Burning River 100 Volunteer Opportunity

If you are interested in helping out and volunteering at this weekend's Burning River 100 Mile Trail Run, please contact Maria at dividemyinsanity@yahoo.com She is in charge of the Happy Days aid station (mile 64).

Are you entered into YUT-C yet?

The 2010 Youngstown Ultra Trail Classic (YUT-C) 50K & 25K will take place in Mill Creek Park (Youngstown, OH) on Saturday, Sept. 18th.  Entry fees for both distances will go up after Sept. 1st, so make sure you get your entry in as soon as possible!  Click Here to see a list of current entrants.

Buckeye Trail 50K Results

Congrats to the following NEO Trail members for completing the Buckeye Trail 50K on Saturday...

Ron Ross  5:44:01  (26th overall)
TJ Hawk  6:13:45  (43rd overall)
Roy Heger  6:17:59  (55th overall)
Dave Peterman  6:32:51  (67th overall)
Kurt Osadchuk  6:43:53  (76th overall)
Carole Krus  7:07:02  (86th overall)
Tim Knapp  7:10:05  (90th overall)
Mark Anson  7:28:45  (96th overall)
Frank Dwyer  7:41:40  (106th overall)
Nick Billock  7:57:20  (112th overall)
Buck Itrale  8:26:22  (120th overall)
Joe Novicky  8:41:47  (123 overall)

Complete results will be posted here:
http://www.buckeyetrail50k.com

Buckeye Trail 50K Live Webcast

The Buckeye Trail 50K will take place tomorrow morning in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.  Click Here for a live race-day webcast or click here to visit the event website.

Run the Keweenaw 25K

Congrats to NEO Trail member Dan Bellinger for completing the “Run the Keweenaw 25K” in a time of 2:21:47 (2nd age group).  This trail race takes place in Copper Harbor, MI on difficult single-track mountain bike trails.  Click Here to visit the event website.

Hardrock 100 Miler

The 17th running of the Hardrock 100 Mile Endurance Run is scheduled to start at 6:00am tomorrow morning. This year the course will be run in the clockwise direction- a big loop through the San Juan Mountains of beautiful Colorado: Silverton - Ophir - Telluride - Ouray - Sherman - back to Silverton. 33,992 feet of climb and 33,992 feet of descent for a total elevation change of 67,984 feet with an average elevation of 11,186 feet - low point (7,680), high point (14,048).

Good luck to NEO Trail members, Bob Combs (bib #39) and Mike Dobies (bib #34)!!!

Click here for live tracking.

2010 Mohican Results & Photos

Congrats to the following N.E. Ohio Trail Club members:

Mohican 100 Mile Trail Run - 133 starters

Eric Deutsch - 26:15:24 (19th overall)

Roy Heger - 27:26:24 (25th overall)

Ron Ross - 29:28:24 (51st overall)

Mohican 50 Mile Trail Run - 108 starters

Kim Boner - 9:43:14 (6th overall)

Laurie Colon - 9:53:28 (8th overall)

For complete results - Click Here

For photos - Click Here

Mohican 50 & 100 Mile Trail Run

This past weekend NEO Trail members also competed in the 21st Annual Mohican 50 & 100 Mile Trail Runs.  Congratulations to Eric Deutsch for finishing his first 100 miler in a time of 26:15:54!  This placed him 19th out of 150 runners!  Also congrats to Kim Boner and Laurie Colon for taking the top 2 spots in the 50 Miler! 

Click Here to read Eric’s race report and Click Here to read Laurie’s report.

Complete race results will be posted HERE once they become available.

Kim (left) and Laurie coming into the mile 40 aid station

Highlands Sky 40 Mile Trail Run

This past weekend the following NEO Trail Club members finished the 8th Annual Highlands Sky 40 Miler, which is organized by the West Virginia Mountain Trail Runners:

Jim Harris
8:46:20

Bob Combs
9:02:51

Richard Vrboncic
10:52:50

Laurel Highlands Results

Congratulations to Cam Baker (2nd overall) and Jim Harris (8th overall) for both finishing in the top 10 of this past weekend’s Laurel Highlands Ultra. 

Also, congrats to Tara Schweitzer (51st overall) for achieving a new distance PR in a time of 23 hours, 11 minutes, and to Dan Bellinger (56th overall) for finishing in a time of 23 hours, 38 minutes.

Laurel Highlands Ultra this weekend!

Good luck to the following NEO Trail Club members that will be participating in the Laurel Highlands 70.5 mile (77 this year) and 50K tomorrow:  Cam Baker, Dan Bellinger, Mike Halkovich, Jim Harris, Chris Lassen, Kim Love-Ottobre, Bruce McMurray, Tara Schweitzer, and Bill Wagner. 

June Western Reserve Trail Running Newsletter

The June issue of the WRTR (Western Reserve Trail Running) Newsletter has been released!  

Highlights this Month:

- Burning River 100 Mile Endurance Run Updates: now at 230 registrants (far and away a record), the BR100 will be the 2010 USATF 100 Mile Trail Championship.  See newsletter for several other updates.

- Trail Runner Spotlight: Michelle Bichsel, ultra-runner and multiple 100-mile finisher

- XTERRA Races #1 and #2: Race Report by participant, Mindy Bolgrin

- "Staying Hydrated" editorial

- WRTR Race Series Updated Standings after Race #3, Forget the PR 50K/25K

- Updates on the Muddy Paws Trail Runs, the sold out Buckeye Trail 50K, YUT-C 50K, Bobcat Trail Marathon and brand new Bigfoot 50K and 3-person relay

Read it Here!

No Frills, Just Hills FA Results

Hot temperatures and sunshine greeted runners for the 3rd straight year at the No Frills, Just Hills FA. New attendance and course records were set. Click here for photos and results from yesterday's run.

May 29 – No Frills, Just Hills FA

The 3rd Annual No Frills, Just Hills FA will take place this Saturday starting at 8am from the Pine Hollow parking lot (Cuyahoga Valley National Park). 

The objective of this run is to see how many 2 mile loops you can do in a 6 or 12 hour period.  Almost 100% of this run takes place on grass and dirt trails.  Water & restrooms are on the course but no additional aid will be provided since this is an FA run.  There is no entry fee for this run, but everyone is asked to bring food & drinks to share with everyone afterwards.

For more information, please visit - http://www.neotrail.org/nofrills.htm

MMT 100 Miler

Congrats to the following NEO Trail members for successfully completing the 2010 Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 Miler in Virginia this past weekend:

Jim Harris – 25:52:10  (20th overall)
Dave Peterman – 29:38:38  (4th MMT finish)
Bob Combs – 30:09:06  (8th MMT finish)
Roy Heger – 32:06:41  (11th MMT finish)
Brian Musick – 32:53:13  (1st MMT finish)
Bill Losey – 34:57:34  (4th MMT finish)

Laurel Highlands Alternate Route

Due to construction, Click Here to view the alternative route that will be used to pass over the PA Turnpike at this year's Laurel Highlands Ultra.

Fools 50K & 25K Trail Run

Wet and muddy trail conditions were the story of the 2010 Fools 50k & 25k Trail Run. The race started in 40F and overcast skies before a steady rain fell through the entire day.

Jonathan Hastings ran away from the field to easily win the 25k in 1:50:29 while Joan Cottrill led all women in 2:22:51.

In the 50k, three men bettered the old course record of 4:36 led by Mike Selig in 4:25:20. Beth Woodward repeats as 50k champion in 5:05:31.

Here is a list of all N.E. Ohio Trail Club finishers:

50K (overall place, name, finish time)
8  Todd Hanks  4:57:11
29  David Peterman  5:37:21
30  Eric Deutsch  5:38:16
32  Kimberly Boner  5:41:36
37  Bob Combs  5:49:35
38  T.J. Hawk  5:49:37
39  Ron Ross  5:53:35
43  Nick Billock  5:59:47
45  Roy Heger  6:07:13
46  Frank Dwyer  6:07:16
66  Karen Jeffords  6:46:39
70  Paul Lefelhocz  6:56:39
72  Kurt Osadchuk  6:57:35
84  Kim Love-Ottobre  7:45:50

25K (overall place, name, finish time) 71  Courtney Baker  3:02:21
84  Carole Moran-Krus  3:06:56
106  Desiree Cowie  3:23:20

Covered Bridge FA

The annual Covered Bridge FA, which is organized by the N.E. Ohio Trail Club, took place again today in Mill Creek Park (Youngstown, OH).  The official start time was 8am but some showed up at 6am for the optional early start.
 


The weather was awesome – 50 degrees with a cool breeze.  It only got chilly when it was raining and the wind picked up, but there weren’t many times when the rain was very heavy.  The trails were also in pretty good shape.  There was a lot of water and mud but about 95% of the ice on the trail had melted.  Much better than in previous years when the trail had solid inches of ice on it.

Here’s a list of those that participated:

4 Loops (50K)Jim Harris
Dave Peterman
Todd Hanks
Bob Combs
Masahiro Yoshino
Tanya Cady

3 Loops (24 miles)
Brian Musick
Jamie Musick
Joe Novicky

2 Loops (16 miles)
Tim Knapp
Barefoot Johnny O
Brian (last name?)
Bruce McMurray

Other
Pat Dillon
Gavin White

Covered Bridge FA – March 13

When: Saturday, March 13 (8am start, 6am optional start)

Where: Mill Creek Park (Youngstown, Ohio)
(meet at the Lily Pond parking lot)

Course: This run takes place on the Youngstown Ultra Trail Classic (YUT-C) 50K course. You can run as much or as little as you want. Then hang out with a bunch of cool people in the parking lot afterwards!

More Info: Click Here for an ongoing discussion

Oil Creek FA 50K Final Update

6 months ago many of enjoyed the fall colors of Oil Creek State Park and 6 months from now, many of us will head out for another or for our 1st OC buckle!

This Saturday, the Oil Creek FA 50K is all set to go. Here are some details/updates:

Luckily, not much, if any, snow is scheduled for the rest of the week and temps are hovering in the mid to upper 20s. Hopefully, that'll harden up the trail a bit from the warmth of the 30s over the past weekend and the rain. Right now, it's looking mighty fine for running on Saturday. Be prepared for plenty of wet feet, muddy trails, and slushy snow. A 2nd or 3rd pair of socks wouldn't be a bad idea with plenty of lube already on. Weather Forecast

Start Time: 7am from the Titusville Middle School parking lot, the same location as race headquarters on race weekend this October

Google Map to TMS

This is a FA (fat-ass) and it will stay true to that. "No Fees, No Awards, No Aid, No Wimps" Carry what you need and be prepared. For me, I plan on wearing my Nathan pack filled with water and some Heed electrolyte powder to make up drinks along the way. I may drop some aid at Petroleum Center, 1/2 way around the 50K loop. There is a pavilion there that serves as a very patriotic aid station during the Oil Creek Trail Runs. For those of you definitely making the whole trek around, this is an option. Leave things there or stash/hide at your own risk. Here is a Google link to Petroleum Center...easy to stop en route to Titusville if approaching Titusville from the south.

FA defined

Oil Creek Course Description

Oil Creek Home Page

Recommendation: let's all stay together at least until we get to the trail. There are a few miles of asphalt in the beginning and those unfamiliar with the area may not find the trail if left behind. Once on the trail, just follow those yellow blazes. Leave nothing but footprints and take plenty of pictures!

Afterwards, please join us at Perk Place Cafe. Perk Place's owner was both a 50K runner in 2009 and sponsor of the event so please stop by, say "Hi!" and support this local restaurant! Link to Perk Place

Below is a message from the Oil Creek Trail Runs Race Director, Tom Jennings, that he sent out last week. Please review it again and thanks in advance for your cooperation and working together this weekend:

LIGHTING / DISTANCE - With this deep snow I am pretty sure I will have to take the hikers at 10 AM on one or two loops of the northern 5 mile loop between Jersey Bridge and Boughton acid works / suspension bridge. We can do the 5 mile loop in reverse after doing it once if we want more "fun." :-) But I've been in the park nearly every weekend the past two winters either taking GPS readings or training for the McNaughton Park 150 miler, and the trails can vary between a few inches deep and knee deep depending upon the slope you are on. It is typically a hike, not a run, in these conditions. The past two winters it appeared as though I was the only person in the park as the trails were pristine and I had to do trailblazing all of the time, but the interest in the race has gotten a few more folks out on the trails this winter and they might not be quite as bad. But they will still be very challenging with the limited traction in deep snow.

Therefore, those of you attempting the 50K, if we don't have a thaw between now and 2/27 and the snow is this deep and slow going, be prepared to do a lot of hiking and have lighting in case you go longer than you expected. It is very tiring to be trailblazing in loose and deep snow so you may not be able to go as far as you thought. Be prepared to have to return in the direction you came to or be with a group knowledgeable on how to get back the shortest route in case you tire out. It normally takes me 6.5 to 7.5 hours to make a loop in good weather and when I'm in 100 mile race shape. So in this deep snow, I suspect I could not even make the loop even once in that deep of snow, or if I did, it would take me a LONG time. Even the bike path is deep in snow and that is difficult to go miles on that... I've done it before and can tell you this from personal experience the past two winters.

Elite and local runners - please share your experience on the trail in the past few weeks so people are aware of the conditions.

If you have snowshoes they may be more appropriate than trail shoes / spikes if we don't get a thaw.

SAFETY - I recommend traveling in groups. There are still wild animals in the park so be mindful of that as well. Be careful as an emergency rescue will be next to impossible as the bike path is impassable in winter, as well as Miller Farm Rd is now maintained in the winter, it is the road that separates the north and southern half of the park. Bring a whistle just in case. Have a cell phone in case there is an emergency and one of your group members can get to a high point where there is cell phone service.

BATHROOMS (or lack thereof) - In addition, unless I rent a portable toilet, there will be no toilets in the northern half of the park. Wolfkiel Run bathroom near Miller Farm Rd is the northern-most restroom that will be available as the porta-john at the Jersey Bridge parking lot near Drake Well Museum and Titusville is removed during the winter. Plan accordingly with toilet paper / wipes. There are no restrooms at the middle school either. So before you arrive in the morning, you may want to stop at McDonalds or the like to use their restroom and get a hot chocolate. If people reply and let me know there thoughts, I could rent a portable toilet for the Jersey Bridge parking lot at the northern end of the park and about 1.25 miles from the middle school.

XC Ski trails - reminder to stay off to the side of the red loop XC ski trail on the east side of the park, it is the first several miles just north of Petroleum Center. You will see the ski marks and the red tree markings. A lot of work goes into these XC ski trails, please don't ruin them by running in their ski tracks.

Have a great rest of the week, everyone, eat some pasta on Thursday and Friday, and come out ready to have FUN!!!! When the fun stops, head on over to Perk Place!

Questions? Contact Nick

CVNP Trail Management Plan

The National Park Service is pleased to announce the kick-off of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park Trail Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement.

Attend one of the Public Open Houses hosted by the National Park Service to provide an overview of the plan process, identify issues, and gather ideas for the Trail Plan. All meetings will be held at Happy Days Lodge. Each meeting will be identical in objectives and format. Future public meetings will be in Summer 2010, Winter 2011 and Fall 2011.

Thursday, February 11, 2010 Time: 2:00 - 4:00 pm & 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Saturday, February 13, 2010 Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

For other ways to submit your public comments and more information about the planning process, go to http://parkplanning.nps.gov/cuva and click on "Trail Maintenance Plan." To receive newsletters on the Trail Management Plan, please contact Lynn Garrity, Cuyahoga Valley National Park's Trail Planner, at (440) 343-4803 or lynn_garrity@nps.gov.

Winter Buckeye Trail FA 50K

Nearly 20 runners braved the frigid temperatures today (10-15 degrees) to participate in this year’s edition of the Winter BT50K FA.  This low key fun run took place on the Buckeye Trail and followed the summer BT50K course from the Oak Grove Pavilion in Brecksville to Pine Lane and back.

Here are the “results” based on what everyone marked down on the finishing sheet following the run.  If you have any more information that should be added, please e-mail Brian at brian@neotrail.org

Kevin Martin (50K – 6:08)
David Peterman (50K – 6:13)
Brian Philpot (50K – 6:20)
Terri Lemke (50K – 7:20)
Michael Kazar (50K – 7:50)
Tanya Cady (23 miles – 5:30)
Dave Janosko (50K – 8:24)
Brian Musick (50K – 8:26)
Mark Anson (50K – 8:26)
Bob Combs (50K)
Jim Harris (13 hrs, 50 min)
Kim Boner (19 miles)
Mike George (19 miles)
Lloyd Thomas (Snowville & back)
Todd Hanks (finished at 9:12am)
Daniel Bellinger
Roy Heger
Sam Kragalott
Melissa Terwilliger
Corey Volz
Bill Wagner
Danielle West

2010 Winter Run for Regis Results

This past Sunday the Annual Winter Run for Regis Fun Run took place in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.  Several NEO Trail Club members participated and achieved notable results:

50K
Lloyd Thomas – 5:21:41  (6th overall)
David Peterman – 5:43:35  (11th overall)
Ron Ross – 6:29:35  (28th overall)
Dan Bellinger – 6:31:57  (31st overall)
TJ Hawk – 6:59:47  (42nd overall)
Roy Heger – 6:59:48  (43rd overall)
Paul Lefelholz – 8:49:50  (71st overall)
Mike Halkovich – 9:20:19  (72nd overall)

Marathon
Bob Clark – 5:01:37  (2nd overall)

Other Distances
Doug Delahanty – 4:00:18  (18 miles)
Bruce McMurray – 4:32:36  (18 miles)
Nick Billock – 2:47:50  (13 miles)
Kurt Osadchuk – 2:52:28  (13 miles)
Teresa McCombs – 3:12:43  (13 miles)
Sam Kragalott – 3:19:13  (13 miles)
Peter Cahoon – 3:26:43  (13 miles)
Kim Love-Ottobre – 3:32:10  (13 miles)

For complete results – CLICK HERE

For photos – CLICK HERE

January 2010 WRTR Newsletter

The January 2010 Western Reserve Trail Running (WRTR) Newsletter has been published!

Highlights this month:

1. Burning River 100 selection as 2010 USATF 100-Mile Trail Championship and registration update

2. Gear Spotlight: Spring 2010 Trail Shoes

3. Local Trail Runner Spotlight: Badwater 135 and Western States 100 finisher Marie Bartoletti

4. Fools 50K and Bobcat Trail Marathon race registration updates

5. 'NEW' XTERRA Trail Race Series

6. Buckeye Trail 50K Update

View the online newsletter here.

Recover from the Holiday's 50K

Several NEO Trail members (Cam Baker, Bob Combs, Jim Harris, Andy MacGinnitie, Rich Vrboncic, & John DeWalt) participated in the 7th Annual Recover from the Holiday's 50K run yesterday. This fun run is organized each year by Rick Freeman, race director for the Laurel Highlands Ultra, and takes place in Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania.

Click Here to view complete results and a recap of the run.

Freedom Park Ultra Recap

Click Here to read Mike Keller's recap from this year's Freedom Park New Year's Ultra.

Click Here for final results.

Freedom Park New Year's Ultra

NEO Trail Club member Mike Keller is currently running the 2nd Annual Freedom Park New Year's Ultra Run in Morganton, North Carolina with some others from Ohio. At 12:00 pm today Mike texted that he was 18 miles in so far. Good luck Mike and Team Ohio!

Save the LHHT bridge!

The Laurel Highlands Hiking/Snowmobile Bridge over the Pennsylvania Turnpike has been part of the current trail system for more than 30 years and is critical for the trail system to be complete. This bridge has been closed indefinitely due to structural deficiencies resulting in unsafe conditions.

Please support the repair or replacement of this bridge so outdoor enthusiasts may continue to have full use of the trails. The closure of this bridge limits tourism and greatly impacts local businesses and teh economy in this region.

This petition will be sent to the DCNR, Governor Rendell, Richard A. Kasunic (Senator), Mike Reese (Representative) and Carl Walker Metzgar (Representative).

Click Here To Sign The Petition

Merry Christmas!

The NEO Trail Club would like to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a very happy new year!

Huff 50K Trail Run

This past Saturday NEO Trail member Dan Bellinger finished the Huff 50K Trail Run in Huntington, Indiana with a time of 5:46:01, earning him 2nd in his age group. Congrats Dan!

Time to Renew Your Membership!

Just a reminder that your 2010 club membership fee is now due if you have not already paid. Click here to view a list of current members and to see if your membership has expired. If you do not renew your membership by February 1st your name will be removed from this list.

To renew your membership, please mail a $15 check addressed to "NEO Trail Club" to the following address:
1959 Lexington Ave.
Warren, Ohio 44485

You only need to complete an application form if you are a new member or if your information has recently changed. Also, if another person in the same household would like to join the club, it is $5 extra per person per year.

MMT 100 Lottery

The 2010 Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 lottery took place today and 180 individuals were selected through a random process involving the closing number of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Click here to read about this fair and interesting system that the Virginia Happy Trails Club uses to determine its starting field.

Of the lucky (or unlucky - however you look at it!) 180 runners selected today, there were 4 N.E. Ohio Trail Club members in this group - Jim Harris, Nick Billock, Tanya Cady, and Dave Peterman. Now, individuals out of this group of 180 must mail in their check by January 4th to become official. If not, individuals on the waiting list will take their spot.

4th Annual URINEO FA

The 4th Annual URINEO FA took place in Mill Creek Park today, with many N.E. Ohio Trail Club members in attendance. Unfortunately there was no snow for everyone to write their name in, but a good time was had by all! Click Here to view final results and reports.

2010 Dirty Dog 10K

The date for the 2010 Dirty Dog 10K has been set for Saturday, February 6th. The race application and more information can be found by clicking here.

Slim Pickins FA 100K

Yesterday the N.E. Ohio Trail Club hosted its 4th Annual Slim Pickins FA on the Laurel Highlands Trail in S.W. Pennsylvania. This free, low-key run is open only to club members and allows everyone the opportunity to enjoy a fun-filled weekend of trails together. This year's official distance was 100K but since this is an FA run everyone is allowed to run as much or as little as they wish.

This year the weather was unusually warm (low 50's for a high) and there were a record number of individuals who finished the entire distance.

Here are the complete results:

100K

Cam Baker

Bob Combs
Mike Dobies

Jim Harris

Brian Musick

-

40 Miles

Kim Love-Ottobre

Bruce McMurray

-

50K

Dan Belinger

Tanya Cady

Wilma Depiore

John DeWalt

Mike Halkovich

Mike Keller

Dan Kuzma
Joe Novicky

-

Click Here to view photos from the weekend

New YouTube Channel

Click Here to check out our new channel on YouTube.

On this page you'll be able to view videos that we upload from our races and fun runs, as well as other videos that we choose to call our "favorites". Enjoy!

Bobcat Trail Marathon

This past weekend several NEO Trail members participated in the 1st Annual Bobcat Trail Marathon which was run through Burr Oak State Park in Glouster, Ohio. Many said that this course was pretty challenging and had great scenery.

Mark Anson - 5:16:35
Courtney Baker - 6:08:28
Dan Bellinger - 5:03:00
Nick Billock - 5:37:17
Bruce McMurray - 6:01:04
Kim Love-Ottobre - 7:24:53

Brandon Russell - 5:11:09

For complete results - CLICK HERE

Blog report:

Kim Love-Ottobre

Human Body Meant to Run?

Click Here to read an article from the NY Times....

Upcoming NEO Trail Events

If you are a current NEO Trail member, listen up! The annual Slim Pickins FA Trail Run is on the Laurel Highlands Trail in southwestern PA on November 21st of this month! Be sure to e-mail Gombu your interest in this not-to-miss event if you plan on going so he can e-mail you the details of the trip as the date gets closer. Note: you must be a NEO Trail member to participate in this run.

After Slim Pickins, don't miss the URINEO FA 50 Miler in Mill Creek Park on Saturday, December 5th starting at 7am at the Lily Pond Parking Lot. (URINEO = Ultra Runners In North East Ohio)

Also on December 5th, the Dark Park Pursuit 15K will kickoff in Cortland, OH at Mosquito Lake State Park at 6:30pm.

Registration has already opened up as well for the 6th running of the YUT-C 50K and 25K next September. Registrations have already began to come in! Mark your calendars for September 18th, 2010!

2010 MMT100 Registration Details Announced

With so many NEO Trail members planning on the 2010 Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 Mile Run, it is with great anticipation that I announce that registration will open on November 30th!

Schedule:

Monday, November 30th @ 9am: Registration opens

Monday, December 7th @ 9pm: Registration Closes

Tuesday, December 8th: Lottery after 4pm stock market close (detailed lottery procedure)

December 11 - January 4: Time to pay

January 5: initial chance to move off waiting list for those who don't pay

April 5: last day to join the waiting list

May 3: deadline to withdraw and receive partial refund, entrant list set

May 15: 16th Annual MMT 100, Front Royal, VA

Event Website

"Massanutten ROCKS!"

New Club Message Board

A new message board for the N.E. Ohio Trail Club was recently created, following the transfer of our club website to a new and cheaper web hosting provider. On this message board you will be able to plan group runs, discuss upcoming runs/events, or just chat about anything running related.

To join the discussion, visit www.neotrail.org/forum and click "Register" on the top left of the screen to create a username.

Congratulations to Lloyd and Andrea!

Recently, NEO Trail Member, Lloyd Thomas married Andrea Berninger in one of our favorite park areas, the Brecksville Reservation. A walk through the woods, music by Carlos Jones, and a wedding ceremony in the place they love. All the best to you both and many, many years of happiness and miles together!

After their wedding, they even hosted a celebration group run through the Reservation with friends on the trails. The cake below is a great example of their passion for running as well as their toeing of the line of the rest of their life...together.

Click here to view the rest of their photos

Presque Isle Endurance Classic

Kurt & Brian at last year's event

This Saturday, NEO Trail members Kurt Osadchuk and Brian Musick will be participating in the Presque Isle Endurance Classic in Erie, PA. This event is a 12-hour run which takes place on a scenic 1 mile loop next to Lake Erie. The primary purpose of this event is to promote cardiovascular fitness in a safe, relaxed and friendly environment and to allow individuals the opportunity to run/walk a distance beyond that they have previously acheived or set a personal goal that is meaningful to them. There are no trophies or prize money.

This event was started 29 years ago by some of the founding fathers of the Erie Runners Club to test the endurance of some of the local runners. It still stands today because of the tireless efforts of Rick Ferko and his long time volunteers. Rick's battle with cancer ended shortly after the 2006 Endurance Run. Rick's family and friends wished to continue this run as a lasting memorial that would exemplify his life. The application form for this run includes a selection for contributing to Rick Ferko's Spirit of Social Work Scholarship, since it is funded soley on individual contributions. The fee for the run itself is only $10 and includes chip timing and aid.

Oil Creek Trail Runs RESULTS

I haven't spoken or communicated with anyone who didn't have a wonderful time at Oil Creek this past weekend. The accolades just keep pouring in towards the race director and among many of us who participated from NE Ohio. Congratulations to all who participated and thank you to those of you who volunteered. As always, it is the volunteers who make it all possible. Count on Oil Creek becoming a major event here for years to come! Brutal and Unforgiving!

50K RESULTS

50 Mile RESULTS

100 Mile RESULTS (48 finished out of 84 starters / 57% finishing rate)

Victory at Oil Creek

Hats off to many NEO Trail members who had a great race weekend in and around the Oil Creek State Park in Titusville, PA at the Oil Creek 100 Mile Trail Runs. Results are not yet published but hopefully soon at the race website. It was great to see familiar faces away from home this weekend and hope everyone had a great time. For me, it was an unforgettable event and one that has a story to tell. Great job to everyone who ran or volunteered! The photo below was taken when a bunch of us met up at the Blue Canoe Brewery in Titusville.

Oil Creek Trail Runs THIS Weekend!

Several NEO Trail members are traveling across the border to Pennsylvania's Oil Country this weekend to participate in the inaugural Oil Creek Trail Runs. Distances vary from the 50K, 50 Miler, and the 100 Miler. Runners will be headquartered at the Titusville Middle School which will serve also as the start/finish and Aid Station #4.

Participation of NEO Trail Members are as follows:

50K: Dan Bellinger, Mark Anson

50 Miler: Tanya Cady, Brian "Pebble" Musick

100 Miler: Jim "Slim" Harris, Bob "Gombu" Combs, Nick "Admiral" Billock, Dan Kuzma, Kim "Kimba" Love-Ottobre, Donald Baker, Rich "Professor" Verbonic, Andy "Doc" MacGinnitie

If I missed your name above, please let me know and I will add you. It'll take me awhile to learn who all is a member of NEO Trail.

Map to Titusville Middle School If you follow this link and look at the satellite image, you can clearly see the woods south of the school. This is Oil Creek State Park. Each loop is approximately 31 miles. The 100 milers will do this loop 3 times plus a final separate loop of 7.75 miles to finish up the 100 miler. 100 milers will have 32 hours to complete the distance.

If you're participating or in town, you are welcome to join us at the Blue Canoe Brewery at 3pm on Friday for some final carb-loading before packet pickup and the pre-race meeting and pasta dinner.

New Blog Editor

The NEO Trail news blog has a new editor... Nick Billock, a N.E. Ohio Trail Club member himself, is now in charge of updating the content on this page. You can view his personal blog by clicking here.

In the future, if you have any information about NEO Trail Club members that is noteworthy, please let Nick know by emailing him at nickruns26.2@gmail.com

North Coast 24-Hour Run - This Weekend

This weekend the 1st Annual North Coast 24-Hour Endurance Run, which is also the 2009 US National Championship 24 Hour Run, will take place at scenic Edgewater Park in Cleveland directly adjacent to Lake Erie. Runners will travel around a paved loop of just under a mile to try and cover as many miles possible within the 24 hour period. The top 3 American male and female finishers will be automatically selected to the US team if the males acheive 135 miles and the females 120 miles.

NEO Trail Club members that are participating in this event are Frank Dwyer, Mike Keller, Paul Lefelhocz, Bruce McMurray, and Ron Ross.

CLICK HERE for live results and a webcam on race day.