Be sure to register for The North Face Race to the Top of Vermont before prices go up on August 1st. This race is going to be one you are definitely going to not want to miss! The North Face Race to the Top of Vermont is being held on Sunday, August 28th in beautiful Stowe, Vermont.

The North Face Race To The Top Of Vermont is actually a fundraiser for one of the coolest non-profits in Vermont – The Catamount Trail Association. 100% of the money raised at this event goes to support the Catamount Trail Association and its efforts to protect and preserve the Catamount Trail while also creating opportunities for people to get outside, have fun, and be active during the winter months!

The Catamount Trail is a 300 mile long back-country ski trail that runs the entire length of Vermont from Massachusetts all the way to Canada. It’s totally free to use and is one of Vermont’s most unique recreational assets. From easy cruising through the woods to exhilarating descents in neck deep powder, there’s something for everyone on the Catamount Trail.

The race features both running, walking and biking options and comes complete with a post-race BBQ! This race’s title sponsor is KLMountainshop.com.

The course is 4.3 miles long and climbs 2,564 vertical feet on the famous Mt. Mansfield Toll Road to the summit parking lot. The racecourse begins with a .3 mile section of pavement before changing to gravel and dirt for the last 4 miles. The first 2.7 miles is well shaded while the last 1.6 miles opens up with spectacular views of Smuggler’s Notch and the surrounding Green Mountains. The course begins at an elevation of 1,279 ft and climbs to the summit parking lot at 3,843 ft. Racers will experience a steady incline averaging about 11 percent over the length of the course. At the summit finish area, participants will be rewarded with one of the most beautiful views in New England overlooking three states and Canada.

To register for The North Face Race to the Top of Vermont, please click here to register. For more information about the race, be sure to also “Like” the race’s Facebook page by clicking here.

With a summer road trip down to the Greater Philadelphia in store for us this summer, naturally we decided to see if there was a race we could try and tackle while down in Pennsylvania visiting family and friends. Thankfully, we found the Pottstown Half-Marathon and decided to book our travel around this race so last weekend ventured down 95 and headed to Pennsylvania.

Arriving in Philadelphia on Thursday, we spent Thursday and Friday morning in the city and did all the touristy things including checking out the Liberty Bell, playing mini-golf and riding the carousel in Franklin Square Park and taking the kids to the Please Touch Museum, a great children’s museum you must check out if in Philadelphia. After visiting some friends and their newborn we then made our way west of the city and stayed with family in Glenmoore, Pennsylvania for the rest of the trip.

Last weekend, the summer heat certainly fell across Pennsylvania and the temperatures reached the mid-to-high 90’s so thankfully both pre- and post-race we were able to take advantage of a beautiful swimming pool to help relax and cool off in.

The Pottstown Half-Marathon is put on by the Sly Fox Track Club which is affiliated with Sly Fox Brewing Company, which is located in Pottstown. The day before the half-marathon we made our way over to the brewery to sample a pint and for some appetizers (gotta carbo-load, right?) and the bib pickup and expo took place on the side lawn of the brewery. The number pickup was a breeze and the friendly volunteers were great to talk with. The expo featured some local businesses and sponsors of the race.

On race morning, we made our way to downtown Pottstown for the start of the half-marathon. Race-time temperatures were already quite warm even with a 7AM start time and immediately it became clear that the heat was going to be a force to contend with. Mrs. Running Griffin and I decided to run together for this half-marathon and despite her occasional prodding for me to just leave her and run my own pace, we had a good race together.

The course of the Pottstown Half-Marathon can be described as significantly challenging with a good amount of rolling hills mixed into the course. Several of the hills were moderate to difficult and with the added element of the heat the course certainly provided a good challenge to even a well-trained runner. There were some parts of the race that were quite sunny so when you could find shade on parts of the run you definitely took advantage of the respite from the sun.

The race took runners through various different neighborhoods and sections of Pottstown and included a run through residential neighborhoods, through industrial sections, near the Pottstown Municipal Airport, past the Sly Fox Brewery, through a wooded park section that featured a quick unpaved path and then finished up after running through Riverfront Park and the Schuykill River Trail. A lot of the history of Pottstown could be taken in along the run and what helped ease the hills and heat was the fact that there was always stuff to take in along the run, and not just because I was running as a tourist.

The volunteer staff along the race course was absolutely top-notch and would compare against the staff of much larger races easily. Volunteers handing out water were supportive and appreciative of the runners tackling the streets of Pottstown, intersections were staffed by people ensuring runners made their way through easily and the volunteers at the YMCA were some of my favorite as they were blasting Pit Bull and dancing to the tunes as we made our way into that water stop. At the finish line, a great team of volunteers handed you water, food and your medal and congratulated each and every runner as they crossed the finish line.

Mrs. Running Griffin and I finished the Pottstown Half-Marathon with a time of 2:39:00, good for 12:07/miles.

I would highly recommend people in the greater-Philadelphia area to check out this race in 2017 and if you are looking for a great half-marathon to travel to, this is one you will want to add to your race calendar next year.

Registration is now open for the 4th Annual Bridge & Back 10K which will be held on Sunday, August 7th in Salem, Massachusetts. This is going to be one race you are not going to want to miss!

For over 40 years in Salem, the first Sunday in August was the day the Heritage Road Race always took place. The Heritage Road Race was a 10K (6.2 miles) road race and was an annual tradition which ended in the mid-90’s. But have no fear. Four years ago race organizers brought back the 10K race in Salem and started this great tradition once again!!

Last year, the Bridge & Back 10K had over 400 runners and and is the kick-off event for Heritage Week in Salem!! The first 400 runners to register this year will receive a Brooks short sleeve tech shirt and each runner will also receive a free beer after the race at the Tavern in the Square, the main sponsor and host for the post-race party.

The true winners of the Bridge & Back 10K will be Salem youth as all proceeds are donated to programs at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem.

To register for the Bridge & Back 10K, please click here. Please be sure to also “Like” the race on Facebook by clicking here.

For further info, email Doug Bollen at dougbollen12@yahoo.com.

Staying safe while out for a run should be at the forefront of every runner’s mind. However, as runners we know that even when we take the precautions to run safely drivers out on the road might not be paying the best of attention and add an additional safety concern we need to focus on. Thanks to Knuckle Lights, runners now have a partner in ensuring they can be easily seen by motorists while out for an evening or early morning run.

Knuckle Lights is excited to introduce a completely redesigned version of their popular lights perfect for walking or running in the dark. This new version of Knuckle Lights is rechargeable with an ultra-bright 280 combined lumens. Each unit straps across the front of the hands in the perfect position to light a path and be seen by traffic.

With a new design complete with LED technology, the rechargeable Knuckle Lights come complete with two units per set and includes a USB rechargeable docking station and are completely sealed and weatherproof to allow utilization in any weather conditions.

To purchase your pair of Knuckle Lights, check out their website by clicking here.

The past few years the Finish at the 50 has been an annual tradition that I have thoroughly enjoyed and this year when the race announcement was released I made the decision to sign up for both the 5K and 10K option. The 5K race kicks off at 6PM and the 10K followed at 7PM and thankfully this year the summer night was absolutely perfect with the race time temperatures far cooler than it has been in previous years.

The 5K race is a great run where runners make their way through the parking lot of Gillette Stadium before heading into the home of the New England Patriots. Once in the stadium, runners make their way all the way to the top of the stadium up the ramps and then get a great view running along the upper bowl and looking down onto the field. After making a lap around the stadium, runners then make their way down a different set of ramps and run one of the lower bowls of the stadium before then heading into the tunnel to make their way onto the field and finish the race at the fifty yard line. Running on the same field that some of the NFL greats have played on is a pretty cool experience and this year I was lucky enough to get a photo with Jerod Mayo post-run.

After finishing up the 5K race, I grabbed a bottle of water and then made my way to the starting line of the 10K race which started promptly at 7PM. The 10K course takes runners out of the Gillette Stadium/Patriots Place complex and brings runners into residential neighborhoods abutting the stadium for most of the race. The course is a very fair course with some nice straightaways mixed into some pretty decent rolling hills. The crowd support throughout the residential neighborhoods was great and the course was well marked and managed by volunteers and police alike. Unlike the 5K, runners do not run the ramps once making their way back into the stadium but still finish at the fifty yard line once making their way onto the field.

This year, I felt quite strong for each one of the races and improved my overall times from last year. I finished the 5K with a time of 24:06 or 7:46/miles as compared to a time of 24:44 last year and finished the 10K with a time of 53:43 or 8:39/miles; an improvement from last year’s time of 54:22. A great nice for racing and definitely a tradition potentially in the making!