This race was held at a golden time of the year when the fall colors are at their peak. The course is along single track mountain bike trails, which can … MORE
This race was held at a golden time of the year when the fall colors are at their peak. The course is along single track mountain bike trails, which can be hard on the feet due to the hard packed dirt. The course is far from flat with a total elevation gain of 420 feet per 5 mile loop. There are a lot of switchbacks, which can make progress back to the start/finish area show, but they also ameliorate the hills. With the exception of one particularly steep, but short hill, the uphill sections were very manageable, but eventually took their toll on this flatlander. The venue is nice in that there is a large building with indoor restrooms, a restaurant which wasn’t needed due to the well-supplied aid station, and a large lounge area where support and family members could get out of the cold in the morning. Door prizes were randomly awarded as runners crossed the start/finish line throughout the race, and most of the 12-hour runners had to option of receiving a nice picnic blanket or a discount for next year’s race. There was no medal, but the blanket was a much better deal.
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Gorgeous fall foliage in a suburban park
This race was held at a golden time of the year when the fall colors are at their peak. The course is along single track mountain bike trails, which can … MORE
This race was held at a golden time of the year when the fall colors are at their peak. The course is along single track mountain bike trails, which can be hard on the feet due to the hard packed dirt. The course is far from flat with a total elevation gain of 420 feet per 5 mile loop. There are a lot of switchbacks, which can make progress back to the start/finish area show, but they also ameliorate the hills. With the exception of one particularly steep, but short hill, the uphill sections were very manageable, but eventually took their toll on this flatlander. The venue is nice in that there is a large building with indoor restrooms, a restaurant which wasn’t needed due to the well-supplied aid station, and a large lounge area where support and family members could get out of the cold in the morning. Door prizes were randomly awarded as runners crossed the start/finish line throughout the race, and most of the 12-hour runners had to option of receiving a nice picnic blanket or a discount for next year’s race. There was no medal, but the blanket was a much better deal.
A fantastic way to spend half your day
For the first 10 hours you have a 5 mile loop. For the last 2 hours they open up a 1 mile loop. The 12 hour race starts and ends … MORE
For the first 10 hours you have a 5 mile loop. For the last 2 hours they open up a 1 mile loop. The 12 hour race starts and ends in the dark, so bring a headlamp. 95% of this race is on MBX trail, with the rest on paved areas transitioning between the three main areas. The trail is great for new trail runners as it’s not technical and there are no big hills. There are hills, mind you, just not big ones. The course is beautiful, particularly for an urban trail.
One of the HUGE benefits of this race is INDOOR toilets! and a warm area to take a break if you need to. They also have an excellent aid station at the Trailhead which is the typical fare of ultra races, which means there is PLENTY to eat, including grilled cheese sandwiches, quesadillas, pancakes and bacon. There’s also a water stop on the big loop that you pass twice. You really don’t need to carry any food or water with you on the course.
The RD and his crew do a fantastic job. This is a race I will run every single year I’m able to.