Flat ain’t easy. Here’s the thing. After 6 years and 30 some odd races, I’m starting to become an old hat at ultras. Unfortunately, I’m also becoming forgetful in my old age as lessons I’ve learned in the past need to be relearned on a periodic basis. Like flat courses aren’t as easy as they…
Long Haul 100 Demographics
I’m a numbers guy through and through. As such, I like to look at who signs up to run 100 mile races with me. Data from the charts below are pulled from Ultrasignup, which does a pretty good job of capturing US ultra results however isn’t all inclusive. These splits are similar to what I’ve…
My 100 Miler Ranks: 2019 Edition
I started this ranking a couple years ago. No race is exactly the same and since everyone looks for something different when choosing races, I thought I would give you my ranks in various categories. I’ve completed two new races (MMT, Olde 96er) over the past year so they get added to the lists. I’m…
The Olde 96er 100 Mile Race Report
The Olde 96er is a self supported road race from the Ohio River in Wellsville to Lake Erie in Ashtabula, OH. This was the second year of the race, which also featured a 200 mile option that began 2 days prior. Since self supported ultras are a niche segment of an already small section of…
Olde 96er 100 Mile Preview
I’ve been excited to run this race since I first heard about it a year ago. The race is point-to-point on route 45 in Ohio from Wellsville to Walnut Beach Park on Lake Erie. It is also self-supported, which means I’m responsible carrying whatever I’m going to need with me while getting food and drinks…
2019 Eastern States 100 Race Report
Eastern States is a 100 mile footrace in the Wilds of PA (i.e. north central middle of nowhere). The race website has a wealth of information on course description, aid stations, mileages, etc., however it’s missing some details on the climbs that make up the bulk of the race’s difficulty. So here is my small…
2019 Eastern States 100 Preview
Finally. I’ve been waiting almost 2 years now to get back to Little Pine State Park and the long, long wait is almost over. This will be my third year running ES100 and hopefully (fingers crossed) I’ll be able to hobble away with my third buckle. I signed up the first year because it was…
The Numbers Behind 2019 MMT100
Anyone who has spent any time with me knows that I’m a numbers guy. Over the years, I’ve spent so much time calculating and tabulating that it’s difficult for me to completely understand a thing unless there are numbers attached to it. Adjectives only go so far in my opinion. And so every run has…
2019 Massanutten Mountain Trail 100 Race Report
MMT100 is a 100.6 mile race put on by the Virginia Happy Trails Running Club in the Massanutten mountains of the Shenandoah Valley. The single loop course has 10 major climbs with 18,500 feet of elevation gain. Runners are provided 35 hours and 15 aid stations to cover the course. And while accurate, that description…
Moments in Time: 2015 Oil Creek 100
4:58am, Saturday October 10, 2015 I’m standing in the courtyard of the Titusville Middle School with a hundred nineteen other people waiting to run 100 miles for the first time. I have been thinking, planning, and dreaming about running 100 miles for a couple years now. All of that time and energy has been devoted…