O2X Summit Challenge Series: The mountain is the obstacle

The following post is sponsored content from new ATRA "Switchback" corporate member O2X.  

WARREN, Vermont – O2X Summit Challenge Series is bringing fitness back to its outdoor roots with an inclusive festival atmosphere and all-natural course options that will challenge anyone from the casual 5K jogger or weekend hiker to the hardcore mountain runner – those aren’t the only things that make the O2X Summit Challenge a different kind of event. But they’re a good start.

An outdoor experience for runners, hikers and nature lovers, the O2X Summit Challenge Series debuts on Mt. Ellen at Sugarbush Resort on September 13. Events at Sunday River, Maine (Sept. 27), Loon Mountain, N.H. (Oct. 18) and Windham Mountain, N.Y. (Oct. 25) round out the series.

O2X Summit Challenges stand apart from obstacle races, at the same time offering much more than the straight-to-the-summit fire road mountain run. Courses will combine single-track trails with creative natural challenges like stream crossings, rock scrambles, downed trees, and glades, ending with a summit finish. With a 4,000-foot mountain for a canvas, O2X course designers just didn’t see a need for anything beyond what nature has to offer.

“O2X Summit Challenges are crafted mountain experiences fundamentally different from simple uphill running races,” said Gabriel Gomez, co-founder of O2X Summit Challenges. “We’ve worked with local mountain managers and combined our team’s experience setting routes around the world to create challenging and enjoyable adventures for all levels of outdoor enthusiasts.”

The course can be approached as a hike (take in the scenery), a run (there’s money on the line) or a mix of the two (because most of us just can’t sprint all the way up a mountain). Participants can choose between Single Diamond routes that gain at least 1,000 net vertical feet and are three to five miles in length; Double Diamond routes, gaining at least 2,000 vertical feet and running five to seven miles in length; and Triple Diamond, gaining at least 3,000 vertical feet, seven to nine miles in length (coming out west in 2015).

Training support is available through the mobile app Unleesh (www.unleesh.com), an experiential learning program that allows human performance experts at O2X to deliver daily workouts designed to maximize performance on the mountain. Unleesh provides easy-to-follow instructions with images accompanying each exercise in a given workout. To receive the training plan, download the app on iOS and Android by searching “O2X.” Those who prefer the good old map-and-compass style to mobile apps can sign up for the O2X email list and receive a PDF copy of a 33-week workout.

“The Unleesh app will help users establish a fitness baseline and structure their workouts with the perfect blend of duration, intensity and recovery right up to race day,” said O2X co-founder Adam La Reau. “It’s like having a personal coach training you to peak for O2X events – you don’t have to worry about going too hard or too easy, too long or too short – with the Unleesh training app, you’re in good hands.”


GOOD CLEAN FUN AT BASECAMP

Pre-race camping, post-race celebrating and a fun, communal atmosphere will be in full effect throughout the event. A weekend-long “BaseCamp” will offer on-site camping, meals, hikeable spectator lookout points, a creative and fun kids race, training-and-performance exhibits, slack lines, bouldering walls and a farmer’s market-inspired gathering of local fare.

The Sugarbush event will offer a $15 Chili Buffet featuring three styles of chili served in bread bowls as well as hot corn bread around a blazing bonfire. Breakfast will be served the morning of the race and food and drinks during the rest of the day.

Boston band Element 78 will headline the post-race celebration for all four series events. The dynamic collection of sponsors, partners and local supporters represented at BaseCamp include Juti Organics, Defense Mobile, Delta Dental and CamelBak.

Ever stuck around for the conclusion of a concert or sporting event to see the mountains of trash and debris-strewn fields left behind afterwards? O2X organizers are committed to running a clean event and not letting that happen. That’s why they brought in a crack team of music festival green-up pros from a non-profit organization called REVERB.

“We have pushed hard from the conception of this event to hold ourselves and our partners to the highest standard of environmental responsibility,” said O2X co-founder Craig Coffey. “A zero-impact event is what we’re all striving for, and bringing in REVERB is another step toward our goal.”

O2X organizers are committed to composting and recycling, working with local suppliers to reduce shipping impact, avoiding single-serve packages and donating salvageable foods in the local area after the event. All O2X courses are built to U.S. Forest Service guidelines, and organizers are committed to a first-of-its kind Remediation Pledge to leave the mountain in better shape than they found it.


WIN CASH MONEY

The debut event at Sugarbush is the first in four O2X events that make up the Summit Challenge Series. Men’s and women’s series winners will be awarded $1000 each at the final Windham Mountain event.

Top finishers at the Sugarbush event will divide a $1500 purse on Sept. 13. Men’s and women’s Single Diamond course winners earn $250 each. Double Diamond course winners take home $500 each. A special Rise Higher Award will be awarded to the most inspiring racer through an email nomination process (info@O2X.com) before the event.

Registration includes parking, insurance, and bag drop. Racers who sign up for four 2014 races gain free entry to any single race in 2015. To register, visit www.O2X.com

Qualifying Standards for the 2015 Long Distance Mountain Running Championship Team

USATF Mountain Ultra Trail Executive Committee just approved qualifying standards for the 2015 Long Distance Mountain Running Championship Team.

1) the top US male and female from Pikes Peak Ascent (August 16, 2014) will be automatically qualified for the 2015 US Long Distance Team, regardless of place.  2) Any US athlete who is in the top 3 overall at Pikes Peak Ascent (August 16, 2014) will qualify.   3)  Top finisher from US Trail Marathon Championship (Moab, Utah - November 8, 2014) will qualify; 4) Remaining spots will be chosen by resume (as few as 1, and as many as 3 for  both male and  female team).

The US Long Distance Team will be comprised of five men and five women; top 3 score (cumulative times from the three top runners).

The 2015 WMRA Long Distance "Championships" (name is proposed to change from Challenge to Championships at the 2014 WMRA Congress meeting in Casette di Massa, Italy in September) will be hosted by the Zermatt Marathon on July 4, 2015.

Mexico to host the NACAC Mountain Running Championships

Story by +Nano Hobbs - Photos by +Richard Bolt

The 11th North American Central American Caribbean (NACAC) Mountain Running Championships will be held on Sunday, July 20, at Carrera La Chupinaya in Ajijic, Jalisco, over a 13.8-kilometer course, the same venue which hosted the event in 2011.

Men's podium - 2011 NACAC Mountain Championships

Although the event is open to 31 member nations USA, Mexico, and Canada have traditionally been the only countries fielding competitors. And, as in the past, teams from Mexico, Canada, and the United States are expected to compete this weekend. Teams are comprised of up to four men and four women with the top two finishers scoring for their respective country.

Competitors will start in the principal square of town, head toward the mountains, cross two creeks and start ascending. The majority of the course is within the Sierra Madre Mountains offering amazing views of Chapala Lake, with a downhill finish back at the town square.

2011 NACAC Mountain Champs in Ajijic, Mexico

Says USA Team Leader +Richard Bolt, “Ajijic offers a truly unique and challenging mountain championship. In 2011, the local support was absolutely fantastic with people packing the town square where the start / finish was held.  The course will be tough as the first and last mile are on very rough cobblestone streets and the upper course run over narrow, steep, muddy mountain trails. Combine this with the hot, humid weather in Central Mexico and this race will only be won by a tough and experienced mountain runner."

2011 women's NACAC Mountain Champion +Maria Dalzot 

The NACAC Mountain Championships have been held since 2004, with the event rotating between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. This is the fourth time Mexico has hosted the event having previously staged the championships in 2006, 2008, 2011. Canada hosted the championships in 2007, 2010, and 2012, while the U.S. hosted every other year with last year’s NACAC Mountain Championships held at the Cranmore Hill Climb in North Conway, NH.

+Joseph Gray is the defending men’s champion and also won the NACAC Mountain Running Championships in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. The defending women’s champion is +Morgan Arritola from Team USA.  There will be a new champion this year as neither Gray nor Arritola will compete in Mexico.

US Team announced for the World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge

Story by Nancy Hobbs.  Photos by Richard Bolt

A talented group of ten athletes – five men and five women – have been named to the U.S. Long Distance Team to compete at the 11th annual WMRA World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge to be hosted by the Pikes Peak Ascent on August 16, 2014.

Of these athletes, three have racing experience on Pikes Peak. Two on the men’s team, one on the women’s team. Eric Blake, 35, West Hartford Britain, CT, was last year’s winner in the Ascent posting a time of 2:13:45, more than nine minutes ahead of his nearest rival. With his victory last year, Blake earned an automatic spot on this year’s team.

+Eric Blake 

+Sage Canaday, 28, Boulder, CO, raced to a fourth-place finish in the Ascent in 2012 with a time of 2:21:16, and earned his spot on the team based on his powerful running resume which included a third-place finish at this year’s Mount Washington Road Race presented by Northeast Delta Dental, one of the selection races for the team.

For the women, +Stevie Kremer, 30, Crested Butte, CO, is last year’s Pikes Peak Marathon Champion. Her ascent time was 2:44:02 enroute to a round trip age-group record time of 4:17:10. This result and her mountain racing prowess including a third-place finish at the Vail Pass Half Marathon and second-place finish at the Mt. Evans Ascent – both selection races for the team – earned her a spot on the squad.

Of the remaining team members, six are Coloradoans. +Joseph Gray, 30, Shannon Payne, 28, and Allie McLaughlin, 23, all call Colorado Springs home and Zach Miller, 25, lives in Manitou Springs near the base of Pikes Peak. Andy Wacker, 24, lives in Boulder, and Nuta Olaru, 43, lives in Longmont.

+Joseph Gray 

Gray earned his spot on the team having won two of the three selection races in which he competed – the Vail Pass Half Marathon and Mount Washington. He is also this year’s USA Mountain Running Champion. Payne earned her spot with her win at Mount Washington. McLaughlin, finished second in the Vail Pass Half Marathon and is this year’s USA Mountain Running Champion. Miller finished second in the Vail Pass Half Marathon, third at the Mt. Evans Ascent, fourth at Mount Washington. He was also fourth at the USA Mountain Championships. Wacker and Olaru earned their spots with wins at Mt. Evans.

The final team member, +Morgan Arritola, 28, Ketchum, ID, earned her spot with a win at the Vail Pass Half Marathon.

+Morgan Arritola warming up for the race.

The World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge is regulated by the World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) under the patronage of the IAAF. The first World Long Distance Mountain Challenge was held at Sierre-Zinal in Switzerland in 2004. Since then, the event has been hosted primarily in Europe, but also in the U.S. with the Pikes Peak Marathon hosting in 2006, and the Pikes Peak Ascent in 2010. In 2015, the Zermatt Marathon will host the Long Distance event on July 4.

The first team competition took place in 2009. The U.S. Women have won the team title twice and the individual title twice. The U.S. Men have one gold and one silver team titles, along with two individual titles. The top three members on the team score for the team.

Expected to compete are runners representing their national federations from Germany, Italy, Poland, South Africa, England, Scotland, Australia, Austria, Japan, Eritrea, Ireland, Canada, and Slovenia. Many of the countries are fielding full teams, although some countries are just fielding one or two runners.

2014 USA Mountain Running Championships - Race Preview

Story by Nancy Hobbs - Photos by Richard Bolt

With the number of pre-registered runners sitting at 475, a final tally of more than 500 runners are expected to compete at the USA Mountain Running Championships at Loon Mountain in Lincoln, New Hampshire on Sunday, July 6.

Start of the 2013 USA Mountain Running Championships - Women's Race

The previous record of entrants at Loon was 315 when the event hosted the U.S. Women’s Mountain Running Team selection race in 2012. This year’s race will again host the team selection race — this time it will be the sole selection race for both the men’s and women’s senior team. In addition, the inaugural Collegiate Mountain Running Championships will be held as part of the event with those athletes also eligible for spots on the mountain team.

In order to make the U.S. Mountain Running Team, the athlete must be a U.S. citizen who is also eligible to represent the U.S. in international championships. The athlete must also be a current member of USA Track & Field. The top four women and top six men across the finish line who fit this criteria will earn a spot on the team which will compete at the World Mountain Running Championships on September 14 in Casette di Massa, Italy.

The mountain running team includes a junior component comprised of athletes at least 16 and not yet 20 in the year of competition. These three women and four men will be chosen based on their running resume and a letter of recommendation from their coach and/or parent.

The competition at Loon will be intense and will come in the form of two separate races, the women will start on Sunday at 8:00 a.m., the men will follow at 9:30. The women’s course is a mostly-uphill course with 2800 feet of gain over 4.8 miles, while the men’s race will include another two miles which is primarily on single track through the forest on the ski hill. The men's course offers 3200 feet of climbing.

"The course will be extra challenging with the recent rains," said co-race director Paul Kirsch, "It should make for a great race."

Start of the 2013 USA Mountain Running Championships - Men's Race

Both Joe Gray and Morgan Arritola will be on the start line to defend their championship titles from last year’s event held at the Cranmore Hill Climb. Five Olympians are slated to compete — Arritola among them —as well as past USATF mountain and trail running champions, and former mountain running team members. First-time mountain runners who boast exceptional resumes on road, track, and cross country, will be among the competitors who hope to unseat the mountain running veterans.

“Like the terrain at Loon, we have a great mix of athletes,” said Richard Bolt, USATF liaison at the event and team leader of the U.S. Mountain Running Team, “The quality of competition at our mountain running championships has improved tenfold in the past few years and although there are pre-race favorites, there are also athletes who are sure to surprise us. With the level of talent at Loon, there is no doubt that we’ll field medal-worthy individuals and teams at the World Championships.”

USATF members are eligible for prize money and medals which will be awarded in open (athletes of any age) and age-group competition starting at 40 years of age. The top ten overall and top three in each of the masters’ category age groups starting at age 40 in five year increments.

More than half of the registered runners are current USATF members, a testament to the popularity of mountain running within the New England association which boasts the largest number of runners of any USATF association at these championships. Part of this popularity is due to the seven-race mountain circuit organized by the association, of which the Loon Mountain Race is the fifth. The other events in the circuit already contested included the Sleepy Hollow Mt. Race, Pack Monadnock, Wachusett Mountain, and Ascutney Mt. Challenge. The final two events in the circuit are the Cranmore Hill Climb on July 20, and the

Bretton Woods Fell Race on October 4.

Among all the race entries — USATF and open— a total of 30 states and several Canadian provinces are represented.

There is still time to register. “We will offer pre-registered bib pickup today (Saturday) from 4:00-5:30 p.m. at the Governor Adams Lodge at Loon Mountain,” said co-race director Chris Dunn, “Day of event entry is available for $25 on race day at the base of Loon Mountain from 6:00-7:30 a.m for women and 6:30-9:00 a.m. for men.”

Race sponsors include presenting sponsor Northeast Delta Dental, Seacoast Orthopedics, Salomon, Julbo, Hammer Nutrition, Road ID, 603 Brewery, and Meadow View Sugarhouse in Union, New Hampshire.

Be sure to follow the race on Twitter @usmrt and look for results post-race at this link.

Results from the WMRA International Youth Cup

Story and photos by ATRA Executive Director Nancy Hobbs.

Seventeen countries were represented among the nearly 100 entrants in the 9th World Mountain Running Association's International Youth Cup held in Arco, Italy, on Sunday, June 29, 2014.

Junior boys and girls ages 16 and 17, competed for their respective national athletic federations in the hopes of winning an individual, or team medal. How the athletes were selected varied from country to country.

Start of the junior men's race.

In the United States, selection was based on a running resume accompanied by a letter of recommendation from a coach and/or a parent.There was a similar program in Germany whereby coaches contacted representatives in the federation if they had an athlete who might be a good fit for the program whether they excelled in cross country, or had specific skills in off-road running. In many countries, Italy being an example, there were specific selection races.

The Irish junior team had its roots in cross country. Leo Mahon, team manger of Ireland, explained their team selection process during an interview on race day, “We draw the athletes from cross country. Usually the first three across the line at a specific race get the trip. We could also preselect if there is an athlete with a proven mountain running record that is unable to travel to the selection race.”

Of the six members of this year’s Team Ireland, most had mountain running experience. Says Mahon, “Five have been away with us in the mountains. For one boy, it is his baptism to mountain running. I’d be interested to hear his comments after the race.”

Junior women on course

Mahon went on to provide his thoughts on the course in Arco, “It is very technical. All kinds of surfaces. The start in the center of town brings a different atmosphere to the race. For the publicity, for the town, it is very good. For some of the mountain running purists — they may prefer courses that start and finish right in the mountains. I personally love the course and it will be interesting to see how the athletes get on.”

Like Mahon, many of the team coaches were on course to cheer on their athletes at various points along the course. Others opted to watch the race unfold on the big screen in the town square. The live streaming was a great addition to the event and provided not only coaches, but spectators an opportunity to experience much of the race without leaving the start/finish area.

Switchbacks on the course

It was a indeed a unique event including cobblestones on the pathway leading runners through town, past shops and small hotels. There were numerous steps on the ascent which led runners toward the 12th century castle. There was a flat, grassy section at the base of the castle, more ascending and more steps and then a steep descent to the 2 kilometer point. The remainder of the course included a mixture of grassy terrain, steep descents, a dirt pathways through olive groves, a final descent through town which leveled out for the final 300 meters to the finish line. It was a very challenging course with the girls running nearly 4 kilometers, and the boys nearly 5 kilometers.

The day started out with cloud cover and temperatures in the low 70s. As Mahon remarked shortly after the start of the girls’ race at 10:30 a.m., “The weather has been kind to us. The clouds are high…there is a gentle breeze.”

Cameron Moore from Team USA

The weather held for the girls’ race, but by the 11:15 boys’ start, the clouds had rolled in and a light rain started to fall. By the end of the boys’ race, the rain was steadily falling.  In the girls race, the early lead went to Burcu Subatan, Turkey, who was first to reach the flat grassy section just beyond the one kilometer mark. But the course did not stop climbing here. And Subatan, a proven climber, increased her lead up the roadway toward the castle. On the descent, a few of the chase runners - Elsa Racsan, France, and Russians Tatiana Ivanaeva and Sinaida Antonova started to gain ground.

Through the trails in the olive grove, Racasan took the lead and crossed the finish line in Arco timed in 19:43. Second was Ivanaeva in 19:55, while Subatan was third in 20:02. There were 48 finishers in the girls race.

In the team competition — three runners comprised a team, all of whom had to finish the race to score — France won gold with 30 points followed by Bulgaria with 33 points and Russia with 35 points.

The men’s competition also saw a runner from Turkey leading after the first climb. This runner was Abdullah Yorulmaz. But on the descent, Yorulmaz, with a 10 second lead, missed a turn some two kilometers into the race, and Italian Davide Maginin overtook him. Yorulmaz quickly doubled back to the course, but Maginin was already pulling away.

Yorulmaz was not strong on the descent and even though he made it back on course quickly, he was overtaken by six more runners and ended up in eighth position. Magnini was cheered by the home town crowd as he crossed the finish line more than 30 seconds in front of the second runner. Magnini was timed in 21:29 followed by Pierre Xolin, France, in 22:07, and Samuele Nava, Italy in 22:08.

Cameron Moore was the sole athlete participating from the United States. In his first international mountain running event, Moore placed 44th among the 47 runners in the boys’ race. Moore’s time was 26:25.

“I got off to a really bad start,” said Moore who lives in Edwards, Colorado, and just completed his junior year at Battle Mountain High School. “I waited for a countdown, but there wasn’t one. All of a sudden everybody took off and I got stuck in the back. I did manage to pass some guys, but it wasn’t nearly enough.”

Cameron Moore after his race.

Moore admitted that he’d never run on a course quite like the one in Italy, but learned a lot. He was proud to represent his country during this first appearance for a U.S. athlete at the Youth Cup and showed a maturity beyond his 17 years.

In the boys' team competition, Italy scored 13 points to take gold, while Turkey won the silver medal with 36 points. England rounded out the top three teams taking the bronze medal with 38 points.

There were 18 full teams for both divisions, (Russia and England both fielded an “A” and a “B” team). Complete results are available at http://www.castlemountainrunning.com/international_youth_cup/it/classifiche.asp

Top junior women.

The venue for the 2015 WMRA Youth International Cup will be announced in September at the WMRA Congress meeting which is held at the time of the World Mountain Running Championships in Casette di Massa, Italy. The Championships will feature both junior (ages 16-19 in the year of competition), and senior competition.

Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race

[Press release from our friends at Mt. Washington]

Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race
Mt. Washington Auto Road
June 21, 2014 – 9:00 a.m.

Past two years’ male winners Blake and Canaday take on Joe Gray (again)
Belotti challenges Erholtz in women’s field; Haefeli, Arritola withdrawn
Former champion Gutierrez, veteran Byrne, newcomers Bak, Miller and Manzi vie for top places among men; Payne, Stocker, Enman threaten women’s co-favorites

Pinkham Notch, N.H. – June 15, 2014

The Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race has seen a couple of race-to-the-wire  finishes in recent years, but more often the eventual winner has broken away from the field somewhere on the windswept upper slopes of the highest peak in the northeastern United States and finished all alone in front. Next Saturday’s 54th edition of this all-uphill footrace could well be the scene for close finishes, as three well-matched men battle each other for the third time in as many years and a two-time women’s Mt. Washington champion faces a challenge from a former world mountain running champion.

In the men’s race, defending champion Eric Blake of West Hartford, Connecticut, and 2012 winner Sage Canaday of Boulder, Colorado, will have to match their best-ever Mt. Washington performances if they expect to hold off Joe Gray of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Gray, who finished second here in both 2012 and 2013, was the top American male last fall at the World Mountain Championships in Poland and placed fourth in the USATF cross-country national championships in February.

Having won the Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race in 2006 and again in 2008, in one of the closest finishes ever, Blake won again last year by running his personal best time for the course last year, 59 minutes 57 seconds. Canaday’s winning time of 58:27 in 2012 was the third-fastest ever recorded in this race, and his third place finish here last year came one week after he won a major 50-kilometer trail race. Canaday and Blake are two of only seven people ever to run up the up the 7.6-mile Mt. Washington Auto Road in under one hour; Gray could become the eighth this year.

Brandy Erholtz of Evergreen, Colorado, winner of the Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race in 2008 and 2009, was a particularly impressive runnerup in 2013; four months pregnant at the time, she beat all other women in the field except fellow Coloradan Laura Haefeli. Haefeli recently withdrew from this year’s race and so will not be on hand to defend her title.

Another recent withdrawal is that of Morgan Arritola of Idaho. Arritola, who placed third in the 2012 World Mountain Running Championships and won the U.S. National Mountain Championship a year later, was a possible co-favorite in what would have been her Mt. Washington debut.

Erholtz must still contend with Valentina Belotti, who won the women’s World Mountain Running Association championship in Italy in 2009 and was runnerup in that race in 2010 and 2012. Belotti will be running up Mt. Washington for the first time.

While the men’s field looks like a three-way race, two newcomers may break up the favored trio. Belotti’s countryman Emanuele Manzi will bring considerable mountain-running experience to his Mt. Washington debut. A protégé of Italian mountain running legend Marco de Gasperi, Manzi run on the Italian national team in six World Championships.

The other strongest threats from first-time competitors here come from Ryan Bak of Bend, Oregon, and Zach Miller of Manitou Springs. Colorado. Bak, who expected to compete at Mt. Washington in both of the last two years but had to withdraw each time, has run a 2:14:17 marathon – a time resembling the marathon bests of several previous Mt. Washington winners. Miller, a member of the Nike Trail Elite Team, won the 2013 JFK 50 Miler and has set course records in several other ultramarathons this year.

As usual, nobody can ignore Simon Gutierrez, of Colorado Springs. Winner of this race in 2002, 2003 and 2005, Gutierrez holds the course record for masters (over 40) runners, a time of 1:01:34, which he ran in 2008. Gutierrez placed fifth in 2005 and last year was fourth after Blake, Gray and Canaday.

For that fourth place finish in 2013, Gutierrez had to outduel Matt Byrne, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, in the final 50 yards. Byrne, who claims several top-five finishes, returns to Mt. Washington for another attempt.

Two or three other women are possible dark horses in this year’s race. One is Kasie Enman, of Huntington, Vermont, who in 2011 became the first American woman to win the World Mountain Running Championship, and who placed third at Mt. Washington in 2011 and 2012.   Enman woud be a co-favorite with Erholtz and Belotti, except that her mountain running strength is greater on uneven terrain than on an all-uphill grade.

Another contender may be Carolyn Stocker, of Westfield, Mass. In 2011, at the age of 18, Stocker placed seventh here, breaking the course record for juniors (19 and under).  She lowered that record while placing fifth in 2012. Having missed the race last year because of an injury, she returns with deeper experience in mountain running, two more seasons of competing in cross-country and track at the University of Maine, and superior winter conditioning from snowshoe racing.

An intriguing unknown in this year’s race is how well Shannon Payne, of Boulder, Colorado, will fare against the rest of the field on Mt. Washington’s 12 percent grade. A late entry into the race, Payne beat Erholtz by four minutes recently at the Black Canyon Ascent in Colorado and came close to the course record set there by two-time Mt. Washington champion Lisa Dobson (who will not be in next Saturday’s race).

Each year’s race includes prizes for the first male and female New Hampshire finishers.  This year’s men’s race is a copy of the past several, as brothers Justin Freeman, of New Hampton NH, and Kris Freeman of Thornton will bring their Olympic Nordic skiing strength to the race again. Last year brother Justin won the prize while placing eighth overall.

The women’s race for first Granite Stater will be exciting, as it pits last year’s winner Larisa Dannis, of Strafford, against Diana Davis of Exeter and Abbey Woods of Laconia.

The Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race begins at the Auto Road base on Route 16 north of Pinkham Notch and climbs to the 6288-foot summit at an average grade of 12 percent and a net altitude gain of 4650 feet.  The runners battle not only each other but the sheer force of gravity and Mt. Washington’s famously severe winds.

Former six-time World Mountain Champion Jonathan Wyatt of New Zealand holds the men’s course record at Mt. Washington: 56 minutes 41 seconds, set in 2004.  The women’s record was set in 2010 by the 23-year-old Ethiopian runner Shewarge Amare, who made the ascent in one hour eight minutes 21 seconds.

Based in Concord, NH, Northeast Delta Dental has sponsored the race up the historic Mt. Washington Auto Road since 2001. The health company’s CEO, Tom Raffio, has run the race in a personal best of one hour 50 minutes and 51 seconds. In 2012, Northeast Delta Dental increased its already strong support for the event, making it officially the Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race.

Fifty percent of all proceeds from the race will be donated to the Coos County Family
Health Services for their oral health programs. Based in nearby Berlin, NH, this community-based organization provides innovative, personalized, comprehensive health care and social services to everyone, regardless of economic status.

Trail Racing in Costa Rica

by Philippe Bukovec

Enjoy an experience like no other when you travel for a race in Costa Rica. Events featured below are organized by ATRA corporate member Costa Rica Race.

February 7, 2015 is the next edition of the Ultra Trail ARENAL Volcano which includes four different race distances, making the event accessible to everyone. Choose from the 115-kilometer ultramarathon (individual competition or teams of three), the halfmarathon Arenal Volcano, the 10-kilometer Arenal Starter, or the 5-kilometer Arenal Promo.

Arenal Volcano is located in the district of La Fortuna, approximately 90 kilometers northwest of San Jose.

In the ultra-marathon, participants will be going around the Arenal Volcano National Park and Arenal Lake. On this route participants can find sun and tropical forest ... but above all they will enjoy direct contact with nature. The race is not intended only to test the elite, but is an event for everyone, which is why you have 31 hours to do it. The first competitors will finish in daylight and the last will finish in darkness, however all will pass through the aid stations ensuring the competitors’ safety and comfort.

While on the runs, participants will discover a wide variety of landscapes to include the rainforest with various flora and fauna of Costa Rica that constitutes five percent of all plant and animal species in the world.

Race activities start the day before the events with packet pickup in the morning, followed by an official welcome and pasta party in the evening. On race day, the 115K starts at 3 a.m. in front of the Arenal Volcano. The half-marathon starts at 3 p.m., followed by the 4 p.m. start of the 5K and 10K events.

The Marathon IRAZU Volcano will be held on Saturday, March 7, 2015. At 3,432 meters, the Irazu Volcano is the highest point in Costa Rica and is located east of San Jose. This 42-kilometer event is a dream trail featuring magnificent scenery with spectacular views. The experience will be more than just a race. Runners can achieve a goal with their finish, but will also have an adventure. This is an event where the spirit of the participants has no limits. It will be a real test of endurance; an off-road race where the attractiveness of landscapes, makes it a unique event.

Self-improvement and solidarity are the cornerstones of the event. From the very beginning, the race organizers have not neglected sustainability. Reusable and recyclable materials are paramount to the event, all course markers will be removed from the route fol- lowing the race, and any trash left behind on course will be picked up during a course sweep. The event is intended for nature and adventure lovers. They are the main protagonists of the Volcano Irazu Marathon. On the route participants can find sun and tropical forest ... but above all they will enjoy direct contact with nature. The course is the same for everyone with an eight-hour time limit. The route will be fully marked to avoid errors.

The event start time is 7 a.m. in the Tres Rios Park. The cost is $80 per competitor and teams of at least two members can also register. The registration fee includes the opening ceremony, race shirt, and refreshments. Awards will be presented to top finishers and there will be raffle prizes.

The Night Trail Run IRAZU will be a unique event in Costa Rica held on March 7, 2015, run in the glow of the lights of Cartago and San Jose, which can be seen in the distance. The Night Trail Run IRAZU offers trail running in an ex- otic setting with distances of 5K, 10K, and 21K. It's a unique challenge for night runners of all levels. Runners will find a mixture of terrain with a combination of trails and asphalt plains in valleys of great beauty. Panoramic viewpoints are guaranteed and forest areas are home to typical species of the Irazu Volcano region.

Costa Rica is a land of volcanoes, rain forests, waterfalls, and rivers. Adventure travelers can choose from a variety of activities as Costa Rica is a year-round destination with an abundance of thrills and adrenaline for lovers of adventure tourism. In most parts of the country — whether on water, land or earth — the natural environments provide unforgettable experiences.

Accommodations and racer support packages are available through the organizer’s travel agency. Please send inquiries by email to Travel Agency Adventure at travel@costaricarace.com, so that the agency can explore the best options for your visit. Packages are also available for racer supporters, family and friends.

Contact information:
Video Youtube: youtu.be/X9d5Dtq_xJo
Video Youtube: youtu.be/40N19aGKMs4
website: www.costaricarace.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TRAILCOSTARICA
Twitter: https://twitter.com/COSTARICARACE
email: trail@costaricarace.com

Northeast Delta Dental Mt. Washington Road Race lottery field is full.

From our friends at the Mt. Washington Road Race

Eric Blake & Tommy Manning at the 2012 MWRR

Pinkham Notch, N.H. – April 28, 2014

Defending champions +Eric Blake of Connecticut and Laura Haefeli of Colorado will lead some 1,300 runners to the starting line of the 54th Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race on Saturday, June 21.

The annual lottery to fill the majority of the spots in the race this year attracted more than 1,900 entrants. Elite runners and last year’s age-group winners are among the runners who help fill out the field for the grueling 7.6-mile test up the Mount Washington Auto Road to the 6,288-foot summit of the highest peak in the northeastern United States. 

New this year, 20 spots will be awarded to top fundraisers through a charity fundraising component. More information on the fundraising program is available at the Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race web site at www.mountwashingtonroadrace.com.

Joe Gray at the 2012 MWRR

Blake beat +Joseph Gray of Renton, Wash., and 2012 winner +Sage Canaday of Boulder, Colo., to the finish line last year and became a three-time champion of the race. The cross country and track and field coach at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain won in a time of 59 minutes, 57 seconds and added the title to ones he collected in 2006 and 2008.

Haefeli, who lives in Del Norte, Colo., turned in a time of 1:18:05 to finish more than five minutes in front of runnerup Brandy Erholtz of Evergreen, Colo., and win her first women’s title. Regina Loiacano of Gloucester, Mass., finished third.

There promises to be plenty action at the front of the pack in this year’s race. Gray and Canaday both return for another shot at the title on the men’s side and Erholtz and Loiacano are in the women’s field.

New contenders taking their first shot at the mountain include +Morgan Arritola of Ketchum, Idaho, who was third at the World Mountain Running Championships in 2012 and has beaten  Haefeli and Erholtz; and Cynthia Arnold of Polson, Mont., third in the USATF 10k trail championship in 2013.  

For the men, +Ryan Bak of Bend, Ore., who has run a 2:14:17 marathon, and Andrew Benford of Austin, Tex., who has a 1:05:35 half marathon personal best, are in the field.

The premier mountain-running event in the eastern U.S., the Northeast Delta Dental Mt. Washington Road Race attracts top American and international mountain runners along with seasoned marathoners, track and cross-country runners, Nordic skiers, snowshoe racers, triathletes and others. Since the number of serious athletes wanting to run this race is much greater than the 153-year-old Mt. Washington Auto Road can accommodate, the “Run to the Clouds” is filled each year partly by invitations issued to elite mountain runners but primarily by a computer-generated random selection process open to all comers. This year the registration window for this lottery opened on February 17 and closed on Saturday, March 15.

Sage Canaday on his way to winning the 2012 MWRR

Runners whose recent performances indicate that they may be contenders for top places, or whose past participation in the race has contributed particularly to the event’s charisma, can bypass the lottery and enter the race as invited runners. Entry is also guaranteed for runners who have completed the six other races in the New England “Mountain Goat” race series. All previous winners of the race overall may enter automatically, and the previous year’s age-group winners (individual and teams) are entitled to bypass the lottery.

The Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race begins at the Auto Road base on Route 16 north of Pinkham Notch and climbs to the 6288-foot summit at an average grade of 12 percent and a net altitude gain of 4650 feet.  The runners battle not only each other but the sheer force of gravity and Mt. Washington’s famously severe winds. 

Former six-time World Mountain Champion Jonathan Wyatt of New Zealand holds the men’s course record at Mt. Washington: 56 minutes 41 seconds, set in 2004.  The women’s record was set in 2010 by the 23-year-old Ethiopian runner Shewarge Amare, who made the ascent in one hour eight minutes 21 seconds.

Based in Concord, NH, Northeast Delta Dental has sponsored the race up the historic Mt. Washington Auto Road since 2001. The health company’s CEO, Tom Raffio, has run the race in a personal best of one hour 50 minutes and 51 seconds. In 2012, Northeast Delta Dental increased its already strong support for the event, making it officially the Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race.

Fifty percent of all proceeds from the race will be donated to the Coos County Family
Health Services for their oral health programs. Based in nearby Berlin, NH, this community-based organization provides innovative, personalized, comprehensive health care and social services to everyone, regardless of economic status.

You can also find a list of all entrants, sortable by name or state, at http://mountwashingtonroadrace.com/lottery/

Inaugural US Skyrunning Series Announced

From Ian Sharman - Director, US Skyrunning Series:

Inaugural US Skyrunning Series 2014 Less Cloud. More Sky.

San Francisco, CA (December 10th, 2013) – Fourteen quality races, three disciplines, the same winning formula. The inaugural 2014 US Skyrunning Series is the natural expansion of the international Skyrunning events that have captured the imagination of runners globally. There will be National Skyrunning Series in numerous countries in 2014, which will be announced in January 2014.

What the Series Will Look Like

Five Sky, five Ultra and four Vertical races are distributed across the country, offering expanded opportunities to run in some of the most beautiful locations in the US.

312 miles of racing include over 100,000 feet of vertical climb with inclines that will truly push the best mountain runners to their limits and offer unique experiences for every competitor. Distance + Vertical = Skyrunning.

Legendary, iconic and prestigious events make up the calendar, with many of the Vertical races doubling up at Sky and Ultra events. Many of the races have been created or adjusted specifically for the US Skyrunning Series, broadening the scope of competitive and spectacular Skyrunning races globally.

As Ian Sharman, the Director of the US Skyrunning Series states: "Ever since I first saw Skyrunning at Transvulcania, it captured my imagination with the audacity and beauty of the courses and sheer difficulty of the races. The events are some of the toughest around but leave runners wanting more, from the leaders to the back of the pack. So I'm really pumped and honored to bring the original Skyrunning concept to the US on a wider scale with some of the most exciting races around."

Videos of two of the races can be found at the following links to give a clearer picture of the styles of races included in the Series:

• The Rut video
• Angels Staircase video

2014 Race Schedule

SKY
1. COLORADO: Kendall Mt Run - 12 miles - Silverton - July 19
2. COLORADO: La Maratona Verticale - 27 miles - Breckenridge - August 3
3. WASHINGTON: Angels Staircase - 22 miles - Carlton - August 10
4. WASHINGTOIN: Name TBC - 26 miles - Venue TBC - late September
5. ARIZONA: Flagstaff Endurance Runs - 23 miles - Flagstaff - October 5

ULTRA
1. GEORGIA: Cruel Jewel - 56 miles - Blue Ridge - May 16
2. UTAH:  Speedgoat - 31 miles - Snowbird – July 19
3. WASHINGTON: Angels Staircase - 37 miles - Carlton - August 9
4. MONTANA: The Rut - 31 miles - Big Sky - September 13
5. ARIZONA: Flagstaff Endurance Runs - 35 miles - Flagstaff - October 5

VERTICAL
1. NEW HAMPSHIRE: Name TBC - Mt Washington - Date TBC

2. COLORADO: La Maratona Verticale VK - Breckenridge - August 2 
3. MONTANA: Lone Peak VK - Big Sky - September 12
4. ARIZONA: Flagstaff Endurance Runs VK - Flagstaff - October 5

Ranking Points

The three best results in each Series are scored in the overall ranking for each runner. Ranking points in the final races of all three Series will be increased by 20%. Ranking points breakdown: 100-88-78-72-68-66-64-62-60-58-56-54-52-50 down to 2 points to 40th position for men and 15th position for women.

Total prizes:  TBA in January 2014. Also prize money in every individual race.

*Entry is direct with organizers.

Slots are available for 2013 SWS and ISF Ranked athletes. Details to follow.

About Skyrunning

SKY - races more than 22 km and less than 50 km long with at least 1,300m positive vertical climb (SkyRace® and SkyMarathon®)
ULTRA - races over 50 km long that exceed the SkyMarathon® parameters (Ultra SkyMarathon®) 
VERTICAL - races with 1,000m positive vertical climb not exceeding 5 km distance (Vertical Kilometer®)

Skyrunner®, SkyRace®, SkyMarathon®, Vertical Kilometer® are registered trademarks

The US Skyrunning Series can be found at the following online locations:

Website – www.usskyrunning.com

Facebook – www.facebook.com/USSkyrunning

Twitter – @usskyrunning