Escarpment Trail Race
 | This article is an orphan, as no other articles link to it. Please introduce links to this page from related articles; try the Find link tool for suggestions. (July 2025) |
| Escarpment Trail Run | |
|---|---|
| Date | Last Sunday in July |
| Location | Catskill Mountains, New York, U.S. |
| Distance | 30 km (18.6 mi) |
The Escarpment Trail Run is a 30-kilometre point-to-point mountain race held annually since 1977 on the Escarpment Trail in New York's Catskill Mountains. Albany newspaper the Times Union calls it "the Catskills' most grueling trail race," and Runner's World lists it among the East Coast's classic technical events.[1] [2]
History
[edit]Local runner and ski patroller Dick Vincent launched the race on 31 July 1977 with 22 starters. A detailed retrospective in the Pace Setter running journal recounts its early years, when entrants carried wine-skins instead of hydration packs.[3] The field now caps at approximately 275 and fills by lottery.
Course
[edit]Starting near Windham, the route climbs Windham High Peak, Blackhead, and Stoppel Point before finishing at North–South Lake:
- Distance – 18.6 mi
- Total ascent – ≈ 6,300 ft (1,920 m)
- Surface – root- and rock-strewn single-track, with exposed ledges
Qualification
[edit]Entrants must show prior mountain-race experience; application details remain old-school, echoing the original "self-addressed stamped envelope" process highlighted by Runner's World.[4]
Media reception
[edit]- Times Union profile on Vincent and the race's cult status (2023)[1]
- Multi-year race reports and photo essays on Mountain Peak Fitness.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Quinn, Erin (August 12, 2022). "The man behind the Catskills' most grueling trail race. Dick Vincent, who founded the Escarpment Trail Run in 1977, is a local running legend. Just don't tell him something can't be done". Times-Union. Archived from the original on August 12, 2022.
- ^ "Escarpment Trail Run". Trail Runner Magazine. January 3, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
- ^ "Escarpment Trail Run History". Hudson-Mohawk Road Runners Club (HMRRC). September 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
- ^ "I Spent 3 Days at Trail Camp. Here's What I Learned". Runner's World. June 22, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
- ^ "Escarpment Trail Run". Mountain Peak Fitness. September 1, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- "Escarpment Trail Run". Mountain Peak Fitness. September 1, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2025.