“Disclaimer: I received an entry to the 2022 Gap trail Relay to review as part of being a BibRave Ambassador. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Ambassador, and check out BibRave.com to review, find and write race reviews!”
Do you remember those choose-your-ending books growing up? You know, the ones where you read a few pages then, if you save Timmy from the well, turn to page 92, otherwise turn to page 43…
That’s kind of what it felt like at 3 in the morning, driving around between Pennsylvania State Game Land 111 and Pennsylvania State Game Land 51 flipping through pages of printed directions looking for a glimmer of a street sign telling me where we were.
Clearly there is a God, and we were delivered from the forest.
This past weekend the craziest of the Bibrave crew descended upon Cumberland, Maryland and took on the Great Allegheny Passage toward Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. In a stunning 23 hours and 46 minutes, we ran over the rivers, through the woods, through the mountains, through the night and conquered the challenge.
I would absolutely do this event again.
First, this race shouldn’t intimidate you. If see the words “trail” and “150 Mile” and “overnight”; don’t let it deter you. This event was super accessible even for us directionally challenged folks (sorry Lissa for getting us lost…). If you read my previous post about the GAP Relay, you should have seen the two different breakdowns on the different legs of the Relay. There are a few long legs and a few short legs, which means if you are reading this, thinking to yourself “Bill, I’m not a distance runner…”You don’t have to be. You just need to find a crazy person to run the two or three long legs.
Second, this race is super runnable. There is a breakdown of the segments in order of difficulty. The runner’s guide shows different elevation gains (and losses.) If you are (still) thinking to yourself “Bill, I’m not a trail runner…” you don’t have to be. I was expecting similar ‘technical’ terrain as the Appalachian Trail or Conestoga Trail or Mason-Dixon Trail. But I was surprised to find that the relay was run on ‘rail trail’ style ground; think Macadam and cinders…some paved roads but very little dirt and no sharp inclines or declines (okay…okay there was a mile that was straight up-hill but it was on a paved road…sorry Lissa…) I didn’t need trail shoes or hiking poles or a hydration pack (despite packing a lot of those things.
There are short segments, and the terrain is runnable, “But Bill…Its OVERNIGHT!” (I assume you are thinking…) Yes; the only thing I can say to that is, get a group of seven other people and make sure one of them is a good planner. Plan your hand-offs to permit each van of people to take a break (long stretch where one van advances to a check point and sleeps until the other van is complete with their segments.)
This event was very fun.
I had a good group of runners. We joked, we cheered, we napped, we encouraged.
I am sore. Not because the run was extremely difficult, but because our team was short a runner and we needed to get into the vehicle and rush from exchange station to exchange station (more for peace of mind than anything.) The running and getting into the car and sitting and then running again is what made the ‘soreness’ set in. Also I (unlike sane people) did what I generally do and drove home after the race. Which means I ran 31 miles then sat in the car for another 5 hours.
Thoughts on some of my segments:
As I mentioned earlier, most of the Great Allegheny Passage trail is converted from abandoned rail beds, which makes for a nearly level running surface. The average grade was less than 1% (i know… expect for Lissa’s potion…) The steepest westbound grade is from Cumberland to Deal at 1.75% On my 1st leg (from Frostburg to Deal) I ran through The Big Savage Tunnel. It is the longest tunnel on the trail (about three quarters of a mile long) and you can barely see from one end to the next. It had to be about 20 degrees colder in that tunnel than it was on the rest of the trail and although being alone in the tunnel was a bit eerie, it was also really neat.
That same segment between Frostburg and deal was also the high point of the trail where it crosses the Eastern Continental Divide (2,375′ above sea level) I should have stopped for a picture…but it was night time…
On the Ohiopyle to Sugar Run road I ran another segment a state park which had other trails feeding into it, which gave the run Blair Witch feel…but I didn’t feel lost (okay, my first leg I felt lost because someone had drawn an arrow on the ground, but it wasn’t the color of the race arrows and I didn’t see anyone ‘double back’ on the course which is what would have happened if anyone followed the arrow…anyway the pitfall of a public access course…) Starting so late in the day was a bit rough because you are forced/guaranteed to run overnight.
There are a few things to consider:
The exchange stations are not ‘aid’ stations like you would see at a road race.
o Meaning you will need to pack something to eat.
o Some of the exchange points have snacks but you may want to eat something real.
o You will need to pack water for your team because the exchange stations don’t (generally) have it (or stop at a gas station.)
o Make sure you have 6 team members. I loved my team of five, and I didn’t mind running over 30 miles, but I also feel that a 6th team member would have been better for the group to divide up some nap time…
o You probably don’t need a camping shovel (#iykyk) there are many porto-johns or legitimate restrooms (mostly at the exchange stations but as you run through parks there are restrooms there.)
· You probably don’t need a Pocket Rocket (well, that could have been handy, but still not necessary.) There are Gas Stations near several of the exchange points if you want something hot.
· Bring body wipes / shower wipes. There isn’t a shower (except for the Buena Vista Exchange point, but I still had 1 leg to run so a shower wouldn’t have helped then.)
· Fill up your gas before you leave the start line. There are gas stations along the way, but you don’t want to feel pressured to miss your runner (unless you have a good planner as mentioned above.)
· You will have no cell reception for most of the race. Bring a book (or a good group of friends as mentioned above.
Huge shout out to the exchange station at Ram Cat. You were an aid station and exchange station. Thank you!
Huge shout out to the West Newton exchange stations. You were number 2 because of the hot cider and soup. The indoor restroom was a bonus.
Huge shout out to the exchange station at Buena Vista. You were only number three because I didn’t need to shower at that point, but the indoor restroom and the showers were a nice touch. (Tied for third was Meyersdale Area Historical Society Rest stop for having a warm restroom which was open until 10 pm.)
Check out what my other Ravers said about the race:
You asked for the Bill... 