Overview
Decades ago, huge coal trains steamed up and down these trails. Those trains didn’t turn quickly. If you can imagine those locomotives, you can navigate the rail-trail portion of the course–wide, sweeping turns and few elevation changes.
Please check out the map on the official website. We will be following this trail, from Luciana Park in Lanesboro to just east of Thompson. If you’re bringing a crew and you want them to be your friends even after your run, give them a good set of maps so they can navigate the roads and find you with or without GPS.
Terrain
The race will be run on a somewhat challenging 12.5-mile section of the D&H Rail Trail in Northeast Pennsylvania. Beginning beneath the Starrucca Viaduct, runners will run southward up the gradual slope of the rail trail, descend into and back out of the Bucks Falls gorge, and then turn around in Thompson and run back northward to the viaduct. 50-milers will complete two laps of the out-and-back, and 100-milers will do four.
Although four-wheeler traffic has made two nice gravel tracks along much of the course, rocks are impossible to avoid in some places. Because of the many rocky sections, decent trail-running shoes are probably the best option. Gaiters can help to keep out the gravel and cinders.
The overall elevation change is gradual, and there are two dips where trestles (bridges) used to be. Including the hills in Lanesboro and Bucks Falls, the total elevation change is about 1000 feet for each lap. From the start to the turnaround, it’s up, and it’s down for the return. The course map has a profile graph below it.
Weather
The daytime high temperatures are usually in the range of 70 to 100 degrees F. The day is likely to be humid. During midday hours, significant periods of direct sunlight may be unavoidable. Please bring lots of fluids and salts. In the weeks before the race, heat training or midday running will improve your results.
During the morning, late afternoon, and evening, the trees make it shady. At night, the temperature generally drops about 20 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit from what it was during the day. Clear nights will be cooler than cloudy ones.
Plan on wearing summer running attire during the day and mild-winter gear for the night. Don’t make the big mistake of being in the dark without at least a jacket.
Wildlife
Wildlife encountered in past Viaduct Ultras: bees, biting flies, black bears, off-leash dogs, whitetail deer, ducks, hawks, turkeys, crows, bluebirds, squirrels, chipmunks, bunnies, newts, bats, millipedes, and a skunk that mercifully let runners pass unmarked. Not yet encountered but possible: bobcats, coyotes, owls, rattlesnakes, eagles, and many others.
Although we have yet to have a serious animal-caused injury, carrying pepper spray and bee-sting stick are smart self-defense options. Just don’t try to mace the bees.
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