Tag: race report

Playing the Long Game: My Journey to the 2025 Philadelphia Marathon

by pagodapacers

by Lisa Domeshek

The Buy In

My road to the Philadelphia Marathon actually began in the fall of 2023. At that point, I had run a handful of 50Ks on the trails, but never a road marathon, and I was curious how different the two would feel. I was turning 40 the following year and thought tackling a marathon would be the perfect bucket-list challenge. I was initially interested in Steamtown or Philadelphia, but I also knew I’d be spending two weeks in Italy that fall, which was not ideal for marathon training.

I was talking to Matt Brophy at Wine & Cheese that year, and he mentioned the Coastal Delaware Marathon. He’d run it before and planned to go back in April of 2024 to run the half. I signed up for the 2024 Coastal Delaware Marathon the following week.

It was a fantastic first marathon experience: midsized race, easy logistics, and a super flat course. A bunch of Pacer friends came down, and we had so much fun. My training had gone well, and I was excited to see what I could do. I had the best 18-mile run of my life–I didn’t stop or walk once–but then the wheels started to come off. The back half of the course is completely exposed to the sun, and temperatures climbed into the mid-80s. This was early April; I was not heat-acclimated at all. My calves tightened, I started cramping, and the last three miles became a jog-walk-hobble situation.

Despite the suffering at the end of the race, I was happy with my time. I also just assumed that is how I was supposed to feel at the end of a marathon. However, I was absolutely not doing that again! The last hour of the race was so hard. (Spoiler: by the time we got home from Rehoboth, a few days later, I absolutely wanted to do it again.) I had thrived with the structured training and knew I could run a better marathon. The only caveat was that I wanted a cooler race day. Philadelphia in late November? Ding, ding, ding.

Coastal Delaware, April 2024

Because of my travel plans, I didn’t want to run the full Philly Marathon that fall. But I did sign up for the half with Sandie Kincaid and had an awesome experience. I knew I wasn’t in PR shape because of travel and a nasty cold, which actually took the pressure off and let me enjoy the day. I’d never run a race that big, and the crowd energy blew me away. I signed up for the 2025 full marathon as soon as registration opened.

Upping the Ante

Knowing I had a big fall goal, I wanted to get to work early. I signed up for the Scranton Half Marathon with Blair Hogg, scheduled for April 2025. Around this time I also realized that if I was going to be running so much anyway, I might as well commit to Blues Cruise 50K, and if I was doing that, why not complete the entire Triple Trail Challenge?

I wanted Scranton to be a PR race. I trained hard from January through April and believed I could finally get that sub-2. It didn’t happen. That race felt hard very early, and although I had a great weekend with Blair, Karen, and Jerry, I was disappointed and started wondering if I was simply slowing down with age. I’m proud of myself for kicking that thought to the curb. Now it was time for two months of fun running before marathon training started in earnest in July.

In May I ran Broad Street just for fun, then the Charlie Horse Half at the end of the month. No pressure, just keeping my base mileage up. After that, I started hitting trails and hills to prep for Run for the Ages in June.

July 1st arrived and it was time to start building for Blues Cruise. I was in Cape May that week, and, lucky for me, Jules (Julia Hager) was there too! Our long run was 10.5 miles in 92% humidity and high-80s temperatures. Even at an easy pace, it was brutal, a character-building run I carried with me for the rest of the training block. Cheers to summer training in the Mid-Atlantic!

With Jules in Cape May, first long run of the training block

I decided to reuse my previous marathon plan since it had worked well. For this cycle, Blues Cruise would serve as my “marathon.” I had a few peak weeks close to 50 miles, which is a lot for me. Aside from the humidity, training was going great. I ran Double Trouble 30k in July and then the Curran Brewing Trail 5K in mid-August where I placed second in my age group: small win, big smile. Then came Labor Pains, which I planned to use as a training run, and I completed 50K.

Then it was time for Blues Cruise. I thought a 50K PR was possible even with the hot forecast. I ran really well through mile 28 and was still on track for a small PR…until my calf cramped so hard that I fell and literally couldn’t get up for a few minutes. Lying there waiting (hoping!) someone would run by to help me up was surreal. I went from cruising to wondering if I could even finish. Humbling, to say the least. And in retrospect, it was a great learning experience. It’s not over until it’s over. Eventually I inch-wormed myself up (no one came by) and prayed I wouldn’t re-cramp. Running was out of the question, so it became a three-mile death march I’ll never forget.

The following week, I went to Vermont and took a planned, glorious week-long break from running. I came back refreshed and ready for one more four-week build, which I planned myself, followed by a two-week taper. I raced the Oley 10-Miler in that block, felt fantastic, and earned a PR, another little confidence spark going into Philly.

All In

The morning before the marathon I went for a shakeout run. Strava helpfully pointed out this was my highest average heart rate in three weeks, and it felt like I’d never run three continuous miles in my life. Nerves.

After packing up, Jerry and I headed to Philly. We walked around Center City, grabbed my bib at the expo, and checked into the Sheraton Downtown. Later we met Steve Vida, who was also running the marathon, for an amazing dinner at Giuseppe & Sons—highly recommend if you want a nice spot downtown. Then it was back to the hotel to try to get some sleep.

Once I finally fell asleep, I got a few solid hours and woke up five minutes before my 4:45 a.m. alarm. I got ready quietly and had my usual race-day breakfast: a plain bagel with a tiny bit of peanut butter and a Red Bull. I walked alone to the start near the Art Museum, about a mile from the hotel. It was 34° but I knew the forecast (low 50s and partly sunny) was perfect.

I breezed through security, filled my pack, hit the porta-potty line, and got into my corral. I snapped a selfie and ate my first gel and then it wasn’t long before the National Anthem played and the first wave began at 7 a.m. I started running around 7:25. To my surprise, I felt happy and calm; the nerves were completely gone. I knew Jerry, Alyssa, and Jon would be at mile one, and focusing on spotting them helped keep me from going out too fast.

Ready to go!

After seeing them, I locked into pace. My goal was 4:15–4:20, which would be a PR, but still conservative. My rule: not a single mile under 9:30 for the entire first half, no matter how good I felt. And I felt great, almost floating. But experience told me the same pace would feel very different hours later.

I wasn’t expecting to see anyone again until mile nine at the zoo. I held steady between 9:30–10:00 minute miles, enjoyed winding through Center City, sipped Skratch from my pack, and got down the gummies and gels I’d planned for the first hour. I was targeting a minimum of 60g of carbs and 600mg sodium per hour, given my history of calf cramping.

Mile nine came quickly. The zoo area was packed with spectators–one of the denser parts of the course. I slowed slightly to look for Jerry, but I didn’t see him, so I pushed on. I did spot Dave, which made me happy. I found Jerry and the crew around mile 12.5 and stopped for a quick hug and selfie.

Selfie stop

Right after I crossed the half-marathon point, I had the completely unhelpful thought: If this were a half, I’d be done right now. And then, as if on cue, I saw Matt cheering. Perfect timing. I got my mental game back on track. 

Next I focused on reaching Manayunk, miles 19–21, which I knew would feel like a party. I got there before I knew it, and past mile 18, where I’d fallen apart in Delaware. I saw my friend Beth with the Philly Hashers, drank a small beer (planned!), then looked for Sorita and the other Fleet Feeters in their banana costumes. Found them!  Beth handed me another small beer around mile 21 and gave me a giant hug. A little aside about Manayunk: it was the most crowded part of the race with runners going in both directions and bacchanalian spectators. It was very hard to hold a steady pace with runners slowing down around me. I also almost got taken out when I bent over to pet a dog wearing a sign that said “Pet to Power Up” and a very large man barreled into me scaring everyone involved and did not apologize either. 

Steve had told me he loved the stretch after Manayunk because you’re headed straight back to the finish and can just count down the miles. That was exactly my experience. I couldn’t believe how good I still felt. I saw Ron and Helene Horn, and Dave one more time.

At mile 25, I couldn’t stop smiling. The crowds were unbelievable, constant high-fives, nonstop cheering, and the last half-mile was just a roar. I crossed the finish, got my medal, and realized I’d forgotten to look at the clock. My watch said 4:19 with a 9:45 average pace, so I assumed that was close. I didn’t check the official chip time until later: 4:22. Technically slower than my goal, but still a five-minute PR. My splits were pretty even; when they slowed it was because of the crowd or because I was looking for my people and I picked it right back up. My last two miles were 9:35 and 9:25. 

And honestly? The hugs, selfies, mini beers, and one porta-potty stop were worth every minute they cost so that I was relatively comfortable and still had fun. 

With my friend Alyssa at the finish

 Afterward, we met up with Matt, Steve, and a few other friends for a celebratory lunch at Victory Brewing. It was just a unicorn of a day: perfect weather, amazing friends, incredible spectators and volunteers. I wore my medal the rest of the day. (However, we will not discuss the Eagles / Cowboys game.)

We stayed in the city one more night. As we drove down the reopened Benjamin Franklin Parkway Monday morning, I saw crews taking down the banners and tents and couldn’t help feeling a little melancholy. I know there will be plenty more races, big running highs, miles with friends, and hopefully more PRs, but the 2025 Philadelphia Marathon truly felt like a little bit of magic.

Big-city races and/or road marathons aren’t for everyone, but I hope everyone who made it to the end of this gets to experience their own truly perfect running day in one form or another. 

Race Report: Eastern States 100

by pagodapacers

by Kelly Ammon

I ran my first “real” trail run at Monocacy Hill on a Wednesday Night Run with the Pacers (probably 2019?). I ran my first ultra at the Pacer race we all know and love, Blues Cruise 50k, in 2021. And I DNF’d my first race ever at Eastern States 100 in 2025.

ES100 was on my radar since I first got into trail and ultra running. It’s a bucket list race for a lot of trail runners, and it’s relatively local, so a lot of my badass friends have run it or attempted to run it. I knew I didn’t want to jump straight into a 100M, so I spent some time running shorter ultras (ha) before I pulled the trigger and signed up in 2024. Then lovely Hurricane Debby spoiled our plans. Ok, so I guess I’ll run ES in 2025. 

Leading up to the race, my training went really well. I won’t say I felt confident, but I felt as ready as I could to run a hundred miles in the woods on a technical course with 20,000 ft of elevation. Even the week leading up to the race and the night before, I didn’t really feel anxious, but excited and ready to go. 

On race day, everything was completely fine. Not great, not good, not bad, not terrible. But fine. The weather was warm and humid, but not out of the ordinary for PA in the beginning of August. I got some hot spots/blisters pretty early on, but nothing devastating. My nutrition and hydration plans were working out, and I got through the first 43 miles without any major problems.

Steve Vida jumped in to pace me at mile 43, and by mile 45 the wheels were coming off. (I cannot stress enough that Steve is a wonderful pacer, and my downward spiral had nothing to do with him. He is truly great and all would be lucky to have him.)  

I found myself in a funk I could not pull out of. I cried for…..7 miles. Steve said it was only 2, but I know he was only saying that to be nice. Physically, I was fine. My legs were tired but no more than at other races. I wasn’t having stomach issues either. The biggest problem was my brain and convincing myself to keep going. 

My reason for running has always been because it’s fun. Yes, there are plenty of times I don’t want to keep going, but that feeling goes away by the next mile. Or rather, the end goal is worth the suffering, and that’s part of the fun. What do you do when your main reason for running goes out the window and no one is forcing you to go on but yourself? (And maybe also Steve when he won’t let you drop 8 miles earlier.) In the woods at ES, I looked at my watch and said, “I have to keep doing this for FIFTEEN to TWENTY more HOURS?!” and that’s where despair set in. So I quit. 

I’ve thought a lot about the race over the past three weeks. Do I regret dropping at mile 58? No. Would I have done a lot differently both leading up to and during the race? Absolutely. Am I someone who never finishes a hundred mile race? Maybe? I’m not saying never again, but I’m also not itching to sign up for a redemption race. Right now, I’m going to focus on races that I think will be fun. I guess if I had to sum up my feelings and experience of my Eastern States 100 DNF, I’d have to say “medium.”  

Race Report: Double Trouble 15k

by pagodapacers

by Blair Hogg

This race has never been on my radar. I’m not sure why–maybe because it is in July, and it’s usually too hot to consider a longer trail race? This year, a few people I knew said they were running it, and I needed a nice long run, so I decided to give it a try. Besides, Ron Horn and the Pretzel City Sports crew usually put on a decent race. 

The race is held in French Creek State Park, and I have done the Dirty Bird race there several times, so I figured it would be similar. Dirty Bird is fairly hilly, and with the heat and humidity, I wasn’t expecting to set any records. Besides, it would be fun to try to run with some friends. 

Michelle Henry, Julia Hager, Michelle Foley, Shawn Weller, Jason Tolley, and Lisa Domeshek were all running the race as well. Lisa and Jason were planning on running two loops for 30k; Julia was going to try for it as well. The rest of us were too smart for that stuff. 

The race started near the pool, but it didn’t follow the DB course. It was similar, but not too much. Shortly after the start, the course hit some narrow single track, and it became one big conga line. Eventually things sorted out and everyone could start doing some running. Once we crossed the main road and got onto the trails, things settled down. 

It was hot. And humid. And you were tempted to walk the hills. But when you started walking, you got ambushed by mosquitoes. It was horrible. At least it was good motivation to keep running. 

The hills weren’t nearly as bad as I expected, given my experience with DB. You could keep a decent pace going most of the time. Some of the trails used were very technical, though, and it was hard to get into a nice rhythm. 

Lisa and Jason needed to keep a decent pace going, since there was a cutoff at 2 hours and 10 minutes to do the second loop. Julia and Michelle Foley got ahead as well, so I tried to stay with Michelle Henry, but needed to keep some pace going to stay ahead of the bugs. We eventually met back up later in the race and ran the last mile together. 

Unfortunately, Julia and Michelle got off course by missing a turn, and ended up finishing behind us. It was a bummer for them and several others. 

I finished in about 2 hours and 15 minutes. I probably could have made the cutoff if needed, but I kept expecting bigger hills and held back. Most of the hills were pretty manageable. 

But the bugs! They were awful!

And the heat and humidity! By the end of the race, I looked like I had gone for a swim in the lake!

All things considered, though, it was a fun event, and something I’ll probably consider doing again. 

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

by pagodapacers

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

by pagodapacers

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! 

Race Report: Scranton Half Marathon

by pagodapacers

by Blair Hogg

The Scranton Half Marathon is one of the races that I consider every year for my race calendar, since it’s my hometown race. I grew up in the city, and ran track and cross country for West Scranton High School. I’ve done it several times, and a few of those were with Tony Agentowicz, who was a teammate of mine with WSHS XC. 

I’ve tried over the years to get a few other Pacers to join me; however, no one other than Tony had until this year, when Lisa Domeshek gave in and registered for the race. We started training in January with a training program Lisa had used for the Philly Half. (She followed it better than I did.) 

We started planning the logistics behind the race and decided that, given it’s a 2 hour drive to get there, it would be better to head up the day before and stay the night. This would allow us to pick up our bibs on Saturday for the race on Sunday. We stayed at the Radisson Lackawanna Station hotel, a wonderful old train station from the Erie Lackawanna railroad. 

Lisa’s boyfriend Jerry and my wife Karen joined us on the trip. Jerry happens to be a fan of the TV show The Office, which was set in Scranton. We had a delightful dinner at Cooper’s seafood restaurant, which is also a bit of a museum, and where Jerry and Lisa found a gift shop full of Office-related items. But we were there to run, so it was back to the hotel for a good night’s rest. 

Race-day morning greeted us with cool weather and light rain. Not the best running conditions, but not the worst. Lisa and I drove the short way to the starting area at Scranton’s Memorial Stadium, where I had run track meets many years ago. Parking was near impossible, but we found a spot and made our way to the starting point. 

The race started at 8 a.m., with a light rain still coming down. Despite there being a small field of about 1,500 runners, the start was rather hectic. Lisa made her move to get out of the crowd about a half mile in, hoping for a PR. I didn’t try to keep up with her, as I was fighting a lingering knee issue and didn’t want to push it. 

Despite the weather, the race was well-supported by volunteers and folks from the community cheering the runners on. About halfway through the race, the rain stopped, but at that point, it didn’t matter, as we were already fairly damp. The race winds its way around different neighborhoods in the city and through the downtown area, finishing on a paved rail trail that runs along Roaring Brook, a medium-sized creek which runs through the city. The actual finish is on the stadium track where I ran meets in high school. 

The route took us near the hotel where we were staying, and Jerry and Karen were able to see us at two points during the race. They were also able to meet us at the finish. 

Lisa ran a great race, finishing in just over two hours, but not quite enough for a PR. With better weather conditions, I think she would have done it. I came in at 2 hours and 18 minutes, a bit off my best time. Two years ago, I had finished this race in 1 hour 57 minutes. Hopefully next year will be better. 

After the race, we enjoyed burgers and beers at the hotel pub, a well-earned reward for our efforts. It might have been an effect of just having completed the race, but I thought it was one of the best burgers that I’ve had in some time. 

Maybe next year I can convince some more friends to join me in my hometown race!

Race Report: Rabid Raccoon 100-Miler

by pagodapacers

by Melissa Lin

Last July, Jenn Guigley entered us in a contest to win free entry to the Rabid Raccoon 100-mile race. To entice more women into ultrarunning, Rabid Raccoon has BOGO for women doing the 100k and 100 miles. Eric Kosek paid the entrance fee for 2 women to do a distance that they have never done before and frightened them. We never thought we would win. Then the best group of running friends also signed up for the 100k and half-marathon. That helped immensely with training during the cold, snowy, dark winter. I missed some training runs due to traveling, and I reinjured my left Achilles tendon the week before the race. I could barely walk into the restaurant for dinner the night before the race. Jenn let me try her muscle scraper and I kinesio-taped my Achilles. That combination worked miracles, and somehow, my Achilles tendon was fine during the entire race.

The gentleman at the front desk of our hotel said they were full. In addition to the race, there was also a men’s college lacrosse tournament and a corn hole championship in town. It was noisy, and I was anxious. I didn’t sleep well. The race started at 4 am. The 100-mile distance consisted of 8 loops of 13 miles each. The first 2 went pretty well. We were ahead of schedule. Then the thunderstorms started. Rain ponchos kept us dry and protected from the cold winds. The course became a slippery, muddy mess. We grabbed our poles for the 4th loop. They helped us claw our way uphill while slipping backwards. The mud was so deep and sucked at our shoes. I fell 4 times in the same mud pit. The wind knocked a couple of trees down on the course.  

Jenn and I stayed together for the whole race, which worked out well. We gave each other good advice and felt strong at different times. I changed shoes and socks halfway through. For the 5th loop, we picked up Tania and Jeff Golden, the best crewing/pacing couple ever. Their company really rejuvenated us! We also found a new friend, Tony. Near the end of our 6th loop, Jeff saw in the messenger chat that Kristen Rothenberger was struggling. She was alone, and her headlamp had died. He went back to rescue her. After getting her back safely, he rescued another runner who was having medical issues. For our 7th loop, we got our new pacers, Jenn’s husband, Matt, and my friend, Cameron Herndon. It rained even more, but we heard and saw spring peepers. For our last loop, we exchanged Cameron for John Andescavage. There were more thunderstorms and high winds, which actually lit a fire under my butt, because I didn’t want to die. It was the perfect finish, with the 4 of us holding hands.

I wanted to share what helped me. I have no chafing or blisters and my toenails are fine. I cut my toenails short and even beveled the tips down a little. I wore shoes that are a half size bigger and Injinji socks. I applied Aquaphor where my feet tend to blister and sprinkled 2Toms Blister Shield in my socks. As soon as I felt a hot spot, Jenn told me to put kinesio tape on it. There’s a creek crossing on each loop. You can cross a bridge instead, but it adds 0.3 miles per loop. When my feet were dry (laps 1, 2, 5, and 6), I went over the bridge. When they were wet from the rain and mud, I waded through the creek. I also wore a waist lamp and a head lamp, which helped me not trip. A rain poncho kept my core warm and dry during the storms.

What I wish I had done differently: I wish I put my Garmin on UltraTrac mode. Fred Foose saved my Strava by lending me his charging button. I also wish I had put on sunscreen before the 7th loop, since the sun did shine for a few minutes.  

Overall, it went much better than I expected. It was so fun to train and travel to the race with friends! The race was a fun adventure! I really look forward to our next race!

Race Report: Rocksylvania Trail Series (Granite Division)

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by Elaine Cook

If you love hard trail races that have an unreasonable ratio of vert to distance, with tons of rocks and water crossings, and climbs/descents that lack any logical amount of switchbacks, and which would USUALLY be very muddy (just not in the 2024 season), then you’ve already found the PA Trail Dogs and their epic races.  

Like a lot of us, I crave a training goal that scares me and horrifies my non-runner friends. Struggling to train for ultras due to my cranky knees, I went with more races at a shorter distance. I’ve run a number of Rocksylvania races, so I was familiar with the trail series and its scoring, and intrigued by the idea of trying to complete the full slate at a sub-ultra distance. The races vary from 4 miles to 50K, and there are 5 divisions, 4 of them shorter than ultra distance. April Zimmerman advised me that while ALL of the races are beautiful and hard, the 25Ks are possibly the best sampling of Rocksylvania running. There are 8 races in the 25K Granite Division.  Here’s a link to the Trail Series page:  https://www.patraildogs.com/rocksylvaniaseries 

Race #1: Hyner Trail Challenge

The first race in the series was the Hyner Challenge in April. I had run the 50K twice, and this was my second go at the 25K. It is a huge event with 1,000 runners in the 25 and another 400 in the 50, so unlike the rest of the series, it’s very crowded for a lot of the run. I knew I hadn’t trained on hills enough, but I felt sure I could finish, and once school was over (forever since I was retiring), I’d be able to train properly. Ha!  The climbs at Hyner are outrageous and the views breathtaking. There’s a wonderful sense of community in running a race with so many participants, which we don’t get so much in trail running. The race starts and ends with about a mile of road to thin the pack. Then there’s a huge climb to Hyner View lookout over the Susquehanna, followed by 2 more monster climbs including the infamous SOB hill for a total of about 4,500 feet of vert, and some tricky descents. 

The after-party is a joyful celebration of our sport! ALL of these races have great after-parties, but of course the others are smaller. The weather was unusually nice for April, so lots of people hung out for hours after finishing. Hey, I love running ultras, but there is no denying how very much more fun the after party is when you get there much sooner and without having completely depleted your reserves!

Race #2:  Slate Run

Slate Run, in early June, is one of the hardest but also most beautiful of the series. I had signed up twice before, but circumstances had prevented me from toeing the line. I had run the course with Joanne Van Horn and Pete Groth in the past, so I knew what to expect. This was the only race that I went up and back day-of, because of an overcrowded family schedule. That was doable since my husband, Alan, drove, but not ideal. And that’s one of the big challenges in racing these series: it’s most comfortable to spend 2 nights in the area, so time and cost can be factors.    

Slate Run has a half-marathon and a 25K, all starting together. You begin and end with about 2 miles of rail trail. All the rest is pretty challenging single track! Like most of the races, it was longer than 25K–a free bonus of 1.5 miles. (According to my GPS, the races in the series varied from just under 15 miles to 18 miles.) There are 2 massive climbs, totaling almost 3,000 feet of vert, and the downs are treacherous.  The wildflowers were beautiful, and many runners saw a timber rattlesnake on course, but sadly I missed it! This was the first race I ran with poles, in hopes of giving a little relief to my knees on the descents. I was glad to have them, but after this race, I bought a quiver and kept my poles put away until the pack thinned out a couple hours in. No one likes poles waving around when runners are bunched! My apologies to those near me early on in this race. Another fun after-party, and Pine Creek right there for a post-race cold plunge.

Race #3: Sharp Top

I heard a rumor that this race at the end of June will be discontinued for next season, so I’m glad I got to run it. They had a 50K also (I was truly relieved to make the turn to 25K at the split!) There is a primitive campground at the start/finish, but we had a graduation party in NJ right after the race, so we stayed in Williamsport Friday night rather than bringing the camper. 

The worst thing about this one was the parking. We have an SUV, but had driven our sedan to the race. The last couple miles to get there were gravel and the parking was just a field which mostly wasn’t mowed. It was rainy, too, so everything was muddy and rutted. I know Alan expected to need a tow to leave (we didn’t). The race was pretty runnable, and “only” 2,600 feet in about 18 miles–and I missed a flag and ran some extra (my fault, markings were good). I had my poles, but never got them out.  Lots of Jeep-road type stuff and nice single-track, not especially rocky. I had one hard fall early on, probably because it was warm and misty/rainy, so my glasses were constantly fogged up. Speaking of fog, the big overlook was completely socked in, so no vista (see photo below), but the misty woods were spookily gorgeous. This race had especially good food and beer afterward, and in spite of the rain and mud the atmosphere was friendly and festive. If it is not discontinued, I would go back, but in the SUV!

Race #4: Cook Forest

Cook Forest in mid-August has only the 25K distance. It is the farthest drive, so we camped for four nights in the modern campground at the state park, where the race is held. We’ve been to this park several times now, and it was my second time running the race. We both thought the area has really improved as a tourist destination in terms of restaurants, breweries, and a rail trail nearby. Cook Forest is famous for old growth trees, AND it has lots of mushrooms, so: my kinda place! The race has a beautiful course, very smooth trails for Rocksylvania, and the least vert (2,200 feet in 17.5 miles) of the series. The only negative is a couple of miles of actual road in the middle, but that gave Alan an easy spectator spot.

There were lots of yellow jackets this year. I didn’t get stung, but several runners around me did, and I ran scared of them for a lot of the race. I’ve seen at least one trail race canceled because of them this summer! It was super humid, but the course winds through old growth trees, follows creeks and the Clarion River, and climbs to the famous fire tower. It is one of my favorite trail races ever. We had a really fun camping trip too, full of gravel riding and hiking and breweries, as the rest of the teachers and students went back to school.

Race #5: Boulder Beast

Boulder Beast in mid-September also has a 25-mile distance, which I did some years ago and loved, but this year I was happy to turn toward 25K at the split. Almost 3 miles of road at the start and finish in Lock Haven, so you’d think with only 10 miles of trail it would be fairly quick…but the boulder field mile took me 49 minutes, so, no! 

3,100 feet of vert, 3 main climbs, all hard. The boulder field is intense! I love this race once it’s over, but I’m actually kind of scared on the boulders. They go on for a VERY long time, and it’s crazy steep. After that, normal Rocksylvania stuff until the road.  Very beautiful course. The after-party is great, and there are hot showers! It was great to truly clean up before relaxing with tasty food and beer. This is probably one of the best ones for camping, conveniently located right at the start/finish.

Race #6: Green Monster

The Green Monster in mid-October has three distances: 15K, 25K, or 50K. The RD writes hilarious email updates and FB posts, which are a hoot. It’s in the cute town of Wellsboro, so we camped nearby for 3 nights. The race has on-site dry camping, but no amenities, and it rained. I know, right? During a truly historic summer drought, almost all my 25Ks were wet, and THIS baby was a true soaker! Some utter badass spent the night in a sleeping bag on the ground with just a tarp folded over top, and it was a monsoon! Anyway, 3,700 feet of vert, 5 major climbs, and finishing with a scary downhill called Frankenstein’s Forehead. I was dreading this the WHOLE TIME because I remembered it from running the 50K 5 years earlier, and being terrified back then on a completely dry day. The course is just beautiful: lots of running along creeks and sweet singletrack. On this day, it was very muddy and slippery–drenched from the start.

Finally, I was approaching Frankenstein’s Forehead. The rain had picked up. It was hard to see with my glasses. As I neared the last AS, it began to thunder and lightning in earnest. I expected to be held, and I knew I’d be frozen if I wasn’t moving, but also NO WAY would they send us down the Forehead in this weather! Just as I got there, a volunteer arrived in a jeep with beer for the AS workers, filling them with joy and distracting them from closing the course. Or maybe they never intended to! I don’t know. I rolled right through there with a couple of other runners in the 15K, and down we went! After a few minutes, we were all just whooping and sliding. Lightning crashed over and over and the rain was pouring down. Before I knew it, I was at the bottom–much less scary than I remembered. I gotta stop dwelling on my fears and just run through them! The rest of the way was largely under a couple of inches of water on a beautiful trail following a creek. Extra good swag for this one and super food and beer.

Race #7: Call of the Wilds

Wilds was only a week after Green Monster, in late October: the 2 hardest courses, back-to-back. It has a 50K as well, which I’ve run twice (my 2 slowest ever 50Ks). The 50K starts in the dark, so I was grateful to begin in sunlight. It was the first cold start of the season for me, but it turned into a hot and perfect fall day. 4,600 feet of vert, 3 huge climbs, stunning fall color, crazy rock formations, and vistas and vistas and vistas. 

The most nuts climb is called Torbert. Ugh. Glad when THAT’S over! Fun after-party, and I finally met Nancy, the woman I’d been challenging for the lead in our age group. I was ahead only because she’d missed one race, but she was gaining hard with one race to go. Sadly, she rolled her ankle badly at Wilds, and couldn’t run the final race.

Race #8: The View

The View, in early November, also has a 15K, and it is very similar to Hyner. By this point, I was toast. The Rocksylvania season is concentrated in the fall, and I’d also coached cross-country for the first time and taken a few other trips, and I was just plain tired. No injuries, just that little whisper your tendons give you when you’re not in your 20s anymore and in fact you’re barely still in your 50s, but you’ve been trying to do epic shit anyway.

 

Thank goodness this was the shortest one–I got under 15 miles–but there was still 3,600 feet of vert and a hefty dose of rocks. You start and finish with about a mile of road, and honestly I knew in that first mile I was in for a suffer-fest. I got cocky and didn’t give my body the rest it needed in the weeks before the race. So I had a long slow day on those trails and tried to savor the views and the trail camaraderie and enjoy a final epic trail race. The climb to the View at Hyner (first photo), SOB (below), the endless jeep road on the ridge, done.  Mission accomplished!  Great after-party and a very satisfying feeling of accomplishment!

Rocksylvania Trail Series Awards Party

The season wraps up with an awards party at New Trail Brewing in Williamsport for the top 3 finishers in each age group in each division. Here’s another event I don’t think I could have managed if I hadn’t retired, but wow it was fun! I had the absolute pleasure to meet several other runners during the series, and it was very nice to sit with them for a few hours when we weren’t sweaty and exhausted. 

The swag was super, and plenty of pizza and beer. I set out to try to earn the coveted Rocksylvania jacket, but there were lots of other goodies in the swag. Trail Dogs do it right! I can’t say enough about this series, IF you want to run super hard, crazy vert, gorgeous trails!

A few tips if you want to check out the Rocksylvania Trail Series:

  1. Some of the races fill fast (especially Hyner, which opens almost a year ahead and fills right away!)
  2. If you are bringing spectators, generally they can partake in the food, too, if they make a donation, or, in some cases, purchase a meal ticket in advance. Check to be sure, though, because usually other food options are not very close, and a hangry crew spoils your post race glow!
  3. Many of the races offer free or cheap dry camping nearby.

FKT on the Historic Brandywine Trail Set by Kelly Ammon and Brandon Beane

by pagodapacers

by kelly ammon

Around 9am Saturday, Brandon parked his car in a nearby development, and we walked approximately .75 miles to the start of the Historic Brandywine Trail. Neither of us had run any of this previously, but we knew we were looking for white blazes. The beginning part of the trail was well marked and we got through the first few miles with very little trouble.

Our spouses (shout out to Katie and Mark!) generously agreed to crew for us, and they first met us around mile 11 with water and more food. The beginning portion of this route was predominately road, and, while Brandon and I prefer more trail, it was relatively easy to navigate. We did second-guess ourselves a few times, but we didn’t have any major issues until we got to a section of trail with a sign indicating the trail was permanently closed; we followed another trail that closely paralleled the original and did not have to deviate very far. 

Shortly thereafter, we met our spouses at another “aid station” around mile 18 and continued on our way. Again, following white blazes at this point was easy, although around mile 20 we noticed that there was a slight discrepancy between the blazes and what was shown in the .gpx file. Another slight re-route occurred about 2 miles later, when we got to another section that was posted as “Closed from October-January due to deer season.” We were able to skirt around the section by following the road and linking back up with the original trail maybe half a mile later. 

We came to our third “aid station” at the Pocopson Post Office/Ace Hardware/Veterinarian around mile 25, grabbed some more water and food and were on our way. This section proved to be the most difficult in terms of navigation and terrain. Around mile 30 we came to a part of trail that should have been an easy crossing of the Brandywine Creek by way of a bridge; however, the bridge was under construction, aka non-existent. We spent several minutes trying to find a good spot to cross the creek; fortunately we found a spot that wasn’t very deep, but we did have to backtrack a bit in order to do so. 

After the bridge debacle, we continued on, and once again the route was a balance of pavement, gravel road, and single track, but the blazes were placed much more sporadically, and the trail was not well maintained. This led to a lot of time spent consulting the .gpx of the route, bushwhacking, and second guessing whether or not we really were in the right spot. Around mile 32 we encountered our biggest navigational error of the day, when we missed a faded blaze that indicated we should have turned right. We ran along a gravel road for about half a mile before realizing our blunder and needing to backtrack. At some point we crossed into Delaware, although there was no line indicating that (or fanfare) as I had hoped. 

Eventually we found Katie and Mark at our fourth and final aid station around mile 32. At this point, we knew we were only a few miles from the end and it was getting dark, so we grabbed the bare necessities and kept moving.

We hammered as best as one can after 35+ miles and eventually found ourselves in Brandywine Creek State Park around sunset. We were happy with our efforts but after 38.5 ish miles we were also really happy to meet Katie and Mark at the car and call it a day. 

Editor’s note: Kelly and Brandon’s effort was swift enough to earn them the Fastest Known Time (FKT) for the “mixed-gender team” category on this trail. To see the official stats, go to https://fastestknowntime.com/route/historic-brandywine-trail-de