Today I’m posting yet another race report. Since I am new to running ultras, I thought this is a good way to give something back, because if you’re like me, you like knowing a little something about an event prior to doing it for the first time. I feel this helps with both preparation and having a better experience at the event.
This race report is for the Trails for Tails Ultra Run and Relay which benefits a no kill animal shelter. As I said in my post of my experience of the event, which can be found here, this was my first time running this race, with the race itself having been held for about 9 years now. Trails for Tails is held at Codorus State Park not far from Hanover, PA. This is smaller event, I’m guessing less than 50 runners were at the start however I’m sure there were more that showed up later to run their part if they were on a relay team.
The event is 40 miles in length consisting of 5 laps of an 8 mile course. The course layout is nice in that you can drop out at any of the 8 mile intervals if you’re not into or capable of running the longer distances. The course has a larger 4 mile loop and then a smaller loop connected by a road section maybe a 1/2 mile long. Overall there is a mix of surfaces you be running on, including grass, dirt, paved roads, and the rocky/sandy shoreline of Lake Marburg. This mix of surfaces broke up the monotony but might not be for everyone depending on your preferences. With the exception of the shoreline section, I really liked the course and the fact it varied. Even though I thought I had quite a bit of ankle strength, the softer sloped surface of the shoreline really seemed to fatigue my ankles quickly. By the second any subsequent laps, on the sloped shoreline there were just a few spots that I found didn’t have as much slope to it and stuck to it was much as could as I found the angled running is what really challenged my ankles the most. The course had its share of rocks and roots and elevation change too but nothing extreme about any of them. There were several small fallen trees to go over but they were easily manageable and a guard rail at one point to go over too. To sum it up, about the time you got used to running on one surface it switched to another. The same held true regarding elevation change. The course was very well marked I thought, using a combination of spray paint arrows on the ground, ribbon, and a few plates with arrows. Having never run the course, I was slightly concerned with finding my way but I wasn’t in the lead to have to worry, and regardless it was marked well.
The staff at this event was great. The RD (race director) even sent me an email earlier in the week confirming he received my registration and that I was entered in the event. I thought it was nice, and likely a result of it being a low(er) number of runners, but the RD and the other volunteer at the start/finish line of each lap even called me by my first name when cheering and acknowledging completion of another lap. Again, really nice since this was the first time I ran the event and they didn’t know me prior.
The aid station volunteers were great too!, very eager to assist you and ask you what it is you need or were looking for. I made sure to say thank you to them when I passed the aid station the last time as I thought they did a great job!
I’m guessing if you’re reading this you’re also wondering what items were at the aid station. There was a little of everything really. Candy for anyone with a sweet tooth (me included), chips (and pretzels?) for those craving something salty, and a variety of other items. Some of the other food on hand included: trail mix, apples, bananas, pickle slices, pb&j sandwiches cut into pieces, turkey sandwiches cut in half. Regarding hydration—water, gatorade, soda, and Heed was available. A fair amount of the same items were at the start/finish line too. This aid station was right around mile 4 on the course and runners pass it a second time on each loop about a 1/2 mile before the start/finish line.
In summary, I did like this event after initially being unsure about it from the first lap. Once I found the flat(er) surface along the shoreline I was able to navigate that section easier as I felt my ankles almost throbbing after running the first lap. I also thought I’d dislike the long out-and-back road section connecting the two loops but this is where you would most often see the other runners and it was fun to give and receive encouraging words to/from the other runners. I guess I see the small number of runners as the only “downfall” to this race. With the except of that out-and-back road section, I didn’t really encounter too many other runners on the course after my first lap. While I did a lot of solo training and for the most part don’t mind it, after awhile running alone can get boring. But there was plenty I liked: the variation of the course, the friendliness of everyone, and the great aid station volunteers!
I would suggest this event to other runners who are within driving distance. It is a very affordable event which was a positive and all the volunteers were very supportive and helpful. Without the significant elevation change, the course is also more friendly to newbie ultrarunners such as myself. That’s not to say it’s easy but my point is it’s not daunting. If you like the camaraderie of other runners and big races this one is likely not for you though.
Will I run this event again? That I don’t know—as I am just getting breaking into ultrarunning and ultramarathoning and not sure yet what direction I will be taking and also how the time of this event fits in with others I may want to do. I will be keeping it on my race calendar though!
No comments:
Post a Comment