I ran the Tuckahoe 25K for the first time this year. This trail race is put on by Algonquin Ultras and the Centreville Crushers, and this was its fourth year. Race management was great — I knew everything I needed to know ahead of time, there was a packet pickup in Salisbury (about an hour away) because so many of us live here — in addition to one closer to the race — and the course was well-marked.

It's a cup-less race, so you need to bring a bottle or pack, but the aid station volunteers were helpful and I got what I needed.

The scenery was nice and offered trail views, but I did feel like I had to look down a lot to avoid tripping. There were some parts where leaves were covering the trail, and other parts that were more cleared out. This race did have some hills — steep ones for the Eastern Shore — but it was much less hilly than PHUNT (which is not too far away). Parking was easy, free and close.

Participants received a bunch of swag — a shirt, BOCO Gear visor, socks, a magnet and a triangle-shaped bib. Finishers get a custom award, and there's also great food (including churros) and beer at the end.

The cutoff time is four hours for the 25K (15.5 miles). This was a fun event and I'm glad I participated!