Runners make their way down the red horse trail from Hemlock shortly after the start
Quatro Hubbard
BRR Training Run #3 (The North)
Come out and get some easy rolling miles on the Bull Run-Occoquan Trail! Starting at the Hemlock Overlook Regional Park trailhead at the end of Yates Ford Road at 8 am, this run will cover the northern section of the course that makes up roughly the first 17 miles of the BRR 50 Miler.
- Date
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- Sun Mar 19, 2023
- Start location
- Start time
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- 8:00 am
- Distance
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- 17.25 miles
- Total ascent/descent
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- 1,500 feet
- Aid stations
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- Bull Run Regional Park (9.4 miles)
This is the last of the three winter training runs in preparation for the Bull Run Run 50 Miler course ahead of this April’s run. Come out and get some easy rolling miles on the upstream (northern) section of the Bull Run-Occoquan Trail! Starting at the Hemlock Overlook Regional Park trailhead at the end of Yates Ford Road at 8 am, this run will cover the sections of the course that make up the first 17+ miles of the BRR 50 Miler.
As a change of pace from the other training runs, this one is scheduled for a Sunday to allow runners who may have conflicts on most Saturdays the opportunity to join us for at least one of the runs.
This section of the BRR 50 mile course is considered the “easy” part of the run. While there are some good climbs and descents, there is a lot of flat, stream-side running, and the northernmost section beyond the Centreville trailhead is particularly flat and runnable. This section will include what in April should be the very striking Bluebell Loop in Bull Run Regional Park.
Sharp-eyed runners will likely note that this was the same course that was slated to be run in January for the Baby Bull Run #1. Due to a previously scheduled work project by trail maintainers with the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club at a stream crossing in this section, the Baby Bull in January went south through soccer fields to the Marina and beyond, and then back to Hemlock. The original Baby Bull #3 was going to be a run from Fountainhead to the Marina on that southern section of the BROT, but it was felt that this section should be scheduled instead, since it is not as commonly run.
No signup is necessary for this training run, and the only planned aid will be water, soda and maybe some snickety snacks at the midway point in the run, between the BROT and Bluebell trailheads. The route will not be marked in any way other than the blazing on the trails. Almost the entire run will be utilizing the blue-blazed BROT.
To date, all of these Baby Bull runs have drawn several dozen runners of all abilities and running speeds. So come on out, and look to find other runners of similar pace to cover the course. Those of you not familiar with the course should not worry, as these sections are not particularly tricky to follow. But do your homework! Download the BPX file to your favorite device or app to give you that added security while out on the trail.
Shoot BRR #3 organizer Quatro Hubbard a message if you have questions, comments or concerns. If you are interested in coming to help out with the parking at Hemlock and/or the aid station at Bull Run Regional Park, Q would very much love to hear from you - particularly since co-BRR RD Katie Keier will be in Italy and thus not particularly available to join us for this run.
Hope to see you there! And entry is still available for the Bull Run Run 50 miler, for those still shopping for a fun spring run!
Last updated February 20, 2023
Club Event Participant Medical Policy
This is an event with very real risks to your well being. The VHTRC does not provide medical care for runners at this event. Runners are responsible for their own health, safety, and well being at this event. No doctors, nurses, or emergency medical technicians, or anyone with any medical training are available along the course, at any aid station, or at the finish. The club does not supply any medical goods or services, including bandages, splints, antiseptic, or Ibuprofen or any other drugs to maintain the health of runners. Physical, medical, and emergency care is the runners' responsibility. In case of an emergency, we will endeavor to get local emergency personnel to an injured runner as soon as possible. Since most of our events are in remote areas, medical care may be far away in distance or time. Each year, runners finish — or are forced to drop out — with scrapes, deep cuts, hematomas, dislocations, and sprains. Runners have experienced cuts, bruises, bee stings, and asthma attacks. This is an event with very real risks.