Fort Mountain, Northampton, Salem, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, Tyrol + Waterville Valley
Races you'll love running + weekly recommendations
And… we’re back!
I suppose I’ve kinda already been back, seeing as how we had a really fun, engaging Friday thread discussion last week, and have been doing our May running challenge together.
For those of you who’ve only recently signed up for the newsletter, this is the issue I normally send out on Sundays — but I thought I’d mix things up this week, and give you an early preview of the kinds of things I share on the weekends.
(I may also switch things back next week, and also experiment with shorter pieces as well; I’m still noodling on exactly what shape the newsletter will take this summer, as I find it’s kind of an “in between” time for running and training, when it’s perfect to shake things up a little. Stay tuned.)
As for me, my own running has been sluggish recently; I found the end of May to be more challenging than I imagined it would, especially with school ending for our kids. I’m really, really ready to bring back some consistency to my running life, and hopefully we can all do that together if you’re having the same challenge too.
I hope your week has been a great one and you’re getting some great runs in — as always, keep in touch and let me know how your running/life is going.
Your friend,
— Terrell
🏃♀️ To run
Mystery Mountain Marathon + 12-Miler
Chatsworth, Ga. | Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024
A stunningly gorgeous run along the trails inside Georgia’s Fort Mountain State Park, nestled on the edge of the Cohutta Wilderness at just over 2,800 feet above sea level. From the starting line along the lake inside the park, you’ll follow the rugged mountain-bike and horseback trails that wind up and down the hills here, including a stretch that takes you over the mountain itself and past an ancient, 855-ft.-long stone wall, thought to have been built more than 1,000 years ago by the earliest native Americans as a fortress to keep out intruders (or for ancient ceremonies). Be ready for a challenge, as these trails feature more than 5,000 feet of elevation change; the scenery is gorgeous, however, as the race takes place at the height of the fall foliage season.
The Santa Rosa Marathon + Half
Santa Rosa, Calif. | Sunday, Aug. 25, 2024
The largest city in Northern California’s wine growing region opens up the paths along Santa Rosa Creek Trail and the Prince Memorial Greenway for this race, a memorable run where you’ll see trestle bridges over the creek as well as vineyards and farm fields filled with rows of corn along the route. With only gentle (and mostly imperceptible) rises and falls in elevation here and there, this half is almost completely flat for its entire out-and-back route. For those running 26.2 miles, the second half of the race takes you out into the vineyards of west Sonoma County, where you’ll run through the barrel room of DeLoach Vineyards.
Black Bear Trail Races
Waterville Valley, N.H. | Saturday, Aug. 31 - Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024
You’ll run through the forested trails of New Hampshire’s Waterville Valley at this Labor Day weekend race, which features a 4-mile, 14-mile and a 50-kilometer trail race, all starting in Waterville Valley’s town square. From there, you’ll follow the trails as they wind up into the hill- and mountainsides that surround the town, covering some 7,000 feet in elevation gain as you ascend Snow's Mountain, East Osceola, Osceola, and Tecumseh before heading back down. The 14-miler isn’t quite as challenging, organizers say, as it takes you along the valley floor and into the hills “as you travel in the shadows of the towering 4,000 foot peaks of Tecumseh, the Osceolas, and the Tripyramids.”