Runners came a long way for a chance to run across Fairfax County, and they sometimes had difficulty explaining why. “I’ve tried to explain it several times,” said Heather Rosso, an Arlington native who took a break from graduate classes at Syracuse University to head to Fairfax this weekend.
But try as she might, other people just don’t seem to understand why she wants to run 40 miles in one day.
Bill Harrold says it’s easy to understand the appeal of races like the Cross County Trail Run. “They’re fun,” he said. “It’s an addiction.”
Runners from around the region gathered Sunday, March 16 for the third annual Cross County Trail Run, a jaunt on the trail connecting Lorton to Great Falls.
Due to construction on the southern end of the trail, race organizer John Coogan shortened the run to “just” 50 kilometers, which is a little over 32 miles.
Coogan first hosted the event in 2001, when he decided to see if he and other members of the DC Road Runners Club could traverse the entire trail in one effort. He made it, and even enjoyed the 40 mile trek through muddy conditions. “It was a slopfest,” he said.
The Cross County Trail runs through flood plains of various creeks and streams across the county, where development is prohibited and trails often amount to narrow paths of dirt, mud and rock.
It’s a perfect place for trail-running enthusiasts. Harrold, who drove from Richmond with three other runners, said despite the long distance, runs like this are easier than some. “Marathons, road-races burn you out mentally and physically,” he said.
But on the Cross County Trail Run, the atmosphere is more laid-back. Runners help each other stay on track, and stop when they need to refuel. And even the refueling is different in a race this distance.
Any race longer than a marathon is considered “ultradistance.” Common lengths are 50 kilometers, 50 miles and 100 miles.
“I’ve been known to eat a pound of chocolate chip cookies on a 50-miler,” said Kevin O’Connor. Aid stations on the trail this weekend were stocked with plenty of cookies, along with M&M’s, water and the runners’ favorite—boiled, salted potatoes.
Staying hydrated was the most important thing, said Harrold, who has experienced some painful consequences of not drinking enough water on ultradistance runs. “With dehydration, the first thing that’s going to shut down is the GI system,” he said.
DESPITE THE PAIN that sometimes comes along with ultradistance running, runners this weekend said there’s nothing they would rather do. Jaret Seiberg, 33, of Silver Spring, has run the race each of the last three years. He’s just now learning to find his way along the trail.
Last year, hours into the race, he found himself crossing under I-66 in a drainage system.
Michele Burr, who was the fastest woman on the course on Sunday, said she had figured out the key to success. “You identify the people who know the course, and you cling to them,” she said near mile 15. That meant staying on pace with Seiberg, which she did the entire race, finishing fourth overall.
Many competitors knew each other’s running style, so they quickly formed packs to help stay on pace, and on the right course. Few people are capable of running ultradistance, so the same groups appear at various events. That leads to a family atmosphere.
“A dysfunctional family,” joked Billy Lese of Lorton as he neared the halfway point. “We’re like the Osbournes on steroids.”
Seven members of the “family” stopped before the finish line Sunday, but 21 completed the entire run. Aaron Schwartzband of Reston led the field with a time of 4:34. Getting lost slowed his time, but nothing else did—Schwartzband ran all 50 kilometers without stopping at an aid station.
Mike Wedemeyer of Arlington finished just three minutes behind.
Michele Burr and Susan Baehre of Triangle were the top women, finishing fourth and fourteenth overall, respectively.