Shawangunk Adventures - Ellenville Mountain Running Festival
7.15
The first of a new series of mountain races will start off from Ellenville this weekend.
The Ellenville Mountain Running Festival, composed of a 10 mile ‘sprint’, a half marathon, and a full marathon, is the second race of 2015 put on by Shawangunk Adventures(SA).
The race directors, Todd Jennings and Ken Posner, also organize the Rock the Ridge 50 mile endurance race that raises money for the Mohonk Preserve.
The first of a new series of mountain races will start off from Ellenville this weekend.
The Ellenville Mountain Running Festival, composed of a 10 mile ‘sprint’, a half marathon, and a full marathon, is the second race of 2015 put on by Shawangunk Adventures(SA).
The race directors, Todd Jennings and Ken Posner, also organize the Rock the Ridge 50 mile endurance race that raises money for the Mohonk Preserve.
The 10-Mile sprint takes runners up the Smilie Carriage road out of Ellenville. The term road is used loosely. Like the rocks found on the trail. The run continues straight up almost 2,000 feet to High Point in the Sam’s Point section of Minnewasaka State Park. High point is the highest point on the Shawangunk Ridge. The course turns around there and heads straight back down to the start/finish at Berm Road Park. The course is a mix of single track and rocky, washed out carriage roads which will be treacherous on the way down until the last mile, where it's smoother, giving runners a chance to finish fast.
The half marathon is a combination of slow and fast terrain beginning with 2 miles on paved road traveling around the backside of the mountain, where the course connects with the gut busting, spectacular South Gully trail, part of New York's Long Path. South Gully takes runners up to Sam's Point, to a section of very runnable flat carriage road high on the plateau. After reaching High Point the run takes a downhill turn along the Smiley Carriage Rd, which is rocky in many places, making for a challenging descent back to the start.
In a bit over 26 miles runners of the marathon course will do a "double traverse" of the ridgeline including an estimated 5,000 feet in elevation gain. This course heads out toward beautiful Stony Kill Falls on unmaintained carriage roads that may be wet or overgrown, passes two sky lakes, Lake Awosting and Mud Pond, crosses High Point, and descends back to the start/finish.
In keeping with the SA minimalist philosophy these races are all self-supported.
“We want to adopt an approach to races that has a minimalist style, minimal or no aid stations or course mapping,” Jenning said about SA’s races. “What we’ve been trying to do is just get people excited to be in the outdoors.”
Because of the limited course markings and virtually no support on the trials runners, especially those in the marathon, had to qualify for the race by showing they can read a map and handle the distances.
“It isn’t orienting but it is knowing how to navigate with a map,” Jennings explained.
There will be some check point throughout the race to make certain no one is lost.
“With Ken and my races there isn’t necessarily a course so it’s harder to get volunteers. Mostly they end up being runners or Gunks advocates,” Jennings said.
Shawangunk Adventures has created affiliation with Shawangunk Runners Club, Trail Whippass, and the NYNJ Trail Conference.
“The Trail Conference has been a critical partner for us, they’re all about getting people out on the trails,” Jennings said.
Through these affiliations have come other races.
The Ellenville Running festival is followed quickly by the August 18 Catskill Mnt 100K road race and relay.
On September 12 SA and Trail Whippass are putting on the first Black Rock Races through Black Rock Forest Preserve in Orange County.
The inaugural event will feature a 25k of single-track over 10 peaks of Black Rock, as well as a 10k carriage trail run.
Then on September 19th the second running of the Shawangunk Ridge Trail Run will take place. There are 20, 32, 50 and 74 mile options, all self-supported.
October 24 the Assault on Schunemunk will commence.
For the first time ever, trail runners will experience one of the most challenging mountains in the Lower Hudson Valley. Schunemunk, Orange County's tallest peak, with a spectacular ridgeline that features multiple 1000-ft climbs and descents, waterfalls, colorful and jagged puddingstone rock, pitch pines, boulders, and even a swamp that harbors a water-based ecosystem 100-ft above the valley floor..
Through the efforts of Shawangunk Adventures there are opportunities all throughout the summer and fall to take part in high thrill, low environmental impact events.
The half marathon is a combination of slow and fast terrain beginning with 2 miles on paved road traveling around the backside of the mountain, where the course connects with the gut busting, spectacular South Gully trail, part of New York's Long Path. South Gully takes runners up to Sam's Point, to a section of very runnable flat carriage road high on the plateau. After reaching High Point the run takes a downhill turn along the Smiley Carriage Rd, which is rocky in many places, making for a challenging descent back to the start.
In a bit over 26 miles runners of the marathon course will do a "double traverse" of the ridgeline including an estimated 5,000 feet in elevation gain. This course heads out toward beautiful Stony Kill Falls on unmaintained carriage roads that may be wet or overgrown, passes two sky lakes, Lake Awosting and Mud Pond, crosses High Point, and descends back to the start/finish.
In keeping with the SA minimalist philosophy these races are all self-supported.
“We want to adopt an approach to races that has a minimalist style, minimal or no aid stations or course mapping,” Jenning said about SA’s races. “What we’ve been trying to do is just get people excited to be in the outdoors.”
Because of the limited course markings and virtually no support on the trials runners, especially those in the marathon, had to qualify for the race by showing they can read a map and handle the distances.
“It isn’t orienting but it is knowing how to navigate with a map,” Jennings explained.
There will be some check point throughout the race to make certain no one is lost.
“With Ken and my races there isn’t necessarily a course so it’s harder to get volunteers. Mostly they end up being runners or Gunks advocates,” Jennings said.
Shawangunk Adventures has created affiliation with Shawangunk Runners Club, Trail Whippass, and the NYNJ Trail Conference.
“The Trail Conference has been a critical partner for us, they’re all about getting people out on the trails,” Jennings said.
Through these affiliations have come other races.
The Ellenville Running festival is followed quickly by the August 18 Catskill Mnt 100K road race and relay.
On September 12 SA and Trail Whippass are putting on the first Black Rock Races through Black Rock Forest Preserve in Orange County.
The inaugural event will feature a 25k of single-track over 10 peaks of Black Rock, as well as a 10k carriage trail run.
Then on September 19th the second running of the Shawangunk Ridge Trail Run will take place. There are 20, 32, 50 and 74 mile options, all self-supported.
October 24 the Assault on Schunemunk will commence.
For the first time ever, trail runners will experience one of the most challenging mountains in the Lower Hudson Valley. Schunemunk, Orange County's tallest peak, with a spectacular ridgeline that features multiple 1000-ft climbs and descents, waterfalls, colorful and jagged puddingstone rock, pitch pines, boulders, and even a swamp that harbors a water-based ecosystem 100-ft above the valley floor..
Through the efforts of Shawangunk Adventures there are opportunities all throughout the summer and fall to take part in high thrill, low environmental impact events.
Ellenville Mountain Running Festival -Slideshows
Start and Half Marathon Photos
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Photos from Checkpoint 1
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