This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Sports

Runners Get Ready for 50-Mile Race at Bull Run

Challenging annual race attracts runners from around the region.

More than 300 runners will take part next month in the 19th annual Bull Run 50-mile Run, a competitive and demanding off-road race that starts in Clifton and follows the scenic Bull Run Trail.

The race will start at 6:30 a.m. April 9, at Hemlock Overlook Regional Park, Clifton. The race course cuts through a bucolic Northern Virginia over single-track dirt trails that parallel the Bull Run and the Occoquan River. The race, sponsored by the Virginia Happy Trails Running Club, is one of the oldest long-distance runs in the area and has proven to be extremely popular. 

In fact, all 350 running slots have been filled and there is a waiting list of another 80 people who are hoping that some of those already registered drop out, said Anstr Davidson, a club member and race organizer.

Find out what's happening in Centrevillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“It’s a different kind of challenge,” said Davidson, who has run the race four times. “You don’t run it as a marathon. It’s less intense but longer. Not everyone is in fantastic shape, but generally they are in good shape.”

Runners will have 13 hours to finish the race and they are not allowed to get on the trail before the 6:30 a.m. starting time. All runners are timed and winners are recognized in various categories. There is a pre-race meal at Hemlock on the Friday before the race, Davidson said. 

Find out what's happening in Centrevillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Although all runners who finish are timed, it’s not competitive like the larger marathons in the area, said Al Manning, a 52-year-old Centreville system engineer who is running the race this year for the second time.

“It’s more of a community type event where people get to go on the trail and talk with each other,” said Manning, who also participates in the more intense 140-mile Iron Man competitions. “I’m not the fastest guy, but I finish.”

“It’s different from an Iron Man competition because it isn’t on a flat surface,” Manning said. “But the trail is really pretty and parts are absolutely gorgeous. I could run through that forever.”

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Centreville