MLK Weekend 2026

Club event, Club race

The rocky Massanutten trails are generally going to extract their pound of flesh (this flesh was extracted from WTF finisher Jose Cardenas). 📸 Bur

After the standard VHTRC kick-off event to a new year, the Red Eye 50k, we next cross our fingers for good weather for the start of the winter mountain event season over the Martin Luther King, Jr., weekend in mid-January. Both the Massanutten Training Academy Run #1 on Saturday January 17 and Waterfall 50k on Sunday January 18 were held as scheduled. Both had nice turnouts and fairly nice weather conditions for the season. Thanks to run directors Larry Huffman (MMT TA 1) and Mike Bur (WTF) for their continued good stewardship of their events, and to all the volunteers and runners who came out to make for a great weekend in the Massanuttens.

Larry has compiled runner times and a posted his report on the first Training Academy Run.

Larry Huffman, training event director one Saturday and very dedicated volunteer the following Saturday, manning the single, frigid aid station at Baby Bull 1. 📸 Lauren Gabler

We have the results and report on the next day’s Waterfall 50k posted, as well.

The highlight has to be Rocky’s Run on Sunday, when Mike Bur’s dog decided to join the Waterfall runners as they crossed Kerns Mountain. With an assist from his transcriber, Tracy Cooley, Rocky submitted a report on his adventures.

Despite wind chills on the morning of Saturday January 24 that were somewhere just above zero, RD Lauren Gabler had a nice turnout for her modified first Baby Bull training run in advance of the Bull Run Run 50 miler. Lauren opted to change the course to avoid the stream crossing on the “Northern Route” and the runners adapted well, running south from Hemlock to Fountainhead and back.

The next event in the BRR Baby Bull training run series would be the infamous Death By Do Loop on February 14.

The second of four event in the MMT Training Academy series will be held on February 28.