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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
Black Forest Ultra
The VOID
Old Race Reports from Oil Creek
... plus old and new race reports, event news, updates, more...
Rock ’N The Knob: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Blue Knob
A look back at the history of Rock ’N The Knob, from early mountain bike rides on Blue Knob to the creation of one of Pennsylvania’s toughest trail races. Celebrating 1,500 unique participants, this Rocksylvania Dispatch explores the mountain, race evolution, waypoint names, ultramarathon ambition and the questionable judgment behind it all.
Sep 212 min read
The Strange, Sacred, and Slightly Unhinged History of Blue Knob
Blue Knob has been a place of tragedy, mystery, defense, recreation, community, and occasionally complete absurdity. We accumulated stories for more than a century, and we are simply adding a few more.
Aug 2617 min read
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
Aug 2120 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.
Aug 1710 min read
Featured Posts
Blog Roll
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
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