Ultramarathon
50 Mile Ultramarathon
50 Mile 5-person Relay: have some fun with family/friends/running pals/corporate associates
The race courses (including 5-person relay) are out-and-back style courses. The 30K and 50K courses largely follow the blue-blazed Glacier Ridge/North Country Trail in Moraine State Park and the Jennings Environmental Education Center near Slippery Rock, PA. The Glacier Ridge Trail is a local designation for that part of the more extensive North Country Trail system that passes through Moraine State Park.
The race courses will be marked with flagging, directional arrows and pin flags. The first mile or so of the courses will be run on a wide paved/cinder bike trail to allow the pack to stretch out before entering the single-track. The remainder of the 30K and the vast majority of the 50K follow beautiful single-track through hardwood forests. The 50M course between about mile 21 and mile 40 follows a couple miles of gravel roads, with the rest being very runnable double-track/fire roads, although this section is not free of hills…for your enjoyment of course!
Together, Moraine and Jennings represent some 17,000 acres and offer nearly endless recreational opportunities for those visiting to test their endurance in one of the four GRT events, or simply to support their runner. There are miles of paved and off-road bike trails and hiking trails, interpretive nature/environmental education trails, nature centers and gift shops, bird watching sanctuaries, lake canoeing and kayaking, and outstanding fishing. The surrounding area is also rich in historical and cultural points of interest. Oh yah, and there’s always the huge Grove City Outlet Stores, just 13 miles north on I-79.
So, join us the on a great course in a great setting to see the benefits of your winter training and/or to gauge your fitness level as the ultra running season gets into full swing.
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