September 8, 2018. New Date. New Venue. New Course. Same Level of Difficulty.

New Date.

This event was in April in 2017. Because of scheduled trail maintenance in the area in the early part of the year, the date was moved to September in 2018. We actually got a break from weather this year. The whole week prior to race day was a torturous heatwave. There was a day when I had to stop a scheduled run after just a mile and walked back home because I was already soaking and uncomfortable. Mother nature gave us the blessing on race day, with cooler temps and cloudy sky.

New Venue.

The start/finish/staging area has also moved to a new location. It was in University Settlement Camp in Beacon last year, in Surprise Lake Camp in Cold Spring this year. The new location is a beautiful place. I didn’t even know there’s a camp like this in this section of the Hudson Highlands. Looks like a private camp, from what Google gave me after doing a search.

New Course.

The new course has the same technical features as the old one. Rocky, gnarly, rocky, gnarly. But I like this one better than the old course. The aid stations were well spaced apart, which made it kinda easier mentally because you were focused to just 4-5 miles each time, with the exception of the section from start to the 1st aid station which was 6.9 miles. The new course was also closer to a true marathon distance, 26.5 miles. The old course was almost 29 miles, from my recorded time last year.

Same Level of Difficulty.

Was it? I actually find the new course harder. If it’s not harder, then I was just getting older, and sloower. The fact that you have to do the Fire Tower 3x makes me believe that this updated course is harder.

Highlights of the course.

From my point of view in the previous paragraph, the old and the new courses share the same technical nature. This is not a beginner’s trail marathon. Let’s just say it’s hard, period. And rather than trying to give the details of the whole course, I would just give the notable sections of the course.

The Fire Tower.

A very technical ascent that requires both hands and feet, all four of them, in some sections. And you have to do this 3x, ascending twice in the 1st and 2nd loops, and descending on the 2nd loop before going back to the finish.

Breakneck Ridge/Point.

The signature climb on this course. You would also need both hands and feet on this climb, not just four but all eight of them! Considered as one the most popular day hikes just outside of New York city, this is one hike that I highly recommend to anyone.

Bull Hill/Mt Taurus.

A very long ascent that provides an amazing panoramic view at the summit, followed by a long descent back to the staging area.

That completes the loop for the half-marathon, and the 1st loop for the marathon course. Sounds easy, right? Those 3 notable climbs all provide wonderful views at the top, where you can stop and ‘pretend’ to enjoy the views allowing the other runners to pass and not notice that you’re on the brink of collapsing from the heart pounding climbs.

The 2nd loop of the marathon course does not follow the 1st loop. Ian, the RD, was ‘kind’ enough not to have the runners go up the same wicked sections the 2nd time. Instead, he designed the 2nd loop to ‘just’ go up the Fire Tower again, do a Fishkill Ridge loop, go back up to the Fire Tower from the other direction, and descend the technical section that you just climbed 2x before! And then it’s all downhill from there to the finish, like they say. Yeah, right! But don’t worry, after the Fire Tower descent, your body would be too numb to notice the other climb on the way to the finish. And in your mind, you’re already done.

Breakneck Point Marathon. A baby Manitou’s Revenge, as one runner put it. Always a pleasure to run, walk, suffer.

Thank you, Ian, and whoever helped you, for creating this wicked race.

Thank you, volunteers, for the cheers and support.

Thank YOU, for giving me this feel-good-marathon after a disappointing DNF in Leadville.

Epilogue.

I had to drive for 4 hours to Lake Placid right after the event to cheer on some friends participating in the Ironman Lake Placid 70.3. So, I set the route and programmed my futuristic car to drive non-stop to Lake Placid while I took a nap. I got there just in time for dinner. A different story having fun with friends. Cheers!