Growing the Trail Running Community One Race at a Time By: Bill Hoffman, Naomi Hoffman and Tim Ela

Mountain Dog Running puts on these two great trail races - The Buck 50 and The Moreau Half. Check out these previous articles that were written about these artiles.

https://hmrrc.com/members/pacesetter/2023/november/buck-50-birth-epic-trail-race
https://hmrrc.com/members/pacesetter/2020/december/moreau-half-ultra-race-directors-report
https://hmrrc.com/members/pacesetter/2020/october/moreau-half-marathon-new-trail-race
https://hmrrc.com/members/pacesetter/2022/december/moreau-half-marathon-race-remember

Growing to love the trails
Back in 2011, I ran my first marathon, a very painful 4:42:53 Mohawk Hudson marathon. However, I persisted and came back the next year to qualify for Boston. While out on a long run training for Boston, my friend Jake suggested that we run the Wakely Dam Ultra that coming summer of 2012. “Wakely” is a 54k unsupported trail race on the Northville Placid Trail ( NTP). After Boston, the following spring, I spent the rest of the spring and summer exclusively running trails. The trail system at Moreau Lake State park became a favorite of mine because of its extensive but maze-like set of trails. Over the years, I have logged many miles in the back country and mountains both locally and around the world. Back then, however, it was rare to see other trail runners in Moreau and, when I did, I always tried to get some contact information. However, if you have ever been out to Colorado or California, you would know that the trail running scene is different. The trails are full of runners! The Capital District has plenty of runners but not so many trail runners. After growing to love the sport I began traveling to places like Massachusetts (7 sisters), the Gunks (SRT races), the Catskills, everywhere but the Capital District for trail races.

Becoming a Race Director
As I discovered amazing trails around Moreau and Lake George, I wondered why there were no races happening on those awesome trails. Moreau had a 15k that was sporadic at best, one year when that race didn’t happen, I staged a “fat ass” race with about 20 people and no permit. We all had a blast. However, the Buck 50 was a race that really captured my imagination. After trying to find a race director for all of these great ideas, I slowly came to the realization that no one else was going to step up. In 2020 at the peak of the pandemic, Naomi Hoffman (my supportive wife) , Tim Ela (my supportive trail running friend) and myself created Mountain Dog Running whose mission is to provide unique and challenging races on the best trails in the area. We started this endeavor by hosting the Moreau Half. Working with race directors from Manitous, Wakely, and Josh Merlis of ARE, we figured out how to permit and insure a trail race! The first Moreau race had socially distanced waves of 6 runners starting 5 minutes apart. In 2022, we added a Grafton Lake State Park 15k in April and, in June, the Death by Staircase race, an up to 12 hour, individual and/or team marathon of a 4 mile loop with about 1000 feet of elevation gain at Moreau State Park. In 2023, we hosted the first Buck 50 on a rain soaked day. This year we ran the 5th Moreau Half, and the 2nd Buck 50.

Buck 50 2024
After what we considered a trial run of the Buck 50 in 2023, on Oct 5th 2024, the second annual Buck 50 went off without a hitch on a perfect Fall day… not the pouring rain we had experienced one year prior.. 39 runners toed the starting line. At almost exactly 6:30am, they were off! Well almost all of them were. One runner (Brent) got confused and lived the nightmare that I have had countless times before a race. He checked in, got his bib and since he thought the race started at 7:00 am he was out warming up. Tim, Naomi, and I were hanging around the start area planning the rest of the day, when Brent showed up and asked where everyone was. He had missed the starting gun! (And then one day you find ten years have gone behind you and No one told you when to run. You missed the starting gun). He was already concerned about making the race cut offs…. this was not a good sign at all.

The race ends on the shore of Lake George at camp Chingachgook. 6:59:43 minutes after the start, Matthias Kirchner came across the finish line! About 5 minutes faster than his performance in 2023. The lack of rain did not seem to make the runners that much faster. Shannon Capps came in first female and fourth overall with a super fast 7:22:33. There were three DNFs, but despite Brent’s late start he made every cut off and finished with an impressive 11:34:13 time on the course.

Everyone stayed around for our legendary BBQ, beer and comradery around a warm fire after the race ended.

Moreau Half 2024
This year's Moreau Half had 94 finishers. Although the forecast was for perfect weather, a rain cloud showed up and followed the runners around the course. Shaun Donegan once again won the race with an impressive 2:17:09. Not a course record, which he holds, but a great time for the conditions. Adrienne Doherty won the women's race with a time of 3:05:17. Fortunately for everyone, the weather cleared up by the end of the race and the BBQ party on the beach went on for hours. I successfully talked one of my road running friends into giving it a try. He was amazed with how much fun he had running the trail and the awesome after party. This year we had sponsors from Athletic Brew NA beer and from Single Cut Brewery. Something for everyone. And of course, we had our usual BBQ and bonfire on the beach.
Join the party in 2025!

I invite anyone up for something new to come join the party in 2025! MDR will be hosting four races again in 2025.

April: Grafton 15k - This is a great race to ease into the sport.

June: Moreau Death by Staircase 6 hour, 12 hour, and 3 lap fun run. This race is my favorite because in addition to being race director, I get to run laps on the course with everyone else.

Oct: Buck 50k - This is for experienced runners, a 50k with almost 10,000 feet of elevation gain and loss.

Nov: Moreau Half - This 14.5 mile race will put you on a beautiful single track trail without sight of civilization for 2 to 6 hours.

Each race is on a unique trail course allowing runners to commune with nature and each other as they meet the challenge of running free in the woods over rocks, roots, streams and mountains. Each race always includes a BBQ and party at the finish where runners can share stories of their day's epic adventure.

Hope to see you on the trails in 2025 either at a race or just in the woods.