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For Out-of-Town guests: Please stay in touch with the Race Director for last minute weather changes before you drive to the race site.
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This point to point trail race will begin at Damascus Regional Park in Damascus and will end
at Riley's Lock on the Potomac River. Runners will be car-pooled from the finish to the start on
race day morning. The marathon and 50-K begin at 8:00 am so runners will need to arrive at Riley's
Lock for the bus ride between 6-6:45 am.
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Announcements:
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Please note that for 2012 the race will use some of the new State trails below Riffleford Road. This means
that the distances will be slightly longer than in previous years. The marathon and 50K are at least 26.2
and 31 miles. One of the guys with a GPS says the marathon will be 30 and the 50K close to 34.
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Drivers needed: As the numbers are growing we can certainly use any additional shuttle drivers.
If your friends or spouse are up early anyway and are willing to take a car load of runners to
Damascus let us know.
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Picnic: Again as the numbers are growing and if you have the urge feel free to bring a dish to the
picnic.
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Photos and Reports: We can use photos and reports. All that is asked is that you identify the
photographer so we can give credit and give permission for free use of the photos. No one associated with the race charges
for photos. We just want them to be free for the runners and sponsors and park authorities.
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Transportation: The race has bus and volunteer transportation service. Runners can go to the
finish and get a ride to the start. Runners can go directly to the start but the race
will not be providing transportation back to the start when the race is over.
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Bag Drops: We will do one set of drops, meaning you can put your belongings in a white
kitchen trash bag, put your name on it with a magic marker and we will take it to the finish area - At YOUR OWN
RISK -. Please do not ask volunteers to take your drops anywhere else. Also please, please, please take your stuff with
you at the end of the day. I do not want your old gloves and I have enough shirts. In fact I might be wearing one of your shirts
now. I know you will be brain dead at the end try to remember to take your things with you.
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Water bottles: Remember the water bottle rule. Volunteers will have water and Gatorade probably every five to seven miles.
The aide stations do not have paper cups. It is not that kind of race.
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Safety: Remember runners are expected to stop at road crossings. Volunteers will be there but they absolutely will not stop cars.
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Registration: Runners show up with completed applications and money (check or cash for $10.00 or $20.00, except
for military and previous winners). On the bus ride up, a volunteer (one of you) will pass around a brown envelope in which everyone
will put their application and money. Then when you get to Damascus all you have to do is show up and get a number. For those that get
rides up with volunteers or others, you will just have to turn your application and money into one of the volunteers at the registration
table. It is sort of painless.
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It might be a good idea to download a course description and keep it in a plastic zip lock bag in your
pocket if you feel like you do not know the trail very well.
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Please thank the volunteers. They are great and they help make this happen and to keep the price down.
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There is no early start. We only did that one year because of the lingering snow.
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There is no spite mile this year. (It was in place in 2009 right before Riffleford.)
But feel free to run any extra miles you may like.
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This is a low key race, there is no PA system, no big pre-race briefings, little fanfare.
Most of the information can be found on this website. If you have any questions please
email Ed Schultze.
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Get Ready for 2012!
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Essentially, the same process will be used as in the past. Check out
the Entry Info page. Do not
send Ed any money or checks.
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Little has changed since last year. The course is essentially the same with some
very minor trail re-alignments, the new mile markers but no 'spite mile' this year. We
expect to be able to accommodate 350 runners.
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Please remember that there is no makeup date if for some reason the race does not occur. As most
of you know the trail is fairly easy, the distance can be an issue for some but more than likely
the weather is the real wild card. The 2010 race featured a 40 inch light dusting of snow the month
prior. In 2003, we had 18 inches of fresh wet snow the day before the race.
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Ed
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Overview
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This 'close to a marathon and 50K' trail race will be
very different from other club races and marathons. There will be limited aid, no tee shirts,
mile markers or finisher's awards. The race is being called 'close to a marathon and 50K'
distance because the course will not be accurately measured and cannot be used as a qualifier
for USATF events. Using existing trail maps the marathon course is estimated to be between 26
and 27 miles and the 50K course is over 31.1 miles. At the very least, both courses are longer
than the standard marathon and 50K distances. Generally, there are new trail detours each year.
Participants should be comfortable running on and navigating trails, running independently and
able to complete the marathon distance. The course is over 95% single track dirt trails, includes
water crossings and depending on the weather on March 3, could be sloppy and/or slippery.
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For those that want to run the 50K distance, they can elect to do so on race day. However, only those
that reach Clopper Lake, about 15 miles into the race, by a predetermined cut off time may do so.
These 'faster' runners will run a loop around the lake which will make their run slightly longer than
31.1 miles. Marathon runners will not run a loop around the lake this year.
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 The race fee is $10.00 to
MCRRC members and $20.00 to non-members. As in the past, four training runs are scheduled for January and February.
Details can be found here. These runs are provided to offer an opportunity to
become familiar with your fellow runners, the whole trail and to train. Any runner who wants to get to know the
course can also join in one of the regular Sunday trail runs
that cover part of the course. A general trail map can be found on the
Seneca Creek Greenway website.
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Click here for this year's written course description.
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We are looking forward to a fun trail race and have some very nice sponsors lined up including Trail Runner
Magazine which has included the race in its Trophy Series (see note below). REI which has been a huge supporter
for the past three years will be involved even more this year. We are working closely with officials from both
MNCPPC and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources' park authorities, and the volunteer groups associated with
the Seneca Creek Greenway Trail, in an effort to celebrate the new trail and it's latest extension up into Damascus.
The park authorities and park volunteers have been wonderful to work with and have a good relationship with the various
trail runners that enjoy the trail. We want to protect this relationship.
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Volunteers are of course, more than welcome. Volunteers will be needed to help with aide stations, the start and finish, to
help with setting up the course, transporting equipment and supplies, with the picnic at the end and sweeping the course.
We could use a few volunteers trained in first aide as well. To volunteer, please contact Ed Schultze
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Report, results and photos will be published in UltraRunning Magazine following the event - go to www.ultrarunning.com to subscribe.
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Please address all comments, suggestions or inquiries to the Webmaster.
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