Categories
News

Trail Mix Final Results

Women’s StandingsMen’s Standings

We wrapped up the 2015 Trail Mix Series with the inaugural running of the Raven Rocks Run at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation this past Sunday morning.

Note – ALL runners who completed the 2015 Trail Mix Series by running at least four of the six races in the series are eligible for automatic selection in the Leatherman’s Loop Lottery as long as they enter the Loop Lottery in January 2016. There are 66 runners who qualify for the automatic selection. See links to Men’s and Women’s standings links above for listing of these runners.

Series Leaderboard

Tiffany Carson on the Gazebo Hill at Run The Farm (photo by Dave Mann)
Tiffany Carson on the Gazebo Hill at Run The Farm (photo by Dave Mann)

For the Women’s Trail Mix SeriesTiffany Carson took home the overall women’s series. Rachel Massa had a strong finish at Raven Rocks placing 2nd overall and locking her into the 2nd overall position and the F30 age category win.

Tracy Lawrence-Black used her 3rd place finish at Raven Rocks to vault into 3rd place overall and secure the F50 age category win. Teren Block had a strong showing at Raven Rocks as well to just edge out Lindsey Obrig from the F40 age category win.

The other women competitors in the 13U, the Juniors (14-19), and the F60 category did not run enough 2015 races to qualify for Trail Mix scoring.

Gerry Sullivan in the home stretch (Photo by Tom Casper)
Gerry Sullivan in the home stretch (Photo by Tom Casper)

For the Men’s Trail Mix Series, Gerry Sullivan ran in all six Trail Mix races and had locked up the overall Trail Mix #1 spot by the 5th race. For Raven Rocks he ran with his son Eamonn Sullivan, placing 11th and 12th. Eamonn secured his 13U category win finishing 5th in the Men’s Trail Mix standings.

Michael Diblasi was second overall in the Trail Mix, securing the M20 age category win.

In the closest age category division in the series, Virgil Bretz edged out Charles Glass by enough points in the final race of the season to take the M40 category.

Matthew Potenza won the M30 category with a comfortable margin over Luke Albrecht.

Longtime Loop runner Bill Bradsell took the M50 category while James McGough took the M60 category. Longtime Loop race director and runner Tony Godino ran away with the M70 category and sealed the deal with a strong finish at Raven Rocks.

Some final highlights:

  • Jerre Skeats, Judi DeMuro, and Mary Ann Cox completed all SIX 2015 Trail Mix Series races to date.
  • Eleven men competed in all SIX of the 2015 Trail Mix Series races: Gerry Sullivan, Charles Glass, Todd Henrich, Eamonn Sullivan, Lee Willett, Charles Vaccaro, Alan Wegener, Jeff Thompson, James McGough, Eric Foxhall, and Chris Cassone.
  • 66 Runners finished the 2015 Trail Mix. This compares favorably to the 25 who completed the 2014-2015 inaugural series.
  • Nearly 2,000 different runners competed in at least one race in the 2015 Trail Mix Series.

 

  • Last but not least: FOUR runners have run in EVERY SINGLE TRAIL MIX RACE SINCE 2014! – That’s 9 for 9! Congrats to Jerre Skeats, Charles Glass, Charlie Vaccaro, and Eric Foxhall! When we establish a Trail Mix Hall of Fame your names will be on the first ballot!

Congratulations on a series well run – and savor that automatic selection in the Loop Lottery as you enter it in January 2016!

Categories
News

Final Race Scenarios

Women’s StandingsMen’s Standings

There are some categories that are decided and there are a bunch of ways the results can go in the final race in other categories. The Raven Rocks Run will decide the fates of everyone still on the cusp.

Remember: ALL runners who complete the 2015 Trail Mix Series by running at least four of the six races in the series are eligible for automatic selection in the Leatherman’s Loop Lottery as long as they enter the Loop Lottery in January 2016. There are currently 66 runners with at least 3 races in the series under their belt.

Overall Series Leaders

Tiffany Carson on the Gazebo Hill at Run The Farm (photo by Dave Mann)
Tiffany Carson on the Gazebo Hill at Run The Farm (photo by Dave Mann)

For the Women’s Trail Mix Series, Kori Krichko has a narrow lead over Tiffany Carson. However, in talking with Kori at Run The Farm she let us know she was moving out of the area before Raven Rocks so would miss her chance to get her 4th race in the series. In this case the women’s series will be decided between Tiffany, Rachel Massa, Lindsay Obrig, Tracy Lawrence-Black, and Teren Block. Each of these women could potentially notch a victory at Raven Rocks and secure the Trail Mix 2015 title.

Gerry Sullivan in the home stretch (Photo by Tom Casper)
Gerry Sullivan in the home stretch (Photo by Tom Casper)

For the Men’s Trail Mix Series, Gerry Sullivan ran in all five Trail Mix races to date and has already locked up the overall Trail Mix #1 spot. He does not even need to run in Raven Rocks to take the prize since it is mathematically impossible for second overall runner Michael Diblasi to catch up with him, even with a perfect 100 point finishing score. Michael won A Mild Sprain outright and beat Gerry to the finish at Leatherman’s Loop. But Gerry won Where the Pavement Ends and Run The Farm outright when Michael did not compete. In their other head-to-head contest, Gerry (#2 finisher) beat Michael (#3 finisher) in the Sarah Bishop Bushwhack.

The Age Group Awards

We give out one age group prize for each gender and decade: for example, we have a prize for best Male 40-49 and another for best Female 40-49. If there’s only one eligible runner in a given category – then they win it! If there are no eligible runners in the category, there is no winner for 2015. Last year’s series winners are here for reference purposes.

For the Women’s age group categories, the races look as follows:

12 year old Sydney Bieber finishes strong in Run The Farm 2015.
12 year old Sydney Bieber finishes strong in Run The Farm 2015. (photo Tom Casper)

For the Female 13 & Under category, Sydney Bieber simply has to finish the Raven Rocks Run and she will win the age category for the 2015 Trail Mix. For the F20 category, assuming Kori Krichko either wins the overall title (still possible) or does not compete in Raven Rocks Run, then Erin Lindon would simply have to finish Raven Rocks to lock up the F20 age category.

The F30 category is a bit more involved. If Tiffany Carson wins the overall 2015 Trail Mix title, then Rachel Massa will be the F30 champ if she races like she has in her prior three Trail Mix events (which is a good bet). The dark horse in this category is Keely Cheslack-Postava who can take over the lead with an above par performance but only if Rachel stumbles — which she hasn’t done to date.

Lindsey Obrig (photo by Rob Cummings)
Lindsey Obrig (photo by Rob Cummings)

The F40 category is the most unpredictable. Lindsay Obrig has a 3/10 point lead over Teren Block. Lindsay edged out Teren in two of the three Trail Mix races they went head-t0-head in. Both runners have 4 races under their belts so this race is a chance to eliminate their lowest score. For Lindsay that is a 94.286 in the Sarah Bishop Bushwhack and for Teren her lowest is also in Sarah Bishop but is a slightly better 95.7145. Assuming both runners compete in Raven Rocks this means Teren has to finish not only higher but several spots higher than Lindsay to make up the gap. Last year’s overall Trail Mix Series winner Karen Haitoff is the dark horse in the F40 category. She would need two sub-par finishes from Lindsay and Teren as well as an excellent finish in her own race to have a hope of catching up.

The F50 category is owned by Tracy Lawrence-Black. She already has the 4 races needed under her belt. Even with a perfect 100 point finish, none of the other F50 runners could catch up to her 97.3468 average score. Kathy Jackson needs to finish Raven Rocks to qualify as a Trail Mix finisher. Mary Ann Cox and Judi DeMuro both have run in 5 of 5 races in the series to date and are guaranteed spots in the Loop Lottery if they choose to register for next year’s race.

There are no other Women’s Trail Mix participants after F50.

For the Men’s Trail Mix age group categories, we have a few close races and a few that are already decided.

Eamonn Sullivan is #6 overall and has locked up the Men’s 13 & Under category with a current score of 97.3944. He has raced in all five of the Trail Mix races to date, even beating his Dad, Gerry Sullivan, in A Mild Sprain back in May.

Michael Diblasi at Sarah Bishop (photo by Rob Cummings)
Michael Diblasi at Sarah Bishop (photo by Rob Cummings)

Michael Diblasi just has to finish Raven Rocks to secure his Trail Mix M20 title and an automatic selection if he enters the Leatherman’s Loop Lottery in early 2016.

No M30 runner has more than 3 Trail Mix races completed. This means it is potentially anyone’s prize, depending on how many competitors in the age category race at Raven Rocks. Assuming he does race, Matthew Potenza has the best chance to take the M30 category with a 93.244 points per race average after 3 races. The next closest runner is Luke Albrecht who has a 90.2709/race average. Luke beat Matthew in the Leatherman’s Loop, but Matthew returned the favor at Run The Farm. Matthew has the advantage but race day can bring surprises. Michael Firer and Dave Lesser are dark horses in this race, and with the potential for a DNS or DNF out there, anything can happen.

Matthew Potenza (photo by Rob Cummings)
Matthew Potenza (photo by Rob Cummings)

The M40 category is the absolute most competitive one out there for the Trail Mix Series. With Gerry Sullivan removed from the M40 mix having already secured the Trail Mix title, we have two tough and worthy competitors, Charles Glass and Virgil Bretz duking it out. They are separated by only 8/100ths of a point after 5 and 4 Trail mix races completed, respectively. Virgil has his work cut out for him, needing around a 98.5 or better and to finish ahead of Charles to have a shot at taking the category. Charles just needs to beat Virgil to keep the category. It is worth mentioning that but for an injury just before Sarah Bishop, we would be talking about a three way race including David Hambleton who finished with a high 98+ average in his uninjured races. There isn’t even a dark horse in this race, as no other runner has the points or races to catch up to Virgil and Charles at this point.

Bill Bradsell (photo by Rob Cummings)
Bill Bradsell (photo by Rob Cummings)

The M50 is another potentially close race. Longtime Loop runner and mud aficionado Bill Bradsell is in the lead and just needs to finish ahead of or within a few places behind Peter Holland to take the category. Michael Destasio is standing by in 3rd place overall to take over if any of the top 2 stumble or don’t finish the race. And since the top 3 runners have each only run in three Trail Mix races, there is always the possibility of them not competing or not finishing and being knocked out of the standings altogether. In this albeit unlikely case, dark horse Lee Willett would take the category.

Tony Muffati has roared into the catbird seat in the M60 category with strong showings in the last three Trail Mix races. If he finishes ahead of the other two M60 competitors he will definitely take the category prize. Even if he finishes well behind them, he will still likely win the category. But since he only has three of the 5 races completed, he needs to complete Raven Rocks to be counted in the Trail Mix standings. This opens the possibility (in the case of a Tony Muffati DNS or DNF) of James McGough taking back first overall in the category. Both Jim and third overall runner Chris Cassone have run in all five of the 2015 Trail Mix races and are already eligible for automatic selection in the Loop Lottery 2016.

Tony Godino at Sarah Bishop Bushwhack (photo by Rob Cummings)
Tony Godino at Sarah Bishop Bushwhack (photo by Rob Cummings)

Last in the list — but most certainly not least — is Tony Godino, Leatherman’s Loop founder and race director. Tony is the owner of the 2015 Trail Mix M70 age category and he just needs a finish in the Raven Rocks Run to solidify this feat. He would be the first race director of a Trail Mix Series race to take any of the prizes.

Some final highlights:

  • Jerre Skeats, Judi DeMuro, and Mary Ann Cox completed all five 2015 Trail Mix Series races to date.
  • Eleven men have competed in all five of the 2015 Trail Mix Series races to date: Gerry Sullivan, Charles Glass, Todd Henrich, Eamonn Sullivan, Lee Willett, Charles Vaccaro, Alan Wegener, Jeff Thompson, James McGough, Eric Foxhall, and Chris Cassone.

Congratulations to those runners who have secured their prizes — and best of luck to all of the rest of the competitors, whether an age category prize is in your future or not, you can be congratulated on a series well run – and savor that automatic selection in the Loop Lottery as you enter it in January 2016!

Categories
News

One More Left!

We have ONE race remaining in the Trail Mix 2015 Series: The Raven Rocks Run (15 November).2015-RavenRocksRun-Design_v5_SINGLE-smaller-700square

With Run the Farm in the books (check Trail Mix standings here) we have 20 women and 56 men who qualify with 3 or more races under their belt in the series.

Some Trail Mix Series runners already have four or five complete races — and can improve their scores with a strong showing at Raven Rocks.

After the Raven Rocks Run is complete and results are finalized, we will announce the winners in the week or so following that race. Due to the calculation involved in the Trail Mix Series standings, we likely won’t be able to determine all of the category winners on the fly on the day of Raven Rocks. We should have a pretty good idea though — watch this space for updates.

When will we get together to get you your goodies? At this point it is to be determined. But we will let you know as discussions are ongoing between Trail Mix race directors.

Categories
News

Two Races to Go!

We have two races remaining in the Trail Mix 2015 Series: Run The Farm (25 October) and Raven Rocks Run (15 November).

run-the-farm_veggies-cp-small-150-webclipAfter Run the Farm we will have a pretty good idea of how many Trail Mix finishers there will be — or at least a maximum number. After Raven Rocks is complete and results are finalized, we will announce the winners in the week or so following that race.

flying-raven-7-text-and-dateIf you have already completed the series but can’t make it to Raven Rocks, we will get your items to you either at an upcoming race or in person.

Categories
News

Four of six series races complete

This past weekend, runners ran the Sarah Bishop Bushwhack, the fourth of six races in the series. Previously run races were: Leatherman’s LoopA Mild Sprain, and Where The Pavement Ends.

The Trail Mix score sheet pages are substantially shorter — we eliminated any runner with fewer than 2 races who can’t complete the series with just 2 races remaining (Run The Farm and Raven Rocks Run). The series requires four completed races to have your totals scored.

Jerre Skeats took over the lead in the female category with her performance in the Sarah Bishop Bushwhack. Mary Ann Cox (F50 leader) is second overall, Tracy Lawrence-Black is 3rd. Lindsey Obrig (F30 leader), and Teren Block round out the top 5.

Kori Krichko (F20) is coming on strong, winning the last two races overall. If she continues for the Run The Farm and Raven Rocks Run she will be hard to catch. Tiffany Carson leads the F20 category while Lamorna Coyle leads in the Juniors (14-19) category. There are no eligible runners in the Kids (13U), F60, and F70 categories.

Gerry Sullivan kept himself in first overall in the men’s division with a second place finish in Sarah Bishop. Charles Glass is 3 points behind and leading the M40 category. Todd Henrich and Eamonn Sullivan (Gerry’s son) are just a few points behind them. Eamonn leads in the 13U category. Lee Willett (M50 leader) rounds out the top 5 overall men.

Michael Diblasi leads the M20 category with Dave Lesser in control of the M30 catefgory. James McGough (M60), Charlie Stewart (MJr), and Tony Godino (M70), are all tops in their categories.

Current Trail Mix points standings can be found here:

For the Trail Mix Trail Series there are TWO more races to go at this time:

To compete in the series, you need to complete four of the six races. If you complete more than four, we only take your best four races so you can potentially eliminate your lowest point score. At this point you need to have at least two runs completed in order to compete in the series for 2015.

Runners who complete the series by completing at least 4 of 6 Trail Mix races are eligible for automatic selection in the Leatherman’s Loop 2016 Lottery in January 2016. With the Loop celebrating its 30th year, this will be a hot ticket!

Scoring is done using a points system which is described here.

If you have any questions about the series, email us at trailmixseries@gmail.com.

See you on the trails!

Categories
News

2015 Trail Mix Series at Halfway Point

This past weekend, runners took to the woods of Ridgefield to run Where The Pavement Ends, the third of six races in the series. (In the spring the first two races in the Trail Mix Series were run: Leatherman’s Loop and A Mild Sprain.) Where The Pavement Ends added even more runners to the historic series, bringing the total eligible to over 1,500 runners.

The Sarah Bishop Bushwhack is in September.
The Sarah Bishop Bushwhack is in September.

Karen Haitoff, last year’s Trail Mix women’s champ, took over the lead in the female category with her performance in Where The Pavement Ends.  Jerre Skeats is second overall, around 8 points back. She leads in the F40 category. Mary Ann Cox (F50 leader), Judi DiMuro, and Tiffany Carson (M20) round out the top 5.

Sydney Bieber (13U), Erin Lindon (F20), Brooke Nohilly (FJr), Elaine Dill (F60), and Shirley Iselin (F70) lead in their respective categories. Some of the age categories are wide open with only one race completed in FJr, F60, and F70.

Gerry Sullivan took first overall male in the latest race. Combined with his stellar finishes in the first two races this puts him in first place in the men’s division with Charles Glass just a single point behind and leading the M40 category. Todd Henrich and Eamonn Sullivan (Gerry’s son) are just a few points behind them. Eamonn leads in the 13U category. Mike Paletta rounds out the top 5 overall men.

Lee Willett leads in the M50 category with other leaders Michael Diblasi (M20), Stephen England (M30), Charlie Stewart (MJr), James McGough (M60), Tony Godino (M70), and John Young (M80) all tops in their categories.

Current Trail Mix points standings can be found here:

For the Trail Mix Trail Series there are three more races to go at this time:

To compete in the series, you need to complete four of the six races. If you complete more than four, we only take your best four races so you can potentially eliminate your lowest point score. At this point you need to have at least one run completed in order to compete in the series for 2015.

Runners who complete the series by completing at least 4 of 6 Trail Mix races are eligible for automatic selection in the Leatherman’s Loop 2016 Lottery in January 2016. With the Loop celebrating its 30th year, this will be a hot ticket!

Scoring is done using a points system which is described here.

If you have any questions about the series, email us at trailmixseries@gmail.com.

See you on the trails!

Categories
News

Second Annual Trail Mix Series Announcement

We are excited to announce the Second Annual Trail Mix Trail Race Series! The first annual series is not quite finished yet — but we couldn’t wait to share the news about the 2015 series and the two new additions to the Trail Mix Series.

For 2015 we have increased from four up to six races in the series. The races are, in order:

  1. Leatherman’s Loop 10k – April 26, 2015 (Complete – view results)
  2. A Mild Sprain 4.25M – May 17, 2015 (Complete – view results) NEW to Trail Mix series!
  3. Where The Pavement Ends 4.25M – September 20, 2015 (registration link)
  4. Sarah Bishop Bushwhack 10k – September 27, 2015 (registration link)
  5. Run The Farm 5M – October 25, 2015 (registration link)
  6. Raven Rocks Run 10k – November 15, 2015* (registration linkNEW trail race + NEW to Trail Mix series!

We realize not everyone can make all six race dates due to conflicts, life, etc. We have made it so runners only have to run in four of the six trail races to compete in the series — see below and FAQ for details.

An added incentive: every runner who completes the 2015 Trail Mix Series (at least 4 of the 6 races run in 2015) will be eligible for automatic selection in the 2016 Loop Lottery.

leathermans-loop-trail-race-running-man-logo-tan-350x350First off the blocks: The series will begin with the Leatherman’s Loop 2015. But hey wait you ask – isn’t the Loop the last race in the 2014-15 Trail Mix Series? Why yes it is! For 2015 only, the Loop will count as both the final race in the 2014-15 series for the current Trail Mix participants and the first race in the 2015 series for everyone as we move forward.

It’s a bit of an overlap, but it’s the only way we could get the Trail Mix series on a more logical calendar year — and this transition will only happen once. If you run the 2015 Loop you are getting two Trail Mix races for the price of one! Race director Tony Godino is looking forward to kicking off the second Trail Mix series – and wrapping up the first!

Footprintlogo2015The second race in the 2015 Trail Mix series will be A Mild Sprain. This is the first of the two new trail races in the Trail Mix series. This 4.25 mile (ish) race is held on the technical trails of Sprain Ridge Park in Yonkers, NY. This race will be held Sunday, May 17, 2015. A Mild Sprain will be in its fourth year in 2015 and is directed by David Vogel and Brant Brooks. It is a super fundraiser for JDRF and has raised over $200,000 for that charity.

where-the-pavement-endsAfter a summer of training — especially on the trails with our Sunday Runs group — runners will be ready for the third race in the series: Where The Pavement Ends on September 20, 2015. This is a 4.25 mile race in Ridgefield, CT near Lake Windwing that will be in its 4th year in 2015. The race is directed by Geoff Morris and Evan McGerald who also direct the very popular TriRidgefield triathlon. The hills and single track are a big challenge in this demanding race.

SarahBishopLogo_320x320The fourth race in the series is the Sarah Bishop Bushwhack. This 10k race is in its 3rd year and will be held on September 27, 2015 at Mountain Lakes Park in North Salem, NY. It is directed by Lee Willett, Mark Vincent, and Barry Fagan. The park lives up to its name with plenty of lakes and some great hills. This event also features a 1.5 mile kids race that is proving more and more popular with the younger trail runners among us.

run-the-farm_veggies-cp-small-150-webclipRunners will head to Muscoot Farm in Katonah, NY for the fifth race in the series: Run The Farm. This race will be in its 6th year in 2015 and will be held on October 25, 2015 (tentative date). Race directors Tony Godino and Rob Cummings are looking forward to seeing everyone again at the farm and farmer’s market. This event also features two kids events that draw almost as many participants as the main event!

wakely-tower-drawing-text-99x200The sixth and final race in the series is a special announcement: we are excited to bring you the first running of the Raven Rocks Run 10k (formerly the Fire Tower 10k) at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation!

The Raven Rocks Run will be held on November 15, 2015. Rob Cummings will be race director of this new event. More details about the Fire Tower Run will be forthcoming. The Raven Rocks Run will focus on fundraising for the Trailside Museum’s efforts to restore the fire tower on the Blue trail at the park.

The Sunday Runs group will be leading course checks over all of the Trail Mix courses over the next 11 months. We encourage you to sign up at the SundayRuns.org website to receive updates about the run planned for each week.

There is no additional cost to compete in the series. Simply register for the races above as you normally would. We encourage you to let us know you are interested in participating in the Trail Mix Trail Series by filling out this form at the Trail Mix website. It will make tracking your results in the series much easier for us.

Every runner who finishes four or more races in the series will receive a special custom award. Age group and overall winners will receive special awards at the close of the series as well.

We are looking forward to a 2015 full of trail running and hope you are too!

….Tony, Rob, David, Brant, Geoff, Evan, Lee, Mark, Barry and all of the dedicated volunteers who make these races possible

PS: Let us know if you have any other questions about the second annual Trail Mix Trail Series (or questions about the first Trail Mix series if you are competing in that series!). We have a FAQ page set up but there may be something we have not covered there.