I’m heading back to Virginia this weekend for my fourth Devil Dog 100M. This will be more attempts for me than any other hundred outside of my beloved Eastern States. Given this fact, you would be forgiven for thinking this is one of my favorite races. In reality, it comes in as my 15th favorite…
Just Another Hundred
I vividly remember a conversation I had with a co-worker who also runs ultras a number of years ago. We were discussing our prior weekend runs and he said his was “just a 20 miler”. He paused immediately after saying this with an “OMG what did I just say” look on his face. Then he…
My 100 Miler Ranks: 2025 Edition
Welcome to my 9th annual update of my 100 miler ranks! When I started these lists way back in 2017 as a way to help people choose which races to run there were only 6 different races to rank. This year I’m adding three new races (Angela Ivory, Virgil Crest, and Tussey Mountainback) bringing the…
Tussey Mountainback 100 Mile Race Report
Tussey Mountainback is a fifty mile loop through several state parks outside State College, PA. Several years ago they added a 50K option and this was the second year for the 100 mile event. The race starts at 6:30 pm with four overnight 12.7 mile loops before doing the big 50 mile loop with everyone…
Hainesport 48 Hour Race Report
Hainesport Endurance Run is held in the Hainesport Township Park on a 0.9913 mile paved path and includes 12 Hour, 24 Hour, 48 Hour, 100 Mile, and relay options. The event has grown steadily over the past couple years and hosted over 200 participants this year across the various races. The course is lit overnight…
Virgil Crest 100 Mile Race Report
When I got into ultras a decade ago, Virgil Crest was one of the first hundreds that I read about and wanted to run. With 22,000 feet of elevation gain/loss though, it was a race I was going to have to work up to. Unfortunately, by the time I felt I was ready to give…
Virgil Crest 100M Preview
It’s only been 4 weeks since ES100, so obviously it’s time to run another race. When I started looking at ultras back in 2013/2014, Virgil Crest was one of the first hundreds that I read about. It had a certain cachet about it due to the elevation gain/loss and overall toughness. This was not an…
How To Process A 100 Mile Attempt/Finish
First off, it was your race and your result so you’re allowed to feel however you want about it. If you’re happy, great. It’s fine to be disappointed. And extremely freaking frustrated can explain a couple dozen of my ultra results. Don’t let other people tell you how you should feel. Acceptance is step one.…
2025 Eastern States 100 Race Report
As I pass by Harrisburg on my drive up to Waterville, I got beeped at by a passing car. This was right where a bunch of highways merge and split off and I’m thinking “uh-oh, did I just cut someone off?” (it’s happened before). The driver flashed me the peace sign though so he probably…
2025 Eastern States 100 Preview
It’s kinda crazy to think that this is the tenth ES100 that I’ve signed up for. Unfortunately, I don’t have 9 buckles to show for this. I have 6 buckles and three partial refunds. One year the race was cancelled due to an issue with their communications team (ham radio operator backed out). Then there…