Tag: andy styer

Adventure Report: Slabik and Styer Complete the Appalachian Trail 4-State Challenge

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by Andy Styer

Tod Slabik first approached me with this 4 or 5 weeks ago as he was trying to get a group of like-minded runners together to do this challenge.

First off, the 4 state challenge is PA, MD, WV and VA. You really don’t spend more than a minute in PA or VA as you are basically starting right near the Mason Dixon line in Pen Mar, PA and ending basically once you hit the VA line. WV only has maybe 2-3 miles of the AT coming through, so you are mostly in MD. You do this in self-supported fashion, which means you are carrying all of your own food.

I left my house around 2 a.m. on Saturday after grabbing 6 solid hours of sleep. I met Tod along the way around 2:30 a.m. From there we drove approximately 3 hours to Harpers Ferry, WV, where we dropped his car, and then drove up 1 hour to Pen Mar to park. We were a bit surprised to see the small lot full, so we had to fumble around a bit to find alternate parking slightly on the MD side of things.

Shortly after 6 a.m. and with headlamps on, we trekked down to the start, so we could officially start on the PA side of the trail. We mostly hiked and ran where we could, as the terrain is somewhat tricky on the first part. We came across several vistas with great views of the valley below. We also passed quite a few hikers early on and throughout the first 15 miles or so.

The trail really was very runnable in many spots, and as we got closer to mile 18, the foot traffic increased a bit. At the bottom of the one hill, we saw a large parking area right near Interstate 70. They have a special foot bridge going over I-70, and shortly after this we discovered a gallon of much-needed water on the trail (AKA “trail magic”). We filled up and continued to Washington Monument Park at around mile 21.5 of our journey. Here we snapped a few pics and filled our water again at their well pump. It’s an official park, but we assume still closed due to the lingering effects of the shutdown.

We carried on and encountered sporadic groups of hikers along the way. We eventually made it to the part of the AT featured in the iconic JFK 50-mile ultra. I had done this in 2021, but didn’t really remember too much. At around mile 31, we came across another Battlefield park, which thankfully had a well pump which we could use to refill our water. As we went on, the foot traffic became really heavy with Boy Scouts on a camping adventure. At around mile 37 we started the hard switchback descent down the hill, made more complex with hikers moving at a slower speed going the same way. Some were very courteous and moved to the side, but others were a bit oblivious, and we had to announce ourselves a couple of times.

At the bottom, the AT follows the C&O path along the Potomac for a few miles. When you have been running really nice mountain trails for 38+ miles, it’s soul-crushing to have to run something flat and boring for 3 miles. But we did what we had to in order to carry on our mission. We then had to take a train bridge with a walking “side car” over the Potomac to get to Harpers Ferry. The trail then goes through town a bit, which is a little confusing until you find it, but then it goes up a million stone steps to get you out of town. By now, we were almost out of water and thought we were going right by Tod’s car, but it was actually another area where we parked that wasn’t even close. So, we grudgingly continued on since we were only about 3 miles to the VA border.

The final ascent was leaving the town, and running over a windy bridge over the Shenandoah River and then back on trail. It was almost 2 miles uphill, in the dark, out of water and dead tired. We had some navigational issues at this point in trying to find the exact location of the VA state line. We fumbled around a bit. I checked my map on my phone like 18 times, and at one point we both agreed we had crossed the line. If there was an actual sign, it’s no longer there. I called home to Kim to let her know I was grumpy and tired, but alive and OK. We then slowly (thanks to me being the slow one) made our way back down the hill to go back to the car. The quickest way back to the Harpers Ferry Visitor Center was a fast-moving state highway with enough shoulder to walk on–not exactly pleasant, but it was the quickest way.

Upon arriving back at Tod’s car, we changed out of our dirty clothes and shared a much-needed Pepsi after 13 hours of adventuring, that gave us over 48 miles with over 7000′ of total vertical gain. Minus the bumpy ending, this was a very satisfying day, and actually I would 100% do this again, especially knowing more about the logistics. The weather was really good all day. Not too warm, not too cold, and it stayed overcast with a few short showers.

After a short nap on the way home, I arrived back safely at 1 a.m.!

Race Report: World’s End 50k and Laurel Highlands 70-Miler

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by Andy Styer

The “World’s-End-and-Laurel-Highlands Double” seems to be my thing. In 2022, I completed the World’s End 100K and Laurel Highlands 70.5 mile races on back-to-back weekends. In 2024, I completed the World’s End 100K and Laurel Highlands 50k on back-to-back weekends. This year, I completed the World’s End 50k and Laurel Highlands 70.5 mile races, but there was a 2-week gap. Why would one do such hard races in close time frames? Well, there is no real reason except that I can! 

World’s End 50K

I have done the 100K 4 times, with 3 finishes and 1 DNF. This race, in my opinion, is one of the hardest out there. The terrain, the hills, and mud make this one a handful. This year, with all of the rain, the mud was the worst I have seen. There was nary a dry spot on the course, and the stream crossings were as high as they’ve ever been. The temps, however, were cool, which I think helped out a bit. The race itself went rather well, and I set no hard goals for this one. I kind of hung back at the start and waited until I got in a groove. That groove ended up being so groovy, that I missed a turn and tacked on almost 2 extra miles! I had to re-pass a bunch of people I had passed, and, with 3 miles left, I turned on the gas and passed at least 10 people who had had enough of this race! I did have one, nice, headlong fall in the mud, which added to the “spice” of finishing with my slowest 50k time of 7hr 37 min. The elevation gain for this bad boy was 6339′!

Laurel Highlands 70.5-miler

This was my 4th year doing the 70.5 miler, with 3 finishes and 1 DNF. I also have done the 50k one time. This is an old school, classic, point-to-point race, which runs the entire Laurel Highlands hiking trail. This is the 46th consecutive year, and it’s just a fabulous race. The mountain laurel is always in bloom this time of the year, and, unlike World’s End, every stream crossing has a wooden bridge. The terrain is fairly technical, and the elevation gain is 11,500′ for the 70 miles. Another cool thing about this race is it crosses over the PA Turnpike via a special bridge for the trail. 

This particular day wasn’t really hot, but the humidity was OFF THE CHARTS from the start. I drank over 5 gallons of fluid during the race. I finished with my slowest LH time (18hr 44min), but it was another rewarding day of perseverance. I couldn’t remember a time during the race when I had any real low points. As for now, it’s rest time for the summer, as I enjoy some more casual and recreational running. 

Thanks for reading!

Race Report: Miller Mountain 25k

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by Andy Styer

photo credit: Fred Foose

Miller Mountain 25k is a second-year event west of Scranton near Tunkhannok. It is billed as one of the most difficult sub-ultra trail runs in PA. My ears perk up a little bit when I hear the word “difficult.” I train in difficult, I race in difficult, and I live for difficult. (Trail running, that is.) The only way to find out is to sign up!

So it turns out there were quite a few local friends running this. We had our unofficial club photographer (Fred Foose), our hometown hero (Steven Holgate), our badass lady Pacers (Joan Bunn, Joanne Van Horn, Elaine Cook, Sheri G), and, last but not least, Mr. Preston Sleppy! Quite a local showing to tackle this one. 

Back to the course.

This is a beast. I wouldn’t say it was terribly technical terrain, but it certainly wasn’t Blue Marsh terrain either. You definitely needed to pay attention! There were 4 major climbs, each over 1000′, with descents to match. Very few flat sections on this course. So, in other words, you were either going slow up a long hill, or flying fast down a hill! There were also some muddy spots on the course. 

Before the race, I thought finishing this in under 3 hours was a do-able goal, but as I was nearing the top of the last steep climb, the math wasn’t working, and I thought the 3-hour goal was gone. That last climb, by the way, was a similar climb to the Torbert Climb (used on the Eastern States and Call of the Wilds courses). Plus it’s right near the end, but you are rewarded with a fast 2-mile downhill section which can be fast if you have ANYTHING left. 

So, did I hit my 3 hour goal? Yes – but I had to really burn the last mile to get it. The last mile was the fastest mile (7:02), and I crossed the finish line with both legs cramping at a time of 2:59:13, 15th overall! 

Super fun event! Lots of food after, and just a great small-race feel. 80 runners finished the 25k run (winner at 2:09!), with a 25k hike that had 22 hikers, and a 5-mile run that had 114 finishers. This race is now part of the Rocksylvania series, and it’s a must do, in my opinion! 

Racer Report: Strolling Jim

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by Andy Styer

The Strolling Jim 40-miler is a long-standing classic road ultra that has been around since 1979, created by the iconic race director Lazarus Lake (aka Gary Cantrell). I have been on a quest to do as many of these old ultras as possible before I get too old, or they go away completely. To date I have done JFK 50, Laurel Highlands 70.5, and now Strolling Jim. Before I get into the race itself, let me tell you that it is a LONG drive down to Wartrace, TN, which is buried deep in the state and not so far from Alabama. On the way down, I split it up into 2 legs, stopping in West Virginia where one of my sons lives. The way back, however, was a 13.5 hour straight shot, and after a race the day before, it wasn’t fun, and I wouldn’t recommend it. The states I visited on my trip were PA, MD, WV, OH, KY, TN, and VA.

Now for the race: This is a road ultra, and although I am a veteran of trail ultras and a few road marathons, I had never done something quite like this, and thus I was a fish out of water. Figuring out an acceptable pace was the hard part. The course is a bit rolling, and boasts around 2800′ of elevation, so it’s not flat by any means. It covers backroads, mostly, but it does have one major highway crossing that is manned by Tennessee state troopers to keep everyone safe.

The aid stations are very basic with an electrolyte drink, water, soda, cookies, and chips. No “real food,” but the volunteers are all youth from the local high school, and the race benefits their athletic programs. Also, many people had crews following them on the course, who generously offered other runners ice and water. Some neighbors even had ice pops, water, and other goodies at makeshift aid stations. 

The weather forecast was supposed to be mid 70’s, cloudy and slightly humid with a chance of rain later. What we really got was low 80’s, full sun, with high humidity. Thanks, Weather.com! I started off fine, clicking off consistent mid 9-minute miles for roughly 27-28 miles, but then the heat took its toll and I slowed a bit. At mile 29, I hit a section called “The Walls”, which is a pretty substantial climb that lasts about 2 miles. I threw my trail ultra mindset on, and power hiked this for the most part to the top, hoping to have legs left to run once I got there. Sadly, I spent the next 10 miles to the finish alternating run / walk, and just hoping to survive.

I ended up with a 44th place finish out of 151 finishers at 7:16:56. I was hoping to be around 6:30, and if you go under 7 hours, you get a special red shirt that says, “sub-7 finisher”. Oh well, maybe next time…or…umm..probably not. This is likely a once-and-done race for me!

A few fun facts about this race, some of which came in a nice booklet given to all participants:

1) I was only the 21st person from PA to ever race this.

2) Charlie Trayer (retired ultra runner from Berks) still has the 6th best Strolling Jim finish at 4:15:21 from 1989!

3) I did not get to meet Laz, as he is currently walking across the USA.

Thanks for reading!

Race Report: HAT 50k

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by Andy Styer

Hat 50k is a race that has been on my mind since I DNF’d it back in 2016 or 2017 ( I can’t exactly remember!) due to a rolled ankle. This year, it didn’t sell out, so I had the luxury of signing up a week before the race knowing I was well trained for a 50k on the fly. I had just completed the Naked Bavarian 40-miler a few weeks prior and was hoping to have a nice, clean race. 

Well, as my luck (and the weather) would have it – no, it would be muddy like most of my races have been.

The race started of well enough. All the runners line up in a field and then launch into a 3-mile baby loop, which allows us to separate into packs before we head into the larger loop with single-track trails. I kind of held back, knowing I usually go out too fast, but for once, I had a plan. My goal was a 5:45 – 6 hour finish, which I felt was respectable for my ability as a runner, with the amount of vertical gain (4200′-5000′ depending on whose watch you believe). I didn’t use a drop bag or plan on changing shoes , socks, shirt, or anything. I didn’t use a pack, just a handheld water bottle. 

At about 10 miles into the race, the rain came, and we had a steady downpour for about an hour. I knew this would be trouble for the course conditions, and it turned the nice, flowing course into a peanut-buttery, muddy mess, with the downhills being treacherous and the uphills tough to get a grip on. As I came into the end of the first loop, I passed a TON of people who stopped at the pavilion to change shoes and socks. It was a calculated risk on my part not to change, but I tend to use aid stations as a “gas-n-go” type of pit stop, topping off fluids and grabbing some food. 

The second loop was fun for me, as I was passing people who don’t like mud the way I do! The trail conditions were worse than ever, and a few people I spoke with who did this race numerous times said this was the worst they had ever seen the course. I kept moving steadily while passing people the entire loop. It was a good feeling knowing I would avenge an old DNF and get some really nice swag in the process! A handheld Orange Mud water bottle, a long sleeve tee, a winter beanie / skull cap, and of course, a really nice running HAT. I highly recommend this race since it’s a well established race with some of the best volunteers you’ll find out there!

Below are my stats:

46th out of 248 finishers

4th out of 45 in the M50-59 

Baby loop time: 27:29 ( 77th place)

1st large loop time: 2:33:36 (75th place)

2nd large loop time: 2:46:34 

Final time: 5:47:39, 46th place, passing 29 people on the final loop!

Pacer Profile: Andy Styer

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Besides running, what other hobbies, interests, or passions do you have?

This is an easy one, and those of you who are friends with me or follow me on social media know the only thing I talk about more than running is my cats. Over the years my cat family has been anywhere from 2 cats to 7 cats. This past year after losing 2 of them to old age, I adopted a pair of 8-year-old cats (brother and sister), and I also adopted 4 kitten brothers who needed a good home : )

How has your relationship evolved with running over the years?

For one, my distances have increased as I have become more seasoned. I found it more fun to go far than to go fast. Although I do like to do a quick and fast race at times, my home is really in the 50k – 100k distance. Additionally, when I first started running, it was all about challenging myself, but as I matured, it became more about inspiring others and helping my runner friends reach their goals. 

What is a bucket list race for you?

Although I am most at home on the trails, one race I really want to do sometime is the Big Sur Marathon in California. 

Would you like to give a shoutout to another Pagoda Pacer member who has been super influential and inspiring in your life? Who and why?

This is an easy one for me. One of my best friends out there, Gary Gehret. I am not sure if he is in the Pacers any longer (since he moved to Lancaster a few years back), but I know running changed his life drastically for many reasons. And I can say it has for me as well. I actually forget what life was like before running!

Want to introduce yourself to the club in the next newsletter? We’d love to feature YOU in an upcoming Pacer Profile. Click HERE to find out how!

Double Race Report: Worlds End 100k and Laurel Highlands 70-miler

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by Andy Styer

I never intended to do these two races the same year, since they take place on back-to-back weekends. The plan was always to just do Laurel Highlands and that’s it. Well, I had my name on the waitlist for Worlds End, just in case I didn’t get into Laurel for some reason. I actually forgot about it, and since I was pretty deep on the list, I never removed myself once I was officially registered for Laurel Highlands. The last 3 weeks before the race I catapulted from 93rd down to single digits. It wasn’t until a week before Worlds End that I actually got in. I had a little help, too, but that’s not for public knowledge : )

So, the real question was, could I actually pull this off ? Worlds End is a course that always had my number. I finished in 2020 @ 18hrs 4 minutes, and in 2021 I DNF’d at mile 35. Laurel Highlands I did in 2019 with a finish time of 17hr 13 minutes. No crew, no pacer. 

For Worlds End, I quickly assembled a team of pacers and crew. I secured a camping spot where my good friend and training buddy Kyle was renting a yurt. The race started off great–I wasn’t trying to kill it, just trying to finish it! All was well until my stomach turned south and my pacers & crew had their hands full with a runner in the “pain cave.” They all had explicit instructions from me to not let me drop unless I broke a leg. They didn’t, in spite of my whining and fits. They kept me going and I was able to finish in 18 hours and 55 minutes. 5 minutes to spare!

At Laurel, this time, I just had my crew of Kim (my partner) and Nathan (my son), who met me at every crew access point. No pacers, but the race went well. Laurel Highlands is a similar course in elevation gain, but it has many more flowing, runnable sections. This race went rather well, and I finished in 17 hours and 52 minutes. 

Andy finishing the Laurel Highlands 70-mile ultra just a week after running Worlds End 100k!

I was rather surprised that I could do these back-to-back. There was little to no recovery coming from hard 70-80 mile training weeks to Worlds End, and then really no recovery time head into Laurel Highlands. I really cherished this feat and the support I got from my family and friends. 

What’s next on the race calendar you say? Nothing,  just rest and having fun on the trails!

Andy Styer’s Triple Peak 50k

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A little background: this year’s racing schedule was going to be Phunt 50k in January, HAT 50k in March, Coopers Rock 50k in April, and Worlds End 100k in May. With that agenda, lots of training miles and vertical gain would need to be sandwiched in there.

I first bagged Phunt and went to Mexico instead–no complaints there! I ran a 50k at Blue Marsh in February as my replacement run. 

HAT 50k was canceled, so I ran a 50k that day anyway on the Horse-Shoe Trail.

Coopers Rock was postponed, so on April 25th, I put together a route which involved a 3 mountain tour (Mt. Penn, Neversink, and Guldin’s Hill aka Copperhear Hill). Having grown up in St Lawrence, I was up on Neversink and Guldin’s all the time, so these places are like home to me. There are several road connectors, so it’s about 85% trail, 15% road. This course boasts over 5000′ of vertical gain and more turns than can be explained. As I told my friend Kyle Benjamin, who ran the majority with me, the course map is up here in my 47-year-old brain, which is scary in itself.

 So, with Worlds End 100k being postponed, you can guess what I’ll be doing that day anyway  🙂

–Andy Styer

Race Report: Call of the Wilds 50k

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by Andy Styer

So, I signed up for this race early on, based on the description only as ” rugged, wild and lots of big climbs”. Everything I wanted to test my training and skill set. I figured this would be a good, end of season run to explore a new place. My “A” race for the year, Laurel Highlands 70.5 miler, was done and in the books. I thought that was the hardest race of the year, but boy was I wrong! I had no idea what I was in store for.


Almost immediately after the run starts ( at 6am, in the dark), you are hit with a short road section and then a gradual climb. Don’t let this runnable section fool you, because after about a mile of easy running, you get smacked with your first climb up the Mid-State Trail. And then down. And then up. And then down. The big climbs never end, and the hard, rocky descents don’t either. And when you aren’t going up or down, you are running off camber on the rocky Mid-State Trail on moss-covered and slippery rocks. Falling and tripping is the normal here, and this course requires all of your body muscles and mental focus.


About halfway through the race, you get a little break as you come down to the village of Ramsey, where you get a short reprieve from the hills with some flat running on the Pine Creek Trail. BUT, only to get greeted with the biggest climb up, up, and up! After that you get to go back down and get another nice 2-3 mile runnable section before you then get the hardest of them all: the Torbert climb. Steep and straight up around mile 26 with mostly dead legs.


The aid stations were great, with enthusiastic volunteers who were cheering you on and making lots of noise! The PA Trail Dogs put on a great event! I was happy with my effort, finishing this in 6:56. From mile 5 to the end I was passing people and no one was passing me – a good feeling to have in the race. This ends my season for the most part, but as many people know, I have been racing this year to raise funds for pancreatic cancer research, having lost my mom to this dreaded and deadly form of cancer 15 months ago. Click on this link to check it out: https://events.lustgarten.org/fundraiser/1826394

Although Laurel Highlands was my “A” race, this was my best and hardest race. So, if you want to know what Eastern States is about, but don’t want to run it, check out its baby brother and sign up for Call of the Wilds!