Cat's Tail Trail Marathon
October 3, 2015
The runners of the inaugural Cat’s Tail Trail Marathon set off this morning, October 3, at 7am to climb Panther, Wittenberg, Cornell and Slide Mountains. Temps hovered around 40 degrees and it was raining and foggy for the start.
As they run the 26ish mile of Cat’s Tail competitors will follow the Giant Ledge-Panther-Fox Hollow Trail, the Phoenicia East Branch Trail, and the Wittenberg-Cornell-Slide Trail gaining approximately 7,000 in elevation in the process.
There are runnable and less runnable sections, as in any Catskills trail run. The descent of the infamous “Cornell Crack”, a technical V notch, is one of the most talked about sections.
David Hollenbeck, Escarpment Trail Run alum, pre ran the Cat’s Tail.
According to Hollebeck for the first five miles or so runners climb Panther Mountain. After a small decent they will get to enjoy the views off Giant Ledges.
“The trail is kinda level and runnable along the ledges,” Hollenbeck said.
Runners take a slight detour off the decent onto the road and the head up Slide Mountain. There is a steep decent between Slide and Cornell.
The first aid station is at mile 7 and a half. “The course is pretty isolated,” Charlie Galdol, race director said.
In another two miles runners reach a full aid station at Winnisook Club Road. The runner’s support teams supply them with fuel and water here.
The trail runners are now on the Phoenicia East Branch Trail which it takes them to the Blazed Wittenberg-Cornell-Slide Trail.
Mile 12 sees runners reaching the summit of Slide Mountain.
The decent is almost a mile with steep rock ledges. From there it’s just a short jaunt over a spur trail to the reach summit of Cornell Mountain.
The marathon course continues down Cornell there is a real corner crack between Cornell and Wittenburg.I'ts a real technical section.
“If it’s slippery it could be scary. There is a bushwhack around the side. I didn’t find it the first time and tried my own bushwhack and it wasn’t good. Wittenburg new trail woodland campground. Take a right 7 or 8 miles kind of like rolling trial. Make up a lot of time by running there. It just goes on forever. You’re tired at that point and it goes on forever. Then you run on the road for bit and end at Fellowship Hall in Phoenicia,” Hollenbeck said.
Ben Nephew came into the finish at the Fellowship Hall in four hours thirty-one minutes, thirty-five seconds.
Jan Wellford 4:40:39 and Silas Carey 4:56:20. Not bad considering the slick conditions. Natalie Thompson, first woman in, finished in 5:38:18. Doreen Dante was the second woman in at 6:07:36 and Megan Young third at 6:13:20.
The day continued as it started cool and rainy.
Congrats to the finishers.
The runners of the inaugural Cat’s Tail Trail Marathon set off this morning, October 3, at 7am to climb Panther, Wittenberg, Cornell and Slide Mountains. Temps hovered around 40 degrees and it was raining and foggy for the start.
As they run the 26ish mile of Cat’s Tail competitors will follow the Giant Ledge-Panther-Fox Hollow Trail, the Phoenicia East Branch Trail, and the Wittenberg-Cornell-Slide Trail gaining approximately 7,000 in elevation in the process.
There are runnable and less runnable sections, as in any Catskills trail run. The descent of the infamous “Cornell Crack”, a technical V notch, is one of the most talked about sections.
David Hollenbeck, Escarpment Trail Run alum, pre ran the Cat’s Tail.
According to Hollebeck for the first five miles or so runners climb Panther Mountain. After a small decent they will get to enjoy the views off Giant Ledges.
“The trail is kinda level and runnable along the ledges,” Hollenbeck said.
Runners take a slight detour off the decent onto the road and the head up Slide Mountain. There is a steep decent between Slide and Cornell.
The first aid station is at mile 7 and a half. “The course is pretty isolated,” Charlie Galdol, race director said.
In another two miles runners reach a full aid station at Winnisook Club Road. The runner’s support teams supply them with fuel and water here.
The trail runners are now on the Phoenicia East Branch Trail which it takes them to the Blazed Wittenberg-Cornell-Slide Trail.
Mile 12 sees runners reaching the summit of Slide Mountain.
The decent is almost a mile with steep rock ledges. From there it’s just a short jaunt over a spur trail to the reach summit of Cornell Mountain.
The marathon course continues down Cornell there is a real corner crack between Cornell and Wittenburg.I'ts a real technical section.
“If it’s slippery it could be scary. There is a bushwhack around the side. I didn’t find it the first time and tried my own bushwhack and it wasn’t good. Wittenburg new trail woodland campground. Take a right 7 or 8 miles kind of like rolling trial. Make up a lot of time by running there. It just goes on forever. You’re tired at that point and it goes on forever. Then you run on the road for bit and end at Fellowship Hall in Phoenicia,” Hollenbeck said.
Ben Nephew came into the finish at the Fellowship Hall in four hours thirty-one minutes, thirty-five seconds.
Jan Wellford 4:40:39 and Silas Carey 4:56:20. Not bad considering the slick conditions. Natalie Thompson, first woman in, finished in 5:38:18. Doreen Dante was the second woman in at 6:07:36 and Megan Young third at 6:13:20.
The day continued as it started cool and rainy.
Congrats to the finishers.
