Ringing In a Hellish Year

Well, VHTRC friends, what a year it’s been. Uncertainty and struggle were high for many many of us, including Happy Trails folks who are also civil servants. Federal employees endured significant changes and losses. But we made it to the finish line and grew as individuals, a club, and as a community.

We left-foot, right-foot’ed countless miles

We stepped up to help others accomplish superhuman feats

We connected and supported each other in times of need

We put volunteerism at the center of what we do

We continued to execute the things we have always done that make us a highly regarded club.

I want to specifically call out the selflessness of everyone who participated in trail work efforts to help the Forest Service and/or volunteered at VHTRC events. VHTRC is a gem that deserves to be cherished; this is my small attempt to cherish it and the individuals within it. I’ll lead with a year-in-review recap of some VHTRC events and memories to help capture the buildup to the ultimate event of my year; Hellgate 100k. This year brought epic adventures (such glorious Kool Aid) amidst all the chaos.

Furbutt’s Backyard Ultra
Furbutt’s is not your typical backyard ultra. It involves running a 4.1 mile long loop on Mustang trail every hour, on the hour. This backyard ultra is unique because it is limited to 24 hours or running. Run, sit, eat, drink, get back up to run some more. This year’s event started again at Mustang trailhead, and I arrived to run this format with an open mind, ready to run this format for the first time. It was the most humid and hot day of the year by my account and I was going to see how I could handle it. I met so many runners during this event, including Ben, a Las Millas run club member. His support encouraged me to finish my first ever 100 mile distance and to be the only runner to complete Furbutt’s full 24 hours. I highly recommend Furbutt’s to any runners looking to test their limits, tackle a new distance, and have fun. Also Furtbutt’s event director, Tracy Cooley, executes a well organized event and is supportive of her runners’ goals. She adds to the fun!

The Ring
The Ring is a magical race, especially if you spend the year running in the Massanuttens. The Ring’s course follows Massanutten’s orange blazes. Anyone interested in running the Ring should get well acquainted with the trail and explore what it offers before the event. Take in the beauty, ruggedness, and of course the rocks. Remember to stay on orange! That is an important mantra to abide by while running the Ring. This was my favorite event I ran in 2025 because of the wonderful friends that double as the world’s greatest volunteers. Familiar faces greeted me at every aid station–Barry Hauptman at Roosevelt, Jeff Best (Best burgers!) at Woodstock, and many more Happy Trails humans. This years’ cooler weather also made it quite a pleasant day to run in the Massanuttens. I finished the course third overall and first female.

Honorable Mentions
-Elizabeth’s Furnace 50k (VHTRC event): Spring weather conditions with Girl Scout cookie prizes on the line made it impossible not to have a grand time at this event.
-Hone Quarry 40 miler: A stunning course and significant VHTRC turnout. 10/10 recommend.
-Manitou’s Revenge: A challenging point to point grassroots race in the Catskills. Possibly my favorite course because of the surprises the Catskills hold.
-Martha Moats Baker (VHTRC event): A great day in the mountains on some of my favorite Virginia trails, including The White Oak Trail (TWOT); Troublesome because you must conquer Grooms Ridge to complete the 38 mile course.
-Honorable mentions: Holy Cowans Gap, VHTRC Women’s Half, and HOT TWOT.

Run VHTRC Events, Bet on Yourself, Apply to Hellgate 100k!
Every October, Hellgate race director Dr. David Horton opens the application window. Runners submit a mini year-in-review with the hope of gaining race entry. Applicants list all of their running successes from the year on paper, and whether they get in or not, the application demonstrates their physical and mental perseverance across various ultra distances. My VHTRC friends encouraged me to apply this year, so I gave it a go and laid it on thick. Thanks to VHTRC’s many running opportunities it provides, I had a list of running accomplishments ranging from 50k to 100 miles from the year. These race finishes helped me plead my case and gain entry into the 2025 Hellgate women’s field. Many other VHTRC friends were accepted into the race lineup–Larry Huffman, Deb Cawthorn, Adam Rasmussen, Steph Hill, Nora Jodrey, and more. Set yourself up for a year of testing your limits, and you could be running Hellgate next year!

Make VHTRC Friends, Run Hellgate
Go to the Hellgate pre-race briefing. The briefing offers many informative nuggets about the course and perspective on the race history and the effort that goes into making it happen. Horton emphasizes that Hellgate is a very special event—not just a race. Indeed, the people and community involved are what make it that way. Horton ensures this magical event happens by rallying enough volunteers to execute, and with all of the snow covering trails in December 2025, it was clear that it was especially difficult for them to do so. Horton even mentioned there was uncertainty over whether the National Park Service would allow the Hellgate 2025 to happen. The NPS decided the morning before the race that it would allow the event to take place. Once the decision came through, the volunteers were ready to jump into action. Make sure to thank volunteers always!

The race pre-brief shows just how involved VHTRC is in executing the race. This year Sophie Speidel supported the race by checking runners in and managing the race’s social media. Helen MacDermott even designed the Hellgate stickers!! I know there were many other wonderful VHTRC people volunteering their time that I haven’t even met yet.

Seeing familiar faces on the course of a midnight start race is a huge pick-me-up. At 12:01AM on 13 December, the pack of Hellgate 2025 runners took off on their point to point trek–many of them carrying micro-spikes and enough water to survive a newly announced 19 mile stretch without aid. Within the first three miles I saw Steph and Nora, two very impressive ladies who each had a stellar trail running year; Steph finished second at Hellbender and Nora finished fourth at Cascade Crest–each dominating the 100 mile distance. We started off on the course climbing and taking in the challenges of this year’s course conditions we had heard of leading up to the start of the race. A lot of ice and snow waited for us, and we each did our best to move through the thick of it. In the first few miles of the race, I crossed paths with Happy Trails legends Keith Van Graafeiland and Carl Bligan. Seeing familiar faces as you head into the dark of the night is a true lift for the soul. I had met most of the runners I saw on the course during my year spent at many VHTRC shindigs. Participate in VHTRC events and you’ll have friends in Virginia races everywhere as a result.

Study up, Build the Hellgate Crew You Deserve
If you plan to run Hellgate, read VHTRC member Aaron Schwartzbard’s Hellgate Overview race report. Everyone who reads it appreciates its accurate course descriptions. The report helped me understand what to expect from the course during a more “typical” (is there even such a thing?) Hellgate year without so much snow and ice. Aaron completed the 2025 course to notch his 23rd finish of the race. Make sure to congratulate him and pick his brain if a Hellgate attempt is in your near future.

VHTRC has many well seasoned club members who have completed races up and down the east coast and across the country; many of them are willing to help other runners achieve their race goals. Creating a post on the VHTRC Facebook page is an easy way to find experienced and eager crew volunteers. If you do this, make sure to give back to others in need of support at some point! This can also be done by volunteering at VHTRC events. What goes around comes around. When the time came for me to make my Hellgate plan, I knew that Ivory Lira was the one for the job! She is on the VHTRC board, and is an expert aid station and race planner. This year the Hellgate aid stations had to be moved because of the snowy and icy conditions. Horton announced that runners would not see their crews until at mile 30, Jenkins Gap. We made it work! At mile 30, I ran into the aid with torched legs from the first section’s snowy climb, which felt like running in quick sand. Ivory kept me level headed, provided me with water and fuel, and sent me on my way, ready to race!

It Was a Hellgate Race
I lost track of where things were located on the course after Jenkins gap due to all of the aid station and crew changes. Departing Jenkins gap there is a nice gradual fire road climb to the next aid station. With each bend and curve of the road competitors can easily be spotted in front of or behind you, which makes for a fun section to race. This is where I started to kick it into race gear. I left Jenkins gap unsure of what place I was in and passed a female runner right before the next aid station. There the volunteers informed me that I was in second which lit a fire in me. I departed that aid station on a mission to finish the race—goal #1 in ultra distances—and make gains on F1 if possible. 26 or so miles can have a lot of ups in downs but if you just keep moving usually an “up” always comes back around. There were enough “ups” in the next section to embrace before I got to the next aid station where I would see Ivory, including the sunrise, beautiful single track sections, and the mental gratification of being past the race half way point. Horton is fairly engaged in the race, and I had seen him throughout the day hopping between aid stations. At the second to last aid station, Horton told me that F1 was five minutes ahead of me. I responded to him with a quick, “so it’s time for me to go catch her?!” And bolted out after F1. I caught up to her within the first mile and a half back on the trail. Another accomplished female runner, Isabella Poulos was the winner of this year’s Wasatch 100 and number one ranked female for this race. I closed the gap between us, followed behind her in crunchy snow, and eventually passed her. The race isn’t over until it’s over, and I still had 14 miles to go in this point to point adventure. Up next, the last aid station. I knew from Larry that the last 6 miles are pretty straight forward; 2.5 miles up and 3.5 miles down. I didn’t let my foot off the gas and occasionally would peek over my shoulder to look for any encroaching runners; I didn’t see any more female runners for the rest of the race. With less than a mile to go the brown cabins of Camp Bethel greet runners near the final left turn into the finish. One last look over the shoulder told me I was in the clear and there were no runners behind me. I turned left and ran it into the finish line.

The Finish
Ahh the Hellgate finish. The finish line is exciting at this race due to the fast field and the close gaps between runners. Enjoy it, cheer if you have the energy, and soak it up! You did that thing! That’s what I did as I tried to process my first place finish. This race showed me that I have the capability to accomplish goals that seem out of reach. When I first heard about Hellgate a year ago, I never imagined I’d be lucky enough to get in—or tough enough for that midnight start. I consider myself lucky, and the experience went far beyond what I expected. Chase big goals and as always thank your volunteers, crew, and race directors. Thank you to VHTRC for an exciting and fulfilling year on trails. Can’t wait for more ups and downs with you all!