TRAIL RACES FOR ADVENTURE PLANNING

Planning journal and diary for an epric adventure. Taken by PKSenagore December 23, 2016. All rights reserved.

EPIC ADVENTURE POTENTIAL If you are a walker or road runner and NOT a trail runner why might you be interested in a list of competitions with spectacular views? Lisa Jhung offers “19 Challenging Yet Stunning Trail Races to Run in 2017” for Competitor.com. In the lower 48 United States these trail events span the entire country from north to south, (Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to Alabama), east to west (Vermont to Washington State), and boast of scenic points in many venues (mountain, desert, island, and valley). The 49th and 50th state are included in this list as well. Jhung provides a brief description of each event, its scenic highlights, the date each is held and the event website.

The 19 trail runs, are simply listed below, to pique your interest.
 
Back to the original question. A reason non-trail enthusiasts might wish to know of some beautiful off-road races is that in looking for a cross training activity you might find hiking a perfect alternative to running. This activity also requires training, especially for long distance efforts, which requires advance planning. You may not be ready to take on or schedule a specific trail hike THIS year, but the list is a great resource for identifying a goal “epic adventure” trip.
 
Almost always an annual race date will fall within a few days of previous races, so you can predict about the time of year, and often the month and date it will be held in succeeding years.

I have a personal reason for posting about this. Last summer I was shopping for an unsupported  "epic adventure" for myself. It was difficult to find something that did not require survialist-level expertise to plan and take on. Also, although great scenery was a must,  I was not in the market for a total deep woods experience. I am hopeful that by researching this list and the course maps and other information on the organizer's website, I'll find my first manageable, shorter distance, beautiful epic adventure. I am encouraged because the very first race on the list has detailed maps, directions, and helpful information. 

Please share if you have knowledge of one of these 19 trails runs:
- Orcas Island 25K, Orcas Island WA; January 28, 2017
 
- Catalina Island Marathon, Catalina Island CA; March 11, 2017
 
- Gorge Waterfalls 50K/ 100K, Columbia River Gorge OR; March 25 or April 8, 2017
 
- XTERRA Oak Mountain Trail Runs 5K, 10K or 20K, Pelham AL; May 21, 2017
 
- Sehgahunda Mountain Trail, Mt. Morris NY; May 27, 2017
 
- Double Dipsea (14.1 miles), Mill Valley CA; June 17, 2017
 
- Crow Paw Crossing, Girdwood AK; July 22, 2017
 
- Juniper Peak Steeplechase (16 miles), Park City UT; July 29, 2017
 
- Taqua Trail Run 10K and 25K, Paradise MI; August 5, 2017
 
- Ragnar Trails Appalachian (Relays 14.6 or 29.2 miles) Bruceton Mills WV; August 11-12, 2017
 
- Breck Crest (marathon and half marathon), Breckinridge CO; August 26, 2017
 
- The Rut (50K, 12K, and Vertical Kilometer), Big Sky Resort MT; September 1-3, 2017
 
 -Emerald Bay Trail (7.5 miles), Lake Tahoe CA; September 17, 2017
 
- Golden Leaf Half Marathon, Aspen CO; September 23, 2017
 
- Trapp Lodge Mountain Marathon, Stowe VT, October 14, 2017
 
- XTERRA Kapalua Trail Runs (10K, 5K, 2.5K, and “Keiki” K), Oahu HI; October 21, 2017
 
- Moab Trail Marathon, Half Marathon, and 5K Adventure Run, Moab UT; November 4-5, 2017
 
- Mountain Masochist (50 miles), Lynchburg VA, November 4, 2017
 
- Surfing Madonna Run (10 mile, 10K, and 5K), Encinitas CA; November 5, 2017

RUN HAPPY!
 
http://running.competitor.com/2017/01/trail-running/19-stunning-trail-races-run-2017_161112