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Trail Mix 2018 Announcement

Trail Runners:

2018 is here and we have some news about the 2018 Trail Mix Series!

The 2018 Trail Mix will feature SEVEN trail races in Westchester and Fairfield Counties. Yes you read right – Seven Races!

This year we have added our first new Trail Mix race in 3 years: The Paine to Pain Trail Half Marathon on October 7th!

Runners have been asking us (and the Paine to Pain folks) if we could make this happen and we are so happy to have Paine to Pain as a part of the series. The race requirement to complete the series and be scored remains at four. See details below.

Date information and links to the websites are below.

Runners can compete in the series by completing at least 4 of the 7 races. The best four count towards the point totals for the series. If runners complete five, six, or seven of the series races they can drop their lowest race(s) — only counting the best 4 races. The more races you run, the better your score becomes!

Runners who complete the series get scored and are eligible for age-category recognition and are guaranteed automatic selection in the Leatherman’s Loop Lottery the following year when they enter the Loop Lottery.

Our best way to share information about the Trail Mix Series is when friends tell their friends about the series. If you know someone who might be interested in running in the series, please forward this note to them.

If you have any questions about the 2018 Trail Mix Series, please let us know via email.

See you on the trails!

….Tony, David, Brant, Geoffrey, Lee, Barry, Mark, Eric, Rob (The Trail Mix Race Directors)

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Trail Mix 2017

Dear Trail Runners:

We are bringing back the Trail Mix Trail Series for a fourth year in 2017!

Runners can compete in the series by completing at least 4 of the 6 races in the series. The best four count towards the point totals for the series if runners complete five or six of the series races.

Trail Mix Series points are calculated as described on this page.

Runners who complete the 2017 series are eligible for automatic selection in the 2018 Leatherman’s Loop Lottery. (Runners who completed the 2016 series are eligible for automatic selection in the 2017 Loop Lottery! (as long as they enter the Loop Lottery!!)

The races in the Trail Mix 2017 are, in chronological order:

All of the Trail Mix series races are on Sunday mornings.

Hope this helps you plan your 2017 race calendar and you can join us, run in, and complete the series in 2017.

….David, Brant, Lee, Barry, Mark, Geoff, Rob, and Tony (the Trail Mix race directors)

 

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Trail Mix 2016

Dear Trail Runners:

We are bringing back the Trail Mix Trail Series for a third year in 2016!

Runners can compete in the series by completing at least 4 of the 6 races in the series. The best four count towards the point totals for the series if runners complete five or six of the series races.

Trail Mix Series points are calculated as described on this page.

Runners who complete the 2016 series are eligible for automatic selection in the 2017 Leatherman’s Loop Lottery. (Runners who completed the 2015 series are eligible for automatic selection in the 2016 Loop Lottery!)

The races in the Trail Mix 2016 are, in chronological order:

All of the Trail Mix series races are on Sunday mornings.

Hope this helps you plan your 2016 race calendar and you can join us and run in the series.

….David, Brant, Lee, Barry, Mark, Geoff, Rob, and Tony (the Trail Mix race directors)

*if you are a past Trail Mix participant, contact the Loop race directors for possible late entry consideration. Mention “Past Trail Mix participant” in the subject of your contact form and plead your case.

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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.

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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.

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Trail Mix – New Westchester/Fairfield Trail Series

Leatherman’s Loop Founders Newsletter, Volume 5

When Caballo Blanco gave me the name “El Co-Padre” I knew that it came with expectations and responsibilities in terms of my role as a trail race facilitator. He brilliantly matched his love of trail running with the social needs of the Tarahumara People who live in and run the Copper Canyons of Mexico. His vision for a running race which could help to ease the day to day burdens of the people he loved became a reality.

Christopher McDougall’s best seller Born To Run pulls most of the story out of a very private and very guarded Caballo. He was not exactly the person in the pages of the book. Simply put, he was better. I will always do my best to honor his memory and his ways with everything that I do related to trail running and racing.

That being said, Rob Cummings and I and a couple of other trail race organizers have come up with a plan which would link four local races together and give runners the opportunity to compete and be scored in a “Trail Mix” circuit.

If enough of you are interested and like the idea this will happen. Shortly after the last race in the circuit Rob will post full results using cumulative times and an awards banquet will follow. There will be an overall winner for male and female runners as well as winners in each age/gender category.

Fabulous Four

The kicker: Any runner who has asked to be tracked in the “Trail Mix” circuit and who registers to run in all three Fall Trail Mix races listed above will earn Guaranteed Lottery Selection for the Leatherman’s Loop in Spring 2015 to complete the series. You will still need to enter the Loop Lottery in January 2015 to register for the Loop — but you will be selected in the Loop Lottery.

(See our frequently asked questions and answers about the Trail Mix here)

Your response and feedback is needed

If you think that this is a good plan you simply need to respond to this newsletter and say that you are interested. Questions and feedback are welcome.

I am proud to say that I founded two of the races and played a role in bringing about the other two. The Loop was part of a twelve race series in the late 1980’s and participation involved travel in four states. These races are all within a ten mile radius. My hope is that my effort to fulfill my assigned responsibilities as a trail race facilitator will be taken to a new level.

Tony