Music City Trail Ultra

Music City Trail Ultra

Music City Trail Ultra

( 3 reviews )
100% of reviewers recommend this race
  • Pegram,
    Tennessee,
    United States
  • March
  • 50K
  • Trail Race
  • Event Website

Ben Lamers

Shorewood, Wisconsin, United States
25 79
2018
""John is just trying to keep up with the Barkleys""
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
Ben Lamers's thoughts:

Yes, the quote in this subject was actually said to me by a volunteer at the race. No, this isn't as gnarly as the Barkley (I imagine) but this 50k is no cake walk. Still, it's one of my favorite all-time races.

This year, I got down to Nashville a couple days before the race, so I was able to pick up my packet before the race at one of the local Fleet Feet stores. I chatted with John Hardin, the RD, about the course, and went on my way. This is your standard race store packet pickup. But after 8 hours of driving, I just wanted my bib and to get to my AirBnB.

Here I should mention that last year, the race shirt was one of my favorite ever. A dark, sleeveless shirt with the race logo. This year, we got more of the same with a dark green shirt with the logo. Awesome! I think the 12k runners got a red shirt. Or rather, there was a red version that someone obviously received.

Fast forward to race morning. You can camp out before the race if you want, but the rest of us arrive in the morning at the horse farm where the race starts, aka The Battlefield. If you couldn't make the one day of packet pickup, you can do so this morning. You'll also park in a field, so if it's muddy, be aware getting in and out could be a challenge.

Before the 50k, John gathers us to go over some things pre-race. Amongst those, asking why some of us came back more than once, and to not die on the course, because he doesn't want to drag our bodies out of the woods.We do the pre-race oath, John pounds a beer, and we're off to The Battlefield.

Once you dive into the woods, the climbing begins. Almost the entire first mile you're heading up, before descending and then climbing (the 43 PERCENT GRADE) the largest hill on the course at about a mile and a quarter. After getting up the hill, you get some runnable trail until you descend off trail to the river, back up, and then back down a trail to aid station one.

After Aid Station 1 you get the first three stream crossings of the race. And on a day where the temps rose into the 80s, that was a welcome part of the race. You get more climbing between aid station 1 and 2, and this is arguably the hilliest part of the course. Up and down. This year, there were more downed trees as well to make this more challenging. You head up a hill and into aid station two.

You've got one major climb from aid station two to three, but this section is mostly downhill. If you need to pick up time in the race, this is the section to do it. This year, it was a short jaunt to AS 3 as it was moved up due to mud on the course. Stock up as AS 3, because you're about to go off on a 9 mile loop full of hills, water crossings, and off-trailing before you come back to that AS.

Due to the heat, the volunteers had a make-shift AS in the middle of this loop, which was super helpful. Especially since I was already toast here.

Once you've fought back to AS3 (now AS 4) you're headed back to the start. And remember when I said the trail from AS 2 to 3 was downhill? Well, that means the way from AS 4 to 5 is almost entirely UPHILL.

Full disclosure, I cashed it in at AS 5 due to dehydration at this point. That, plus the exhaustion of having run the Cowtown three weeks before has beaten me down.

While I didn't make it to the finish, that doesn't jade my opinion of the race. This is still a top notch event, especially if you're looking for a challenge at the 50k distance. I'll be back, and would encourage you to give it a shot too. See you on the battlefield next year.

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