There are not a lot of running events that I return to year after year. But this past weekend was one of them. It was Mt. Tom Challenge weekend.

The Mt. Tom Challenge is hosted by the Tyoga Running Club. The Mt. Tom Challenge is a free event. So, if you read this and think it might be fun to give it a shot, please give it a try. It literally costs you nothing.

Mt. Tom is a low key event that is literally like just going to hang out with a group of you favorite people. And it is literally what it says. It is a challenge. It is not so much of a race as it is an adventure.

The event features a lollipop style course. So, when you are staring a lap you might see others descending to finish their lap. And when you are finishing a lap you might see others starting a new lap.

Each lap of the course is a little shy of three miles. What the course is not short of is VERT. You want the vert. You need the vert. This is where you come to find the vert.

Each lap starts with a nearly one mile long climb, where you get to enjoy over 1,000 ft. of elevation gain. This climb is unlike anything else I have experienced. Then you get a slight reprieve as you make your way along the ridgeline of the mountain for a bit. Then you turn and begin the descent back down to where you started.

And you have two hours to complete as many laps of that as you want. As long as there is still as little as one second left on the clock you can start another lap and have it count towards your total.

I typically run two laps here. One year I came in fully committed to doing three laps and did pull that off. Usually I get done with two laps and still have time on the clock to go back out for a third. But I usually do not have the commitment and determination to do it.

This year I am in the process of building back up my base after not being able to run much for the last two years. But I am feeling healthy and working to get my fitness back. But the key is staying injury free. And running two laps at Mt. Tom already put me at the most miles I have run since returning from injury. So I did the smart thing and I did not push myself to go out for that often elusive 3rd lap.

I had a great time. It is always good to see so many happy faces getting outside and enjoying themselves. And it was nice to see so many familiar faces. I even managed to wrangle a few newcomers to join me in this year for the adventure.

I am already looking forward to next year.

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