CLIF Recognized as Official Nutrition Sponsor of TrailRunner UROC
Posted: 08/15/2011 In Category: General Trade Shows / Events
Industry News Release Written By: Russell Gill
August 15, 2011, Carbondale, CO, and Charlottesville, VA—Trail Runner magazine and Bad to the Bone Endurance Sports have joined forces for the first-ever ultrarunning championship race. On September 24th, 2011, the world’s best ultrarunners will race for 100 kilometers and compete for a slice of the $10,000 prize purse in the Trail Runner Ultra Race of Champions (UROC).
“Until now, there has been no definitive ultra championship race,” says current Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run record holder, Geoff Roes, also the Trail Runner UROC Elite Athlete Liaison. “Most elite runners want a race that will guarantee them a chance to run against other top runners, and those I've spoken with say they are willing to change their racing schedule for the opportunity to run the inaugural Trail Runner UROC.”
CLIF® BAR will provide on-course nourishment for UROC runners, including CLIF® BAR energy bars, CLIF SHOT® Energy Gel, CLIF SHOT BLOKS®, and CLIF SHOT® Electrolyte Replacement Drink. Created with a passion for the outdoors, CLIF BAR supports some of the world’s top ultrarunners, including UROC competitors Geoff Roes, Dave Mackey and Joelle Vaught. “These athletes and this event embody the CLIF BAR spirit, where the journey is as important as the finish line,” said Ricardo Balazs, sports culture manager for running at Clif Bar & Company. “We’re thrilled to be a part of the inaugural Ultra Race of Champions. It’s a unique opportunity to support an incredibly rich field of trail runners at what promises to be an epic race.”
Directed by Bad to the Bone Endurance Sports, UROC (www.ultraroc.com) is the creation of J. Russell Gill and Francesca Conte, founders of Charlottesville Running Company and Bad to the Bone. “We want this to be the event,” says Gill. “We’ve been developing the concept for several years, and are doing everything possible to bring the best of the best together for one day, while keeping Trail Runner UROC open to all runners.”
The 2011 race will take place just outside of Charlottesville, within Virginia’s scenic Blue Ridge Mountains. And while the world’s best ultrarunners will contend for a cash purse, UROC encourages runners of all abilities to come out and share the course. Trail Runner UROC strives to support the intimate “family” culture of trail and ultrarunning. The 100K course features 12,948 feet of elevation gain and loss, miles of singletrack, mountain gravel roads and the picturesque Blue Ridge Parkway. For runners looking for a shorter challenge, the Über Rock 50K and Cruxy Half Marathon will take place the same day and share sections of the Trail Runner UROC course.
“We’re excited to partner with such experienced and respected trail runners and race directors as Gill and Francesca to promote and grow this unprecedented event,” says Michael Benge, Editor of Trail Runner magazine, the title sponsor of UROC. “The Trail Runner UROC constitutes the first-ever formal ultrarunning championship, the veritable Superbowl of Ultrarunning.”
Companies interested in sponsoring the inaugural Trail Runner UROC, please email J. Russell Gill at rungillrun@comcast.net or Cynthia Bruggeman at cbruggeman@bigstonepub.com
About Trail Runner magazine As the leading publication for one of North America's fastest growing sports, Trail Runner features in-depth editorial and compelling photography that informs, entertains and inspires readers of all ages and abilities to enjoy the outdoors and improve their health and fitness through trail running. www.trailrunnermag.com
About Bad to the Bone Endurance Sports
Bad to the Bone Endurance Sports strives to motivate runners of all backgrounds to challenge themselves by directing premiere trail- and road-running events in the Shenandoah Mountains of Virginia. For almost 10 years, Bad to the Bone Endurance Sports events have reflected owners Gill and Francesca’s decades-long knowledge and passion for running. www.badtothebone.biz
About Clif Bar & Company
Clif Bar & Company is a leading maker of nutritious and organic foods and drinks for people on-the-go, including CLIF® BAR energy bar, LUNA®, The Whole Nutrition Bar for Women®; and CLIF Kid®, Nourishing Kids in Motion®. Focused on sports nutrition and healthy snacks, the company is committed to sustaining its people, brands, business, community and planet. www.clifbar.com
Recently Clif Bar & Company was ranked the No. 1 brand in the Forbes Breakaway Brands survey, conducted by Landor Associates using Young & Rubicam’s BrandAsset Valuator database measuring brand momentum from 2006 to 2009. (Forbes.com)
Monday, August 15, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Trail Runner Magazine and Bad to the Bone Endurance Sports Announce First Annual Trail Runner Ultra Race of Champions
Trail Runner Magazine and Bad to the Bone Endurance Sports Announce
First Annual Trail Runner Ultra Race of Champions
February 25, 2011, Carbondale, CO, and Charlottesville, VA- Trail Runner magazine and Bad to the Bone Endurance Sports have joined forces for the first-ever ultrarunning championship race. On September 24th, 2011, the world's best ultrarunners will race for 100 kilometers and compete for a slice of the $10,000 prize purse in the Trail Runner Ultra Race of Champions (UROC).
"Until now, there has been no definitive ultra championship race," says current Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run record holder, Geoff Roes, also the Trail Runner UROC Elite Athlete Liaison. "Most elite runners want a race that will guarantee them a chance to run against other top runners, and those I've spoken with say they are willing to change their racing schedule for the opportunity to run the inaugural Trail Runner UROC."
Directed by Bad to the Bone Endurance Sports, UROC is the creation of J. Russell Gill and Francesca Conte, founders of Charlottesville Running Company and Bad to the Bone. "We want this to be the event," says Gill. "We've been developing the concept for several years, and are doing everything possible to bring the best of the best together for one day, while keeping Trail Runner UROC open to all runners."
The 2011 race will take place just outside of Charlottesville, within Virginia's scenic Blue Ridge Mountains. And while the world's best ultrarunners will contend for a cash purse, UROC encourages runners of all abilities to come out and share the course. Trail Runner UROC strives to support the intimate "family" culture of trail and ultrarunning.
The out-and-back 100K course features 12,948 feet of elevation gain and loss, 32 miles of singletrack, 25 miles of mountain gravel roads and five miles on the picturesque Blue Ridge Parkway. And for runners looking for a shorter challenge, the Great Eastern Endurance Run 50K and Half Marathon Trail Races will take place the same day and share sections of the Trail Runner UROC course.
The goal of UROC is to gather as many elite ultra runners as possible. Elite runners will be invited based on the recommendations of a Trail Runner UROC advisory panel and their performances at events such as: Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, the four Grand Slam 100-mile events (Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run, Vermont 100-Mile Endurance Run, Leadville Trail 100-Mile Run and Wasatch Front 100-Mile Endurance Run) and other select ultra races around the world.
"We're excited to partner with such experienced and respected trail runners and race directors as Gill and Francesca to promote and grow this unprecedented event," says Michael Benge, Editor of Trail Runner magazine, the official media sponsor of UROC. "The Trail Runner UROC constitutes the first-ever formal ultrarunning championship, the veritable Superbowl of Ultrarunning."
Registration opens March 14th, 2011, at www.ultraroc.com. If you are an elite runner, email J. Russell Gill at rungillrun@comcast.net or Geoff Roes at grroes@yahoo.com for more information. Visit www.trailrunnermag.com for race updates.
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of the Trail Runner UROC, please email J. Russell Gill at rungillrun@comcast.net or Cynthia Bruggeman at cbruggeman@bigstonepub.com.
About Trail Runner magazine
As the leading publication for one of North America's fastest growing sports, Trail Runner features in-depth editorial and compelling photography that informs, entertains and inspires readers of all ages and abilities to enjoy the outdoors and improve their health and fitness through trail running. www.trailrunnmag.com
About Bad to the Bone Endurance Sports
Bad to the Bone Endurance Sports strives to motivate runners of all backgrounds to challenge themselves by directing premiere trail- and road-running events in the Shenandoah Mountains of Virginia. For almost 10 years, Bad to the Bone Endurance Sports events have reflected owners Gill and Francesca's decades-long knowledge and passion for running. www.badtothebone.biz
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Royal orchards
After more than 10 years of running trails in the Shenandoah National Park, Gill and I know every nook and cranny. We know every trail in the park, every gavel roads on the eastern and western portion of the park, and every fire road out there.
This is why I was incredibly surprised to find a whole bunch of jeep roads right off Rockfish Gap, which I never knew were there. The gravel roads are partially on the property of Scott's Castle, also called the Scott residence, and huge Scottish castle on the eastern flank of the mountain. I have always tried to respect the Scott's family property, and I have often seen them on their horses. The jeep roads Gill and I found this weekend come up from the valley floor toward the Appalachian trail, and are not, I believe, on private property. At least, we did not see any signs.
All these gravel roads allow us to add a whole bunch of distance to our usual route from Rockfisn Gap to Beagle's Gap on the Appalachian trail.
All of them are ATV roads, more than jeep roads, but are wide and in pretty good shape. Nevertheless, they are about as steep as it gets, for any jeep road or trail. By the end, my quads were done!
I loved the run because it always changes, and it can be made as short or as long as needed, without getting boring. Enjoy!
This is why I was incredibly surprised to find a whole bunch of jeep roads right off Rockfish Gap, which I never knew were there. The gravel roads are partially on the property of Scott's Castle, also called the Scott residence, and huge Scottish castle on the eastern flank of the mountain. I have always tried to respect the Scott's family property, and I have often seen them on their horses. The jeep roads Gill and I found this weekend come up from the valley floor toward the Appalachian trail, and are not, I believe, on private property. At least, we did not see any signs.
All these gravel roads allow us to add a whole bunch of distance to our usual route from Rockfisn Gap to Beagle's Gap on the Appalachian trail.
All of them are ATV roads, more than jeep roads, but are wide and in pretty good shape. Nevertheless, they are about as steep as it gets, for any jeep road or trail. By the end, my quads were done!
I loved the run because it always changes, and it can be made as short or as long as needed, without getting boring. Enjoy!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Trail running as a contact sport
Who said trail running is not a contact sport?
Gill and I recently came in contact with dirt (in Gill's case) and a wet shirt (in my case). Apparently, a wet shirt can do quite a bit of damage, if you give it enough time. Chafing is one of my nemesis, since it always seems to find the only little spot not slathered in Body Glide. Last weekend I ran the Icy-8 Hour run, on a wet and soggy day: within the first 3 hours, I had horrible and very painful chafing. Fortunately, I had a rain jacket to change into, which was baggy enough not to touch the skin. 
On this weekend's long run, there was still quite a bit of ice left on the Appalachian trail (above 2500 ft). But ice is not what Gill manages to slide on: mud is what he made contact with. With the snow melt, the dirt becomes soft and often muddy. He put his foot on an angle, and slid onto his knee. The rocks did the rest.
Even though some of these minor scrapes look gruesome, they are way better than injuries. The road might not lead to a bloody knee quite as often, but it leads to more serious injuries from the repetitive motion. Running on trails is definitely healthier for the knees and other joints. So, put your knee pads and helmets on, and hit the trails!
Even though some of these minor scrapes look gruesome, they are way better than injuries. The road might not lead to a bloody knee quite as often, but it leads to more serious injuries from the repetitive motion. Running on trails is definitely healthier for the knees and other joints. So, put your knee pads and helmets on, and hit the trails!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Turk Branch Loop
Gill and I do the Turk Branch trail loop often. It's conveniently located only about 20 minutes from our house (by car), starting at Sugar Hollow. It's the perfect distance for a medium long run, but it's quite difficult, including a lot of elevation for the mileage.
The route begins at Sugar Hollow parking lot, and follows the South fork of the Moormans River. it then takes a right onto the Turk Branch Trail, which climbs steeply to the Blue Ridge Parkway and to Turk Gap. From Turk Gap, it follows the AT southbound (left) back to the Moormans River Road.
The trail has some fantastic views of the Shenandoah Valley, and today it was blanketed by a very thin layer of snow.
Remember that, any time you go to the mountains, you should dress for 5-10 degrees colder: the wind was blowing up on Turk Gap, and it's always much colder than Charlottesville.
The route begins at Sugar Hollow parking lot, and follows the South fork of the Moormans River. it then takes a right onto the Turk Branch Trail, which climbs steeply to the Blue Ridge Parkway and to Turk Gap. From Turk Gap, it follows the AT southbound (left) back to the Moormans River Road.
The trail has some fantastic views of the Shenandoah Valley, and today it was blanketed by a very thin layer of snow.
Remember that, any time you go to the mountains, you should dress for 5-10 degrees colder: the wind was blowing up on Turk Gap, and it's always much colder than Charlottesville.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Run with PUMA!
Yesterday we went for an awesome run with Bryan Poerner, our fantastic Puma rep. Bryan was here to show us the 2011 Puma Fall lineup (which is absolutely awesome, by the way), so Gill and I decided to take him on one of our favorite runs. We opted for the Moormans river/calf mountain loop, a 12.7 mile run which is straight uphill for the first 5 miles.
I love this loop because it's hard but it has some of the best views in the area, especially in the winter. The run begins up the south fork of the Moormans River from Sugar Hollow, and it then joins the Appalchian trail for another 2 miles straight up to the Calf Mountain summit.
It then follows the AT back down to the Blue Ridge Parkway, from where it rejoins the Moormans river road for 4 miles downhill (my favorite part!).
Gill and I had a great time with Bryan and LOVED to hear his stories about 30 minute 10K and 1:07 half marathons PR: Bryan is not only the best rep ever, but also a great runner.
Here is the route
I love this loop because it's hard but it has some of the best views in the area, especially in the winter. The run begins up the south fork of the Moormans River from Sugar Hollow, and it then joins the Appalchian trail for another 2 miles straight up to the Calf Mountain summit.
It then follows the AT back down to the Blue Ridge Parkway, from where it rejoins the Moormans river road for 4 miles downhill (my favorite part!).
Gill and I had a great time with Bryan and LOVED to hear his stories about 30 minute 10K and 1:07 half marathons PR: Bryan is not only the best rep ever, but also a great runner.
Here is the route
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Great winter trail run
Today’s run was a real blast. Alyssa Godesky came to visit us, and we (Gill, myself and Alyssa) headed into the mountains. The route we chose is a little over 21 miles, with about 2700 feet of gain and loss. It begins on Brown’s Gap Road, which climbs from the valley for a 5.5 miles to the Blue Ridge Parkway. It then drops from the ridge to the Shenandoah Valley on Madison Run Road for another 5 miles. The fun part was turning around and heading all the way back.
Check out the route HERE:
The run climbs for 5.5 miles, descends for 5, climbs again for 5 and descends again for 5.5. It is all on runnable forest roads, which were covered in snow. The climbs were hard because the snow slowed my momentum, but the downs were a real blast and quite fast, because the snow allowed safer footing and a soft landing. Te snow was not frozen and not melted, and it was still as soft as powder.
Except for having too many clothes on and feeling some leg fatigue from earlier workouts this week, I felt great. I did not eat or drink enough: I should have brought some solid or salty foods, since the cold gels got old very quickly. I burn more calories in the winter, and ended up with hunger pains during the last 5 miles. The climbs, as I mentioned, were quite tough, and I was sweating heavily on the way up.
The views were spectacular: with the leaves gone, Blackrock Gap and the Furnace trail were clearly visible from Madison Run Road. The snow revealed how many and which animals were roaming the mountains: deer, of course, foxes, coyotes and/or roaming dogs, rabbits, wild turkeys and quite a few smaller bears. Alyssa finally saw her FIRST bear!
This run is fantastic because it crosses several trails, including the Appalachian Trail, the Doyle trail, the Furnace trail, the Austin Mountain trail and the Blue Ridge Parkway. It can therefore be connected to several loops, and the possibilities are limitless.
Check out the route HERE:
The run climbs for 5.5 miles, descends for 5, climbs again for 5 and descends again for 5.5. It is all on runnable forest roads, which were covered in snow. The climbs were hard because the snow slowed my momentum, but the downs were a real blast and quite fast, because the snow allowed safer footing and a soft landing. Te snow was not frozen and not melted, and it was still as soft as powder.
Except for having too many clothes on and feeling some leg fatigue from earlier workouts this week, I felt great. I did not eat or drink enough: I should have brought some solid or salty foods, since the cold gels got old very quickly. I burn more calories in the winter, and ended up with hunger pains during the last 5 miles. The climbs, as I mentioned, were quite tough, and I was sweating heavily on the way up.
The views were spectacular: with the leaves gone, Blackrock Gap and the Furnace trail were clearly visible from Madison Run Road. The snow revealed how many and which animals were roaming the mountains: deer, of course, foxes, coyotes and/or roaming dogs, rabbits, wild turkeys and quite a few smaller bears. Alyssa finally saw her FIRST bear!
This run is fantastic because it crosses several trails, including the Appalachian Trail, the Doyle trail, the Furnace trail, the Austin Mountain trail and the Blue Ridge Parkway. It can therefore be connected to several loops, and the possibilities are limitless.
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| William H. Howard hidden tombstone |
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| Madison Run Rd |
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| A bear paw print |
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