The 50- and 100-mile runs will begin and end at Hope Lake Park, which is located at 2245 Clute Rd (directions), northeast of the town of Virgil, NY at 06:00. The 50-mile endeavor will finish 16 1/2 hours later with course closure at 22:30. The 100-mile journey will finish 36 hours later with course closure at 18:00.

The Virgil Crest 100-Mile Trail Relay will start at 12:00, providing time for solo ultra runners to establish their pace and effort. Course closure for the relay will occur at 4:00 on Sunday.

• Friday, Sept 24, 2010 - Hope Lake Park, Clute Rd., Virgil, NY
  • 3:00 - 8:00 pm - Packet Pick-Up
  • 5:30 - 7:20 pm - Caloric Loading Session

    Open to Athletes/Crew/Family/Friends/Volunteers (Please let us know upon registering whether crew, friends or family will join us for dinner. $10 will be the charge for crews and guests. Thanks!)

  • 7:30 pm - Pre-Race Briefing and Drop-Bag Deadline
• Saturday, Sept 25, 2010 – Hope Lake Park
  • 5:15 - 5:45 am - Athlete Check-In and Late Arrival Packet Pick-Up
  • 5:45 am - Final Report and Runner Roster at Starting Line
  • 6:00 am - VCU50 and 100 Mile Solo Ultras Start
  • 12:00 pm – VCU100 Relays Start
  • 10:30 pm - Course-Closure for 50-mile distance
• Sunday, Sept 26, 2010
  • 11:00 am - Athlete/Pacer/Volunteer Brunch begins

    All others $10 (please let us know when registering if family or friends plan on joining us for breakfast so that we bring enough of the good stuff. Thanks!)

  • 12:00 pm – Combined Awards Ceremony, Continued Feeding Session
  • 4:00 pm - Relay Course Closure
  • 6:00 pm - Course Officially Closed

• VCU50 and VCU100 Solo

  The overall male and female winner will be provided free entry into the VCU100 (or VCU50) in 2011. Belt buckles will be awarded to all 100-mile finishers. Mugs will be awarded to all finishers unless an individual has paid the baseline "no schwag please" price. A commemorative race print and armsleeves designed by Adam Batliner will be provided to those opting in on the schwag. Assorted additional awards will be raffled during the post-race celebration. If a 100-mile runner drops at the 50-mile mark ahead of the lead 50-mile entrant, the 100-mile runner will be awarded the top 50-mile place.

• 100-Mile Trail Relay

  An award will provided to the top male, female, and mixed open teams as well as the winning public safety division team at the noon awards ceremony. The top overall team based upon age/sex/handicap will be acknowledged post-race once the splits and results are processed. The following will be used as the handicap criteria for scoring the overall winner: Women 10% and 1% for each year over the age of 40. If we're able, we’ll weight the distances covered by the handicap of the runner. If we’re able to track runners and splits accurately, a team with a woman who covers 56 miles will have the relative advantage over a team whose gal covered only 10 miles. Public Safety Division Teams must have at least 60% of their members be current public safety personnel. We’re not sure whether we’ll be able to pull it off, but we’ll try!

The American Trail Running Association's Principles of Trail Running Etiquette

Races, especially in their infancy, run a fine line with acceptance and success in the community. Greek Peak Mountain Resort has been overly generous in allowing us access to both the Alpine facilities and trail networks. Community volunteers including those organized as the Finger Lakes Trails Conference have worked hard to cultivate relationships with local land owners and the New York State Parks who have been kind enough to permit trail construction and use. They continue to ensure the responsible use of the amazing public resources available for all for generations to come. Please note that trails are kept in various states of intentional maintenance designed to prevent their use by horses or motorized vehicles. No athlete or volunteer will be permitted in any way to clear trails of rocks, limbs, or other seeming obstructions.

Abuse of these trails and/or private lands may not only result in failure of this event, but more critically in the termination of land grants and thruways that have been secured through hard work. Race directors and volunteers will ensure that garbage bags are available at aid stations and that toilet facilities are present at pre-established locations on the course. Littering from athletes or their crews will not be tolerated and result in immediate disqualification from not only the current race but also those in the future.

Additionally, all realize the volunteer intensity and supervision that such events require. Organizers most appreciate the assistance of all volunteers and officials. Please be respectful of their presence and assistance.

Relieving Yourself: As with littering, the event relies upon each of us respecting the state and private properties through which the course passes. Through strategically placed Port-a-Pots, or "Groovers," drop-off locations will be available approximately every 8 miles. Race organizers ask that athletes take advantage of them where and when possible. If you should take advantage of the purely natural option, please ensure that you are out of sight, that waste is away from water sources and is buried properly, and, most importantly, that you have a great view to enjoy while spending some quality time.

Aid Stations with Groovers:

• Hope Lake – Start/50.0/Finish
• Lift House 5 – 9.9/13.9/36.1/40.1/59.9/63.9/86.1/90.1
• Daisy Hollow Rd. - 25.0/75.0

Dogs: Athletes and families are not encouraged to bring dogs along as even the best-trained may not be welcome in tight aid-stations, on the course, or at the pre-post race meals. If the canines do make the trip please ensure that they remain on-leash.

There will be 20 aid stations with sections ranging from 4.0 to 6.0 miles. All stations will provide water as well as an electrolyte mix such as GuBrew, and latter stations will offer soda. All will provide Gu and some will provide Gu Chomps. Aid station 4 and on will provide increasingly substantial solids from pretzels and bananas to potatoes, soups, and sandwiches. We hope to provide hot soup at every aid station after sunset. We hope to lay out the nutritional spread more accurately when able.

What will be certain, to celebrate Greg Loomis and to ensure that we offer only the finest in sports nutrition, is that Pop-Tarts will be available at all Aid Stations.

Note: Not all Aid Stations will have Gel thoughout the race as there is not enough to sustain everyone. If you rely on having it, please plan accordingly.

Drop bags will be accepted for transport to all aid stations. Athletes are required to tie off bags and mark them with their name, race number, and the name (not number) of the aid station intended. Drop bags must be left at Hope Lake Park by 19:30 at the conclusion of the pre-race briefing on Friday evening. Drop bags may not return to the finish until later in the afternoon on Sunday. Consult the aid station chart for a listing of applicable aid stations.

Note: Anticipated dark hours are shaded in blocks on the aid station charts based upon a 36-hour finish time and associated cut-offs. Runners at this pace are advised to have headlamps or flashlights in drop bags marked for AS#8, Rock Pile, or as accurately estimated based upon projected finish time. Some stations may have backup lights or batteries available on a first-come first-served basis, but runners should not expect or rely on them being present or available. Runners are encouraged to plan conservatively in predicting their finish time and ensure that their crew or drop-bags have appropriate supplies available.

All aid stations will have cut-off times established to ensure that all runners complete the course within 16 1/2 or 36 hours. All runners must be verbally checked-out of each aid station before the cut-off time. Officials will enforce this policy and times indicated in the aid station chart.

Dropping out: Runners not able to complete the race due to physical or mental circumstances or on account of missing cut-offs must check-in solo or aided to the nearest aid station, notify aid station volunteers and turn in their bib number to aid station personnel. This policy is to ensure that all runners are accounted for during the race and is for the safety of all participants. Runners failing to notify race organizers or volunteers of a dropped status or who fail to turn in their bib numbers will not be permitted to return in future years or endeavors. Runners intending but not able to complete the 100-mile distance will be given credit for a 50-mile finish if reaching AS 10. Finish order for the 50-mile will be based on each runner passing through the 50 mile mark. For instance, if a 100-mile runner drops at the 50 mile mark ahead of the lead 50-mile entrant, the 100-mile runner will be awarded the top 50 mile place.

All athletes understand that even in the best of fitness, accidents happen and the body may break in any number of ways in the course of competing in a 50- or 100-mile trail race. Athletes taking on the challenge of the Virgil Crest Ultras are indicating that they are experienced enough in endurance racing to make safe decisions over the course of this event. While the race organizers will make efforts to ensure that wilderness search and rescue volunteers are present on the course during the event weekend, athletes should not expect nor rely on medical assistance to be available during the event.

To borrow from Stan Duobinis and the MMT, "you are responsible for your own safety. We do not provide any medical care during the run nor do we perform 'weight checks'. No doctors, nurses, or EMTs are available along the course or at any aid station. In case of an emergency, we will endeavor to get local emergency personnel to an injured runner as soon as possible, but due to the remote location of portions of the course, this could take hours. Many runners finish, or drop out, with bruises and scrapes. This is an event with risks".

Race organizers, volunteers, and search and rescue volunteers retain the right to pull runners from the race if they exhibit unusual amounts of disorientation, confusion, or fatigue. Runners will be permitted monitored recuperation time within aid stations and cut-off times, but must agree to accept the judgment of race officials for the safety of all involved.

If you become lost or consciously disoriented do not wander off of the trail in search of help. Stay put on the trail until another runner or sweep is able to inform the next aid station and until volunteers and/or medical personnel return. First aid boxes will be present at each aid station and will contain a few basic supplies (bandages, tape, Vaseline, Rolaids, Ibuprofen). Please bring any supplies that you envision needing during the race for placement in drop bags, but take only those medications that have been approved by your physician for use under these extreme conditions.

Cortland Regional Medical Center is located in Cortland, N.Y., 30 to 45 minutes by car northwest of Virgil. Take Route 13 North to Cortlandville. Pick up Route 281 North. Follow for approximately 3 miles. Turn right onto West Main Street. Follow for approximately 1/2 mile, the hospital will be on your left. Turn left into the parking lot.

Sunrise 6:49 am, Sunset 7:07 pm (12 hours 18 minutes)
96% Illumination of Moon
Average Low Temp: 51 F, High: 70 F, Mean: 61 F, Records: 34 F / 88 F
Average Monthly Precipitation for September: 4.21 inches