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Summary
A behind-the-scenes look at trail races and race directing in Pennsylvania—where logistics, chaos, and questionable decisions meet the woods. Part field notes, part long-winded opinion, and part rediscovery of races past. It's also an exploration of the places that make it all possible—the overlooked landscapes, their history, and the outdoor economy that quietly shapes them.
Coming Soon
The Women of Eastern States
Ironstone 100K!
The First Frontier
The VOID
... plus old and new race reports, event news, updates, more...
It’s All Spreadsheets
Organizing an ultramarathon is mostly a sprawling network of spreadsheets, checklists, logistics, matrices, volunteer trackers, and color-coded operational documents held together by caffeine and conditional formatting.
This is a celebration of the hidden administrative monster behind trail running and the strange beauty of trying to engineer adventure through Google Sheets.
2 days ago8 min read
Ironstone 100K: Through Stone, Fire, and the Long Memory of a Nation
The Ironstone 100K traces a 100-kilometer route from Canoe Creek State Park to Greenwood Furnace State Park through one of the most historically dense corridors in America. Along the way, runners follow ancient Indigenous trails that became warpaths, turnpikes, canals, and railroads; pass the remnants of industries that helped build the nation; and move through forests that were once erased and painstakingly restored.
May 713 min read
When a Stranger Comes Into Town: UTMB Comes to Pennsylvania
UTMB’s arrival in PA is not just the addition of another race; it is the collision of two very different versions of trail running.
May 115 min read
Featured Posts
Blog Roll
Ironstone 100K: Through Stone, Fire, and the Long Memory of a Nation
The Ironstone 100K traces a 100-kilometer route from Canoe Creek State Park to Greenwood Furnace State Park through one of the most historically dense corridors in America. Along the way, runners follow ancient Indigenous trails that became warpaths, turnpikes, canals, and railroads; pass the remnants of industries that helped build the nation; and move through forests that were once erased and painstakingly restored.
May 713 min read
Hyner Challenge 50k 2015: The Second Go Around
[Note: This is one of many race reports from a blog I wrote called "Ben Runs on Beer" that I published when I first started trail racing more than 15 years ago. ] First 30k of the Hyner Challenge Course I was awake at 3:45am for a second Hyner Challenge 50K go around. “3:45? You mean to tell me there’s another 3:45 called AM?” I thought as I woke. I don’t recall waking up this early last year but nevertheless, here we go again. Last year I ran the 50k race for the first time
Apr 1220 min read
Hyner 50k Challenge: “I Got To Hand It To You” (2014)
[Note: This is one of many race reports from a blog I wrote called "Ben Runs on Beer" that I published when I first started trail racing more than 15 years ago. ] Though I didn’t admit it to anyone at the time, I was psyched about the Hyner Challenge. I spent the entire week before race day looking at course maps, race results from previous years, weather, adjusting my nutrition plan, deciding what shoes and clothing I was going to wear–all of which lead to a few sleepless ni
Apr 1224 min read
A Kick In The Hyner (2013)
[Note: This is one of many race reports from a blog I wrote called "Ben Runs on Beer" that I published when I first started trail racing more than 15 years ago. ] THE START Left to Right – Adam McGinnis, Sandy Evans, Joel Noal, me, Gary Frisco Lets begin with a slight confession. Even though I consider myself an avid trailrunner, I never raced in the two crowning jewels of northern PA trail running – The Hyner Challenge and the The Megatransect. Now that I admitted to the sac
Apr 1214 min read
The Mullet Chronicles: Hyner, Hot Pants, and Hell-a-va Time
"Crossovers are a pain in the a–. Everybody hates doing them, but they’re like ratings crack, and it's a bad addiction because you don't want to overuse it." — Dick Wolf (Producer of Law & Order and Chicago franchises), regarding TV crossover episodes. I haven’t even cracked a dozen posts on this blog and somehow… we’re already doing a crossover episode. Things are moving fast. Too fast. Like blasting down Huff Run with supreme confidence… only to cramp like your legs have be
Mar 272 min read
Sinnemahone 50k (2013)
This is the first of many race reports from a blog I wrote called "Ben Runs on Beer" that I published when I first started trail racing more than ten years ago. This race was the Sinnemahone 50K in the heart of the PA Wilds.
Mar 2323 min read
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