| September 2002 Newsletter |
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KISS 50/100 Mile Run
What are YOU doing at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 21? How about a 50- or 100-mile KISS?
KISS runs are a no-budget production of the Finger Lakes Runners Club, put on to provide a different experience from the larger, organized affairs. The KISS 50/100 is a low key affair- KISS, of course, means Keep It Simple, Stupid. The run is accurately wheel measured, but other than that you're pretty much on your own: no entry fee, no aid provided except water and gatorade (bring your own food and other aid with you), and no cutoff times. 6-10 people usually show up, and last year only 3 completed the full 100 miles. It's harder than you might expect to keep going entirely on your own, especially when you see your car every few miles, but that's part of the deal. The only entry requirement is that all runners must sign the standard waiver used for all Finger Lakes Runners Club races. Results will be sent to Ultrarunning Magazine and various ultrarunning web sites.
The course is 15/30 repeats of a remarkably scenic, wheel-measured 3.34 mile loop in the Finger Lakes National Forest near Hector, NY, midway between Seneca and Cayuga lakes. Starting from a small parking area 0.1 mile east of the Blueberry Patch campground on Picnic Area Rd. (also called County Rte 2), head across the road into the woods on the Interloken Trail. Continue for 1.2 miles going past Foster Pond to a 0.3 mile long spur trail that brings you to a small parking area on Potomac Rd. Turn right on Potomac Rd for 0.1 mile and then left on the Wildlife Ponds Trail. Turn right after the second, larger, pond onto a gravel trail that brings you back to Potomac Rd. Turn left, run down Potomac Rd to Picnic Area Rd, then right on Picnic Area Rd back to the start, where you have parked your car and left all your food and drink. Each loop has a gentle climb of about 60 ft on easy rolling trail, a gentle descent of 175 ft on a smooth dirt road, and a final short but fairly steep climb of 125 ft that most people will walk. Total distance -50.1/100.2 miles; total climb and descent -2750/5500 ft.
To get to the start/finish:
From the west, take County Rt 2 off NY Rt 414 one mile south of Hector, NY. Go east for 3-4 miles until the road changes from pavement to gravel and changes name to Picnic Area Rd. The campground and start area are about 1/2 mile farther along on the right.
From the east, take Rt 79 from Ithaca to its junction with Rt 227 several miles past Mecklenburg and go right on 227. After about 1 mile you come to Reynoldsville. Turn left on Potomac Rd, following signs for the Finger Lakes National Forest. After 1.5 miles, turn left on Picnic Area Rd. The start area is at the top of the hill 0.3 miles on the left.
-- John McMurry
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