Laugavegur 55K 2025

Landmannalaugur, Iceland

Saturday, July 12, 2025

I ran this race in 2022, and have a detailed post here.  Since I've run this before and also because the race was over a month ago now, this year's posting will be more abbreviated and focused just on the race itself, not the race preparation, transportation, etc.  

Having said that, the impetus for me to run this race again this year was really that Matthew had expressed interest in running it back when he was a spectator at the finish line in Þórsmörk three years ago, and I had told him that if he were ever serious about running it, I'd be happy to accompany him.  And this year that came to fruition.

I really didn't know what to expect for a target time this year.  I ran a pretty good time of 5:31 back in 2022, but I've slowed a bit.  Also, three days ago I honestly wasn't sure if I could even start nevermind finish the race, as I was having a lot of pain in the coccyx area that had just come on the day before and was so debilitating that I scratched from the weekly Fun Run 5K, as I was limping in pain on my 1/4 mile warmup.

Race start:  After a short warm-up with Matthew, I checked in my bag to be sent to the finish line.  Milled around for a bit before showing the requisite race items (space blanket, whistle, cell phone, light jacket) to race officials to gain entry to Wave 1 line-up.

Start of the famed Laugavegur 55K trail

Arrived at Landmannalaugar

Taken during our warm-up.  It's beautiful terrain here already,
and we haven't even started the race yet.

Lined up maybe a third of the way into Wave 1, and we were quickly off.  SO nice to start a race in July at 49°F!  The first 10K is mostly uphill, climbing about 1,500' up to the Hrafntinnusker aid station.  Andrew (LePage) passed me a few miles into the race, and I figured I wouldn't see him again.  

The start line being setup

After Hrafntinnusker, there were occasional sections of snow to cross over, but unlike in 2022, this time the snow sections were few and far between and the snow was soft.  In 2022, we were on snowfields for miles at a time, and it was also easier to run on back then.  In about Mile 7 or so, I was very confused when Andrew passed me for a second time, until he explained that he had stopped at the previous aid station.

Hrafntinnusker aid station!

Snow crossing about an hour into the race

I was careful not to get too close to the collapsed hole in the snow!

Mile 11 is a long steep downhill section on scree.  I passed so many people in this section, including passing Andrew.  At about Mile 12, the terrain levels off for about the next nine miles, and this was the start of my struggles.

What a view!  At Mile 10, just before the big descent

Andrew re-passed me for the final time about 13 miles in, and from there my pace just continued to slow.  By the time I got to Emstrur aid station at 38K (23M), I just was not feeling good at all.  The aid stations workers must've sensed it, as they asked me if I wanted to see a doctor that was onsite.  I said no, I just wanted to use the bathroom, get a lot of food, and then rest for a bit before continuing.  There might have been something lost in translation, as after I returned from the bathroom (surprising to have flush toilets and running water way out here!), she asked me if my stomach was feeling better.  Stomach?  I just had to pee.  Gorged myself on chocolates and watermelon, sat down in the sun on the deck for probably a good 10 minutes before getting up and going again.

Mile 14:  One of our first water crossings

Mile 17:  A deeper and colder river crossing coming
into the halfway mark at Bláfjallakvísl

The final ten miles were pretty rough as all I wanted to do was finish, and it seemed an inordinate amount of time before reaching the final river crossing of the River Þröngá.  Unlike 2022, when I really enjoyed the river crossing, this time I'm not enjoying life at the moment.  A few final slow miles to slog out and I reach the finish, almost two hours slower than three years ago.

Mile 21:  The trail is pretty flat and easy here, but unfortunately
I'm just cooked and checked out.

Mile 23:  I loved this snow-capped mountain view,
just before Emstrur aid station, where I would spend 15 
minutes stopped for rest and recuperation

Final result:  7:29:54, 451 out of 754.  Not even in the top half.  Ouch.  Full result here.

No temper tantrum.  I'm not even upset.  I ran very well in 2022, and for today, well, I spent the day in a beautiful location in a beautiful country, and I finished the race despite being still injured and questioning my ability to run this at all.

Mile 25:  It might not have been my day here, but I did finish the ultramarathon,
and it's hard to be upset when you're out here in this beautiful landscape!

Arnold Mills 2025

Cumberland, RI

Thursday, July 4, 2025

A month late on this race report, and I've run it before, so this will just be a short pictorial essay.

Pretty crowded start

But look:  still no start timing mat, meaning
this race is a gun start / chip finish.
With almost 1,000 runners (878 finishers this year),
might it be time to have a chip timed start?

Mile 1:  just ahead of teammate Matt
(Photos by Kim)

Late in the race (Mile 4, I think)

Finished!  (Official race photo)

Team WTAC today (minus Bob, but plus Mango!)

About 1 minute slower than last year,
but still enough for 1st place in my age group and
over a minute ahead of second place

Nice that Jana jumped into the race today!

Picking up my age group win award
(a medal, plus $25 Marathon Sports gift card)

Catamount 25K

Stowe, Vermont

Saturday, June 21, 2025

This was my 2nd time running this race.  My first Catamount was back in 2021, when I ran 2:01:42, 11th overall, and 1st in my age group.  This would also be my final training race before Laugavegur 55K three weeks later.

Matthew and I stayed in an Airbnb the night before in Montpelier, which made for an easy half-hour drive to the race on race morning.  Parking was real easy in a dirt parking lot adjacent to the start/finish.

Beautiful clear sunny day, with temps at a comfortable 59°F at start

Race start:  After a warm-up with Matthew and Steve Brightman, I took a Untapped waffle and was quickly ready to go.  I lined up a few rows back with Maine Jeff Walker, and we chatted for a bit waiting for the race to start.

Start of the 2025 25K
You can see Matthew and Steve Brightman
(the latter is shirtless on Matthew's right)

I do remember passing and getting re-passed by the 
Notch girl.  I don't remember this shirtless guy.

Early first few miles in the race

The first few miles are rollers, but I know the biggest climb of the day is coming at about 2.5 miles.  The climb is only 700' and it's spread out over two miles, but hill climbing is not my forte relative to others.  A few runners go by me easily on the uphill, including Maine Jeff Walker.

From miles 6 to 10, we drop about 800'.  Honestly, this is where I was hoping to catch back up to Maine Jeff Walker.  I feel like I'm running well, but it is not to be.  In retrospect, comparing my times here to 2021, I'm actually running 60 to 90 seconds slower per mile.  I know, I shouldn't compare my 60-year-old times to my 56-year-old times.  It's not helpful.  But I think it's natural?

By Mile 11, we are so close to the finish line that I can hear the announcer.  But it's deceiving as you're sent further away from the finish line and into a several-mile loop in the woods before you reach the finish.  I'm doing what I can to hold on here, and I'm both passed by several runners as well as passing several runners myself.  

Final result:  2:18:37, 30th overall (of 95), 1st in age group.  Full results here.

Coming into the finish line.  Glad to be done!

The good news is I took 1st place in my new 60s age division.  The bad news is I end up 17 minutes slower than four years ago, or just over a minute per mile slower.  I take it all in stride.  Matthew is out on a cool down that I don't have the energy for, so I grab a veggie taco kind of bowl (it's either that or pulled pork), and since I'm not much of a beer drinker, I try the kombucha they are offering.  It's not my thing, but I did try.

The best think about the kombucha wasn't the
kombucha itself, but rather that it was
served in this take-home race glass.

Fun race overall.  Would I run it a 3rd time?  Yes, probably, but there are so many good trail races out there, and I'd like to mix it up.

Gaspee Days 5K

Cranston, RI

Sunday, June 14, 2025

First time ever running Gaspee Days, motivated by the race included in the RI Grand Prix this year.  In fact, I had never even run on these roads until just two weeks prior when WTAC joined the Tuesday Night Turtles (TNT) for a 50th celebration run and post-run pizza and drinks.

WTAC / TNT group run in Warwick, June 3

Met up with Justin Pearce and Matt Sweeney at the Ashaway Park 'n Ride, where we carpooled from there, with me driving.  Was made aware of traffic and parking restrictions, and studying options, opted to park at Fay Memorial Field, about 1/2 mile away from the bib pickup and finish via trail.  Arriving, I noticed many of the Newport Run Club opted for the same parking option, with one telling me that he runs this race every year and finds this to be the best parking for ease of avoiding closed roads, getting in and out quickly.  Vindication!

I've been having some trouble accepting slower times this year, and although I ran a 17:45 in March of last year, I cautiously set an arbitrary goal of sub-19.  After ~3 miles of warm-up, I was ready to go.  There were frequent announcements that unless you were going out in 5-minute pace or faster, you didn't belong on the front line.  That didn't stop a bunch of kids from occupying the front line.  I lined up with Matt maybe three rows back, and was ready to run.  64℉ and cloudy, so pretty good weather for mid-June.  

The course was basically an OAB on Narragansett Ave,
except for a short neighborhood turnaround midway
(much better than a cone turnaround!), and pulling off
onto a quiet side street at finish.

Race start and first half:  The gun went off, and it seemed instantly so many runners had sprinted out ahead of us, some legit of course but many not.  I felt I spent the first 1/4 mile doing a fair amount of weaving, before I was able to run unimpeded and in a straight line.

I ran a 6:09 first mile.  Not the 5:40s/5:50s splits that I ran in the past, but this isn't the past.  I thought the support lining the course was great, but a few folks that run this race regularly said there are usually many more fans out there, but it was lighter this year due to the weather (off and on light rain).

I'm not a big fan of OAB courses, but at least it was a 0.2 mile lollipop turn on local roads instead of a cone turnaround.  It was also fun to watch the leaders in this race coming towards me on the return.

I was warned ahead of time about the "hill" on the return, but it's only a 40' climb, so it didn't really affect me at all.  The race really went by quite quickly, and as we made the final turn and the finish line came in sight, I see rival Norm Bouthillier just ahead of me.  I had the element of surprise going for me, but unfortunately just couldn't close ahead of him in time.

Norm in front here, and you can see me as
the next runner coming up, but I couldn't 
close the gap.
(TNT Facebook page)

Final strides to the finish.
(TNT Facebook page)

Final result:  18:59.  69 of 1769 overall, 2nd of 58 in age group.  Full result here.

Gun time 19:03 (see clock in pic), chip time 18:59.
(Snippet from race video)

I was hoping I would get lucky and Norm wouldn't be in my age group, but unfortunately he just turned 60 recently.  He got the $50 first place prize, by 3.5 seconds!

I dropped from 2nd to 3rd place in the RI Grand Prix Masters Division, as Adrian Massie ran an impressive 16:40 (he's 47 years old) for an age-graded 85.3, as opposed to my age grade for this race being an 83.3.

Overall, this was a good race that I would come back to, and I had fun out there.  I made my arbitrary goal today of sub-19 with an official time of 18:59. Unfortunately missed out on winning my age group, but really happy with how consistent my splits were at 6:09 / 6:11 / 6:09.  Fun and well organized event.

Goodwin Forest 30K

Hampton, CT

Sunday, June 8, 2025

My second year running this trail race.  Somehow I won the race outright last year, so I had to come back to defend my title, right?  While that may have played some small part in me signing up, the bigger motivation was having a moderately hilly (~2,000' elevation) and non-technical trail race of this distance fit very well in my build up plans to Laugavegur 55K just five weeks away now.  Being only an hour drive from home and a bargain price of $20* added to the appeal.  

(*$20 was the discounted price for old folks over age 50, and I did add a small donation to Friends of Goodwin Forest as well as a small donation to offset food costs.)

30K start was 9am, with the larger field in the 10K starting at 10am.  I arrived right about 8am and was greeted by expert parking marshals directing me to back in to a field at an angle for vehicle optimization.  Very quick and easy bib pickup, where I was also greeted by the Race Director, Brendan, who remembered me from last year and was eager to show me pictures on his phone of where he had improved course marking from an issue last year where I went off-course (but quickly corrected) and others went off-course and did not correct.  I could tell he took this stuff seriously (as he should, but not all do) and it all looked good to me, but the proof would be in the pudding, and I took no risk by having the GPX loaded onto my watch and even through my phone into my pack in case any issues.

This year I seemed more efficient, had plenty of time for a 1.25 mile warm-up, back to the car to load my pack (ice, 2L water, 4 gels, 1 Untapped waffle, phone), with 15 minutes to spare to decompress before the race.  Just before race start, Alison came up to me and we chatted for a bit.  She was the only person I knew in the 30K field.

Today's race course
starting and ending at Pine Acres Lake

Race:  After some helpful words from the RD and a representative from the Friends of Goodwin Forest, we were off.  Unlike last year, when the race winner (me) was decided four miles in, today, the race was decided right off the starting line.  43-year old Ben Young took it out from start to finish.  There was the usual shuffling of positions in the first half-mile, including a 44-year old passing me about this position, and me passing a guy that I thought might me in my broad age group of 50-64.

Just prior to start.  I'm in red shirt on far right.

This is the guy I passed early on that that I thought might
be in my age group.  (Race photo)

At about 2 miles in, we exit onto a road.  It's the only paved section of the course, and it's less than 1/10 mile so I don't mind it, and it gives me an opportunity to glance back and see my competitors.  Exiting onto the road, I see the guy that passed me and is in 2nd place, I'm in 3rd, and entering back onto trail, I glance back to see the guy I think might be in my age group continuing to chase me and he is in 4th place now.

There is a switchback about 3 miles in, at this juncture I no longer see anyone ahead of me, nor can I see anyone behind me.  I remind myself not to get into a lull as someone can easily catch me or I might get lucky and catch one of the top two guys, although neither scenario happens as I run the entire rest of the race "as an island".

About 5 miles in, I get to the first of several open sections.  I remember this was a real hot and steamy section last year, but not the case at all this year as it's ensconced in an eerie kind of fog.   Besides the fog, the other interesting facet at this point is some animal runs right across the trail in front of me and disappears into the bog.  My best guess is a mink, but it was so quick I can't be 100% sure.

Seven miles in, we begin the rocky ascent adjacent to the waterfalls.  It's about 120' climb and for some reason much less challenging and much less technical than I had recalled from just one year ago.  I'm not sure if that's because a year ago this course was all brand new to me, and more likely because this year I'm putting in the time on harder trail races (Breakheart and Sunapee in previous month) as part of my ultra build.  But it is scenic and I pause to take my old photo on the course:

One of the few technical sections of the course:
trail is over the rocks on the right side of 
river / waterfall

After another 1/2 mile, we come to the infamous course split where several went off course last year.  The RD has overmarked this course split this year and it is just painfully obvious which way to go.  Top marks on the course marking!  This begins the 5-mile northernmost loop.

The loop went by fairly quickly.  There is a long flat section along the Natchaug River, before a 200' climb up to the General Lyon historical site and aid station.  People later were asking me about the boiled potatoes at this aid station, but if they had them there, I didn't notice.  I took out my disposable cup and asked a volunteer to fill it with Gatorade, and I was on my way, awkwardly drinking while running and then stashing my cup back in my pack.

Back on the 2-way section, I run into a woman approaching me from the opposite direction.  She looks confused to see me coming towards her, so I explain she is going in the right direction as I go past her.  The only remaining person that I see on the course (besides the aid station volunteers) is in a clearing where a man has ridden in and parked his bike to spectate.

The rest of the run is a blur and I soon find myself on the final dirt road approaching the finish line.  I am almost out of water in my pack, so I either planned that well or got lucky by not filling to full capacity at the start and I never had to refill along the way.

Final result:  2:59:05, 3rd overall, 1st in age group.  Full results here

The good:

• Easy registration process.
• Very low priced entry.
• Good pre-race communication.
• This is a fun low-key trail race.
• Fun post-race gathering with good food.
• Neat awards!
• RD does a great job.
• Well marked and good course.
• I got 3rd overall, and 1st in age group.

The not so good:

• The race website could be a lot better.  There is a results page, but it hasn't been updated since 2023.
• Photos:  it's nice that there are free photos at all, but not so great that it took over four weeks for the organizers to post them
• 13 minutes slower than last year, and that's in better weather conditions this year

Finish line

Glad to get out of my now filthy races and socks

Nice post-race food
(there were additional options as well)

Sunapee Scramble

Newbury, NH

Sunday, June 1, 2025

(I'm one month and four races behind in the blog, so these next few posts will be more of abbreviated recaps.)

My first time running this race.  This year it was also the USATF national mountain running championship.  There is just not much infrastructure around here, so to avoid paying $300-$400 for lodging, we stayed the night before at a Best Western in Springfield, Vermont, about a 40-minute drive from the race site.  With a 9am start time, this gave me enough time to get "free" breakfast at the hotel before leaving.  Oatmeal and OJ would work well as kind of my go-to pre-race breakfast.

Arrived at Sunapee Ski Area with plenty of time to check in, use the real bathrooms, and go for a warm up run with Brady.  People who signed up early got a shirt and people who signed up late like me got a kind of cheap foam and mesh cap.  Not complaining.  I signed up less than two weeks before the race and didn't really expect any give-away.  Picked up my two bibs.  Why two?

Regular race bib for the front.

And USATF age-group bib to be worn on
your back.

Got in a decent warm-up of about 1.5 miles with Brady.  Tried to stay away from the hills / mountains, as I would be getting in plenty of that soon enough.  Temps would be favorable today, with just 46℉ at race start.  However, as it pretty much poured all day yesterday, mud would the feature of the day.  Back to the car to strip down to race gear, one final visit to the inside bathrooms, and ready to go.

Race course:  we would run the inner loop first,
and then the longer outer loop, both in a CW direction.

Very few flat parts on the course today!

Race start and loop 1:  I lined up quite a few rows back, especially given the elite runners from around the country in the field.  A very punctual start at 9am sharp.  Should be the goal of every race.  We start pretty much right away going up a muddy ski slope.  It's hard to get any traction going uphill on mud, so most of us are running on the edges of the mud, where there is at least a little bit of grass to grip onto.

Initial ascent up muddy ski slope.  The fast runners are way ahead of us.
(I'm in blue singlet and blue cap, just ahead of guy in yellow cap)

After a 500' climb on the muddy ski slope for about half a mile, we exit onto a dirt service road for the rest of the way to the summit.  We then start downhill on another ski slope, before hitting the single-track glades section.  This section is really muddy, before exiting onto another ski slope for the rest of the run down to the base.  The ski slope itself has some crazy sections calf-deep in mud!

Single-track through the glades section

I can only assume that my weird pose keeping my arms outstretched
is to give me some sense of balance through a tough muddy section

This pic and the next one will give you a sense of
the downhill calf-deep mud sections just after the glades

It was fun running through this, but I do remember
feeling like I might go down in the slippery mud (I didn't)

Finishing up Lap 1.
Time to go back up the mountain again.

Loop 2:  As I start the second climb up the mountain, I notice a 60-64 bib just in front of me that I have caught up to.  He puts a little distance on me on the 2nd climb of the muddy ski slope, but once we get onto the dirt service road again, and then start a long single-track uphill slog in mud and puddles, I catch back up to him.  I'm right behind him and think about passing him in a deep mud section that he slows down on, but then I realize as nice as it is seeing the 60-64 bib ahead of me and knowing where my competitor is, as soon as I go back him, the advantage will be his with my own 60-64 bib on my back showing.  I decide to hold off on any takeover attempts until we're done with my nemesis, the uphill climbs.  One by one, the lead three women come through, and as there is not much room to pass here, I get out of the way for each.  When Lauren Gregory comes by in 2nd place (females started 15 minutes after the men), I quickly got off the trail, but in my haste it was rather awkward as I was hanging onto a tree trunk for balance.  She is racing for a spot in World Championships, and actually takes the time to ask me if I'm OK.  Not necessary at all, but what a class act!

We reach the top of the climb, and one male runner goes past me and then past the other 60-64 runner, and then another younger runner goes past me in rapid succession, so I join in with them and make my move to go past the other 60-64.  I realize I'm fully exposed now with the age-group identifying bib on my back, and when the three of us run through thick mud, I'm hoping to lose the 60-64, but he stays right with us.  Now what?  Once we hit downhill mud, I make my move and go past the two younger guys that had overtaken me.  I stepped on the gas the whole rest of the way down and end up running the final 1.7 mile downhill section 40 seconds per mile faster on the second loop than the first, despite obviously being more fatigued.

Not only do I hold off the other 60-64 runner, but I pass one more on the way downhill to the finish.

Finishing strides

Final result:  1:46:21, 111th of 279, 2nd in age group.  Full results here

I had no idea of where I stood in my age group until the awards ceremony.  The medal I received is not much of an award, but to me it's more about how I placed as opposed to what I may have received for an award.  First place in my group was from PA and a good eight minutes ahead of me, whereas the guy that I chased on the uphill portion of second loop and he chased on downhill portion was just 39 seconds behind me.  He was a nice guy from Washington State that came over to talk to me at the finish.  He also passed the same 60-64 runner that I passed downhill to eke out 3rd place by 7 seconds.

Shorts and legs were just a little muddy after 
this one!

With my award

With Brady post-race

Overall this was just a really fun event.  The only real downside I experienced was absolutely NO post-race food included.  After hosing the mud off my legs and shoes, we headed home with a stop in Hooksett for a hearty lunch at The Common Man on I-93 rest area.