This year we did two new things that we hope runners will appreciate.  First we lowered the entry fee for those who register early.  To take advantage of the $20 early registration fee your entry must be postmarked by May 1^st.  We will strictly enforce that postmark date.  Early entry forms are available at www.charlestondistancerun.com

Secondly, we did away with prize money and instead are giving every entrant two performance moisture management shirts, a short sleeve and a long sleeve shirt.  These are great for training and racing in any weather.

This is our 38^th year, we need to keep our participation numbers up in order to keep our sponsors – register early and help assure this quality race stays around for its 40^th year in 2012.

-Gary Smith

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The areas most unique race, Run For It is an annual 2k walk & 5k walk or run hosted by the Foundation during the Leaf Peepers Festival held in Davis each fall. Individuals and teams gather to walk or run for a community cause they support.

The race serves as a fund raiser for:

• Non-profit organizations
• Youth groups
• Community improvement projects
• School projects & educational trips
• School & community based athletic groups
• Existing or new TCF Endowed Funds
• Other charitable organizations or projects

Download your 2010 Event Packet here.

Run For It, Win It, Donate It . . .its that easy!

Fall is around the corner and so are the Valley Falls 6 and 10 mile runs. The race is a week earlier this year, but don’t be surprised if the frost is on the pumpkin for this one! Enjoy the single track trails of Valley Falls State Park. Details

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This is a new event that will take place as part of the annual Fayetteville Heritage Festival. The NRG Trail Run is approximately 5 miles, starting at the Town Park of Fayetteville, over Wolf Creek, and through the rolling hills of the NRG. This is a great race for beginners!

Registration is from 8-9 am. Walkers will begin promptly at 9 am. As soon as they turn the corner where they will split from the race trail, runners will begin.

Come join us for this inaugural trail event in Fayetteville, West Virginia.

*prizes will be awarded to overall male and female and in 10-year age groups*

Registration Information:
Cost-$10

Click here to use snail mail form
Click here to register via active

Better get out there in the snow and run so you will be ready for one of the most beautiful spring trail runs around. The Grinder has placid lakeside trails, weaving single track along the rim of the gorge, swinging bridges and old railroad grades….it’s great. Check it out and get your entry at Babcock.

Summersville, West Virginia

Family and friends, students and teachers, runners and walkers have come together for several years in honor of David Hypes. Coach Hypes lost his battle with ALS, more commonly know as Lou Gehrig’s Disease on April 9, 2005. As a youngster David was involved in every athletic team he could find. At Nicholas County High School, he focused on his love for wrestling. He continued that love affair during his years at West Virginia University and returned to Nicholas County as a teacher and coach in 1985. David was an inspiration to the students of Nicholas County. We would like to continue to honor his love of education and athletics by establishing a scholarship fund in his name. So come for the Fifth Annual David S. Hypes Memorial 5 Mile Run or 5 Kilometer Walk in honor of David. It will be a good run/walk for a great cause.

The West Virginia Mountain Trail Runners are coordinating this event.

All proceeds will go to establish the David S. Hypes Scholarship Fund.

Course Description:
Both the 5 Mile and 5k will start the The Gym fitness center on West Webster Road 150 yards east off Rt. 19 in Summersville. The course is asphalt for the first 1/2 mile to Muddlety Creek Trailhead. The rolling single and double track trail follows the scenic Muddlety Creek as it tumbles and falls on its way to Summersville Lake. After crossing two footbridges the course climbs as it nears Aid Station #1. Here the walkers turn around and follow the same trail back. Runners proceed on to Fisherman’s Trail that descends steeply to the shore of Summersville Lake. The trail follows the shoreline for about 1 mile and then climbs back up Muddlety Creek to Aid Station #2. The challenging run will finish with a 1/2 mile uphill finish!

There will be water and sports drink offered at two aid stations along the course, and fruit, cookies and other goodies will be waiting for you at the finish.

Registration:
Participants must complete an entry form. There is a $15 entry fee. All pre-registered runners/walkers are guaranteed a T- shirt. There will be some shirts available for race day registrants, but size and quantity cannot be guaranteed. Here is the link to the printable Entry Form. Race day registration will be from 12:00 noon to 1:30 near the start at “The Gym”.

Awards:
Runners awards will be given to 1st, 2nd and 3rd overall female and male, and to 1st and 2nd female and male in the following age groups; 14 and under, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and 60 and over. The walk is non-competitive but all will receive a personal sense of well being and knowledge they are supporting a worthy cause.

2005 Results 2006 Results 2007 Results 2008 Race Report & Results

Additional Information If there are any questions please contact Lydia Young, Race Director at 872-1481 or leyoung@access.k12.wv.us

Many Thanks to Our Those Helping Support:
Anderson Accounting, Hair Divas, Mountain Lake Pharmacy, The Nicholas Chronicle, Northside, K MAC Ad Specialities, Summersville Pediatrics, Dr. Kevin Lucky DDS, Bright Enterprises ACM Inc, Worldwide Chiropractic & Sports Medicine, J & J Body Shop, City of Summersville, Shafer Insurance, Dr. Edward Eckley DDS, Britton Engineering, Summersville Memorial Hospital, Summersville Dance Theater, Donald K. Bishkoff , Artistic Gymnastic Center, Nicholas Animal Hospital, and WV Mountain Trail Runners

-The Run will take place at the beautiful Outdoor Education Center in Harpers Ferry, WV.
Registration begins at 8:00am, the run begins at 9:00am.

Celebrate!

-After the race, stay at the Outdoor Education Center and enjoy a box lunch for all race participants.

-Awards and prizes for all top finishers in each age group.

-The course will feature rolling hills, stream crossings and beautiful scenery.

-You may download the registration form at www.flocoutdoors.org

-All who register receive a t-shirt, registration fee $15, but children are free!

-To find out more about the Outdoor Education Center, including driving directions, visit www.flocoutdoors.org OR call 304.725.0409

We hope to see you on the trail, May 9th!

The second running of WVMTR’s other ultra by Adam Casseday RD is now open for registration.

A gradual climb up Cheat Mt, run with the moon along the spine of this 4000′ ridge, descend to Shavers Fork, climb through the dark spruce back up Cheat, drop to Shavers Fork for a second time,  now north along the river, climb gradually once again up Cheat Mt and run the high ridge north as dawn approaches.  A 50 mile loop with 6300′ gain and loss. 

Complete details at the CMMM site.

Yeah!!! Another Snowflake has already been raced and thanks to Adam C. and Robin W. it was fast for some. I first planned to just run and finish with my running buddy Sarah Sturgill, but at a wedding Ryan White challenged me to beat him. So…in the long run it was on!! Now, being my 9th ultra and Ryan’s 1st, I was hoping for some craziness along the trails. Sarah Sturgill was drug into my “Beat Ryan White” Club. The first lap was crazy intense. Those quiet boys came out of nowhere behind us on the first Mossy climb. Sarah and I came into the half way aid station with Ryan and his running buddy Heath Pattison. At this point in was a nail biter. We girls pulled away thanks to a 45 second or less aid station visit. About mile 20 Sarah and I were joined by Bill Platt. He is great guy and was also sucked into my “Beat Ryan White” club. The last 11 miles were great as the 3 of us were ahead of the White Team. 5 miles to go, while running by Davis Creek who should our little gang of motley runners encounter but MawMaw White and Ryan’s Aunt Margie. We girls and Bill Platt ran the last part together keeping a lookout for the competition. The finish line had no Ryan White when our group crossed, but not long after he came along and was stoked that he had ran his first ever ultra!  Thanks to God for a safe and fun race.

Thanks to the Dolin’s for the race and the aid stations, and for sticking around waiting on us.

Dave Simmons

Phil Combs report:

Haven’t seen many race reports lately so here’s one from me. My first ultra and first race report. It’s long but you can always skip to the end. Although finishing an ultra was an accomplishment for me, don’t want to sound like this was some amazing endurance feat. We ran really slow and by ultra standards this was an easy course. Still, it was great experience and I wanted to share . . .

Earlier this year my best friend, an ultra runner, asked me to run the second loop of the Fat Ass Snowflake 50k, an unsupported 50k trail run in Kanawha State Forest in Charleston, West Virginia. My kind of event–no fee, no shirt, just see if you can do it. I agreed, thinking that it would be fun and provide some focus to Winter training. At the time, neither one of us thought that I would be up for 31 miles so the plan was that I would pace him for the second loop and provide moral and if necessary logistical support.

Although I had never had any desire to run an ultra, I’ve always thought ultra runners are a great group–chilled out, unpretentious, very friendly, always willing to give advice and encouragement. Probably what triathletes were like before the sport got so big. I crewed for David at the Capon 50k and worked at an aid station and really enjoyed the scene. I just never had any interest in running that far.

Began training in September after the Charleston Distance Run (15 miler). Increased my mileage and started doing one long trail run every Saturday morning. Got about 10 long runs in, working up to 3 ½ hours. Wasn’t sure if that was enough or not but just didn’t have the time to do anything more (my wife got real sick real fast of me leaving her with the kids for 3-4 hours every Saturday morning, I can assure you). Once I got over 3 hours I decided to do the whole race and Phil T agreed to step in to run the second loop with us to provide the moral support.

In December the weather got really shitty and we were running in 15 degrees on snow and ice. Quickly realized how important conditions were going to be. A couple of weeks before the race North Face agreed to sponsor. Suddenly it was no longer a Fat Ass race–but it will always be the Fat Ass Snowflake to me for obvious reasons. Kept my nutrition simple and ate ½ a pbj or a powerbar every hour on all of the training runs, carried a Camelback with water and some electrolyte powder mixed in. Worked great and that’s what I did on race day. Also brought a bag of peanut M&Ms to munch at the halfway mark to help get me out of the transition area for the second loop.

Course was a 15.5 mile loop with three big climbs, couple long down hills, tons of rolling hills, and a few miles of flat. Not overly technical but constant elevation changes–as you would expect from a WV trail run.

I’ve never been very good at tapering but gave it a shot. Cut everything to 50% the week before the race. My head wasn’t on too straight and I started to question the wisdom of running 2x farther than my longest previous race. Body felt real tweaky, knee here, groin there, etc.

Woke up at 4 a.m. on race day and felt perfect! Ate a monster breakfast and went right back to sleep. Back up at 7 and on my way to the race. Karma factor was HUGE, beautiful pink and orange sunrise, 26 degrees (warmed up to 45, no rain (rained the day before and the day after), cranking Neil as I drove through the woods. Got to the start and discovered I was #22, my lucky #. Need I say more.

Start was hysterical, no start line, thirty men and four women standing in a gravel parking lot, some guy said “let’s run”, and off we went. Compare that to the start of your last triathlon. Ten minutes later I did a complete face plant while crossing a stream about 18 inches wide–welcome to trail running. Gloves were soaked and I looked like a fool but got up and plowed up the first big climb.

Perfect day. Blue sky, gorgeous woods, beautiful creeks winding through the mountains, sun dappling through the trees, dark green moss poking through the brown leaves. No place I would rather be (okay that’s a little bit of a stretch but I’m married and Chrissie Wellington hasn’t called yet so given that caveat, no place I would rather be).

We ran, we ran, we ran, we ran. Chatted with the other runners when we would pass them or vice-versa. Finished the first loop, picked up my food for the second loop, reloaded the CamelBack, crammed an entire package of peanut M&Ms into my face and started over. Phil T joined in.

By mile 23 we were in the hurt locker as we finished the 5th big climb. At one point I looked back and Dave was doubled over and pulling himself up the hill by holding on to a tree. Not quite a death march but getting there. I just started laughing–what can you say at that point? Phil T, a former professional cyclist, cheered us up by talking about all of the times they used to puke doing time trials. Got our second wind on the 2 mile descent down Middle Ridge Road. At this point, I realized that I had broken my left big toe nail and it hurt like hell–too tired to wrap it with duct tape so I just kept running. Could no longer ignore all the crap that was in my shoes and poured out a handful of dirt, rocks, and leaves. Miles 29 and 30 were a brutal 2 mile climb up Snipe and Mossy with lots of mud at the top. Turned the corner at Logtown Hollow and it was all down hill from there. I would say we ran strong to the finish line but there was no finish line. Finished 12th or 13th, no one was really sure, nor did anyone care.

Ate a bowl of bean soup and drank a quart of chocolate milk. Won a pair of women’s pink running socks as a door prize. Thank you North Face, my wife loved them.

Huge success: we finished; had fun; hung out with cool people, and no serious injuries. Big accomplishment for someone who 3 years ago weighed 218 and hadn’t run 1 mile in 20+ years. Will post a couple of pictures this evening. They will depict three middle aged white guys running through the woods.

Next stop Smithfield Sprint, 4/4/09. I will break 57 minutes or my head will explode trying, or both.

Phil