The Buck 50: The Birth of an Epic Trail Race :: Hudson-Mohawk Road Runners Club

The Buck 50: The Birth of an Epic Trail Race

by Bill and Naomi Hoffman

The idea of traversing a staggering 32+ miles through remote wilderness may seem like a foreign concept to 99% of the population. However, the growing sport of ultra trail running routinely has people doing that and more. Each trail race is a unique adventure, rooted in the idea of sharing an awe-inspiring place with like-minded athletes.

On October 21, 2023, the inaugural Buck 50K brought together a diverse group of people: dedicated volunteers, passionate trail runners, vigilant forest rangers, and others to the eastern shore of Lake George to share in an adventure that starts at Camp Chingachgook, goes over Buck, Sleeping Beauty, Black, and Erebus Mountains, and once more over Buck Mountain, and finally ends back to camp.

The event is a testament to the spirit of adventure and camaraderie that defines the world of ultra trail running, as it allows individuals to connect with nature and each other in a way that is truly unparalleled.

Back in 2014, while training for the Wakely Dam Ultra, (another epic trail race that spans a challenging 34 miles of the Northville-Placid Trail from Wakely Dam to Piseco Airport) Tim Ela, Jake Stookey and Bill Hoffman, all ultrarunners from Clifton Park, were running from Buck Mountain to Sleeping Beauty and back. As they began their run, they couldn't help but notice a sign at the Buck trailhead that read, "BLACK Mt SUMMIT 16.0 miles." A simple sign, but it carried with it a challenge and promise of an extraordinary journey with the hint of an adventure ahead. The thought was, who could that sign be directed to? It must be for ultrarunners.

Buck Mountain Trailhead, Pilot Knob

In 2017 Tim, Jake, and Bill did their first test run of the course (https://www.strava.com/activities/983216124). It took approximately 9 hours, and was an epic day, leaving an indelible mark. They knew then it was destined to be a great race someday. A year later, five people attempted what they started referring to as the Buck50 course. This time around, there were three DNFs (Did Not Finish) and only two finishers. It was a testament to the sheer rigor of the course, and it solidified its reputation as a race that demanded not just endurance, but true grit.

Finding a willing race director

The next challenge was to figure out how to make it happen. Initially, the idea was to convince another race director to take up the mantle and host the race. When that didn’t pan out, it became clear that the level of commitment, hard work and unwavering persistence required to give birth to a new trail race could only come from the dedication and passion of its creators.

Enter Mountain Dog Running, LLC

The logistics of the Buck50 are complicated by lack of access to much of the course by car. However, a boat could service an aid station on the shore of Lake George. Finding a boat was resolved one day in July 2023 while Bill was trail running the Adirondack Great Range Trail with “Stravaless” Josh Farrell of Albany, who offered up a family boat for the aid station!

Having secured a boat, the focus then returned to the hard work of getting Camp Chingachgook, the DEC, and a host of local fire and rescue folks on board with the race. After much negotiation, volumes of email, several calls, including a one hour zoom call with 20+ people, a permit was finally issued the Monday before the race!

Although the team nearly gave up several times, with the permit in hand they were determined to make the best of it. A call went out on Facebook to solicit as many runners and volunteers as possible for what was to be the epic first Buck 50 race.

2023 is the year for the Buck50

Race week

By Wednesday, 17 runners and enough volunteers for three sweeper teams, three aid stations, and the start and finish setup had signed up. To say the week went by fast was an understatement. The logistics involved in coordinating with dozens of people from all over the region to show up and make this race happen are daunting. Much of the work involved with organizing a race like this is providing clear instructions for those involved. We likely wrote 30+ pages of text (not including this article) in the process of launching the race. The primary goal was to get all the runners safely from point A over five mountains and back to point A in one piece, while providing the best experience possible.

Course Marking

Bill and Tim marking the course (photo credit Bill Hoffman)

Registration (photo credit Rebecca Hanley)

It was a dark and rainy morning when 15 mighty runners (down from the original 17 who had signed up) launched onto the course at 6:39 a.m.

Start of the race at Camp Chingachgook (photo credit Bill Hoffman)

The race winner's (Matthias Kirchner) Strava post (shown above) described the conditions well.

Time slows on race day

As a race director, the first objective is to get everyone checked in and get the race underway on time. Next, all you can think about is getting everyone back safe and happy. Checking in with the aid stations along the course is the best way to track runners’ progress. After a short few hours, the Hogtown aid station reported that all the runners had made it over Buck and past the first aid station, and the first two sweepers were headed out behind them to collect flags and aid any runners needing help.

Hogtown Aid Station Volunteer Sarah King giving runner Jaqueline Fucile a hug.
(photo credit Jame Giffiths)

Only one runner did not make it to the second aid station before the cut off time and had to drop from the race. At the halfway point, all competitors made it to the “pirate boat” aid station before the cut off. Once the sweep team made it to the top of Erebus, they called back to release the boat, as it would no longer be needed to evacuate any potentially injured runners since there would be a closer road exit point at Hogtown from then on.

Bill at the Black Mountain trailhead aid station watching a runner approach
(photo credit Rebecca Hanley)

The first runner, Matthias Kirchner of Troy, crossed the finish after an incredible 7 hours and 4 minutes, and the next finisher, Len Anderson from Clifton Park, in an equally impressive 7 hours 25 minutes. More runners crossed the finish line to be greeted by cheers, a dry pavilion, warm fire pit, and hot food. The first female finisher, Justine Trybendis of Glens Falls, finished in 10 hours 19 minutes.

The Pilot Knob Fire Chief Bridget Paris high fiving a runner finishing the race
(photo credit Naomi Hoffman)

First place Matthias Kirchner in the final stretch (photo credit Tim Ela)

The MDR team experienced a joyous moment and a big sigh of relief when the final aid station (Hogtown 2.0) reported that all runners had made it through before the cut off time! Bill was literally doing a happy dance at the finish line. All that runners needed to do to finish was go up and over Buck and run back to camp. The last runner came in at 11:00:26, well under the 12 hour limit for the course. The remaining sweepers emerged just after dark. It was as perfect an ending as they could have hoped for.

Finishers sharing their experience by the fire pit. (Photo credit Naomi Hoffman)

Volunteer Dan Flanagen assembling grills. (photo credit Naomi Hoffman)

See you at the Moreau Half in a few weeks! (photo credit Naomi Hoffman)

It takes a village to raise a trail race

The MDR team would like to thank everyone involved with the race. The volunteers were nothing short of amazing (some dragging a wagon full of tents, food and water to a remote aid station, others running up mountains to collect flags). As were the Camp Chingachgook employees, the DEC rangers who were on site the entire day, and the local fire departments who came to the race and high-fived finishers. And finally, kudos to the amazing athletes that completed this beautiful course and made the inaugural Buck50 a reality. Looking forward to next year!

Sunset as seen by the last sweepers going over Buck (photo credit Rebecca Hanley)

Appendix: The story on Strava

In this section are some Strava links that tell the story of the Buck50 and how it was created by running. This is a race by runners for runners. It was crafted over six years by running the trails in that area.

Beauty and the Buck, the inspiration
https://www.strava.com/activities/175583630

The OG Buck50:
https://www.strava.com/activities/983216124

Next year’s three DNFs
https://www.strava.com/activities/1565503224

On the brink of Covid that killed the Buck50 for a few years, a run with the Chingachgook outdoor director:
https://www.strava.com/activities/3183237800

Bill and Tim fine tune the course, working on the last bit from Erebus back to Buck. A great trail was found, but it was not maintained at all, and would be difficult to follow.
https://www.strava.com/activities/8109060792

Bill scouting out an alternate route. Bill found that the next trail was really nice. Likely an old logging road, with huge old growth trees ancient bridges covered in moss, and a gentle climb after the Erebus decent:
https://www.strava.com/activities/9596613849

Bill and Tim marking the course:
https://www.strava.com/activities/10074476839

After the race, the runners all loved/hated the climb up Erebus, so Bill created “Ride the Struggle Erebus” segment:
https://www.strava.com/segments/35712168 Erebus segment

Bill and Naomi Hoffman

Bill is the CEO of Mountain Dog Running, an avid trail runner who has completed the Leadville trail 100 twice, the Cascade Crest 100, and over 50 marathon or longer races. When he is not running, he is the CTO and a founder of the scientific software company Kitware.

Naomi is the CFO of Mountain Dog Running. She has run and loves hiking. She serves on the Shenendehowa Board of Education and the Capital Region BOCES BOE and as advisor and coach for Shen’s middle school robotics program.

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Pace Setter : November 2023