I thoroughly enjoyed this race through the Anne Springs Close (ASC) Greenway and around Lake Haigler. Yes, it did have some hills, some of which I would classified as medium … MORE
I thoroughly enjoyed this race through the Anne Springs Close (ASC) Greenway and around Lake Haigler. Yes, it did have some hills, some of which I would classified as medium difficulty, but none of them were very long or very steep. For the first few loops, I kept telling myself that it wasn’t bad, but knew in my heart that they would eventually add up and get to me. None-the-less, the scenery of the late fall trees and the lake kept me distracted. However, it seemed like almost every time I looked up at the views, I immediately would trip on a root. This became more common as it got dark, and I started fearing that I might eventually fall, so I cut my run short of the full 12 hours. I still managed to complete a 50K and earned the owl pin that they gave out to everyone who completed that distance. The one main aid station had a good variety of hot food including grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. They also had a taco bar complete with chicken, pork, and ground beef, and two free beers for all runners. The shirt was a light-weight, long-sleeved hoody shirt. The weather this year was cool and crisp, but I did not feel a need to put on running pants after dark. It was kind of a fun course, with some challenge, but not so much as to wipe you out. The race venue was close to the Charlotte Douglas Airport and there were plenty of motels close by. Overall, I would give the race a grade of an A.
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Beautiful run through the Greenway
I thoroughly enjoyed this race through the Anne Springs Close (ASC) Greenway and around Lake Haigler. Yes, it did have some hills, some of which I would classified as medium … MORE
I thoroughly enjoyed this race through the Anne Springs Close (ASC) Greenway and around Lake Haigler. Yes, it did have some hills, some of which I would classified as medium difficulty, but none of them were very long or very steep. For the first few loops, I kept telling myself that it wasn’t bad, but knew in my heart that they would eventually add up and get to me. None-the-less, the scenery of the late fall trees and the lake kept me distracted. However, it seemed like almost every time I looked up at the views, I immediately would trip on a root. This became more common as it got dark, and I started fearing that I might eventually fall, so I cut my run short of the full 12 hours. I still managed to complete a 50K and earned the owl pin that they gave out to everyone who completed that distance. The one main aid station had a good variety of hot food including grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. They also had a taco bar complete with chicken, pork, and ground beef, and two free beers for all runners. The shirt was a light-weight, long-sleeved hoody shirt. The weather this year was cool and crisp, but I did not feel a need to put on running pants after dark. It was kind of a fun course, with some challenge, but not so much as to wipe you out. The race venue was close to the Charlotte Douglas Airport and there were plenty of motels close by. Overall, I would give the race a grade of an A.
Fun event in the mud and dark of night
Ran this event in 2019 when it was an overnight race. There’s something about running through the night that makes a 12-hour endurance race even more challenging and more memorable. … MORE
Ran this event in 2019 when it was an overnight race. There’s something about running through the night that makes a 12-hour endurance race even more challenging and more memorable.
A tropical storm blew through the night of the race and made the trails a muddy mess. That made for tough running and more than one slip-and-falls.
For the first hour or so, runners were clumped together throughout the 3-mile wooded loop. By midnight, we were strung out, our headlamps dotting the trail around the lake like fireflies against a moonless sky.
My lamp died somewhere around 4am after 10 laps, so I called it quits at 50k. I lounged in a pavilion at the start/finish area, listening to other runners and support crews enjoy the night. I contemplated another lap or two, but the mud and lack of sleep spelled the end of me.
A fun time, and great to share the trail at night with other obsessed runners. I hear they’ve changed up the timing of the event recently, but I’m sure it’s still a lot of fun.