On Saturday, June 25th, 2022 I took on the Catamount 50k Ultra Marathon in Stowe, Vermont. I selected this race as the family and I were looking for vacation ideas. We had previously visited Vermont and had spent time in Burlington a few years back and really enjoyed it. I had planned our vacation out so that the race would be at the beginning of the vacation which would give me time to relax and recover afterwards. We arrived into town on Thursday, June 23rd and stayed in Burlington. Burlington is about 45 minutes from Stowe so it’s close enough to make the drive on race day. The Catamount Ultra starts and finishes at the Trapp Family Lodge in beautiful Stowe, Vermont and there is a 25k and 50k race. Packet pickup was the afternoon of Friday, June 24th and they were planning on having some sponsors on site and a small group run. We arrived to the Trapp Family Lodge that afternoon and got signed in and picked up our packet. There were several sponsors (Salomon, Black Diamon, Untapped) on site with some giveaways for the runners. We decided not to wait for the group run but to do a quick family shakeout run and then check out the restaurant on site at Trapp Family Lodge for an early dinner before heading back to our hotel.
After a brief pre-race info meeting we were off. The race started promptly at 7:00 AM and the directors did a great job building the excitement up for the runners at the start. The race begins with some climbing and there quite a few steep climbs up until about the 7 mile mark before you start to hit a lengthy downhill. This downhill has a nice gradual slope and is about 4 miles long. It’s easy to pick up the speed here but I was careful not to go too fast as I wanted to preserve my quads for the second lap.
The cooler morning temperature made the climbs on the first loop a bit more enjoyable but I knew it would not last as the June heat made it’s way in quickly. The temperature would end up being close to 90 degrees during the afternoon.
The aid stations were well stocked but I tend to follow the rule of not trying anything new on race days. I passed through the first aid station without needing anything. I stopped at the second aid station where my family was and grabbed a quick fill up of water.
The first 10 miles of the course is a steady climb up and a fairly gradual slope down. Miles 10 – 15 consists of rolling pastures with some moderate ascents mixed in before making your way back to the start/finish line at mile 15.5. 25k runners will run the course once and 50k runners twice.
As I made my way through the finish of the first loop I stopped to get another fill of water. They had staff on site spraying runners down which helped cool me down a bit from the heat of the day. I quickly headed out to begin the final loop.
The course is very well maintained and not overly challenging by trail running standards. This time of year, heat is definitely a factor and by early afternoon I was feeling it.
As I made my way to the finish my family was cheering me on. My son Jalen ran it in with me which made for a special moment at the finish line. Overall, I would highly recommend the Catamount Ultra. The race directors do a great job planning and putting this event on. The course is well marked, maintained, and also very scenic and there are beautiful views throughout. I’m looking forward to adding this one to the calendar again in the near future.
You can learn more about the Catamount Ultra Marathon by clicking the image above.