2025 Tough Trail Challenge

August 31st, 2025. I had a day to myself today while Hayley visited her family in Syracuse with the kids. Labor Day holiday tomorrow, not many chores to do at home, so the question is: what Challenge courses am I fitting in on the penultimate day of the 2025 FLRC Challenge?

I considered a few possibilities — hamster-wheeling on the Groton High School track for 8 or 9 hours to try to nab that Sweet 1600 sign from Patrick Milano; slogging through some absurd quantity of Varna humps on the road to win the Triple Hump sign; keeping it short and going for best average at Cayuga Cliffs; or making amends for my opening day Tough Tarmac DNF on April 19th.

Oddly enough (for me, anyway) a track ultra had no appeal, 15 to 18 Mount Pleasant humps even less so. Consecutive day race efforts on Cayuga Cliffs is more labor than I’d like on Labor Day, and any number of way-faster-than-me guys could beat it tomorrow anyway. The Tough Trail Challenge it is then.

I knew I’d have time to finish the 50k within the time limit, so I challenged myself to try to best Stephen Jesch's leading times for both elapsed time and run time.

Cayuga Cliffs

Last night was a late one after seeing the Black Keys and Gary Clark Jr. at CMAC and then driving home. I got a late start on Cayuga Cliffs as a result. I drove around blasting Black Keys favorites and this (plus coffee) got me fired up for a reasonably good time on the opening course. I had the nature preserve to my self and cruised through while enjoying the crisp morning air. Eight completions now and I still disagree with Rebecca on the easier direction for the opening loop. Then onward to the Cornell arboretum for course number 2

Fall Creek Trails

One more run on one of my favorite Challenge courses. Still buzzed on cold brew and Akron, Ohio, blues rock, I cruised through this one right to the trail closure on Beebe Lake’s north side.

Looking now at a map I can see the shortest bypass is up the steps past the observatory and down Cradit Farm through North Campus. In the moment I couldn’t figure out a better route than going partway uphill off the trail and following what looks like a deer path, while walking carefully to avoid trampling the vegetation. Near the lake’s west end I spotted 4-5 people on the trail and cut back down, assuming it was open there. Nope. They all just ignored the barrier and sign near Triphammer Falls.

I continued on without incident to finish course 2 of 5.

Mullholland Waterfalls

Course 3 for the Tough Trail Challenge. I arrived around 10:45 and snagged the last available parking spot. Strange that I only saw a few other people in the trail. That probably means a bunch of kids converged at the cliff for illegal swimming. This route is so short compared to the others. I zoned out and don’t remember anything about the run aside from being glad that no one boosted the QR code sign again.

North Country Half

Man, this course is tough and breaks me every time! Even today when it was dryer than ever and only about 70°. I saw a bunch of runners coming in while I was headed out — only two Challengers that I recognized. One group warned me about a bear they saw now the turnaround at Porter Hill Road. I’ve lived in Ithaca for almost 12 years and been running local trails here even longer, but I’ve never in Tompkins County seen a wild animal that could kill me. I continued outbound, hoping it was like that scene in Little House on the Prairie where Pa mistakes a large tree stump for a bear in low light.

I reached the ursine-free turnaround sign and headed back, relieved. I then remembered I could’ve won that sign for second most NC Half runs, but now it was too late. Dennis has it wrapped up, with Gill way ahead for the most completions.

All the inbound downhill made for a nice gravity-friendly break but it still felt like forever back to the underpass. I finished the course with dry feet for once.

Abbott Ascent

To paraphrase Jack Kerouac:

Down in Danby,
Down in Danby,
All I did was die

I finished North Country and already felt trashed. I made a quick stop at the nearest Speedway for Chex Mix and some icy Mountain Dew, then drove down to Michigan Hollow Road for a round of hilly, technical misery. I do like this loop, just not when I’m exhausted and ready to go home.

I didn’t realize until getting back into 5G civilization and checking the Leaderboard activity log that fellow ultrachallenger Dennis Stadleman was out here when I was, deep into another 100k attempt.

The Abbott trails were as dry as they’ve ever been, though I was surprised by how overgrown some parts are. My legs no longer like to work on big ascents so most of the hills were walking pace. Good thing there’s only 1,800 feet of vert on the loop. 

I finally found myself running hard on the last half-mile downhill until I ate it 200 meters from the start/finish sign. I landed on my side and wrenched my left shoulder, which I injured last April and is taking forever to heal because I keep doing stupid stuff like tripping on trails. I did my best to ignore it until after scanning the finish sign. Results.

Tough Trail done. Turns out my shoulder is probably fine. I managed to beat Stephen’s run time by a whopping 4 minutes, but really just glad to have finished it. Tomorrow morning I’ll be rewarded by getting to run the Groton Labor Day 5k with my 5-year-old son.