Adirondack Sports November 2023

COMMUNITY
Buck 50
An Epic Trail Race is Born
By Bill & Naomi Hoffman
The idea of traversing 32 miles through remote wilderness
may seem like a foreign concept to 99% of the
population. However, the growing sport of ultra trail
running routinely has people doing that and more. Each trail
race is a unique adventure, rooted in the idea of sharing an
awe-inspiring place with like-minded runners. On October
21, the inaugural Buck 50K united volunteers, runners, forest
rangers, and others along the shores of Lake George.
The mountain route – from YMCA Camp Chingachgook in
Kattskill Bay to Buck, Sleeping Beauty, Black, Erebus, Buck
and back – proved to be an excellent challenge.
The Inspiration – Back in 2014, while training for the
Wakely Dam Ultra 55K trail run, Tim Ela, Jake Stookey
and Bill, all ultra runners from Clifton Park, were running
from Buck Mountain to Sleeping Beauty and back. As they
began their run, they noticed a sign at the trailhead reading,
“Black Mt Summit 16.0 miles.” A simple sign, but it
carried the promise of an extraordinary journey with the
hint of the adventure ahead.
In 2017, Tim, Jake, and Bill did a Buck 50 test run: strava.com/activities/983216124.
It took approximately nine
hours and they knew then it was destined to be a great
race. A year later, five runners attempted the same route
but only two finished.
The next challenge was to figure out how to make it
happen. Initially, the idea was to convince another race
director to host the event, but it soon became apparent
that the level of commitment required to give birth to the
Buck 50 could only come from the passion of its creators.
By 2019, talks with the NYS DEC and Camp
Chingachgook were going well, and it looked like the
race might actually happen. Then the pandemic hit, and
Chingachgook had staffing changes. In addition, DEC was
HOGTOWN VOLUNTEER
SARAH KING GIVING
RUNNER JAQUELINE
FUCILE A HUG.
START OF THE RACE AT
CAMP CHINGACHGOOK.
PHOTOS BY REBECCA HANLEY
FIRST PLACE MATTHIAS
KIRCHNER ENTERING
HOGTOWN AID STATION.
concerned about bringing more people into the area since
it became an overused part of the Adirondack Park during
the pandemic.
Late summer 2020, we and Tim Ela formed Mountain
Dog Running, and the Moreau Half (marathon) was born.
It wasn’t the Buck 50, but it was a start and there were few
races of its kind in the region due to the pandemic. Two
more races were added in spring 2022, the Grafton 15K
and 12-hour Death by Staircase at Moreau.
2023 is the year of Buck 50 – The logistics of Buck 50
are complicated by lack of access to much of the course
by car. However, a boat could service an aid station on the
shore of Lake George. Finding a boat was resolved one day
in July while Bill was trail running the Adirondack Great
Range Trail with “Stravaless” Josh Farrell of Albany who
offered up a family boat for the aid station!
The focus returned to getting Chingachgook, DEC,
and a host of local fire and rescue folks on board with the
race. After much negotiation, volumes of emails, several
calls, including an hour long zoom with 20+ people less
than one week before the race, a permit was issued – the
Monday before the race!
By Wednesday, 17 runners had signed up along with
enough volunteers for three sweeper teams, three aid stations,
and a BBQ at the finish. To say the week went by
fast would be an understatement. The logistics involved
in coordinating multiple people from all over the region
to show up and make this race happen are daunting. The
main goal is to get all the runners safely from point A over
hill and dale, and back in one piece, while providing the
best experience possible.
Course marking and table is set – Bill and Tim spent
eight hours Friday before race day placing flags and signs
over 21 miles of the 32-mile course – with 9,000+ feet of
elevation gain. Volunteer James Griffiths placed flags from
the start of the course to the summit of Buck. Unfortunately,
he ran out of flags about midway through, drove to Lowe’s
for more, then returned to finish the job.
NOVEMBER 2023 19
With the course marked and lengthy emails sent out to
runners and volunteers, only one sleepless night separated
the MDR team from race day! The forecast for the day was
rain, and rain it did. It was a dark and rainy morning, when
15 runners were launched onto the course at 6:39am.
The race winner was Matthias Kirchner of Cohoes. His
Strava post described the conditions well: Saying it was wet
wouldn’t do the day justice, but IT WAS WET! Most trails were
just streams, often ankle deep, sometimes up to the calves. The
field was small but mighty, the aid stations rocked, and I am
a little bummed I didn’t try the pierogi soup at the boat aid
station that everyone was raving about. Yes, there was a boat
aid station! The last climb up, back over Buck Mountain felt
like a standstill, but overall, I felt pretty good throughout and I
could still run decently at the end – so very happy with the effort.
Time slows on race day – As a race director, the first
objective is to get everyone checked in and get the race
underway. Next, all you can think about is getting everyone
back safe and happy. The aid stations along the course are
the best way to track runners. In a few short hours all the
runners had made it over Buck and past the first aid station,
followed by the first two sweepers following behind
collecting flags and being available to assist runners.
Only one runner missed the second aid station cut off
time and was pulled from the race. At the “pirate boat” aid
station on the shore of Lake George and about half way,
the remaining runners made it through on time. Once the
sweep team made it to the top of Erebus Mountain, they
called back to release the boat crew as it was no longer the
closest exit for runners.
The first runner, Matthias Kirchner, crossed the finish
line after an incredible seven hours and four minutes, and
the next not too far behind at 7:25. The first female, Justine
Trybendis of Glens Falls, finished in 10:19. Slowly, more runners
crossed the finish to be greeted with cheers, a dry pavilion,
warm fire pit, and hot food. The MDR crew experienced a
joyous moment and big sigh of relief when the final aid station
reported that all runners had made it before the cut off! All
they had to do was run/walk up and over Buck and run back
to camp! The last runner came in at 11:00:26, well under the
12-hour course limit. The remaining sweepers emerged just
after dark. As perfect an ending as could have been hoped for.
It takes a village to raise a trail race – The MDR team
would like to thank everyone involved with the race. The
volunteers were nothing short of amazing (some dragging
a full wagon to a remote aid station), others running
up mountains and collecting flags. The Chingachgook
employees and DEC rangers who were on site the entire
day, and the local fire departments folks who high-fived
runners at the finish. And finally, kudos to the amazing athletes
that completed this beautiful course and made the
inaugural Buck 50 a reality. Looking forward to next year!
Bill and Naomi Hoffman (mountaindogrunning@gmail.
com) live in Clifton Park, have been married for 33 years,
and have two boys ages 19 and 22. Bill has completed
the Leadville trail 100 twice, Cascade Crest 100, and 50+
marathon or longer races. He’s the CTO and a founder
of scientific software company Kitware. Naomi has
completed several 15Ks, half and full marathons. Due to
a foot injury she chooses to hike, SUP and support Bill’s
races when she can. She serves on the Shenendehowa and
Capital Region BOCES boards of education and advisor/
coach for Shen’s middle school robotics program.