50 miler

Manitou Revenge 2016 – The Game of Rocks

“The race is thought to be one of the burliest, non-altitude 50-mile races in North America” – iRunFar

This was my third year in a row to participate in Manitou Revenge race.  The first year I finished the race in the dark, probably in sub 18 hours. The second year, I DNFed at mile 40 from chest pain. And now, I came back again this year to put my dices on the Manitou’s Table of Rocks. It’s always a mystery why I always came back to this race. Literally this was the hardest 50 miles foot race ever (for me at least), so nothing was easy, pain was the game and my only companion, yet it was pretty out there. I guessed  my brain somehow filter out what to remembered, only the good memory from Manitou that stamped in my brain.

Cayuga 50 – In Pursue of Happiness

Cayuga 50 was one of my two race nemesis. I had been in this race twice before and I DNF-ed on both of them. One from a rhabdo symptoms and the other one was from falling to a rock on my busted pelvis. But this time I came in smarter and stronger, I was ready what might come. The question was, would I  have the will power to face the stairways to heaven out and back twice.
General Description From The RD
Cayuga Trails uses an out-back C-shape course configuration w/ a lollipop loop on the far end. The out-back configuration was chosen secondary to the FLT extending onto road and fairly unremarkable sections beyond each terminus. The result has allowed entrants to have the opportunity to see the race shaking out ahead and behind them in several points. It starts and ends in Robert H. Treman State Park where it ascends the gorge trail, passing through the Lucifer Fall’s area in the upper gorge and the Finger Lakes Runner’s Club’s Old Mill AS, before wrapping out/connecting with/descending on the Rim Trail. Both sections are double/triple track trail which was intentionally chosen to allow the field to accommodate packs while minimizing potential impact to more sensitive surrounding single-track. Once clearing IronHeart Racing’s Underpass AS runners will cross a creek and ascend single-track through and beyond the Finger Lake Land Trust’s Lick Brook Gorge. From there it feeds through to Buttermilk Falls State Park where it begins the lollipop loop, traversing the upper old reservoir, merging w/ a scenic park road and descending on the old Burma Rd to Trails Roc’s Buttermilk AS. From there it ascends the Buttermilk Gorge Trail on its way back to the start. Fifty milers complete two circuits, 40k’rs one.
The elevation gain is most likely somewhere around 9,000 though GPS devices have recorded as much as 11k+. It’s tough to get a handle on an accurate read given the nature of the tight gorges and inaccurate signals. There are creek crossings around mile 4, 7.5, and 11.5…hit again on the return so the feet will stay wet.
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Manitou’s Revenge 2015 – 54 Miles+ of Rocky Highway

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Manitou’s Revenge is a 54 mile ultramarathon through the Catskills beginning in Windham, N.Y. on the northern Black Dome Trail and then mostly following the Long Path from Acra Point all the way to downtown Phoenicia, N.Y.
This was my 2nd year of this annual madness mountain race. I still believe that this is the hardest 50 mile race in the North East, probably in US. Even though, this time, I came back with more experiences over the course and in ultra races, but I still struggled with injuries, especially from my nasty fall in Cayuga 3 weeks before.

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TNF ECS Bear Mountain 50 miles – Smile the only thing was left in me

COURSE DESCRIPTION
A hardy test for trail runners of any level, The North Face Endurance Challenge New York winds along the western shores of the Hudson River and through the craggy foothills of the Catskill Mountains. Expect enough rocks and challenging terrain along the course to keep you engaged, but not enough to prevent you from running the majority of the race.
Runners can expect terrain changes from packed dirt to loose rocks, from tree roots to leaf-covered trails. The Bear Mountain Endurance Challenge course cuts to the chase, with some trails heading steeply uphill rather than zig-zagging at a gentler grade. Descents end in wooded hollows before the next rapid climb ending with breathtaking views. Make no mistake: this will be a tough test of off-road endurance.

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Cayuga Trails 50

Welcome to the Cayuga Trails 50, presented by the Finger Lakes Running Company and Cayuga Medical Center, and host to the USATF 50 Mile Trail National Championship in 2014. Offered is a beautiful and challenging course staged in one of the finest small cities in the country. You’ll run in and out of gorges, pass numerous waterfalls, negotiate creek crossings, and climb/descend roughly 10,000 feet over variable terrain.

You’ll be provided aid stations fueled by amazing volunteers and GU averaging 4 miles apart. An awesomely functional 100% recycled and made-in-Maine event shirt from the great crew at Atayne. Pre and post-race munchies from Ithaca Milk, Ithaca Bakery, and Eddydale Farms. Post-race muscle manipulation from the sports team at Cayuga Medical Center and Dale Cooper. If you’re fast or play the day right, shoes from Scott Sports, hydration accessories from Ultimate Direction, wine from Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard, pies from Grandma Eddy at Eddydale Farms, shades from Tifosi, or a portion of the $10,000 prize purse made possible in part by the Tompkins County Tourism Program. So, whether fast or riding the cutoff at the back of the pack, you’ll have in-race opportunities to win some wicked tasty apple pie, sponsor gears, maybe even a race entry fee refund.

Additionally, we’ve been working to be one of the first official stops on the inaugural Trails-In-Motion International Film Festival World Tour which hopefully will take place on Saturday, May 31st.

Spend some time on the site, look into what the Ithaca area has to offer you over the long weekend and VisitIthaca.com, and let us know if you’ve any questions and we’re looking forward to having you.

This event made possible in part by a grant from the Tompkins County Tourism Program.