The Bridal Trails Run is a race around a 5.2 mile loop along single track trails in the Bridle Trails (equestrian) Park. There are 1, 2 and 6 loop options, where 6 loops = 31.2 miles = ~50km.
Hundreds of runners show up, most for the shorter races. There are also 50 km relay teams.
I ran the 50km run. It started at 3:10pm, 5 minutes after the 10 mile run, so we were weaving our way through the backside of the 10 mile field before the end of the first lap. The trail itself was very muddy and chopped up by horses, made worse by the trampling of hundreds of feet.
I ran the first two laps with Allan from Seattle Running Company. He kept me going far faster than I should have been going, and I finished the first 10.4 miles in about 74 minutes (at which point he stopped, being in a relay). When they combine races like this, I always get sucked into racing against the people who stop long before my race is over, and I feel the pain later.
Towards the middle of the third lap, it started getting dark, making it difficult to distinguish muddy pits from actual trail. Allan generously offered to crew for me, and always had a full water bottle for me when I came through the aid station. He also lent me a handheld flashlight, which really helped in the last couple laps, as I was inadequately prepared.
The course itself is not one I want to repeat anytime soon. Darkness and mud (combined with a healthy does of horse manure) were not very fun. At least it wasn't raining. I really felt myself lagging the last couple laps, but I finished in 4:07:56 which was a new PR for me, and
I finished in third place behind Greg Crowther (course record holder) and another guy who was only about six minutes ahead of me.
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