Mark your calendars! Next year’s event will be held on March 22, 2014.
Details and Registration will be posted here in November.
Update 4: “Partially” Self-Supported: You will be coming back to camp every six miles so you are asked to supply your own favorite trail foods, sports drink, etc. The best way to succeed is to consume what works best for you. We will have plenty of water and ice, a few basic snack foods and we will be grilling some hot foods starting at 2:00 for finishers and continuers. If you make it to Sunday morning we’ll provide and do whatever we can for you (within reason) to keep you fueled and moving – including grocery store or pizza runs, etc.
Update 3: Packet Pick-up at Fleet Feet on Hilltop, Friday from 3:00- 6:00. You can also register there, but register online in advance to be guaranteed a t-shirt. If you are going to wait until race day, be sure and give yourself plenty of time in case others have the same idea.
Directions to Horse Camp: From the Whiskeytown Visitors Center on Hwy 299 (approx 10 miles east of Redding) go south on Kennedy. In 2 miles the road veers sharply right across the dam- do NOT go that way- instead continue straight (south) onto Paige Bar Road. In about 2 more miles the road cuts back sharply to the left (NEED camp is to the right). Make the sharp left turn (almost 180 degrees) and continue for 1/2 mile (the road becomes gravel) to Horse Camp. Parking will be on the north side only (left). We will direct you where to park and camp (I will be there from 3PM Friday on) (we don’t want cars and tents in the middle of the race area!). You can camp any or all of the three nights, if desired: Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
Update 2: Parking (and Camping, if desired!) are included. We also will be serving a hot meal from 2:00-3:00 pm and every three hours after that. It’s going to be Party-Time until the last biped comes home to roost! Sign up now- three options!
Update 1: Yes, there will be winners in the 18 mile and 36 mile categories. Everyone will start the final lap of these races at the same time, first one back is the winner. In the Unlimited Category, however, your time on the last lap does not matter, the winner is the person with the most total miles (see the rules below). If two people finish with the same # of miles it is a tie, if you want to win, you have to go farther! Medals for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place male and female in each distance, special awards for 1st place male and female in the unlimited category.
March 30 (and beyond?): This race is not to the swift…
Can you manage a 15 minute per mile pace on gently rolling single track trails? Of course you can! Most of you could do sub-10min/mile, some could do TWO miles in 15 minutes.
And in this race, that’s all you have to do! 15 minutes per mile. 4 MPH.
A nice gently rolling 6 mile long loop. Anything under 90 minutes counts as success! When you get back, you can sit down, eat and drink, visit with other runners, whatever…
When the 90 minutes are up, everyone who made it back on time gets to…
Do It Again!
90 minutes later… Do It Again!
The first time that you fail to make it back in 90 minutes, “Yerrrrr Outttt!”
And if you do make it, congratulations, you’re tied for first place!
How many laps can you do? How many miles?
How long can you keep up a 4MPH pace?
Since everyone starts every lap together and hangs out together between laps, this is a very social event. As for the race yourself, whether your goal is one lap or 20, your main competition is yourself. How far can you go? And will you be able to come back next year and go further? No time limit, I’ll stick around as long as you keep up the 4MPH pace! At a similar race back east in October 2012, the winner did 112 miles in 28 hours! If you are so inclined you can keep that 4MPH pace going for 36 hours (total mileage = 1 gross) right into April 1, Fool’s Day, which, if you did, would, in your case, be quite apropos.
This is a low key event. Bring a chair and whatever else you need including your own food (and a flashlight?). You’ll have access to it at the end of each lap. We’ll provide water and ice and grill up a few burgers or other goodies from time to time. Camping will be available Friday and Saturday night at the start/finish for those so inclined. We don’t have room for large RV’s but there are RV spaces in the park a few miles from the start/finish.
Location: Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. Start/Finish @ Horse Camp.
Pricing: Group C: One to three laps (up to 18M) prepaid: $30.
Group B: Four to six laps (36M- Ultramarathon!) prepaid: $40.
Group A: Unlimited laps prepaid: $50.
Group C begins at 10AM, Group B @ 8:30AM and Group A @ 7AM.
Registration: UltraSignup. Prices increase on March 1.
Special diabolical twist: You may begin each lap with an additional half-mile out and back for a 6.5 mile total per lap. You must do the out-and-back first and you must still finish the 6 mile loop by the 90 minute time limit or be eliminated. This could give you an edge over your competitors (more miles in the same amount of time) or could cause you to be eliminated early. Your call!
Map: The loop is 5.80 miles. We will do a 0.2 mile out-and-back (0.1 each way) at the beginning of each loop. Those who choose can then run the 0.5 mile extra (described above). The 0.2 mile will be on an abandoned road heading south from the Horse Camp outhouse. The 0.5 optional extra section will follow an improved (chip and seal) trail southwest to the Clear Creek overlook (0.25 each way).
How long can YOU keep it up?
I have only two questions;
What is the elevation of the race? I’m coming from sea level good info to know.
If I sign up for one distance but decide to go unlimited is that possible?
This is going to be a blast, thank you taking on this challenge.
KP
The elevation is about 1000′ above sea level so it’s not a factor. If you sign up for the shorter distances and want to go farther, you have to pay $5 cash per loop in advance. Better to just sign up for the unlimited. The race is non-profit so the extra $10 will be well spent!
The altitude is about 1000′. I haven’t measured the elevation gain on the course but I just ran it a couple days ago and I’m going to guess it’s around 100′ per mile average. I usually underestimate these things but it can’t be too much more than that.
Just to clarify, the elevation gain of the 6 mile course is 1,000 overall or the elevation of where the race takes place is 1,000? If the later is true, what is the overall elevation gain of the race course? I know you mentioned it is gently rolling, just curious….
I was checking out the Whiskeytown Rec Area map. I see Horse Camp. Could you describe the trails taken? I told my wife about the race and she thought the idea sounded crazy. Where do I sign up?
Rob
Hi, Rob. The loop uses the Canal Trail (pretty flat),Buck Hollow Trail (hilly), 1/2 mile on Mule Town Road (dirt, pretty flat), Prospect Trail (fairly flat),and about one mile on Mt Shasta Mine Loop Trail (rolling). Registration link is on this page, hope to see you there!
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So where is the start?
From the Whiskeytown Visitors Center, go south 3 miles on Paige Bar Road. Do NOT cross the dam. Horse Camp is 0.5 miles after the pavement ends at NEED camp (good gravel road).
Is there a charity involved? Also, wondering if we have to pay parking fees on the day of the event. Is there an award breakdown…or will it just be my body that breaks down? Can’t wait? PS. How do I train for this?
No charity involved this time, any “profits” will be put toward a race clock ($1500 and up) for future events. Parking (and camping, if you want to) fees are included. There will be awards for top three in each gender (total mileage, according to the rules). Train by putting in lots of time on your feet, run awhile, then walk awhile, etc. Many are using this event as a training run for future events. See how far you can go and then come back next year and see if you can go further.
What are the age groups for the event?
We aren’t doing age groups this time. Awards for the three men and three women who go farthest.
This sounds like a lot of fun! I’d love to do this challenge- but my kids would fire me for not being home (or not being awake) for easter morning.
Hoping next year its not the sat before easter
Thanks for putting on (not-for-profit) races in northern CA!!
Linda
Thanks, Linda. I normally wouldn’t have scheduled it Easter weekend but I didn’t think to check for that when I picked the date. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again!
Thanks. I can see how that could happen – Easter is so early this year. Love to run this and see how far I would make it. Haven’t run more than about 50k so far. Hope to see you next year — or even better, at one of your races before then.
hi mark, I’m from Rdg and I’m wanting to walk the trail this saturday to see what it will be like. Is it pretty well marked? I’m not real familiar with the trails in whiskeytown.
It’s easiest to follow if you go clockwise. From Horse Camp go 0.2 miles east on the road, turn left onto the Canal trail. After a couple miles turn right onto the Shasta Mine Trail. In about a mile you’ll come to a junction, go right across the creek and continue about 1/2 mile to the road. Turn left (east) up Muletown Road for 1/2 mile watching for the Buck Hollow Trailhead on the right. Take Buck Hollow for about a mile, when you come to a junction veer right and you’ll quickly come to another dirt road. Go about 1/4 mile north (right) and watch for the Canal trailhead on the left, going steeply uphill. Follow that about 1/4 mile to the road, then turn left and 0.2 miles back to Horse Camp. Take these instructions and a copy of the map on this page with you and you should be fine. I’m also trying to get a group run together for the 16th on the course.