This is the second year of the event, and once again, I had the opportunity to be the sweeper at the Ghost Road Trail Run event. The sweeper is the last person/runner in the event to come in, making sure other runners are safe and that they all make it to the finish line. Since I am still training for Umstead 100 I needed to complete some additional miles. I arrived about 2 hours before the event to cover a few extra miles before the event and use those miles to once again get familiar with the area and markings as well as get a good warm-up. I decided to complete a couple of loops without the short out and back for the warm-up to make it a solid 7-mile warm-up. I returned to the start area, picked up my bib, and after a few announcements, the National Anthem, off we went.

Mile 1: The initial mile was very uneventful; the temperature was great, hovering in the low 50s. I started walking with some of the runners who were tackling the 4-mile distance option of the event. The route is very wide, mostly downhill, on an old abandoned road. You then hit the aid station with plenty of water available before you turn into the single-track portion of the event.

Loop 1: Excellent single track for people who want to try trail running in a safe environment. The trail, located at Forrest Ridge Park, does offer plenty of turns and a nice view of the lake. From time to time, the trail provides some roots and rocky segments that require the runner to pay additional attention. This allows the participants to experience what it is like to run and race on trails. I continued to jog around the loop, talking with mostly a few runners tackling the 4-miler and passing a few until I encountered the first person tackling the 8-mile option. After 3 miles of single track, I was able to snap a couple of pictures of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd runners who were already on their second lap, as well as a quick pic of my friend Elena, who was running extra mileage today. Once you hit the aid station once again and again after a small out and back before starting the second loop.

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Loop 2: By the start of the second loop, I was ready to do some cleanup along the way, but the running trail community was amazing, as I did not find any items or garbage left behind on the trail. The last 8-mile runner was just ahead of me, and I was making sure to leave enough space for them to do their thing without worrying that the sweeper was closing in during the 1st loop, but by this time, we ended up talking for a few miles. There were a few 1st timers tackling their 1st single-track trail event, and all were doing phenomenally. I stopped at one of the trail marking areas and collected the pink ribbon and a few signs to clear the trail for normal usage. I continued running with the signs and markings, dropping them at the aid station.

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Last mile to finish: The final stretch is mostly an easy uphill. As I knew the last 8-miler runner (Other than me, of course) was well ahead of me, I pressed the pace a bit more to get to the finish line. To my surprise, he passed another runner as he had one more surge of energy on his reserve. It was great to see them finish the event.

A very well-organized event that I would recommend for beginners and veterans if they want to test single-track trails and practice trail racing. I hung around for a bit at the finish line area, talking to a few people before I headed back to the trail to complete one more loop before heading back home with Ken and Jen who are also training for Umstead100.

Month/Year	Event	Location	Type	Time
Feb-24	Ghost Road Trail Run	NC	Misc	–:–:–

Event Highlights

Course: Great ample trail for the 1st mile, then narrows to single track, then again miles 4 and 8 very wide. Mostly flat or rolling hills. Lovely view of the lake. Excellent for new trail runners who would like to experience single-track running in a “safer” environment.

Venue: At a park area, good parking area with an open start/finish area.

Expo: No Expo.

Weather: Mostly cloudy skies, 53º with 87% humidity at the start.

T1D: Sugars were within running range at the start and stable throughout the event. But at the cool-down extra loop, they started to dip on the low side, but it was okay.

Fueling:

Pre-Race: 1 serving of Hot Cereal, latte, and banana.

Race: Tailwind mix that I carried on my hand bottle and water at the station.

Post: Protein Shake within an hour of the event.

Learning Points:

It is fun to volunteer and help other runners

Having no pressure to maintain a pace or effort makes for a pleasant, easy event.

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