Worlds End 100K Race Report: June 3, 2023

Last year, while running with my coach at the Ode to the Hoff, we started talking about 100k's and 100 mile races on the bucket list. She mentioned a 100K in eastern Pennsylvania that had a strict cutoff and was reportedly as hard as a 100 miler. I couldn't remember the name of the race, so I started googling 100K races that were Western States qualifiers. Worlds End popped up. The pictures showed gorgeous trails, complete with rocks, peat moss and waterfalls. I had already missed registration so I hopped onto the wait list. I got called off the wait list in early February. 

There was weirdly little in the way of 100K race reports to sift through. The race site featured some links. There were several videos/vlogs on youtube, but only a handful of blog posts. The ones that existed mostly focused on the experience of the athlete/author and didn't give the nitty gritty of the course. I now know it's because this course turns your brain into mashed potatoes. I'm going to do my best to unpack it. Buckle in for the details!

Rolling into the 10.3 mile aid station
photo credit: Jeff Kascsak

Race website: https://worldsendultra.com/

Registration: RunSignup

Location:  ★★★★☆

Four stars if you love silence. Utter, remote silence. I think I'd bump down to three stars if I stayed more than 2 nights. I cannot emphasize enough how remote Worlds End State Park is. It is a gorgeous park surrounded by the Loyalsock State Forest in Forksville, PA. Loyalsock creek cuts through the park, offering swimming, sunning, and a perfect environment for bugs.

Sidebar: I spent all day wondering what a Loyalsock is. Apparently the forest is named after Loyalsock creek? But what is a Loyalsock? Please comment if you can enlighten me. This bothered me for 14 hours.  

The venue of Worlds End was really nice. Despite being a really remote area, the park is well-equipped. There is cabin and tent camping at the venue, and plenty of RV/car camping nearby. There were a couple of pavilions rented by the race organizer and set up for race day, along with plenty of picnic tables and fire pits (not that we needed fire that day!)

There is not cell service for a solid 10-25 mile radius of the park. So, take that into consideration and print a map. I didn't. Really wish I had!

Desi enjoying Loyalsock Creek

I was a little behind on my adventure planning, so we did not get a campsite in the park. We van-camped at the Bridle Trailhead of Loyalsock State Forest, about 3 miles from the start finish. This was a pretty rustic site. There was a water pump and pit toilet, but that was it. Worlds End had bathrooms with running water, but no showers in the day-use area. The race organizers set up several portapotties by the start/finish line as well. 

Organization: ★★★☆☆

 You all know by now that I'm a stickler for organization. I ranked organization as average here for a few reasons. This was the 9th edition of this race. As an established race, I like to see a fleshed-out website with all the details. Not everyone is going to join the facebook group to be up to date on race specifics. The website was a bit sparse on details. Even now, it only has a link to the 2022 participants guide, and not the 2023. This wouldn't be an issue if the guide was provided at packet pickup, but it isn't (not complaining, I'm all for saving trees). It is the athletes responsibility to download or print it ahead of time. Not a big deal if you were in the facebook group since the link was shared there. However, I do think that if the website isn't going to have the most up-to-date information, then it should clearly state that the facebook group is the go-to site for details. I think this will change in the upcoming years as more and more athletes don't have facebook. There were only two pre-race emails, which is great for the seasoned racer, but newbies may appreciate a bit more communication.

Since I've mentioned the facebook group a few times, I should give you the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/627879393987380

However, there were a lot of good things about organization! The pre-race meeting was excellent. Most of the time, I find those meetings to be pretty unhelpful. There were a lot of details regarding marking, distance between markings, and wildlife to watch out for. Apparently black bears inhabit the Loyalsock State Forest. While I didn't see one while running, we almost hit one with the van as it plundered across the road! 

Additionally, the athlete's guide was excellent. The timeline and rules were extremely clear. Maps and driving directions to aid stations were very easy to follow.

The race director was very up-front regarding what policies were enacted by the DCNR (no alcohol, no donations in place of trail service requirement, etc) that affected the race. 

Race Packet Pickup

Finally, the race website could not be more clear regarding who should and should not sign up for the race. An excerpt: "The Worlds End 100k is a 63.8 mile single loop trail ultramarathon on 95% single-track/double-track. The course has an elevation gain of 12,395 ft with a net elevation change of 24,790 ft. We support you with 12 aid stations and challenge you with a strict 19 hour cutoff. We have a reputation as one of the toughest, most scenic trail 100k’s in the country... The difficulty of the terrain means this is NOT an entry-level race. Each potential participant will be reviewed by the race directors after we receive the completed registration."

Course:★★★★☆

Oh this course. I wish I wasn't running so I could have just stared for hours and cemeted the scenery into my brain. Absolutely incredible sights. There were loose dry sections, muddy sections, so many rocks, insane climbs, scary descents, at least 20 creek crossings, fern groves, pete moss, second-growth forests, waterfalls... literally everything my heart could desire. The trails were very tough to follow at times. There was quite a bit in the way of markings, but several areas with sharp turns either up or down ridges where the trail could have gone straight. This made it tricky to follow in many areas. You definitely could not ever "zone out". The course was absolutely savage. There was no real reprieve in the constant climbs or descents until mile 52. But, that was the point. I'll chat more about course specifics in the section on my experience below. 

Cruising past those waterfalls!
Photo credit: Pfeffer Nusse

 Food: ★★★★★

There were 12 aid stations (3 were water-only) and each was a little different based on what the volunteer team brought. The facebook group (here we go again!) was key! The volunteers posted what they planned to have at the aid stations. Honestly, these were some of the best-equipped aid stations I've seen. They had the traditional stuff: watermelon, potato chips, cookies, candy, water, and tailwind. There were a lot of fun items too, though! Pierogis, roasted potatos, vegan and veggie soups, pickles, dried mango (what a frickin winner that was at mile 35!), sandwiches... too many things to remember! The volunteers were top-notch and so much fun. Pre-race, there were plently of pancakes and coffee. I didn't partake since my stomach can be a bit fickle, but I heard some rave reviews. Post-race, there was quite the feast of pulled pork, mac and cheese, soups, chili (one of which was vegan), and some other stuff that my mashed potato brain can't recall. Five stars for food! 

Loyalsock creek

My race:

What. A. Day! 

Race started at 5 am, so it was a dark start. It was probably a pleasent 60 degrees at the start, heating up to the mid 80's during the day. I'm not totally sure on specifics since I didn't have cell service for 2 days. 

I do love a nice dark start!

I lined up at the front and went out quick. The first 0.6 mile is paved and then it’s a hard climb and I didn’t want to get stuck in the conga line. I was sitting between 12-15th position when we hit the climb and that was a really nice position for me. The 100K is capped at 175 runners, for reference.

First 4 miles were mostly climbing. The trails were incredibly rocky! The image below was part of the course (I didn't run with my phone but took pictures the day before). I definitely am not super confident running on the rocks since it’s so different from home. A few guys passed me and I tried to follow their lines. At this point I was the first female. 

Photo Credit: Matt Dayak @412matt 

After the first 4 miles, you turn and run back down the lollipop and then start going back up again. It's rock and the trail is a bit slanted. At this point, around mile 7-8, I started to realize just how different the trails are from Michigan. In Michigan, our trails are mostly man-made and it is very obvious where the trail is. Here, the trail seemed arbitrary -- no real difference from the surrounding forest. It was flagged every 0.1 mile, but you constantly had to be looking for the flags to know where to go because it was so easy to go off course. And, the "flat, runnable" sections were full of ankle turners. That's precisely what I did at mile 8 -- turn my left ankle so hard I heard some nasty pops, and I went down hard. Whoops. That would come back to bite me. My left ankle has already had a lateral stabilization surgery, and because I destabilized it so early in the race, I was rolling my ankle every half mile to mile for the rest of the day. Sometimes it hurt severely, sometimes I would fall, and sometimes it would just throw my gait off and I would swear under my breath. That gets realllllly old after 12 hours.  

Refueling: most of the aid stations were on road crossings

I held onto my leading lady position until mile 11 or 12. At that point second place female caught me. We ran together until mile 28, then split up when I took a pee break. I thought I'd catch her again but she was gone! It was fun to have a lady to run with! She was from eastern PA and much more confident than I was on the rocks and technical descents. It was very dry and loose and the lack of traction really scared me, so I tried my best to follow her lines and not fall. 

Miles 15-35 had some wicked climbs, then wicked descents. It could not have been any more beautiful though. There are a ton of birds in the Loyalsock forest and I enjoyed hearing the bird calls change throughout the day. Apparently there are rattle snakes, but I did not see any. 

I could not. Stop. Falling. I fell HARD three times between miles 15 and 35. Like, full body on the ground, knock the wind out of you falling. Every time I rolled into an aid station there was more fresh blood. Both elbows, knees, and palms were bleeding. There were deep bruises on both quads, hips and upper arms. And, my poor left ankle was already so swollen I had to loosen my shoe laces. I picked up my trekking poles at mile 35 to try to help keep me upright. Another runner's crew member gave me some ice to stuff in my sports bra, which was a lifesaver in the heat and humidity.

Rolling into the 41.6 mile aid station solo

Miles 35-50 were the worst part of the race. I was beaten down by the relentless hills, technical descents, and the “runnable” segments that weren’t actually runnable for me. Remember, you really have to watch the markers. Problem is that when I would look up at the markers, I’d trip on a rock or root and fall. By the time I hit mile 50, I had suffered around 15 big falls. I was bleeding from so many abrasions!  The heat was really ratcheting up and it was very humid with no breeze. I starting dipping my hands and splashing my face in all the creek crossings.

I was straight up just wobbling my way through those 15 miles. I was moving slower than anticipated, and I started to panic that I wasn't going to finish in the daylight. If I couldn't stay upright in the light, how on earth was I going to finish in the dark? At mile 45, the woman in 3rd place, Jill, caught up to me. She was having some stomach issues but still looked strong. We filled our waters together at the 45.7 mile unmanned station, and she offered me an ibuprofen, which I gladly accepted. I tried to stick with her but my left ankle was so weak I just could not run over anything uneven. 

One of the early sections of trail demonstrating just how rugged it could be

I was so defeated when I came into the 50 mile aid station that I just sat there and sobbed. I wanted to quit so badly. All I could choke out was that I couldn't stop falling. My ankle was throbbing, I was bruised and bleeding, and I was moving so slowly. It was a pretty epic meltdown. A hush settled over the crew teams. I was so angry watching all the locals run through the segments I was wobbling through and falling. I was panicking over the prosepct of finishing in the dark. Luckily, Bobby isn't one to indulge in my self pity. He handed me some caffeine and assured me that this was a rough patch. Someone else reiterated that I was still very much on pace to finish in the daylight. A guy who's name I didn't catch, but he had an epic beard and cool leg tattoos, asked me if I knew what the rest of the course was like. I just cried. He told me that there was a big climb ahead, a few smaller climbs, but lots of runnable stuff. "You're not gonna fall anymore!" he assured me. Honestly, just knowing that things would get better was the best thing for me mentally. I got myself together after a good sit and cry. I kept my poles and cranked out the last two big climbs. Then the trail finally got more runnable! I was clicking off the miles at a respectable pace very comfortably. When I came into the final aid station, I felt strong and confident. I left my poles at the 58.2 mile station and tried to chase down the other two ladies. I gained some time, but didn't close the gap. The last 6 miles were mostly runnable, with the nastiest, steepest, downhill that I may have partially slid down on my butt. But, it was done! I chugged back into the park to see my husband and dog cheering (ok, he was cheering, she was looking for snacks). I ended up finishing 3rd female by only 17 minutes (top two were 40 seconds apart) and 10th overall. Out of 175 racers, there were 104 finishers. I smashed my time goal of 15 hours, with a finishing time of 14:12. And, I picked myself up from arguably one of the lowest points I've experienced in a long time and closed the race strong. I've got a lot of work to do to become a more technical runner, but I am so grateful for the experience I had at Worlds End. 

To summarize: You should check this race out. But respect it. I came into it with plenty of respect for the course and I was still utterly humbled. 

Nutrition: 

I took in a bottle of infinite (1 scoop of grape- flavored women's "go far" in a 16 oz handheld) at the crew-permitted (six of the twelve) aid stations. I did have one bottle of tailwind from an aid station since I was going to be 15 miles between crew-permitted station. I drank TONS of water. Peanut butter MnM’s, Mike and Ike’s, pringles, larabars, goldfish and some date balls were the snacks I packed and ate. I ate some grilled cheese, dried mango and lays potato chips at aid stations. I was in love with the pickles and pickle juice at the aid stations!  

Lucky enough to have Bobby sheparding me at aid stations
photo credit: Jeff Kascsak

Gear: 

I alternated between a a front-loading double 20oz Nathan (pinnacle) pack and a 2L back loaded Nathan (Vapor) hydration pack, depending on how far apart aid stations were. They could vary from 3 miles to 8 miles apart. I also had a 16 oz handheld for my infinite. I ran the vast majority of the race in the Hoka Speedgoats, but did use the cliftons for about 10 miles to let the speedgoats dry out after I fell in a water crossing. I used the Leki trekking poles for about 20 miles when I was really struggling. 

In other news, big shoutout to Nathan for the front-loaded pack! It was a gift to me for my placement at Bandera this spring -- we were allowed to choose one item off the site to be shipped to us. I'm obsessed with this pack, thanks Nathan! My poles fit really nicely in the back of this pack too. 

https://www.nathansports.com/pages/pinnacle-series

Recognition:

Huge thanks to the team around me: Bobby Munro (hubby and crew team captain), my mom Sarah who made a ton of food for us to eat on the road, my friends who babysat the two dogs and four cats at home, my coach Erin Young, and the super kind volunteers and other athletes crew members (especially Michelle Pede) who were so kind to me when I was having a rough patch. All the volunteers were fantastic all day! I don't take for granted the hard work that goes into organizing and setting up an event like this -- huge thank you to everyone involved!

I am a proud member of Team Athletic Mentors, and Ambassador for the Iceman Cometh Challenge. I don't have nutrition or gear sponsors and am not getting any kickbacks if you like my gear/nutrition, I'm just sharing what works for me!