Rothrock by UTMB 50K Race Recap

It was around mile 27-28 of the Rothrock by UTMB race when I realized I had it in the bag.

I don’t know if it was the bounce back from slight dehydration or I just finally started to get my fueling down properly. But, whatever it was, I was feeling the best I’d felt all race. And I knew I was just a few hours away from my first official ultramarathon finish.

Rothrock by UTMB popped up on my radar simply because it was about 3.5 hours from where I live, and it was the second official UTMB race on the East Coast (after Grindstone in Virginia, which I’ll run later this year).

What I didn’t realize at the time was how much fun I’d have running this race.

From the organization to the aid station crew to the runners I got to share the miles with, this race became a genuine favorite of mine. Here’s my recap of how my race went, along with some logistics to help you if you plan to run it in the future.

Getting There and Where We Stayed

The drive from my hometown is around 3.5 hours, which puts it in day-trip range if you have to. But, I suggest making it a multi-night trip if you can.

Central Pennsylvania has that quiet, outdoorsy feel that fits a runcation well. The area around State College and Boalsburg is super relaxed and nice if you’re looking for a quiet getaway. We spent nine nights split across three of The Campground Guys properties, which was part of a partnership. Regardless of that partnership, I’m not obligated to say anything. But, I will say that I’d absolutely stay here again if I can on future visits (maybe Rothrock 2027 👀).

The Bellefonte Campground was the first stop, and we stayed in their yurt.

It had a private sauna on-site, which I used every single morning of our stay and may or may not have helped me in my race. It rained a few nights, which made it a bit chillier inside the yurt. But the heater inside made it heat up quickly and gave us a reason to just hang around, rest our legs, and relax before the race. Also, a place worth mentioning where we dined out was the Governor’s Pub in Bellefonte. The food was very good (I got Shepherd’s Pie) and Bellefonte is a nice town worth checking out.

The Hartman Center tiny home was second, and this is where we stayed for the race weekend itself.

It was definitely a clutch place to stay for the race weekend. We were about 25 minutes from Tussey Mountain, where the race started. Having a kitchen meant we could make any and all meals, including our pre- and post-race meals. And the hot tub was a nice bit of recovery following the race when I had sore legs. The unit we stayed in was a bit away from some of the other sites, so it was nice and quiet. Plus, having a long couch and TV means I’m bingeing something post-race (Season 3 of Shrinking was our choice).

Last was Seven Mountains campground.

This was actually the closest campgrounds to the race itself, probably between 15-20 minutes away. We stayed in The Peaceful Nook, which had four different sleeping setups (we only used one): a queen, a bunk bed, and two singles in a loft setup. It also has a small two-burner kitchen which worked well for just Kaitlyn and I. But this would be a great spot for a group coming to run Rothrock or if you’re traveling with a crew.

Goals for the Race Heading In

I wasn’t sure how to predict a time for this.

I hadn’t run a 50K in some time, and especially on the trail. But, I had somehow reasoned myself to say that if I was around 6-6.5 hours, I’d be ecstatic. If I was between 8-10, I’d be disappointed. Where these times came from, I don’t really know. I just felt like I needed some time to shoot for beyond “just finish” (which was the ultimate goal).

Rothrock by UTMB 50K Race Recap

Early miles (1-10)

The race started in Boalsburg at the Tussey Mountain Ski Resort around 8am. It was perfect weather starting out, nice and cool before the sun would start to really take over.

I lined up with The Campground Guys (the guys who own the campgrounds I was staying at) at the start and enjoyed one of the more interesting national anthems I’ve heard, then it was off.

The race starts out with around a half mile on the road before hopping on the Spruce Gap trail where we started climbing immediately up to Little Flat. This led to single file lines as we all worked our way up the climb for around a mile. This is where people started separating themselves into different groups — those that had the plan to hike the hills vs. those who plan to run them.

I was a mix of both.

The Campground Guys and their friends had a plan after running every section of the course leading up to the race. My plan was to listen to the locals who seem like they had a better plan than mine…so I stuck with them. This ended up being a smart call as we worked our way through the first aid station and eventually the first hydration station. Many runners passed us, choosing to speed up during many of these sections while they felt good while we hung back and bided our time (and energy).

The course was already giving me glimpses of how it’d be across the next 20+ miles as even the flat parts had rocks strewn everywhere, barely allowing you to look up ahead more than six feet.

But, the pieces I did get to see showed how beautiful this area truly is. Rolling mountains, thick green forest swallowing everything hiding in it…it was the type of terrain I started trail running on and I felt right at home.

And I was feeling really good. It was only 10 miles in, but everything was running smoothly.

Miles 10-20 of the Rothrock by UTMB 50K

This is where the race started to open up. People started taking off, especially on the flat and wide dirt roads.

But, as the group plan stated, we’d let them. These would be people we would end up passing from mile 25 and on if we did it right. And I won’t lie, it was hard to hold back here. It was just flat stretches carrying on through the rhododendrons as we passed through the Bear Meadows area. And, while it was still littered with rocks, it seemed the most “runnable” part of the race so far.

But I stuck with the plan.

We’d roll into the second aid stations and hydration stations still feeling good, albeit a little hot as the sun started to really show. This is where I also noticed I hadn’t stopped to pee and we were nearing halfway into the race, which was an immediate signal that I wasn’t drinking enough water. I’d been consuming about a 1L an hour (two 500mL bottles I was filling at each station), but decided to step it up to 1.5L at the next aid station.

Little did I know that aid station wouldn’t be for quite some time. And around mile 17 we faced a climb that truly tested me.

I was low on fluids, and we started a relatively short but steep climb. And, despite it being short, it felt like it just kept dragging. This is where I noticed my hip flexors start to show themselves, and that’s normally the first sign my legs are going. So, with around half the race left, I knew I had some troubleshooting to do.

I figured a lot of it had to do with how much water and energy I was taking in. I did well starting out, but had fallen off a bit between miles 14-17, so I made it a focus to get that back on track.

Luckily, we reached another aid station at mile 20, and I was able to take care of most of these issues.

Miles 20-27 of the Rothrock by UTMB 50K

The aid station at mile 20 couldn’t have been more necessary.

I focused on rehydrating as I headed in. So I drank an entire 500mL bottle there then refilled it. Filled a second with the Naak electrolyte drink the race had on hand. And filled my third with a mixture of Coca Cola and water (my staple on longer runs). Also, I made sure to get some real food at this aid station. Prior to that, I had been relying largely on the gels I brought (Precision 30g and the Huma Ultra gels) and I was definitely starting to get tired of them. So I grabbed some real food (a sandwich and a banana) to give my mouth a switch.

By mile 23 and climbing toward the next aid station, it seemed like I had righted the ship.

Hydration was back on point, my energy levels felt great and I was eating at regular intervals again, and my hip flexor fatigue had completely disappeared. And with around 10-11 miles left, I was extremely happy about that. I knew once I hit single digits remaining, I was going to be in a good spot.

Leaving the Pine Swamp aid station at mile 23, I kept things easy as I slowly worked my way up the climb with a guy named Lance, who was the sort of “mentor” for The Campground Guys during their training.

But, once we reached the top and started descending (around mile 26), I had a lot left in the tank and decided to jump on a different train of people who were passing by and see how well I could do with only 7-8 miles left.

Miles 27-34 of the Rothrock by UTMB 50K

These miles are where I know the initial plan I set out worked perfectly.

I was flying as I made my way toward Shingletown Gap. This is the area that has the “Cliffs of Insanity” on each side. So you descend (with the help of a rope if needed) down into the aid station, then scramble/climb out of the aid station back to the ridgeline. The race had emphasized and talked about this section relentlessly. So, by the time I arrived, I was more than ready.

And I flew down the Cliffs of Insanity, grabbed some gels, a peanut butter sandwich, and refilled my water and Coca Cola, then raced up the other side of the Cliffs. I knew I only had around three miles to the next aid station, then it was all downhill from there mostly.

I also noticed I was passing tons of runners at this point, especially once I was up the Cliffs of Insanity.

Many of the people who had gone out too hard on those flatter paths back around the middle of the race were now hurting in this section, with many of them walking.

Meanwhile, I was feeling the best I had all race.

I coasted into the Laurel Run station, stomach feeling a bit off but fine overall and made my way up the last climb. Then, I spent the next few miles on just a relentless downhill. It seemed like it stretched on forever until finally popping out on the road we had started on.

By this time, I had caught up to a runner ahead of me named Fabio, who had traveled to the area from Costa Rica. And we chatted a bit as we made our way to the finish line, crossing at the same time with a time of 8 hours and 12 minutes.

A far cry from what I had expected based on my nonsense predictions, but after actually running the course and experiencing it, I couldn’t have been happier with the result.

And I had to fight back a few tears here. After DNF’ing my previous ultras, completing my first official one was a big moment for me. But it’s only the first of many.

My Thoughts on The Rothrock by UTMB Race

Honestly, I loved this race. No, I didn’t come close to my initial goal time. But it took about five miles before I realized that wasn’t going to happen.

But the setting, the small town feel, the community surrounding it, and the runners I had the chance to run with made this such a special event for me. So much so that I’m hoping to come back next year and give it another crack.

One area I really have to commend are the aid stations and the volunteers. This race had one of the best groups of volunteers I’ve ever experienced at a race. They made sure everyone was getting what they needed and showed genuine care for each runner. Whether you were speeding through or struggling, they gave you the time (and items) you needed. And I can’t commend that enough. Big shoutout to the volunteers.

Also, to the marking team. I know the co-race director, Meira, said she had set out many of the markers. So a HUGE shoutout to her and anyone that helped her. I usually have the route up on my watch regardless. But not once did I have to look at it to follow this course. Every bit was so well-marked and there were markers at each intersection so you never got lost. So a lot of respect to the marking team.

And, last, the group of runners. I met so many people. Some from different parts of the US, as well as international runners from Austria, France, Costa Rica, and more. And all of them had amazing things to say about the race and the area. So that was such a cool experience to share the trail with so many different people.

Overall, I have to give this race a big thumbs up.

Final Take

The Rothrock by UTMB 50K is a tough race run by people who care about doing it right.

I finished in 8:12, and finally got that elusive ultra under my belt, and I came away with a ton of respect for what Central Pennsylvania (or “Rocksylvania”) trail running is all about.

But, this is just the first step in my running journey this year. So be sure to tune in for more race recaps from New River Gorge, TransRockies, and Grindstone 100 later this year.