When I can’t run on trails I like to run races that mirror urban trail running.  Last weekend I got a chance to participate in a unique race: running to the top of 191 Peachtree, a 50-story office building in downtown Atlanta. I was sorta bummed the race wouldn’t be happening in the Bank of America building as it had in years past since BofA is the tallest in Atlanta (and 8th tallest in the US) but at 770 feet, 191 Peachtree ain’t no slouch (it’s the 4th tallest in the ATL and 57th tallest in the US). The race was held as a benefit for the American Lung Association and each racer is required to raise at least $100 in donations on top of the $25 entry fee.

At around 9am on Saturday morning the racers lined up on the street outside of the building and I chatted a few folks up to see what my strategy should be. Everyone I spoke to laughed when I asked if they ran the whole way – most of them planned to walk. One guy I spoke with said he walked the whole thing last year in a time of around 12 minutes which didn’t sound too bad. Heck, I could do almost anything for 12 minutes!

I hadn’t done any training for the race but I still thought it should be possible to jog up at least the first few floors. A couple years ago I used to include stadium step running in my training routine and I was actually sorta good at it. But running stadium steps is a little different than running up 50 flights of stairs – at least you get a break when you descend the aisles.

At the race, runners were sent up the stairs in 10 second intervals to avoid a massive traffic jam. The event was chip timed with mats at the bottom and top of the course. I decided to start off at a decent clip, taking 2 steps at a time and I immediately started passing runners who started before me. Before I knew it I blew past the first water stop (seriously) on the 8th floor. Next thing I knew, I was still jogging at the halfway mark, 25 floors. My strategy was to run up the stairs and walk across the transition landings which helped because I was starting to get dizzy from running around in circles.

By the time I hit the second water stop at the 38th floor I was starting to feel pretty spent and around 40 I have to admit I walked 2 or 3 floors. With one final push to the top, I ran up the remaining levels and entered the 50th floor to a cheering crowd lining the hallway. Gatorade and sweeping views of the Atlanta skyline awaited and after cooling down for a few minutes I took the elevator back down to earth.

I didn’t time myself during the run so I waited around for the results and was surprised at how well I did: 7 mins, 30 secs (9 sec per floor) which earned me third place overall out of about 200 runners. As my brother Chris said, it seems like I may have found my race. With a little training I’ll be back next year, ready to take first!

To give us Trail Runners a little tax day relief XTERRA is offering $15 race registrations tomorrow, April 15th!  Finally someone is recognizing the positive benefits of Trail Running and giving us tax breaks.  When is the federal government going to get on board with XTERRA and Trail Running?  Hopefully someday we’ll get enough Justices on the Supreme Court to pass tax breaks for Trail Runners.  Until that happens, register for one of these trail races, tomorrow, April 15th for only $15!  What a break!

Register for one or more of these upcoming XTERRA Trail Race events for just $15 each:

XTERRA Lake Las Vegas 5/10/21km Runs – Henderson, NV – April 24, 2010

XTERRA Waco 5/10/21km Trail Runs – Waco, TX – May 22, 2010

XTERRA Oak Mountain 5/10/21km Mud Runs – Pelham, AL – June 12, 2010

XTERRA Richmond 21km Xduro and Fugitive 10km Trail Run – Richmond, VA – June 19, 2010

XTERRA Bend 5/10km Trail Runs – Bend, OR – September 18, 2010

XTERRA Wheeler Canyon 21km Xduro Trail Run – Ogden, UT – September 18, 2010

XTERRA Makena Beach 5/10km Trail Runs – Makena, Maui, HI – October 23, 2010

XTERRA Kualoa 5/10km Trail Runs – Oahu, HI – December 5, 2010

Thanks XTERRA, you are truly great Americans.  Wait, isn’t XTERRA made by Nissan…

This past weekend the 2010 XTERRA Georgia Trail Run Thrills in the Hills at Ft. Yargo Park in Winder, GA was ran.  450 runners from 16 states showed up for the event!  It was beautiful weather for trail running, a vast difference, from the sloppy, muddy fun of last year’s Thrills in the Hills trail race.  This year also introduced the first marathon distance trail run in the XTERRA Georgia Trail Run Series!  Check out the over 200 photos from the event on our Facebook fan page.  You just may be pictured if you were there traversing the course!

If you weren’t in the front of the pack and missed it, Errol Josephs, 40, of Lawrenceville, Georgia won the marathon distance with a time of 3:31:58.  Amanda Holshausen, 37, all the way from McCordsville, Indiana, beat all females in the marathon with a time of 3:45:03 and placing 6th overall!  David Bell, 27, of Atlanta, Georgia won the half marathon distance with a time of 1:18:00.  Elena Linn, 24, of Marietta, GA won the half marathon distance with a time of 1:32:13.  All the runners did a great job.  There is one more race in the six race series on June 5th, the XTERRA Georgia Trail Race Deep South.  This is the last race of the season.  Congratulations to everyone who has participated!

Don’t forget to check and see if you made our Facebook fans page photos!

It’s time for the 4th annual XTERRA Georgia Trail Run Series Thrill in the Hills XDURO 1/2 and full marathon trail race!  Say that 10 times fast.  Or better yet, run it 10 times, fast, from now until 2020!  SeriousRunning.com was at the Thrills in the Hills Trail Race last year and had a blast!  The course was soaked and runners were slipping and slopping the whole way, but despite difficult conditions every runner had an excellent time.  It was extreme…ly fun.  Read more about last year’s race.

The Thrills in the Hills is the most enjoyable trail race in all of the great trail races in the Georgia XTERRA trail series.  It has it all.  It is challenging with many inclines and declines, predominately singletrack, and windy like a trail run should be, but no too difficult that you find yourself forced to walk or slow down.  This is the first year that a full marathon trail race is being offered at the Thrills in the Hills.  The full marathon will be two laps of the half marathon course.

From the Dirty Spokes website:  “This is a great single and double track off-road running experience.  The race will start on the powerlines (required for spacing) but will soon lead into the woods.  The terrain is made up of a little bit of everything, rolling hills, climbs, singletrack, doubletrack, rotts with some technical sections.  The course is beautiful and offers something for every runner truly wishing to ‘ditch the city.’  Nestled in the woods of suburban Atlanta lies a true gem.  Well groomed system of trails with gentle slopes and beautiful scenery will leave you breathless (if that doesn’t, the 13.1/26.2 miles will).  Once you descend into the woods, you will forget you’re in the city.  As a matter of fact, you will come to know why we follow the creed ‘Ditch the City.'”  Running this race makes you feel separated from your everyday city life.  I personally didn’t see any other runners around me other than those I passed from mile 5 until the end.  It was serene.

Every runner will get a sweet Dri Fit T-shirt, although there is no guaranteed for late registrations.  Medals will be awarded to the top 3 male and female finishers as well as the top 3 Male and Female finishers in each age category.  Even if you are not that serious of a runner, each finisher will receive a commemorative medal!  This is a great race if you are a competitive trail runner, novice runner, or want to try trail running for the first time.  Simply finishing the race is a great accomplishment!

Register now!  If you live in the Atlanta area you don’t want to miss this trail race.  Prices for the half marathon are $35 until February 19th.  Later registration prices go up to $40 from February 20th-25th.  Race day registration for the half marathon will be $45.  The full marathon is $45 until February 19th and then goes up to $50 for late registration from February 20th-25th.  Race day registration for the full marathon is $55.  Don’t wait until prices increase, register now and be a part of one of the best trail races in the Atlanta area!

The National College Blue Ridge Marathon On The Parkway is on April 24th, 2010 this year.  It is a special year for this beautiful spring marathon, it is the celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Building this highway was an amazing feat when the project began in 1935.  During the Great Depression the Blue Ridge Parkway was built in to provide jobs for trained but unemployed engineers, architects, and landscape architects on the verge of poverty.  The parkway provided an opening to the Great Smokey Mountain and Shenandoah National Parks making the Blue Ridge Parkway a beautiful monument of American hard work and history.

Bring your hard training work and take a part in history this year at the Blue Ridge Marathon On The Parkway.  Even though a Michigan congressman said just before building the massive Blue Ridge Parkway that it was, “…the most ridiculous undertaking that has ever been presented to Congress of the United States.”  He was right, it was a huge undertaking, but the end result is a parkway connecting the United States with the precious Appalachian mountain communities.  Building the Blue Ridge Parkway was an undertaking worth the results, like training for and completing this challenging marathon.

Take on the challenge to run the marathon that has been deemed the most difficult and the most beautiful marathon on the East Coast!  The marathon course takes you 3,076 feet of total elevation with 6,140 feet of elevation change throughout the course.  If the marathon is too much of a challenge, consider running the half marathon or as a part of a 5 person relay team at the Blue Ridge Marathon On The Parkway event.  For the more serious runners, the top male and top female finishers will receive a $5,000 Tag Heuer watch in this thousand person event.  Bring the whole family and register your children for the YMCA kids marathon!

Ever wish while you were in the middle of the most difficult part of your marathon journey that you could stop and show your running supporters exactly how you are feeling?  Well, now is your chance with the National College Blue Ridge Marathon’s  StarCam!  On race day before runners approach the StarCam, they will be able to one of the races cell phones to call family and friends!  Now your your race supports don’t have to wake up at 5 am with you to support you!

Take on this challenge in the new year and experience the beauty that the Roanoke Region in Virginia has to offer.  Stay the weekend and experience the outdoors.  Try trail running on the Appalachian trail, the longest foot path in the United States, over 140 miles long or mountain bike on many of the other great trails in the area.  This is a destination marathon you don’t want to miss.

The Santa Speedo Run is not exactly serious running, but it was a seriously fun event!  The 1st Annual Atlanta Santa Speedo Run was held this past weekend in the Atlanta neighborhood of Virginia Highland.  The Santa Speedo Run is a one mile run where participants are asked to wear a speedo plus some sort of holiday flair.  Thankfully, runners are also asked to not wear thongs.  The Santa Speedo Run began in Boston in 2000 and has been run for the past 10 years raising money for different charities in the Boston area.  The Santa Speedo Run expanded to Atlanta for the first time this year.  Over the years in Boston, the Santa Speedo Run has attracted thousands to run for charity…in speedos!

The Santa Speedo Run started on December 16th, 2000, when 5 intrepid men ran down the streets of Boston in nothing but speedos and grey Santa beards.  They  ran down Newbury Street passing holiday shoppers who applauded as these five men passed by blaring a boom box with Muppet Christmas Carols.  The event has grown from 5 men to about 500 men and women runners!

This year was the first event held outside of Boston.  The Atlanta Santa Speedo Run started at Darkhorse Tavern in the Virginia Highland neighborhood.  Runners and spectators started arriving around 12:45 to have a couple of “gain confidence” drinks before the race.  The tavern was lively with runners preparing to run in the 30 degree, drizzling weather and spectators excited to see the costumes.  By 1:30 pm the Darkhorse Tavern was packed to capacity and filled with excitement.

The runners lined up on the sidewalk before the start of the “race.”  Spectators could see all of the different costumes as runners started one by one turning the corner.  From here they ran a one-mile, down and back course; giving spectators opportunities to watch the runners pass by multiple times.

Over $40,000 dollars was raised at the Atlanta event which benefited the CHRIS Kids Inc. charity whose mission is to heal children, strengthen families, and build a community through their core values of Creativity, Honor, Respect, Integrity, and Safety.  The Santa Speedo Run Boston has raised over $420,000 dollars for various charities.

The Santa Speedo Run was an exciting event for both runners and spectators alike.  You don’t always have to be serious about your running, but you should be serious about something.

Check out more photos on our Facebook page!

This past weekend the XTERRA Trail Running World Championship was held at Kualoa Ranch in Ka’a’awa, Oahu-Hawaii.  The Trail Running World Championship was a culmination of the XTERRA Trail Run Series which had over 50 races ranging in distances ranging from 5K to 42K in both International and National locations over this past year.  XTERRA Trail Running races were held in Brazil, New Zealand, Italy, France, Austria, Japan, and 15 US States to truly earn the moniker “World Championship.”

The XTERRA Trail Running World Championship contained a 5K, 10K, and 12 mile run for over 1,000 runners.  Max King, 29, of Bend, Oregon won the 12 mile run for the men in a time of 1:14:26, 3 minutes ahead of the second place finisher, Gray.  King won over Joe Gray who is the reigning USA Track and Field Mountain Runner (there is a difference between mountain running and trail running) of the year.  It was the second straight year for King winning the XTERRA Trail Run World Championships.  King also won the USA Track and Field National Trail Marathon a month prior.  Three men started off the race strong together, but by the halfway point it was only a two man race, then a one man race for the last couple of miles.

Fiona Docherty, 34, of New Zealand, who lives in Boulder, Colorado, won the women’s race with a finish of 1:30:05, 2 minutes ahead of last year’s winner, Cindy Anderson.  This was Cindy’s first XTERRA Trail Run race but she has always loved Trail Running.  What a great performance right out of the gate!  The two winners won a $2,000 airfare from Hawaiian airlines among other prizes.

The race route had 3,000 feet of elevation gain.  The weather was great Hawaiian weather with a soft morning breeze coming off of the ocean.  The trail was a mix of both single and double track.  Check out a video of the race and the course.  This year run your local XTERRA Trail Run Races and qualify for next year’s XTERRA Trail Running World Championships!

With the ever-growing popularity of the XTERRA Georgia Trail Run Series, race director Tim Schroer is always on the lookout for adventurous and exciting venues to hold new events.  Premiering on November 29th, the newest XTERRA Trail Run explores one of northern Georgia’s best kept secrets within the rolling hills of Royston’s Vicotia Bryant State Park.

Just three days after Thanksgiving, the XTERRA Victoria Bryant Trail Run offers the perfect way to get back on the fitness track after a day of full indulgence.  The 10-kilometer course offers an even mix of challenging climbs, rugged roots, technical single track, and breathtaking scenery.  This is truly an experience Georgia runners wanting to “Ditch the City” will not want to miss.

The race is on Sunday, November 29th at 8:30 am.  The entry fee is $30 until November 15th, $35 after that, and $40 on race day so register now before prices increase!  Medals and prizes will be given out to the overall top 3 male and female finishers.  Medals to the top 3 male and female finishers in each age group.  Like always, dri-fit shirts will be guaranteed for all early registrants.  Run the Inaugural Victoria Bryant Trail Race presented by an experienced race director a couple of days after Thanksgiving to burn off that cranberry sauce with a run through the woods!

Get ready for the XTERRA Georgia Trail Run Series Battle At Big Creek on November 8th at the Big Creek Trails in Roswell, GA.  You can check out more information about the Big Creek trails in our trail runs database.  They are pretty fun trails not too far from downtown Atlanta.  Everyone in the Atlanta area should check them out sometime.  What a better time to check them out than during a fun trail race?!  This trail race is a great single and double track off-road running experience.  The race will start on the Greenway Concrete Trail for spacing but will soon lead into the woods.  The terrain is made up of a little bit of everything, rolling hills, climbs, roots, and rocks along with some technical sections.

There is a 4.5 and a 9 mile option for this race.  The course is made up of a 4.5 mile loop, the 9 mile race runs the loop twice.  Check-in is from 7-8 with a race start time of 8:30 am sharp.  Medals and awards will be handed out to the top 3 overall male and female runners.  Medals will be awarded to the top 3 finishers in each age category.

Hurry and sign up, this race is limited to 350 people.  Last I heard, they only had about 70 spots left!  Like all of Dirty Spokes Productions XTERRA Trail Run Races, you’ll get a sweet Dri-fit T-shirts with your race entry.  However, race day registrations are not guaranteed a shirt.  Click here to register now!  These is a great trail run, in an easy to get to location, put on by a great trail race company director.  Be there!

The Chomp and Stomp is Atlanta’s best Festival kicked off by one of Atlanta’s best 5Ks, the Cabbagetown Romp and Stomp on November 7th!  This is the 4th year of the 5K with growth and improvements each year.  I’ve run this year’s new race course and it proves to be just as exciting and fast as past years.  The race is run over a flat course great for attaining your new PR!  The race route winds through the beautiful historic neighborhood of Cabbagetown near downtown Atlanta which is great if you are out for a short, enjoyable, scenic 5K run.  In addition to running this great race route, race participants will receive and awesome long sleeved T-shirt AND free chili at the Chomp and Stomp Chili and bluegrass festival!  What else would you want after racing for 3.1 miles than free chili?!  Maybe plenty of porta-johns.  Don’t worry, they’ll have them too.

You can conveniently register on active.com or save a couple of bucks by registering at one of the four convenient Big Peach Running Company locations in Kennesaw, Atlanta, Marietta, or Decatur and receive your race number for $25!  There will be race day registration for $30 but don’t wait until race day to register for this race which caps at 1000 runners.  You can avoid the race morning rush too by picking up your number and T-shirt Thursday and Friday, November 5th and 6th from 6-8 pm inside Milltown Tavern.  Stick around and have a pre-race beer.  It’s good for carbo-loading.

Awards will be given to the overall men’s and women’s first place and top 3 in each age group.  There will also be an award for 1st place male and female for the walking and stroller divisions.  Awards include gift certificates to local restaurants and businesses as well as hand-crafted Cabbagetown Artwork.  Now you won’t have to live in Cabbagetown to enjoy the beauty of the town!

Come run this fun 5K with me in Cabbagetown near downtown Atlanta, Georgia and stick around for the chili and bluegrass festival.  It’s sure to be a great time!