Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 Mile Run

Information

This information is for the 2010 event. It has not been updated for 2011.

Summary

The MMT is a challenging 100 mile trail ultra over a demanding, rocky course in the Massanutten Mountains of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. The course includes short but rugged mountain climbs that total over 18,000 feet. While the May date usually avoids Virginia's brutal summer weather, we have had rain and violent storms in prior years. The event is noted for its well-stocked, friendly aid stations and good course marking. The starting field is limited to 180 entrants with a goal of producing 175 runners on the starting line.

Entry

• Entry is closed: You may join the waiting list on January 11. If you are on the entrants list and want to withdraw, go to the withdrawal page.
• Qualifications: Entrants must have completed either:
  • A 100 mile trail run at anytime before December 1, 2009
  • A 50 mile run after January 1, 2008 and before December 1, 2009

• How to Enter: The entry process opens on November 30. Our entry system is a bit different so be sure to check it out. We will allow 180 on the final entrants list with a goal of 175 starters.
• Entry Fee: The entry fee is $150.
• Scholarships: The VHTRC sponsors two entry fee scholarships for needy runners. The scholarships are based on need, not speed. Runners receiving a scholarship are not identified. If you want to apply for a scholarship, you must contact the RD by November 25. Scholarships will be awarded before entry opens. Receiving a scholarship does not insure entry to the event or give any priority in the entry process.

Photo by Tom Sperduto
(www.tomsperduto.com)
• Waiting List: We will maintain a waiting list. Our experience is that many people will move from the waiting list to the entrants list, but this movement will not occur until a month or two before the run. More information on chances of getting off the waiting list and into the starting field.

The Run

• Start Time and Place: The run starts at 5 AM on Saturday, May 15, 2010 at Caroline Furnace Lutheran Camp in Fort Valley, Virginia (near Luray). The finish line is at the same location as the start. The course closes 36 hours later at 5 PM on Sunday, May 16.

Course Record Holder Sim Jae Duk on Kerns Mountain
Photo: Aaron Schwartzbard
• The Course: The course is a loop in the Massanutten Mountains. While the start/finish area has moved to a different location from last year, over 90 percent of the route that will be followed is the same. Course information
• Aid Stations: There are 15 aid stations. Most will be fully stocked. More aid station information.
• Drop Bags: You may prepare a drop bag for delivery to most aid stations. Drop bags must be marked with your name, your race number, and the aid station name (not the aid station number). Drop bags must be delivered to the start by the time noted in the schedule. Drop bags may be picked up at the finish on Sunday afternoon. Many bags will not return to the finish before mid to late Sunday afternoon. Consult the aid station chart to determine which stations accept drop bags. Not all do. Please read the Guidelines on Drop Bags

RD Stan Duobinis gives 2008 MMT winner Todd Walker his award

• Course markings: The course will be marked with yellow surveyor's tape. Red tape will bar entry to trails you shouldn't take. There will primarily be reflective markings for the the portions of the course traveled at night. (We no longer generally use chemlites, though there will be a few in some locations.) While the VHTRC has an established reputation for a well-marked course, that doesn't mean you can't get lost if you don't pay attention.
• Cut-offs: All aid stations with crew access have cut-off times that will be enforced. You must be out of the aid station before the cut-off. A race official will enforce the cut-off times. The overall time limit to complete the course is 36 hours. The cut-off times are listed on the aid station chart. (The cutoffs for 2010 will not be reliable guides for pacing. See the note on the aid station chart.)

13 Time Finisher Gary Knipling
• Pacers: Many people run MMT without help. Both the men's and women's course records were set without pacers or crews. You may, however, have a pacer join you at the Camp Roosevelt aid station (63.1 miles) or any aid station beyond that point where crew access is allowed. To help pacers and runners find each other, we have established the MMT Pacer Page. Also, important rules for pacers are available on that page. See also the special division for those without a crew or pacer next.
• Stonewall Jackson Foot Cavalry Division: There will be a category for those runners who complete the event without crew or pacer support. There will be a silver belt buckle for the top man and woman in this division. More information.
• Crews: We provide support so that you will not need a crew. But your crew is welcome to support you if they comply with the rules for crews. The detailed rules for crews are in the Crew Instructions.
  
  New for 2010: There will be strict rules for crews at several aid stations. A runner may have only one crew or pacer vehicle at some aid stations. That vehicle will require a visible tag from race management to park at these aid stations. These rules will be on the Crew Instructions which we will update before the event.
• 
  Jay Finkle's Five Year Award
  Click for larger
  Awards: All finishers will receive an engraved belt buckle. Runners who finish under 24 hours will receive a silver buckle as will the male and female winners in the categories noted below. At least two competitors must start the race in a category for a silver buckle to be awarded. Official finishers not earning a silver buckle will receive a pewter one. Silver belt buckle categories are:
  • Overall
  • Stonewall Jackson Foot Cavalry Division (no crew or pacer)
  • Master (age 40-49)
  • Senior (age 50-59)
  • Super Senior (age 60+)
  • VHTRC
• Visitors Award: If you run as far as Camp Roosevelt (63.1 miles), but do not finish, you will receive a rocky reminder of your visit to Massanutten Mountain. This "Visitor Award" is given to entice you back another year to be more than a visitor to the MMT 100.
• Post Run Celebration and Awards Ceremony: We will again have food and refreshments at the finish line that will be free to all -- runners, volunteers, crews, and pacers. The awards ceremony will take place in the afternoon.
• Training Runs: Tom Corris will again conduct a series of training runs on the course. These runs are low key and require that you have a map or know the route. For more information, visit the training run Web site or contact Tom Corris.
  • MMT#1 - January 16 – Elizabeth Furnace to Camp Roosevelt – 30.5 Miles (part of the MLK Training Run Weekend)
  • MMT#2 - February 20 – Caroline Furnace Camp to Elizabeth Furnace – 32.6 Miles CANCELLED
  • MMT#3 - March 27 – Camp Roosevelt to Caroline Furnace Camp – 38.6 Miles
  • Chocolate Bunny - April 3 – Gap I to Gap II – 26.7 Miles

Important Rules

Race Director Stan Duobinis (left) with Ed Demoney, the former RD

• Littering: Dropping any litter anywhere on the course is strictly prohibited. Carry all trash to the next aid station and dispose of it in an appropriate receptacle.
• Relieving yourself: Do so off the trail and not "in public." Bury solid human waste properly.
• Medical issues: You are responsible for your own safety. We do not provide any medical care during the run nor do we perform "weight checks." No doctors, nurses, or EMTs are available along the course or at any aid station. In case of an emergency, we will endeavor to get local emergency personnel to an injured runner (or vice versa) as soon as possible, but due to the remote location of portions of the course, this could take hours. Many runners finish, or drop out, with bruises and scrapes. This is an event with risks.
• Parking at Caroline Furnace Lutheran Camp: Please park properly at the start/finish. There will be assigned places to park depending on whether you are spending Friday night or are only parking while you are running. (You may sleep in your car, but you must pay the camping fee and park in a designated area.) Please see the Accommodations section below.

2008 Female Winner Amy Sproston
Photo: Aaron Schwartzbard
• Dogs are not permited on the grounds of the Caroline Furnace Lutheran Camp.
  
  At the aid stations, please note the following: Dogs, even friendly ones and even those on a leash, can be disruptive for the volunteers and runners. Please do not bring a dog into any aid station. If you have a dog, please keep it away from the runners, the aid station itself, and the volunteers in the aid station. If your dog wants to meet its running master along the course, please arrange for it to do so before or after the runner enters the aid station itself. Dogs should always be on a leash.
• Crew Issues: Crews are asked to comply with all directions of Forest Service and aid station officials. It is critical to park legally. Crews should be familiar with the crew instructions and abide by their admonitions. Crews that do not abide by the rules could be excluded from the course and, in aggravated circumstances could cause the disqualification of the runner they are supporting. Be sure to note the special crewing and parking rules for route 211 Aid Stations.

Accommodations

Two MMT Finishers

• Lodging at Caroline Furnace Lutheran Camp
  There are three types of lodging available at Caroline Furnace Lutheran Camp. All are located a short distance from the start/finish area.
  1. Cabins. There are six cabins available. Each unit has bunk beds and sleeps 12 and has a half bath. The cabins are clustered near the new bathhouse that has showers. They are also near Moyer Lodge, which serves as the dining room.
  2. Sukkahs. There are six sukkahs available. Each sukkah sleeps eight. These are "three-season" cabins with screened walls. There is no electricity and no bathroom facilities in the units. There is a bathroom building nearby. The bathroom building does have electricity.
  3. Camping. Camping is available. (Sleeping in your car is considered camping.) The camping area is within walking distance of the bathhouse facility. No hard-sided campers (RVs, etc. are allowed.)
  The cost for the weekend of these facilities is:
  
      Cabins: $30 per person.
      Sukkahs: $10 per person.
      Camping: $8 per person.
  
  

Revised October 2009

Eight MMT Finishers (and a couple of pacers)