Despite my almost decade long quest to run the Mason Dixon Trail, I’m not really a run project guy. For me, it’s all about races. Nothing gives me more pleasure than pinning on a bib and “competing” with a bunch of others. That said, I’m not necessarily against a long effort outside a race environment if something tickles my fancy.
And my fancy has been tickled.
Lancaster County Covered Bridge Tour
Lancaster County has 28 covered bridges, which is the most in Pennsylvania. I’ve been periodically working on a route to connect them over the past couple years. Unfortunately, my work was lost when my last laptop crashed (don’t ask about my inability to backup my data). I think I can link them up in a point-to-point route (more like a big C) over about 130 miles.
My goal for this project is to be more of a fun run than a FKT style outing. This means time and pace are not the focus. I’m pretty sure this will end up being a harder thing for me to accomplish than the distance itself. I’m usually all about minimizing my stoppage time over the course of an ultra so I may need to plan in 30-60 minute breaks along the way to force myself out of my normal continuous grind along mentality. This will 100% be about the journey of seeing 28 different covered bridges rather than a random finish in the Lancaster countryside.
My first step will be to figure out the exact route. I’ll then need to plan out the logistics side of things. Where to get food and fluids. Where to rest and/or sleep along the way. I don’t like to impose on others for help so I’ll try to do this in a self or unsupported fashion. I’m tentatively scheduling this for the spring of 2026 so I have plenty of time get everything lined up.