The Blue 2 Blue Challenge

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This 50k(+) is a Graduate Level run, meaning you will be on some of CT's most technical and gnarly trails: first the Regicides (West Rock's "Blue" trail) and then The Quinnipiac Trail (another of CT's famed Blue trails). Hence, the Blue 2 Blue Challenge (h/t Alex McDaniel for the idea). It is imperative that you have finished at least one (1) trail 50k in the previous 12 months- I will also consider you if you’ve completed something gnarly like Cat’s Tail or Breakneck or the like. This is definitely not a beginner’s race. There's a good 6,550 feet of climbing and the majority of it is extremely technical.  

Course description: this is an out-and-back starting at West Rock Playground (alternately named Amrhyn Field) in New Haven. You'll be starting on crushed gravel for about a tenth of a mile before we put you onto the Westville Feeder Trail for a 300-foot climb up to the Regicides Trail for about seven miles of some of the gnarliest, rockiest trail you can imagine. Then, the fun really starts as you climb up High Rock to the intersection of the Q Trail. You will follow blue blazes down to the first aid station at Brooks Rd, then climb up to Mad Mare Ridge before a nice little descent to a one mile road section on Downs Road, crossing Gaylord Mountain Road, then continuing on asphalt before going back on dirt right before the Y Camp.  You'll summit Mt. Sanford at mile 12, then cross Route 42 near Holiday Hill before another climb up to the backside of Roaring Brook Park (home to CT's tallest waterfall). Then you'll continue on to the turnaround aid station where the dirt hits Cornwall Ave in Prospect.

What in the... 

Blue blazes all day!  Here's the interactive Blue-Blazed Hiking Trails map from CFPA: CFPA Interactive Map  There will be aid stations at mile 4 and 28.5 (Regicides and Yellow Trail; water ONLY), Mile 8.1 (Brooks Rd) and the turnaround in Prospect at mile 16.4 (Cornwall Ave), so aid will happen at miles 4, 8.1, 16.4 (your drop bag), 24.5 and 28.5 before finishing back at Amrhyn Field at mile 32.8.

Designed to be tough... 

There's a *strict* 10-hour cutoff and some of you will need all of that, this runs more like a 50-miler. NO PACERS and NO CREWS. It needs to be a "challenge". I will DQ any runner receiving aid. I repeat: NO CREWS. I'll also be enforcing *strict* cutoffs at various aid stations along the way- you must get to the turnaround at mile 16.3 in 5 hours and mile 24.6 in 7.5 hours.  You'll also get one drop bag I'll shuttle out to the turnaround (mile 16.3). When race directors are like "must be smaller than the size of a shoebox" I have to agree here, do not bring a duffle bag with your 100-mile race kit for me to schlepp out to Prospect, please. A portion of the proceeds from this race will benefit the CT Food Bank and Connecticut Forest and Parks Association.

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photo by Jake Koteen