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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.
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The First Frontier
The Hero's Journey
The VOID
... plus old and new race reports, event news, updates, more...
Debby Downer: “It’s Only A Matter of Time”
In August 2024, Tropical Storm Debby turned Eastern States 100 into a battle against rising water, flooded roads, changing forecasts and one impossible decision: cancel the race. In this week’s Rockslyvania Dispatch, I look back at the 16-hour fight to save Eastern States, what ultimately forced us to concede, and what happened afterward. And somewhere on a dam beneath a sky full of Perseid meteors, I realized that sometimes the most important thing is not what you lost, but
2 days ago20 min read
The Eastern States 100: Ten Things You Should Know About the Race Everyone Suddenly Seems to Be Talking About
The Eastern States 100 is having a moment. After Kaylee Frederick's record-setting overall victory, more people are discovering what we've known for years: this is no ordinary 100-miler. It's 103.5 miles of rugged Pennsylvania Wilds, 21,000 feet of climbing, August heat, a roughly 50% finish rate, and a whole lot of grassroots grit. Here's what makes Eastern States different—and why the race is about far more than finishing times.
6 days ago10 min read
Pine Creek Valley: A Landscape Written in Stone, Water, and Sweat
Let's look at the forces that shaped the Pine Creek Valley, a little-known Declaration of Independence that happened here on the very same day as Philadelphia's, and how lumber transformed one of Pennsylvania's wildest landscapes.
Jul 2210 min read
A Finish Worth the Finish
The finish line is not just another piece of race equipment. It is the place where months, and sometimes years, of work, hope, suffering, compromise, and determination finally come to a head. It deserves character. It deserves a finish line that reflects the same spirit we try to bring to every event we put on.
Jul 52 min read
Featured Posts
Blog Roll
Debby Downer: “It’s Only A Matter of Time”
In August 2024, Tropical Storm Debby turned Eastern States 100 into a battle against rising water, flooded roads, changing forecasts and one impossible decision: cancel the race. In this week’s Rockslyvania Dispatch, I look back at the 16-hour fight to save Eastern States, what ultimately forced us to concede, and what happened afterward. And somewhere on a dam beneath a sky full of Perseid meteors, I realized that sometimes the most important thing is not what you lost, but
2 days ago20 min read
The Bell That Remembers: Carl Undercolfer
Perched high above a sweeping gorge at what is undeniably one of the most commanding and awe-inspiring vistas anywhere along the East Coast, for a few days each April stands a simple structure that, at first glance, might seem almost unremarkable: a ten-foot wooden post anchored into the earth, with a bell suspended from its arm, overlooking a trail that claws its way up from the river below to the plateau some 1,100 vertical feet closer to the sky. It is not ornate, nor poli
Apr 1411 min read
Built to Last: How Eastern States Found Its Path
In 2019, Eastern States 100 wasn’t just changing leadership—it was redefining what it meant to build something that endures. What followed was a shift toward stewardship, community, and a long-view philosophy rooted in the trails themselves. [ The Eastern States Trail-Endurance Alliance is a not-for-profit organization that promotes trailrunning and the responsible use of public lands, through events such as the Eastern States 100, Eagleton Trail Challenge and Ironstone 100K,
Mar 316 min read
The Dirty Kiln Trail Race: A Race Directors Report (2012)
I again go back into the archives and dig up an old blog post after the inaugural Dirty Kiln Trail Race from 2012. It has been a couple of weeks since our first trail race as one of the race directors. I really do not know where to begin. This had been a seven month long endeavor and we have made a lot of memories. Instead of trying to put together a chronological list of what happened, here is a list of items point by point. The Park It has been a pleasure working with the
Mar 259 min read
Dirty Kiln: Mud, Steel, and Something… Else
Canoe Creek State Park isn’t just a place to run—it’s a landscape shaped by industry, scars, and slow recovery. From lime kilns that fed Pittsburgh’s steel boom to bat populations clawing their way back, every mile here carries a story… including the one behind the name “Dirty Kiln.” My story with Canoe Creek State Park goes back a while. Fourth grade. Early 80s. My dad and I had what were probably the first mountain bikes in Blair County—or at least that’s how it felt at the
Mar 255 min read
Then and Now, Still Moving Forward
A photo from 15 years ago stopped me long enough to realize just how much has changed—and what’s stayed the same—from the trail community, trail racing, infrastructure, to the outdoor industry.
Mar 225 min read
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