The Mohican 100 Trail Run
As the 2009 running season winds down, most runners start to ponder their racing schedule for 2010. Personally, my choice of future events is pending on the results of the Western States 100 lottery to be held on December 5th. If my name is one of the roughly 300 to be drawn from the nearly 2000 applicants, I will need to determine which races will offer the soundest preparation for this event which will most certainly require a Monumental Effort.
The odds of getting a ticket to this race are slim; therefore the vast majority of applicants will start to explore “Plan B” minutes after the lottery results have been posted. There are so many great races that I aspire to run, so I will not be entirely disappointed if I am not selected. It might even be a blessing in disguise as participating in Western States is a considerable expense, not to mention the training challenges Easterners face preparing for 18,000 feet of elevation gain to go along with 22,000 feet of descent.
If you are an East-Coast ultra runner looking for an excellent 100-miler, allow me to recommend the Mohican Trail 100. I was introduced to the world of 100-milers in June 2000 when I crewed and paced for friends who attempted this race, and I have returned to Loudonville, Ohio seven more times since then to either test my mettle against the course or offer support to another brave soul.
Why this regular pilgrimage to the Mohican Forest in mid-June? Without a doubt, the Mohican is special to me because it marked my first attempt and successful completion of a race of this distance. Heck, I even got the race’s logo tattooed to my shoulder as a reminder of how important this accomplishment was to me and it also serves as my motivation to continue running. Over the course of my many visits to Central Ohio, I have also had the pleasure of sharing the trails with some fantastic people and forged some friendships along the way. People such as Ron & Kathy, Mark & Stephen, Fred, Tanya, Connie and the late Regis have made my experiences at the Mo special. Anyone who has run this race will certainly have had the pleasure of meeting Colleen. The official reporter for the Mohican 100, Colleen is omnipresent throughout the day and night, clad in purple attire, armed with a pad and pencil, always in search of yet another interesting yarn to spin. Colleen has also been known to send personalized congratulatory cards and pictures to first time finishers of the race.
Scott (center) finishes the Mo in 2009, with pacers Shep & Vince
As for the course itself, the Mohican 100 run offers challenging and scenic trails with some short country road sections in the early and late miles. At the Mohican runners will meet some incredible aid-station volunteers at interesting landmarks. These include the Fire Tower (where some runners have been known to ascent the 100+ steps during the race), Covered Bridge, Bridle Staging Area and Rock Point. Runners will encounter Little Lyons Falls, a crossing of the Mohican River, the quad-busting Big Hill near the finish, and will be treated to a spectacular show by the millions of fireflies during the night portion of the run. Furthermore, as the Mohican is usually near the summer solstice, the race is held on one of the longest days of the year thus reducing the amount of time spent running in the dark. All finishers are recognized at the awards ceremony and each will receive their belt buckles. I will not be returning to the Mohican in 2010, but I will certainly run this race again in the future.
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