Tag: Trail Mix

2016 Recap

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Carol Gordon - pre-race start line photoDear Runners,

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Shirt design for 2016 by Maria Scrivan.

Thanks for coming out for a run on the trails of Ward Pound Ridge Reservation this past Sunday.

The second annual Raven Rocks Run went very well with over 300 runners participating in the 10k trail race. Runners from 5 states were represented – The 4 states nearby (NY, CT, NJ, and MA) plus our overall winner who was the sole representative from Pennsylvania.

If you have any race related feedback, please let us know using the contact form — or send us an email at ravenrocksrun@gmail.com.

Results

Complete race results are posted at https://ravenrocksrun.org/results/2016-results/

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Robert Kehoe leading the race on Pell Hill (photo by Tom Casper)

The overall men’s winner was Robert Kehoe of Allentown, PA who finished in 47:49. Robert grew up in Katonah and is a John Jay graduate. He made the trek back to his hometown area to compete in the race.

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Jacqueline Kehoe on the Blue trail climb (photo by Chris Reinke)

The overall women’s winner was Jacqueline Kehoe of New York City. Jacqueline set a new course record (56:01) for the women’s race, knocking off a minute from the prior record set last year in the inaugural race. She is also the older sister of Robert and was a 4 year standout cross country and track athlete at John Jay HS.

Rounding out the top three men were Fox Lane’s Cole Rooney (48:33, 2nd overall) and Goldens Bridge resident and JJXC coach Tommy Nohilly (49:00).

For the women, Pound Ridge’s Cathrine Wolden Levine was second overall (58:14). Wilton’s Jennifer Morello (58:59) was a few runners behind at 3rd overall.

9 Year Old Christopher Demuth on Pell Hill followed by his dad Chris (photo by Tom Casper)

9 Year Old Christopher Demuth on Pell Hill followed by his dad Chris (photo by Tom Casper)

Youngest runner, 9 year old Christopher Demuth finished (1:25:48) just ahead of his dad, Chris Demuth.

Nick Ohnell, longtime trail runner, ran with Tony Godino, founder of the famous Leatherman’s Loop trail race. Both runners walked away with an age group pie prize.

Volunteers

A big event like this is dependent on the help of many volunteers. A big thank you to all of the registration helpers, photographers, course marshalls, course setters, pre-race runners, announcers, water table volunteers, sweeps, and course clean up crew.

Special thanks to my wife, Ciorsdan. For always remembering the things I forgot, especially on race morning. Tony Godino & Judy Godino – without your help and guidance via working with you on Leatherman and Run The Farm over the past (nearly) 10 years, we would not

Volunteer and Sunday Runner Group (photo by Ciorsdan Conran)

Volunteer and Sunday Runner Group (photo by Ciorsdan Conran)

have been able to pull this together. Lee Willett, Peter Muurseep, and Joe Cloidt, who pre-ran the course at 7am to make sure the markings were set — and thanks to some “misguided” campers the check and reset was definitely needed this year.

Joe Mokszycki and Bob Branizza helped set the course with me the saturday before. Tom Cohn, former president of the Friends of Trailside Museum board of directors, has been incredibly supportive of the race and helped shepherd it in the inaugural year with the county and museum. New mantra for 2017: We will get that fire tower back! 😉

Water stop volunteer selfie - Mike Paletta, Chris Cassone, and Michelle Zandona. (photo by Chris Cassone)

Water stop volunteer selfie – Mike Paletta, Chris Cassone, and Michelle Zandona. (photo by Chris Cassone)

Mike Paletta hiked up to the former Fire Tower site along with Michelle Zandoná and Chris Cassone and served everyone water while cheering everyone on. Chris Reinke stepped in with his EMT training while photographing at the top of the blue trail to render aid to an injured runner. Once again, Andy Hafter sliced nearly every bagel and orange for the runners (with the help of my mom Pat Cummings and Francis Corcoran and a few others!).

Karen Haitoff, Kristen Noble, Debbie Mullin, and Amelia Mullin made sure no runner was left behind as race sweeps. Brian Stempel, Eric Foxhall, Barry Fagan, Kathy Lynch, Eileen Polese, Lisa Abzun, Orion Cummings, Sawyer Cummings, Deb Buscema, Alan Wegener, Jeff Thompson, Mark Vincent, and Bill Bradsell all helped with registration, parking, course marshaling, and general on the spot assistance. If I have forgotten anyone I can add them in!

Francis Corcoran (County Legislator, 2nd district), Jeff Main (park superintendant), and Tom Cohn (past president of the Friends of Trailside). (Photo by Alan Wegener)

Francis Corcoran (County Legislator, 2nd district), Jeff Main (park superintendant), and Tom Cohn (past president of the Friends of Trailside) get ready to send runners on their way at the 2016 Raven Rocks Run. (Photo by Alan Wegener)

Special thanks to our official starter Tom Cohn and special guest Francis Corcoran. Francis is our representative for the second district in the Westchester County Legislature. He has heard about and embraced the fire tower project. He is all in with helping to restore it back to its rightful place at the top of Cross River Mountain in the Rez. Francis grew up in the local area and attended John Jay schools. He fondly remembers climbing the original fire tower and wants to help so future generations can experience the sweeping views and inspirational climb to get there.

Parks Department

Thanks to John Baker, Jeff Main, Chase, and Sean — all from the Westchester County Parks Department. So many aspects of the race would have been difficult or impossible without their help. And they do this day in and day out!

Friends of Trailside

Forty Five runners joined in 2016 as members of the Friends of Trailside Museum and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation via the race website. If you haven’t already received it, you will be getting your membership information shortly from them. You can still join online – or fill out and send in the membership form here. Mindy, AJ, and David stand ready to make your trip to Trailside memorable!

friends-of-trailside-and-ward-pound-ridge-reservation-logo-2The Friends of Trailside is a 501(c)3 organization and is dedicated to promoting a better appreciation and understanding of the natural world and the relationship between people and the land. Through its support of the Trailside Nature Museum, operated by the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Conservation of the County of Westchester, the Friends provide financial and volunteer aid for exhibits, school, and education programs. For more information on the Friends group — including how to join — click here: http://friendsoftrailside.org/

The Fire Tower

We are very interested in restoring the Cross River Mountain Fire Tower to the park. The Fire Tower stood from 1927 through the early 1980s when it was removed without county permission and dismantled. Together with the parks department and many supporters, we would like to correct this historic error and create a beacon that will draw visitors to the top of the park for incredible vistas of the surrounding countryside. If you are interested in this endeavor, we want to hear from you and enlist your support (email us at ravenrocksrun@gmail.com).

LVAC

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Lewisboro Volunteer Ambulance Corps standing by at Raven Rocks Run in 2016. (Photo by Carol Gordon)

The Lewisboro Volunteer Ambulance Corps was out and ready to heal on Sunday. Thanks to Captain Lucian Lipinsky and the rest of the volunteers.

LVAC has been a steadying and very helpful presence at the Leatherman’s Loop for years. It was great to have them back at Raven Rocks!

Photos

We have posted photos from our fantastic team of shutterbugs here: https://leathermansloop.smugmug.com/Raven-Rocks-Run/2016.

Thanks to photographers Ciorsdan Conran, Carol Gordon, Diane Bradsell, Tom Casper, John Cummings (my dad!), Alan Wegener, Sawyer Cummings, Rob Cummings, and Chris Reinke. Big thanks to a few of our runners and other volunteers who uploaded photos so far. There’s plenty of room for more photos if you want to share yours at our runner upload gallery here:  https://leathermansloop.smugmug.com/upload/fgbsNq/rrr

Chris Reinke also set up his GoPro and caught almost all runners coming up to the top of the Fire Tower hill. I sped it up 10x and set it to Leonard Cohen’s “Tower of Song” — available here: http://smu.gs/2gvENPX

Trail Mix

medallion-scan-mod-bw-600The Raven Rocks Run was the final event in the 2016 Trail Mix Trail Race series (http://trailmixseries.org). The series was in its third year in 2016.

We have published the final Trail Mix results for the series at the series website.

Congratulations to Virgil Bretz and Lindsay Obrig for taking the 2016 overall series for male and female runners. More details and age group winners can be found at the links above.

Thanks to the other Trail Mix race directors for having another great and expanded 2016 series — we are looking forward to the 2017 Trail Mix Series — get ready to go on tour!

Sunday Run group

We have a dedicated group of trail runners who meet every Sunday morning at 8am (http://sundayruns.org) to run trails in and around northern Westchester and occasionally beyond. All year round — all paces — all welcome! We never leave anyone behind and encourage new trail runners to try out the trails.

leatherman-harriers-sunday-runs-logo-200wMany of our regular sunday runners are race directors and volunteers for the Trail Mix and many other local races. It is a very fun and welcoming group. Our group runs include course checks for many local races including the “Looper Bowl” running of the Leatherman’s Loop course on Super Bowl Sunday. This year will be the 6th year we have that group run. We also started a winter group run of the Raven Rocks Run course — called the “Raven Lunatic” — that takes runners on the Raven Rocks course after a fresh snowfall.

Other upcoming events

If you are looking for a great 5k road race this coming Sunday, Deb Buscema, who was one of our volunteers last Sunday — is organizing the Second Annual Lower Salem Turkey Trot 5k in South Salem, NY.

Registration link is here: http://www.lightboxreg.com/lower-salem-turkey-trot?func=&mobile=0 The course is a local favorite, circling around beautiful Truesdale Lake.

Lastly, the 31st running of the Leatherman’s Loop 10k Trail Race is coming up in 2017. The Loop Lottery will take place in early January. Check the link for more information. Sign up to receive emails from the Loop and also follow the Leatherman on Facebook and other media to be reminded of when to sign up for the lottery.

In Closing

Thanks for coming — and sticking around until the end of this writeup. Hope to see you on the trails!

Rob Cummings
Raven Rocks Run Race Director

2016 Shirts, Custom Bibs, and Race Registration

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raven-rocks-run-2016-banner-575w

The second annual Raven Rocks Run 10k trail race will take place on Sunday, November 13th, 2016 starting at 9:00am. Last year Raven Rocks became the first new race at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation in Cross River, NY in nearly 20 years.

Click here to register

If you have already registered, thanks and see you at the Rez!

 

raven_rocks_final-gray-rocks-300wOur 2016 shirt design (on right) features the talents of nationally syndicated cartoonist (and local trail runner) Maria Scrivan. Maria created the “Half Full” comic series which you can find in local and national papers. If you ran the race last year you will recognize the image of the blue trail hill at mile 4 of the race course!

We will be placing the race t-shirt order October 25th. In order to make sure your shirt size is available we recommend pre-ordering a race shirt with your registration. We do order a few extra shirts — but your size may not be available if you wait to buy one at the event.

 

screenshot-101116-147-amWe are ordering custom bibs with runner names on October 24th — if you know you are running, register now to make sure your name (or chosen nickname) is pre-printed on your bib.

If you can’t run but would like to help out by volunteering, please contact us ASAP. All of our races are volunteer driven and we couldn’t do it without them!

The race will start and finish in The Meadow at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation – the same spot as the Leatherman’s Loop. But instead of going along the river, the Raven Rocks Run course seeks out higher ground. Runners will pass the two highest points in the park: The Raven Rocks overlook and the site of the former Fire Tower before heading back downhill to the Meadow finish.

If you are not sure if you have registered — or you want to check on a friend or family member — you can confirm registration status here: https://runsignup.com/Race/FindARunner/?raceId=25402

The race raises funds for Friends of Trailside Museum and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. The Friends group supports the mission of the Museum and Park by funding events and capital projects in the park. Members of the Friends group also volunteer at the museum and the park and help with education programs, camp groups, and events throughout the year. During Raven Rocks registration you can join the Friends as a member and support their mission.

If you can’t race this year, you can still sign up as a member without race registration.

Registered runners should be on the lookout for an updated logistics note a few days before the race day.

See you on the trails!

….. Rob, Ciorsdan, and the Raven Rocks volunteers

Sunday Runners Updates below:

Keep an eye on our Facebook page if you are interested in our weekly Sunday morning group trail runs including a course check of the Raven Rocks Run two Sundays (10/30) before the race.

Leatherman’s Loop 31st Running in 2017

The Leatherman’s Loop will have it’s 31st running in April 2017. Entry will be done by Loop Lottery in January like the past 6 years. We will send out information about some changes to the lottery mid-December. Keep your eyes out for it.

Raven Rocks Run – 2016 Signup Info

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WPR_RavenRocksRun_10k-adjusted-mapA reminder that the 2016 Raven Rocks Run registration is open. Date of the race is Sunday, November 13, 2016.

Direct RunSignUp link here >>

Results from last year’s race are posted at https://ravenrocksrun.org/results

Friends of Trailside
Last year many runners who signed up for the Raven Rocks Run joined online at the same time as members of the Friends of Trailside Museum and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation when they registered for the race. The memberships will be for the calendar year 2017 so new and returning members get a full year of benefits.

friends-of-trailside-and-ward-pound-ridge-reservation-logo-2The Friends of Trailside is a 501(c)3 organization is dedicated to promoting a better appreciation and understanding of the natural world and the relationship between people and the land. Through its support of the Trailside Nature Museum, operated by the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Conservation of the County of Westchester, the Friends provide financial and volunteer aid for exhibits, school, and education programs. For more information on the Friends group — including how to join — click here: http://friendsoftrailside.org/

The Friends group is very interested in restoring the Cross River Mountain Fire Tower to the park. The Fire Tower stood from 1927 through the early 1980s when it was removed without county permission and dismantled. The Friends of Trailside want to correct this historic error and create a beacon that will draw visitors to the top of the park for incredible vistas of the surrounding countryside. Updates are in the Friends Newsletter.

Caps

We got requests for Raven Rocks hats last year — and this year we are offering them for sale when you register! They are embroidered cotton baseball caps. We need a minimum order of 25 to make the order and if we don’t hit that we will refund the cap purchaser’s money.

Photos

We have photos from 2015 by our fantastic team of shutterbugs here: https://leathermansloop.smugmug.com/Raven-Rocks-Run/2015.

Trail Mix Series

The 2016 Trail Mix Series results to date are posted here: http://trailmixseries.org/trail-mix-standings/.

We completed the first two races in the 2016 Trail Mix Series — the Leatherman’s Loop and A Mild Sprain — in the spring. There are 4 more races in the series. Sign up links for the other three races can be found here: Pavement Ends 9/18 • Sarah Bishop 9/25 • Run The Farm 10/23.

Sunday Run group

We have a dedicated group of trail runners who meet every Sunday morning at 8am (http://sundayruns.org) to run trails in and around northern Westchester and occasionally beyond. All year round — all paces — all welcome! We never leave anyone behind and we encourage new trail runners to try out the trails.

Many of our regular sunday runners are race directors and volunteers for the Trail Mix and many other local races. It is a very fun and welcoming group. Our group runs include course checks for many local races including the “Looper Bowl” running of the Leatherman’s Loop course on Super Bowl Sunday (photos). We also held a winter group run of the Raven Rocks Run course called the “Raven Lunatic” — photos from that run are here.

We hope you can join us for the 2016 Raven Rocks Run!

Rob Cummings
Raven Rocks Run Race Director

Course Check August 28, 2016

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WPR_RavenRocksRun_10k-adjusted-mapNot sure if you want to sign up for the Raven Rocks 10k Trail Run on November 13th, 2016? Come out and check the course (no signup needed!) on Sunday, August 28th at 8am and see it ahead of time. Just come and run! BYO water and stories.

It will be a fine day — and while the course isn’t marked — the Leatherman Harriers Sunday Runners will have maps for any who need them.

Meet at the Meadow Parking Lot at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation at 8am Sunday August 28th. See the SundayRuns.org website for maps and details – and to sign up for information about future course checks and other Sunday Runs.

Click here for more info on the 2016 Trail Mix Trail Series.

We plan to have a final course check 2 weeks before the race.

 

Date Set for 2016 Raven Rocks Run

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The second running of the Raven Rocks Run 10k trail race will be Sunday, November 13, 2016. Race start time is 9am.

You can register for the race here.

flying-raven-4-raven-rocks-textRaven Rocks is a challenging and technical 10k trail run at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation in Cross River & Pound Ridge, NY.

Read about the inaugural race in 2015 and check out the photos from the first year.

The Raven Rocks Run is the sixth and final race in the 2016 Trail Mix Trail Series.

Completing 4 of the 6 races in the series automatically qualifies runners to compete for age group and overall awards. In addition, runners who complete the 2016 Trail Mix Series get an automatic selection in the Leatherman’s Loop Lottery in January 2017 if signed up for the lottery.

We hope you can join us on the trails!

 

2015 Recap

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DSC_8356Dear Runners,

Thanks for coming out for a run on the trails of Ward Pound Ridge Reservation.

Tom Nohilly gets the runners ready to start.

Tom Nohilly gets the runners ready to start.

The inaugural Raven Rocks Run was a success by all accounts. Over 300 runners participated in the 10k race. Runners from 6 states were represented – The 4 states nearby (NY, CT, NJ, and MA) plus a runner from Florida and a runner from South Dakota.

If you have any race related feedback, please let us know using the contact form — or send us an email at ravenrocksrun@gmail.com. Feedback is like a gift — positive or negative it will be used to make the race a better experience in the future.

Thanks to John Baker, Jeff Main, Chase, and Sean — all from the Parks Department — for being there to help with everything we could ask for. The fire pit was the best idea!

Results

Complete race results are posted at https://ravenrocksrun.org/results

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Luis Francisco, overall mens winner. Photo: Deborah Burman

The overall men’s winner was Luis Francisco from Mahopac who finished in 45:31. The overall women’s winner was Tiffany Carson of New York City who finished in 57:24. With her win, Tiffany also secured her first place overall finish in the 2015 Trail Mix Trail Series (trailmixseries.org). The series combines results from six trail races in Westchester and Fairfield Counties during 2015.

Tiffany Carson, overall womens winner.

Tiffany Carson, overall womens winner. Photo: Keith Realander

Rounding out the top three men were two local high schoolers: John Jay’s Charlie Stewart (46:37) and Fox Lane’s Cole Rooney (47:09). For the women, Cross River’s Rachel Massa was second overall (1:01:29) and West Harrison’s Tracy Lawrence-Black (1:01:41) was right on her heels.

Other notable finishes: Tom Nohilly, coach of the NY State champion John Jay Girls Cross Country team finished 4th overall. Youngest runner Eamonn Sullivan (12 years old) finished in 11th place overall (52:03) just ahead of his dad, Gerry Sullivan (52:05) who is the Fordham Prep Cross Country coach. Gerry also secured his win in the men’s 2015 Trail Mix series. Tony Godino, founder of the famous Leatherman’s Loop trail race ran the tough course in 1:26:05 and walked away with an age group pie prize.

Volunteers

An event like this simply does not happen without the help of volunteers. I will put our volunteer page together soon but wanted to call out some people who were instrumental in getting this race off the ground and running smoothly on race day.

Volunteers Alan Wegener, Jill Mango, Judy Godino. Photo: Carol Gordon

Volunteers Alan Wegener, Jill Mango, Judy Godino. Photo: Carol Gordon

First — my wife, Ciorsdan. Thanks for your help and listening to me talk endlessly about the race these last few months. I promise to stop for a while. Tony Godino – without your help and guidance via working with you on Leatherman and Run The Farm over the last 8(!) years, I would not have been able to pull this together. Judy Godino – your calm centered demeanor helps everyone know all will be OK. Lee Willett – your leadership with the Sunday Runs group has been amazing and so appreciated. Joe Mokszycki pre-ran the course starting in the frosty grass before 7:00am on race morning to make sure everything was marked well and nothing was moved or blown away. Tom Cohn from the Friends of Trailside Museum board of directors has been incredibly supportive of the race and helped make it all happen with the county and museum.

Many of the Raven Rocks Run volunteers

Many of the Raven Rocks Run volunteers. Photo: Ciorsdan Conran

John Young, Mike Berardino, and Ruth Littman hiked up to the Fire Tower site and served everyone water. Andy Hafter personally sliced nearly every bagel and orange for the runners (with the help of my mom Pat Cummings!). Eleanor Hershey and Debbie Mullin made sure no runner was left behind acting as race sweeps. Brian Stempel, Jill Mango, Sam Mango, Kathy Lynch, Orion Cummings, Sawyer Cummings, Deb Buscema, Shirley Copeland, Alan Wegener, Jeff Thompson, Mark Vincent, Karen Haitoff, Chris Cassone, Mike Paletta, and Bill Bradsell all helped with registration, parking, course marshaling, and general on the spot assistance. Last but not least – David Vogel donated the finish line banner. If I am forgetting anyone please forgive me!

Special thanks to our official starter Tom Nohilly. You all heard his brief bio at the start. As great an athlete as he is, I think he has exceeded that as a trainer and coach. We wish the John Jay Girls Cross Country Team the best of luck as they compete in the U.S. Nationals in early December. I saw a bunch of the team members at Raven Rocks cheering the runners on — this was one day after they won the NY State Championships!

Friends of Trailside

Many runners joined as members of the Friends of Trailside Museum and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. You will be getting your membership information shortly from them. You can still join online – or fill out and send in the membership form here.

friends-of-trailside-and-ward-pound-ridge-reservation-logo-2The Friends of Trailside is a 501(c)3 organization and is dedicated to promoting a better appreciation and understanding of the natural world and the relationship between people and the land. Through its support of the Trailside Nature Museum, operated by the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Conservation of the County of Westchester, the Friends provide financial and volunteer aid for exhibits, school, and education programs. For more information on the Friends group — including how to join — click here: http://friendsoftrailside.org/

The Friends group is very interested in restoring the Cross River Mountain Fire Tower to the park. The Fire Tower stood from 1927 through the early 1980s when it was removed without county permission and dismantled. The Friends of Trailside want to correct this historic error and create a beacon that will draw visitors to the top of the park for incredible vistas of the surrounding countryside. If you are interested in this endeavor, Friends of Trailside board member Tom Cohn wants to hear from you and enlist your support.

LVAC

LVAC team at Raven Rocks Run

LVAC team at Raven Rocks Run

The Lewisboro Volunteer Ambulance Corps was out and ready to heal on Sunday. Thanks Lucian Lipinsky, Andrew Stagnari, Ann Hirsch, and the rest of the volunteers.

LVAC has been a steadying and very helpful presence at the Leatherman’s Loop for years. It was great to have them at Raven Rocks! We hope you met them after the race while fixing yourself a bagel and some coffee.

Photos

We have posted photos from our fantastic team of shutterbugs here: https://leathermansloop.smugmug.com/Raven-Rocks-Run/2015.

Thanks to Ciorsdan Conran, Carol Gordon, Deborah Burman, Keith Realander, Diane Bradsell, John Cummings (my dad!), and also thanks to a few of our runners who uploaded photos so far.

There’s plenty of room for more photos if you want to share yours at our runner upload gallery here: http://smu.gs/1HpXR41

Trail Mix

medallion-scan-mod-bw-300hThe Raven Rocks Run was the final event in the 2015 Trail Mix Trail Race series (http://trailmixseries.org). The series was in it’s second year in 2015 and grew from four races to six from 2014 to 2015.

We have published the final Trail Mix results for the series at the series website.

Congratulations to Tiffany Carson and Gerry Sullivan for taking the 2015 overall series. More details and age group winners can be found at the links above.

Thanks to the other race directors in the series for having a fun 2015 — we are looking forward to the 2016 Trail Mix Series — who knows what is in the cards!

Sunday Run group

We have a dedicated group of trail runners who meet every Sunday morning at 8am (http://sundayruns.org) to run trails in and around northern Westchester and occasionally beyond. All year round — all paces — all welcome! We never leave anyone behind and encourage new trail runners to try out the trails.

leatherman-harriers-sunday-runs-logo-200wMany of our regular sunday runners are race directors and volunteers for the Trail Mix and many other local races. It is a very fun and welcoming group. Our group runs include course checks for many local races including the “Looper Bowl” running of the Leatherman’s Loop course on Super Bowl Sunday. This year will be the 5th year we have that group run. I am also thinking of a winter group run of the Raven Rocks Run course — somehow the name “Raven Lunatic” popped into my head. Date TBD after talking with Lee (aka the King of Clubs)!

Other upcoming events

If you are looking for a great 5k road race this coming Saturday, Deb Buscema, who was one of our volunteers on Sunday — is organizing the First Annual Lower Salem Turkey Trot 5k in South Salem, NY.

Registration link is here: http://fasttracktiming.com/races/11212015-lower-salem-turkey-trot/. The course is a local favorite, circling around beautiful Truesdale Lake. I am biased since it runs right by our house! The course heads in the opposite direction of the South Salem Memorial Day 5k which Deb also directs.

Lastly, the 30th anniversary of the Leatherman’s Loop 10k Trail Race is coming up in 2016. The Loop Lottery will take place in early January. Check the link for more information. Sign up to receive emails from the Loop and also follow the Leatherman on Facebook and other media to be reminded of when to sign up for the lottery.

In Closing

Thanks for coming — and reading until the end. It was supposed to be just a short summary! Hope to see you on the trails!

Rob Cummings
Raven Rocks Run Race Director

The View from The Rocks

The View from The Rocks

Raven Rocks Run Tomorrow!

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2015-RavenRocksRun-Design_v5_SINGLE-smallerThe Raven Rocks Run is set to go tomorrow at 9am. See our Logistics Note for advice on getting to the park and getting oriented once you arrive.

Race organizers are at the park today doing the final prep work and fine tuning the course for our Sunday morning start.

There is Last Minute Online Registration available if you are deciding late to run – sign up now and make tomorrow morning less stressful for yourselves and us! 😉

Note if you are running tomorrow and want to have an extra layer for the start but then want to peel it off (after that first big hill!), we will have volunteers at Michigan Road (1 mile into the course) who can collect them and will return them to the finish line area for you to pick up after you finish.

See you on the trails!

Logistics for Raven Rocks Run

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To: Everyone who is registered for the 2015 Raven Rocks Run:

Thanks for signing up to run the inaugural Raven Rocks Run at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. Race director Rob Cummings, his lovely wife Ciorsdan along with many dedicated volunteers have been working hard to set up the event.

Registration link is here if you have any more folks to sign up: https://ravenrocksrun.org/registration  

Here are some tips that will help you on race morning:

Traffic backing up at the entrance near race time - arrive early to avoid the crush.

Traffic backing up at the entrance near race time – arrive early to avoid a jam.

1.) ARRIVE EARLY! The race is set to start at 9am. Please plan to arrive at the park by 8:15am — or even earlier if you can swing it. The regular $10 parking fee is already incorporated as part of the Raven Rocks entry fee so there is no need to stop and pay at the entry booth.

If the main lot should fill up, we may need to use our backup lot near the entrance to the park. This would mean about 1/4 mile walk for runners arriving late. Another reason to be early!

2.) DRIVE SLOWLY in the Park! Pay close attention to the staff and volunteers who are directing the parking. Car pool if you can – this helps the environment – and it makes the race more fun! For a helpful overview of the race location (parking, start, bib pickup), check the logistics page of the website here.

3.) LISTEN ATTENTIVELY TO PRE-RACE ANNOUNCEMENTS! Your Race Director will have important information about the course and safety. You will be instructed about potential hazards on the course and current course conditions.

4.) LISTEN FOR THE START! Following the instructions, we will have a special guest as our official starter. Then we will start the runners.

WPR_RavenRocksRun_10k5.) STAY ON COURSE IF YOU CAN’T CONTINUE! There will be a number of “sweeps” running the course following the slower runners. If for any reason you can’t continue, wait for them to get to you to assess your needs. The park is over 4,300 acres so don’t leave the course unless you know exactly where you are going.

6.) ALL DOGS MUST BE LEASHED! If the dogs are running Raven Rocks they MUST START NEAR THE BACK with their humans! If you are running with your dog, please hold back at the start and be certain that your dog or its leash does not interfere with or impede any of the other runners. The county park law requires dogs be leashed at all times while in the park. This is for the safety of your dogs, other park patrons, and other dogs visiting.

2015-RavenRocksRun-Design_v5_SINGLE-smaller7.) SAME DAY REGISTRATION – We will likely have same day registration available from 7:15-8:45am. Earlier is better. Online registration is even better! 😉 Cash or check only on race day please. Day of race registration is $45.

8.) RESULTS: Printed lists of finishers with time and place will be available soon after the finish at the registration area and by later in the afternoon on the Raven Rocks Run website. Check it out at https://ravenrocksrun.org/results.

9.) THANK A VOLUNTEER! A tremendous amount of volunteer effort goes into making the Loop a special event each year. T-shirt designers, registration volunteers, carpool helpers, pie buyers, course setters, trail wardens, box lifters, water servers, food preparers, coffee brewers, parking coordinators, photographers, videographers, course sweeps, and the clean-up crew—not to mention the Pound Ridge, Lewisboro, and Westchester County Police officers and the dedicated members of the Lewisboro Volunteer Ambulance Corps!

We are grateful that we have such a wonderful group of trail running enthusiasts (YOU!) to share this run with. We are also thankful that we have the thousands of acres of parkland at the Rez to enjoy!

The race proceeds will benefit the Friends of Trailside Museum and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. Many runners have become members of the Friends group during registration – We thank you for joining! Volunteers from the Friends group will be there race morning to help cheer on runners, support the race, and have information about joining the Friends of Trailside Museum group.

Remember, leave only footprints, take only pictures, and please send us your photos via upload!

Expect more news shared on Facebook, Twitter, and our website as the event nears…. See you in 10 days!

Good luck and have fun,

….Rob, Ciorsdan, and the rest of the Raven Rocks Run Volunteers!

PS: Some useful links…

• Map and Directions to the Reservation
• Map of the Raven Rocks Run course
• Follow Raven Rocks on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ravenrocksrun
• Searchable list of registered runners
• Run on the trails on Sundays all year round!

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Raven Rocks Run is the last race in a series of trail races called The Trail Mix. Check this year’s standings in the series here.

Next year’s Trail Mix races will include:

In addition, we support and attend many other local trail (and a few road) races, including but not limited to:

(Note: this went out as an email to all registered runners for the 2015 Raven Rocks Run. If you did not receive it via email and you are registered, you may want to check your spam folder and set up ravenrocksrun@gmail.com on your address book/white list.)

Raven Rocks Run Registration Reminder

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Wintertime at the Raven Rocks overlook.
The first annual Raven Rocks Run 10k trail race will take place on Sunday, November 15th starting at 9:00am. It will be the first new race at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation in Cross River, NY in nearly 20 years.

Click here to register

If you have already registered, thanks and see you at the Rez!

 

raven-rocks-bib-2015-mgWe recommend pre-ordering a race shirt with your registration. We have ordered extra shirts — but sizes are limited. If you order with your registration we will definitely have your size. If you wait until the event to buy a shirt, the correct size may not be available.

If you can’t run but would like to help out by volunteering, please contact us ASAP. All of our races are volunteer driven and we couldn’t do it without them!

2015-RavenRocksRun-Design_v5_SINGLE-smallerThe race will start and finish in The Meadow at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation – the same spot as the Leatherman’s Loop. But instead of going along the river, the Raven Rocks Run course seeks out higher ground. Runners will pass the two highest points in the park: The Raven Rocks overlook and the site of the former Fire Tower before heading back downhill to the Meadow finish.

Raven Rocks is the final race in the 2015 Trail Mix Trail Series. If you are interested in next year, check out the website. If you are in the series, click here to see the standings as of the first four races (Run the Farm will go in once it is finalized).

If you are not sure if you have registered — or you want to check on a friend or family member — you can confirm registration status here: https://runsignup.com/Race/FindARunner/?raceId=25402

flying-raven-4-raven-rocks-textThe race raises funds for Friends of Trailside Museum and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. The Friends group supports the mission of the Museum and Park by funding events and capital projects in the park. Members of the Friends group also volunteer at the museum and the park and help with education programs, camp groups, and events throughout the year. During Raven Rocks registration you can join the Friends as a member and support their mission.

If you can’t race this year, you can sign up as a member without race registration.

Registered runners should be on the lookout for an updated logistics note a few days before the race day.

See you on the trails!

….. Rob, Ciorsdan, and The Raven Rocks volunteers

leatherman-harriers-sunday-runs-logo

Sunday Runners Updates below:

Keep an eye on our Facebook page if you are interested in our weekly Sunday morning group trail runs including a course check of the Raven Rocks Run two Sundays (11/1) before the race.