Zach Bitter is on his way running a 10:07h 100 miler

I don't mean to disrespect anyone's accomplishments or denigrate what, by all accounts, is a well-organized race. Tunnel Hill seems like a cool race, and Zach is a great competitor who I completely respect. My question is more about the course and why it is considered a trail. Is it simply because of the crushed gravel surface? I've always thought of "trails" as something a bit more rugged. For instance, I consider the Rocky Raccoon course a trail, whereas the Tunnel Hill course seems more like a long straight gravel road. Again, I don't want to diminish anyone's accomplishments, I'm just curious about how records are tracked for this sort of thing.

Kennekuk Jack wrote:

I don't mean to disrespect anyone's accomplishments or denigrate what, by all accounts, is a well-organized race. Tunnel Hill seems like a cool race, and Zach is a great competitor who I completely respect. My question is more about the course and why it is considered a trail. Is it simply because of the crushed gravel surface? I've always thought of "trails" as something a bit more rugged. For instance, I consider the Rocky Raccoon course a trail, whereas the Tunnel Hill course seems more like a long straight gravel road. Again, I don't want to diminish anyone's accomplishments, I'm just curious about how records are tracked for this sort of thing.

Tunnel Hill 100 is officially a road race according to the USATF.

Otherwise you couldn't run records on it.

If you don't believe me, look it up on the Tunnel Hill website.

Since it’s not paved (according to the website), “trail” bests can also be set there. Either the organizers want every record for themselves or they’re being clever.

It is a road run that self-identifies as a trail.

Being positive here wrote:

First of all congratulations to Zach Bitter's outstanding performance in this cold weather.

The headline was meant to be a joke for this ridiculous prediction tool the timing people used.

And yes Zach Bitter is a very consistent competitor. Not very common these days.

You'll have to forgive the other poster for not noticing - usually jokes are funny or clever.

It’s smooth and firm enough to be measured for road records, but it’s trail too cause it’s crushed limestone/dirt. Zach proves it’s a slower surface than paved road/track. It’s a flat, dirt trail essentially.

Thanks for the reply. That makes more sense. I was referring to the tweet from Camille where she called it the "fastest 100 mile trail course in the world," and I was kind of left scratching my head.

The RD is smarter than me, able to please everyone!

Kennekuk Jack wrote:

Thanks for the reply. That makes more sense. I was referring to the tweet from Camille where she called it the "fastest 100 mile trail course in the world," and I was kind of left scratching my head.

Which is kind of funny since she ran a road world record on the same course last year.

jesseriley wrote:

Sri Chinmoy races (longest in the world) only served vegetarian food, which I enjoyed & ran well on (250th fastest all-time 1000-mile, admittedly), but many ordered out for meat sometimes.

Indeed, it was at their races that the great Ashprihanal Aalto (also a vegetarian) ran 40 days, 9 hours for 3100 miles, and where Rimas Jakeleitas (sp?) split over 600 miles in their 10 day race in his effort to reach 1000 miles.

YMMV wrote:

It is a road run that self-identifies as a trail.

You’re obsessed. Which is insanely ironic, don’t you think?

Wow...just wow wrote:

YMMV wrote:

It is a road run that self-identifies as a trail.

You’re obsessed. Which is insanely ironic, don’t you think?

A no-smoking sign on your cigarette break

It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife