Ghost Road Trail 8-mile sweeper
This is the third 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 1.5 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, remove any debris from the trails that could be dangerous to runners in the event, as well as get a good warm-up. I decided to complete a full loop with the short out and back for the warm-up to make it a solid 5-miles 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 mid 40s. I started walking with some of the runners, as well as Holly (4 mile event sweeper) and others 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 first and only aid station (You see the station again once in the 4 mile event, and twice more for the 8 mile event) 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 close attention to the movements and landing. This allows the participants to experience what it is like to run and race on trails. I continued to jog/walk around the loop, talking with mostly a few runners tackling the 4-miler and walking with Holly, staying behind all runners. Once you hit the aid station once again and again after a small out and back before starting the second loop.
Loop 2: By the start of the second loop, Holly already turned to finish with the four milers as I was ready to pick up the pace in search of any other runners struggling with the 8-mile event. 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. There were some hikers but no 8-mile runner ahead of me. 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 area where the pickup truck was already doing the clean-up rounds.
Last mile to finish: The final stretch is mostly an easy uphill. As I knew the last 8-miler runner was already done with the event (Other than me, of course), I pressed the pace a bit more to get to the finish line. It was great to help again in this 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 complete a total of 15 miles before heading back home as a continuation of my Umstead 100 training in this recovery week.
| Month/Year | Event | Location | Type | Time |
| Feb-25 | 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, lows 50º with 87% humidity at the start.
T1D: Sugars were within running range at the start, and CGMS stopped working, I was fueling based on how I was feeling, and when I checked sugar after the event, they were way too high, so I had to do a quick adjustment bolus to bring them down.
Fueling:
Pre-Race: 1 serving of Hot Cereal, latte, and Stinger wafer.
Race: Tailwind mix that I carried on my hand bottle and water at the station.
Post: Vitamin after 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.
