Brian Johnson (MM8807, HF7287, DA707)
- Marathon distance or better 45
- State 25 (and holding)
- Moonlight on the Falls Marathon DAVIS, WV.
- First overnight race.
This is a race that has been on my radar for quite a while. I needed to give it a try. I had also heard may great things about it.
Living in Columbus, Ohio, this was a short drive over to Davis, West Virginia for the event.
The views make it all worth it.
The roads are very windy to get there. If you get carsick easily, its not a fun ride.
Blackwater Falls State Park has many cabins that you can stay in. My family was in one for the weekend. It really helped with resting and being ready for Saturday night. A
At packet pickup, the race directors said there were about 600 people running the events between the 10k, half marathon, and marathon.
This race is a great tune-up for anyone who wants to learn the overnight part of an ultra-marathon. That is also something that I have struggled with.
The lead up to the race start at 10PM Saturday is one big party. You get a chance to listen to bands, eat some food and talk to people, as well as get some really good views.
The race itself is pretty cool when everybody takes off down the road. Most people are wearing some sore of night gear. Its an interesting thing to see.
The race course itself is very hilly. There is more than 2100 feet of ascent and decent over the course of 26 miles.
The course is pretty simple. Each lap is 10k. 2 laps is a 1/2 marathon. 4 laps is a marathon.
I ran most of the first lap. I realized near the end of that lap that exhaustion was starting to catch up to me. I ended up walking from around midnight to daybreak.
I did get to play an epic game of connect 4 at midnight with a spectator on the course. I also met a few people along the way to include Aaron and Debbie.
The biggest thing with this race is that its dark. There is no light pollution. You run along a paved forest line road, in the dark, in a state park. If you are a slower runner and don’t have batteries with you for your light, you will have a problem.
If you turn off your light. it’s just dark. The course marking signs were lit up.
My one gripe with this race, you get near the falls at night, but you never get to see them. You hear them. You get very close to them.
It’s kind of an odd feeling to realize when twilight is happening. I went from not being able to see more than 200ft in from of me all night, to suddenly being able to see the road and a distance in from of me.
I eventually reached the end of the 4th lap. Done. Tired. and ready to call it a day.
The medal is kind of cool. This is a race that you have to do at least once.
Photo and Post Credit Brian Johnson