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Hello Trail Runners!

Welcome to Southeastern Ohio Trail Runners, or SEOTR for short.  This is the first post on our new website, as we are a new grassroots 501(c)3 tax-exempt non-profit organization that covers Southeastern Ohio.  Mainly we make up a group of people that love to run on trails and who want to share that passion with other people; we hope to impact the community by growing and establishing a trail running culture in SE Ohio.

Trail running is a unique outdoor activity that has the resources to thrive in SE Ohio.  Just by looking at a map of Ohio, we see an abundance of State Parks, State Forests, and a National Forest.  Some of the best locations to run trails in the area include:

• Strouds Run State Park
• Lake Hope State Park
• Zaleski State Forest
• Scioto Trail State Forest
• Great Seal State Park
• Shawnee State Forest and Park
• Tar Hollow State Forest
• Burr Oak State Park
• The Hocking Hills
• Wayne National Forest
• and many more natural spaces that are close to you!

What I love is the people that make up the culture of trail running.  People run trails for the experience; whether they are seeking a shared experience with someone else or personal lived-experience of running through unique natural landscapes or cresting a ridge and seeing a beautiful view across a lake or gulley, people that run trails are good-natured, full of camaraderie, and looking for a good time on grueling terrain.

There are already many trail runners in the SE Ohio area, and SEOTR’s aim is to foster that community of trail runners and to be the central hub to share experiences, share information, and generally have a good time being on trails.  We’ll do this by hosting group trial runs, directing trail races in the area, and holding other group events for the community and our members.

Another important objective for SEOTR is to give back to the trails we use.  Whether we like to admit it or not, by running on trails we are impacting the land.  Sometimes, that impact is negative or harmful; there is a lot of upkeep and maintenance that is involved in keeping the trails in good condition.  SEOTR believes that a great way to improve the trails is to create awareness by actually running on the trails.  People will start to make a connection and will develop a desire to give back to the trails.  SEOTR aims to donate time and hours to the improvement of our public trails for all to enjoy.

Lastly, we are a membership driven organization.  While group runs and events are generally open to the public, I urge you to consider becoming a member of SEOTR; you’ll enjoy perks such as discounts to SEOTR races, decision-making roles within the organization, and an invitation to our annual meeting of members (which will involve food!).  Your member dues will go toward meeting the objectives of SEOTR and will help support our cause.  You can visit the membership page here, where you can either sign-up electronically or use the print and mail-in method.

I couldn’t be more excited to be involved with SEOTR and begin to watch the growth of trail running in SE Ohio.  Trail running is a unique experience and I hope you join us to start the process of growing the trail running culture in SE Ohio!

SEOTR has an exciting announcement!  On April 26th of this year, we will be hosting and directing our first trail race called the Iron Furnace Trail Run (IFTR).  This event will have two race distances: 20k (12.4 miles) and 5 miles.  Both races will begin at the beautiful Lake Hope State Park Lodge.

 

We are excited to begin this new opportunity to make an impact in SE Ohio.  I think you will enjoy the two-course layouts and designs – they really are designed to provide runners with the most amazing experience that this area has to offer on some of the best trails in Ohio.

To give everyone involved a high-quality experience, SEOTR has partnered with a group of Graduate Students from the Ohio University Recreation Studies Program to plan and implement the race weekend.  Not only does it give these students exceptional practical experience, but with their expertise, your experience will be even greater as well!  They’ve worked really hard to put together a great event.

Not only will you enjoy the actual race on Saturday, but the night before will also feature the packet pick-up with a guest speaker and a pasta-dinner included in every participants’ registration at the Athens Community Center.  You’ll have the option to buy more dinner tickets for family or friends while registering.  Once again SEOTR is partnering with Ohio University and Chef Tom Padron and the Restaurant, Hotel, and Tourism Association – they’ll be catering the pasta-dinner.  Trust me, you won’t want to miss their food!

Check out all the information about the Iron Furnace Trail Run under the events tab above.  Registration is open now!  We hope you join us for an exceptional race and trail experience in the 1st Annual Iron Furnace Trail Run.

Last year SEOTR hosted its first trail race, the Iron Furnace Trail Run.  With a lot of help from many different people and organizations, the IFTR was an overwhelming success!  82 people joined us at Lake Hope State Park on a beautiful April weekend and ran either the long or short version of the race.  Many of those 82 ran their first trail race!

This year, we are even more excited and anxious to be hosting the Iron Furnace Trail Run and seeing the growth of trail running in SE Ohio continues.  Check out the event page and be sure to share IFTR with your friends!  We are expecting the number of participants to grow this year, which makes everything more fun.

There have been only a couple of small changes to this year’s IFTR.  Last year the races were advertised as a 20k and a 5 mile.  Although the courses are both exactly the same as last year, after more accurate measuring of the routes, this year the IFTR has advertised as 13.1 miles and 4.5-mile distances.  This will give participants a truer read of the course distance.  The only other major change is the date.  Instead of IFTR being the last Saturday of April, it is now the first Saturday of April.  So join us on April 4th!

We look forward to seeing you in April at the 2nd running of the Iron Furnace Trail Run!

Here is a little teaser post about a new event that SEOTR is going to be starting in 2015.  This is a new style of event that is not common, but we’re looking forward to starting it and seeing the response from the trail running community – and I think you’ll like it!

Later in 2015, SEOTR will be hosting the McChesney Ridge Trail Trilogy (MRTT)!  In conjunction with partnering resort Moontime Lake, McChesney Ridge Trail Trilogy will be a 3 day, 3 race, all-inclusive weekend that includes camping and meals for all participants and participants’ family and friends!  In a sort of way, the MRTT will be a 3-day celebration of trail running with 3 trail races of different styles, speakers, trail-related movies, all kinds of other fun like swimming, bonfires, and more!

You can check out some of the details HERE but you’ll have to wait for registration details and the dates.

As the race director, I am really excited to start the McChesney Ridge Trail Trilogy.  With a lot of help from good friend Reece Brown and his newly formed recreation resort Moontime Lake, we have a great venue for hosting an event of this size and style.  This place is close to my trail running roots because I lived in one of the cabins on the property for two years during college.  I enjoyed many great trail runs and jumps in the pond during my time there and I look forward to many more memories with this event!

The 85+ acres of mostly wooded property has over 7 miles of trail-running specific designed trails.  These trails are rugged, steep, and challenging, which makes for a true trail running adventure.  The property also boasts an amazing pond that stays cool all summer long and makes for a great post-run soak. (*teaser alert – the date of this event is during a warm month!)  The scenery is unreal and provides for the perfect place in Southern Ohio for a weekend getaway and trail running adventure.

And making it a true trail running adventure and celebration is exactly what the goals of the McChesney Ridge Trail Trilogy are.  What better way for trail runners to celebrate this incredible sport than to spend 3 days competing, running trails, camping, shooting the breeze with one another, and talking all things trail running with other trail runners and their families.  We also want to make it a family affair.  This event will be open not just for the competitors but their families and friends as well.  There will be options in registration to add family and friends so they can enjoy camping, eating, and all the other activities just as the racers will!

We expect the race distances to be a 5k on the first day, then a “Vertical K” on the second day, with a 10k to close out the series.  The Vertical K might be the most challenging race of the entire series, which has runners gaining over 1,000 feet of elevation in just a 5k or less!  Not bad for Southern Ohio!

Check out Moontime Lake HERE!

 

So, what are your thoughts on the McChesney Ridge Trail Trilogy?  Who is looking forward to joining us at Moontime Lake with friends and family later this year!?

Stay tuned for registration and dates and the rest of the information to be posted soon!

 

 

The mission of SEOTR is to promote trail running as a healthy and viable recreational activity and to foster a trail running culture in Southeastern Ohio. SEOTR is made up of like-minded individuals that have a passion for running trails and who seek positive experiences and sharing their experiences with other people. The functions of SEOTR will be directed toward meeting these objectives:
1. Foster a trail running culture in SE Ohio
2. Direct and host high-quality trail races
3. Give back to the trails we use

The SEOTR News page is the place to stay updated about us.  You’ll find blogs and write-ups about anything trail related.  Anything from updates about SEOTR, creative writing pieces, member race reports, or just plain trail ramblings – that is the place to stay updated!  You can visit the Group Trail Run page to find an updated list of scheduled runs that is open to the public.  Also, “Like Us” on Facebook to receive updates from SEOTR.  Feel free to browse the site and if you have any questions use the Contact page.

We hope you join us on the trails!