Bigfoot 50km Trail Challenge
December 12, 2014 – Salt Fork State Park
The Legend of Bigfoot
The Bigfoot 50km Trail race is a hidden gem tucked away in the gorgeous and punchy hills of Salt Fork State Park. It provided everything that 3 Canadian girls were searching for – awesome trails, gnarly weather and good old hospitality.
My girlfriends and I stayed at the Salt Fork lodge and literally walked down the hall to registration (complete with fresh coffee) and then outside to the start line. It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t mention this events race swag – Bigfoot provided me with the best and softest Asics hoodie to date.
The course was set up with 3 loops of 10.4 miles and treated us to over 4,000 feet of elevation gain and loss. The small stretch of road brought some relief from the gnarly trails and then straight into your first aid station-talk about awesome volunteers too. Runners had the luxury of 2 aid stations during each loop, which was an added bonus in the torrential downpour this year because you had the opportunity to get dry clothes.
I especially loved the post race kindness of delicious and warm homemade soup, helpful volunteers and friendly race directors. Because of the convenient location, my girlfriends who were running the 10miler were able to shower and even see me out onto my last lap – talk about a wicked pick-me-up! Of course they were also waiting for me at the finish which only added to the post race ambiance of friendly trail running people.
I think my love for gnarly weather really served me well in this race because I squeaked in the win. With that, I was treated to a beautiful handmade walking stick which will serve me well hiking along the Bruce Trail in Canada.
<img class=”alignleft size-medium wp-image-5105″ alt=”2015 Female Winner” src=”https://www.westernreserveracing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/2015-Female-Winner-225×300.jpg” width=”225″ height=”300″ />
Well done, Western Reserve Racing.
Shannon Carpenter
