Hello all,

Although I mainly promote races in Western NC, we have just set up an international event channel...interesting submission today:

March 7, 2010
Copper Canyons, Mexico
www.caballoblanco.com

I posted the race info. on my blog at www.gatherlogic.com or you can check it out at their website, but for a non-commerical event it seems to be the thing out in those parts.

Jonathan Poston

This Saturday and Sunday, Annette Bednosky will be competing in the World 24-hour championship in Bergamo, Italy. Annette earned a spot on the USA National team with her 122-mile performance at the Freedom Park Ultra.

The run starts 4am EDT Saturday, May 2nd. Check here for live updates. Annette mentions in her blog that the Female entrants have qualified with runs of 99-149 miles. Visit Annette's blog and leave a comment of support!

The Crowder's Mountain 50k is a historic North Carolina ultramarathon with a great course and a hard-core group of repeat finishers. This year the run is different in a couple of key aspects. First, it is now a 30k one-way course with the option of running the whole course twice for a 60k ultramarathon. The course covers new ground including portions of Kings Mountain, which is the site of a famous battle from the Revolutionary War.

This year, the run is being held on the same date as the Umstead 100. The date conflict is intentional. Co-RD Ray Krolewicz correctly pointed out that since Umstead sold out in an hour or so, many area utrarunners will not be participating in the 100 mile run this year, so an alternative on the same weekend makes a lot of sense.

Another benefit is that the race location spans both North and South Carolina. Races that cover two states are cool. Also, if you wanted to purchase some fireworks for the 4th of July, South Carolina has more liberal laws regarding what you can buy!

If all these benefits are not enough, think about pairing the Ridgeline 60k with Mohammed Idlibi's Roan Mountain adventure run. Both Ridgeline and Roan Mountain connect to the Overmountain Victory trail. Roan Mountain is near the Western terminus of the overmountain trail, while King's Mountain is the Eastern Terminus. I'm planning on being there Saturday! Hopefully I'll see you too.

Ridgeline Entry Form.

I just wanted to let everyone know that the 12/24 race that Will Harlan started two years ago in Black Mountain, NC just outside Asheville is back!! This year it will be a fundraiser for the Children's Camp Diversity Fund. 100% of the registration money received will go directly to the fund.

Categories include m/f/co-ed teams and m/f individuals for both races. Both events will start on May 30 at 10 AM.

Runners will compete for 12 or 24 hrs over a 5-mile loop.Teams are limited to a maximum of 10 people, but you can have less. Like the past two years, the terrain will be a combination of dirt roads, grassy fields, trails and a little asphalt all of which are tucked away on the incredibly beautiful 560-arce property of Camp Rockmont. Participants are welcome to arrive the evening before with options to camp for free or reside in one of the many beautiful cabins or lodges for a small fee. Live music, a variety of activities (frisbee golf, field games, outdoor films, etc) and one of the regions best swimming holes including a 300 ft. zip line will be accessible. Breakfast and dinner is also being provided for runners. Please check out the website for additional details www.rockmontrelay.com. It's going to be a great event (i.e. a BLAST!) for an even greater cause.

I heard back from Umstead State Park this morning that my special activity permit has been approved! That's right, the SB is going legit in 2009. We will have a reserved shelter at the Reedy Creek entrance, and we will be an official approved activity, on Saturday July 4th, 2009. We have permission to set up the aid station in the horse parking lot. The run will be limited to 30 individuals, and the total group size will be limited to 50 individuals. If you want to join the fun but do not want to run, join us for the day-long picnic and ice cream social.

I will post an application on-line within a week or so. I will accept entries for runners who are known to me as responsible and fit. This means that I know you, or someone I know and trust knows you and trusts you. So, get ready! It's going to be HOT!.

I’m telling you, there is a beast out there in the Uwharrie Woods. Even the locals speak of old timers panning for gold in the small streams, never to be seen again, and of backpackers and hikers going in and never coming back. During the winter months the food in Uwharrie is somewhat scarce. It’s a carnivorous beast that jumps with excitement at the site of runners darting through the woods. Early in the run we saw the tale-tale signs of the beast when we encountered a dead raccoon on the trail. It was only a matter of time when the beast relieved himself of the raccoon for a meatier and tastier runner.

Photo: Jay Finkle

As recently as 2004, if you wanted to run a 24-hour ultra in this part of the country, your choices were slim or none. Things changed pretty quickly. The first such event I participated in was the inaugural 24-hour ultra and relay for life, based in Hampton Roads, VA. This was an oustanding event and is still going strong today. Also in Virginia in the springtime is the 24-hour Adventure Trail Run (pdf runners guide)". This event started in 2006, I believe. I haven't participated in it but have read good reports.

For 2007 and 2008 we enjoyed the Black Mountain 24-hour Run for Africa. This run was started by Will Harlan and then transfered to the Blue Planet foundation. Unfortunately we won't have this event for 2009.

2008-2009 saw the first staging of the Freedom Park New Years Ultra, based in Morganton, NC, and directed by David Lee. This event received universally positive reviews as well as Some outstanding performances. Annette Bednosky showed everyone she has fully recovered from a series of injuries by finishing second overall with 121.9 miles. NC won the state challenge with performances by Fred Dummar, Richard Lilly, and Scott Hayward.

Since 2006 we have been very lucky to have the Hinson Lake 24-hour Classic, based in Rockingham, NC and directed by Tom Gabell. This event has become an annual favorite for many area ultrarunners.

While I am disappointed that we won't be able to enjoy the Run for Africa this spring, I can't help but be impressed with all the nearby options we have to experience the 24-hour ultra format. There are four excellent events that I know of within just a few hour's drive. That's hard to beat, especially since we had none of these events until very recently.

Mike Walsh and some other members of the Mangum Track Club are holding a fat-ass style 50k on the Falls Lake portion of the Mountains-to-Sea trail on January 31st. To read about their initial training run on this trail, see Joey Anderson's blog.

Here is the race announcement, from Mike Walsh:

OK, we are on for January 31 for the Falls Lake 50K+ FA. Lot's of details below in the original mail, here's the remainder. In true FA fashion, this is a loosely structured run with the emphasis on keeping things simple, minimum organization, maximum fun, and no race fees.

Please RSVP to me at mikew_nt at yahoo dot com to let me know if you are planning on coming along, and let me know your average time for a 50K just so we can get an idea of the range of folks coming.

Meeting Point: We are going to meet between 8:00am and 8:15am at the parking area on the north side of 98, approximately 3 miles west of Rt50 (just east of Little Lick Creek bridge). Most folks will take 540 toward north Raleigh, get off at Rt 50 and go north, exit westbound onto 98 and go three miles. Please park close if many folks turn up. Around 8:20 we'll talk about the run, and figure out driving arrangements to the start. At 8:30am sharp we'll load into the cars going to the start at the dam tailrace.

Run start: We'll start running from the dam tailrace at 9AM, and run the sections in order back to the meeting point.

Amy Brown (aka Flame) is directing the Carrboro 50k this Saturday. In case some of you don't know the details, here they are. This is a nice single-track run, and the Trailheads running group in Carrboro is a great bunch of folks to spend a day with.

Here is the info:

Come out for what could be your first long run of 2009, the Carrboro 50K! We are sticking with last year's course, for those who may have run that last New Year's. It's a figure-eight loop course of rolling, twisting trail; run the figure-eight three times to complete the 50K+ (it's just a little long, see course description below). The midpoint of the figure-eight is the start, finish and the sole aid station with food. There will be whatever aid station foods that you bring along to contribute, we will provide an electrolyte drink and also some leftover Clif gels and maybe Clif bloks donated by Annette Bednosky leftover from her great new race last October, New River 50K. You should feel free to plan leaving a drop bag or anything you like there, as you will cross by at each pass through the center of the figure-eight (every 5.6- 5.8M or so).

This is a true fat ass, feel free to run as much or as little, as fast or as slow (well, until dusk) as you like. However, for those who feel like taking it fast, there are rumors of a few quality prizes that will go to the top finishers. There will also be homemade vegetarian (black bean) soup at the end, Scott Brockmeier's own recipe.

This year, we will gather at Seawell School (directions below) for the low key start time of 9am next Saturday, January 3rd. Most folks will cover 50K+ distance in 5-7hrs. Of course, you can easily (too easily?) opt out at each pass of the AS in the midpoint of the course (same place as the start/finish at Seawell School). One and a half turns of the figure-eight will get you over the 25K mark, which will be about 16M on this course, give or take.

There won't be any facilities there (porto or otherwise), so be advised and come prepared. Please use good trail etiquette/leave no trace, low impact trail usage practices. There should be plenty of parking, but I have listed alternate parking possiblilities below.

Adam Hill has designed the course for a new trail race in Western NC, the Swannanoa Splashdown. The race will be held on January 17th, and there will be 6K and 15K versions. The 15K course climbs to the summit of High Windy. The Splashdown is associated with Blue Planet Run and will raise funds for clean water programs. If Adam is involved, you know the trails will be sweet.

Download the flyer (pdf) for the event and post it at your local running store!

From the flyer: [The race] Includes: Custom T-shirt, pasta dinner at the Blue Ridge Assembly Center on Jan. 16th, Earth Voyage / Blue Planet Run merchandise giveaways, and door prizes from Asheville’s own Jus’ Running and prizes for the first male and female finishers! There will also be aid stations for runners and even a big fire in the fire pit at the start / finish line: lovely Lake Laurel on the grounds of Blue Ridge Assembly!

Registration is $35 for the 15k, $25 for the 6k. 100% of the funds go to clean water programs.