Shawn Ferry: Running Rocks! in Summer Race Report

On a working farm, the trail is decorated with bones

Rockland Farm in Leesburg is a private working farm that happens to have periodic riding and running events, primarily mountain bike racing with Plum Grove Cyclery and now trail running with Potomac River Running. Sunday's race offered two options ~8mi and ~4mi courses. Having already put in my weekend workout I went with a camera planning to run a little and take pictures. I am looking forward to getting out there and racing the next one.

After the rain and the MTB race the day before I was wondering how the trail would be holding up. The parts of the course I saw were fast, dry, smooth and clear with some rocks, logs and roots to keep you from getting distracted. Humidity was fairly low and it was very pleasant running in the shade. On a Mountain Bike I would call the course fairly flat but as a runner I would call some parts gently rolling.

As with any inaugural event there were a few issues that need to be worked out. The course had a single water stop which was supposed to be around the middle of the overlapping course. For the long course the water was closer to 6 miles, combined with mile markers only at the first and last mile a number of long course runners were under the impression that they had become lost on the course and those running without watches were glad to hear that they were nearly done.

The field for each race was fairly small with the short course at 27 and the long course boasting only 30 runners. On the course each of the eventual winners was in the lead over the next runner by over a minute.

Based on the times in the pictures the long course heated up after the water stop with second to sixth place all within a minute. Second place finisher Dirk Plante passed 4th place Charlie Mercer and 5th place Dennis Billings while making up about a minute on winner David Wagner and 37 seconds on 3rd place Jess Laurent extending the gap to 5 seconds at the finish.

The short course got started at almost exactly 8:02 with eventual winner Van Arnold starting off in the lead.