2009 Lookout Mtn 100k Course Description

Start time 7:30 am Eastern time Saturday, December 19th, 2009
Must be finished by 1:00 am Eastern time Sunday, December 20th, 2009
Cutoff times allow for a 16 minute mile up to 30.45 miles and a 17 minute per mile pace thereafter

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The race starts and finishes at Lula Lake Land Trust on Lookout Mountain. Runners will leave the Land Trust and run a lollipop of 37.91 miles to Covenant College, the Lookout Mountain National Battlefield Park and Reflection Riding Center and then return to Lula Lake Land Trust the same way they went out. Once back in the Land Trust, runners will traverse land trust trails, and private property to Long Branch, High Point and Lula Lake Road. Runners will turn around at the aid station at Lula Lake Road and head back on the connector trail, staying on the connector and bypassing High Point. Runners will enter Long Branch Preserve and run back to Lula Lake Land Trust the way they went out. The second portion of the course is 23.84 miles.

Lula Lake Land Trust to Covenant College Aid Station (7.46 miles)
Runners will leave Lula Lake Land Trust on single track trail, crossing Lula Lake Road. Cross with care as there is no course marshal. Back in the woods, the trail is a combination of ATV and single track. Runners will cross a few small creeks and traverse rolling hills to cross a dirt road and continue on single track. The trail loops around an old homestead and then switches from single track to ATV trail and after a short, steep hill emerges at the power lines with fantastic views. Turn left down the jeep road and then right into the woods. Runners enjoy Covenant College’s cross-country park trails before running on pavement through a parking lot, crossing Scenic Highway and running on the roadside gravel path to the parking lot and aid station behind Covenant College’s recreation center.

Covenant College Aid Station to Craven’s House Aid Station (7.62 miles / 15.08 total)
Runners continue through the parking lot access road past several buildings to enter the woods at the Covenant Trail. Covenant Trail has one road crossing with virtually no traffic, but please cross with care as there will be no course marshal. The trails in this section are in the National Park. Please be respectful to anyone you encounter hiking and take special care to pocket your garbage. Our relationship with the park is in its fledgling stages and we don’t want to do anything to make them shut us out. The Bluff Trail traverses Lookout Mountain above Lookout Valley and intersects with the Mountain Beautiful trail below Point Park. Both trails are technical (rocky) single track with some exposure. Mountain Beautiful trail has a few mild washout points so proceed with care. You will pass under the Incline railway and continue around Lookout Mountain to the Hardy Trail (a National Park dirt access road). Take a hard left and run downhill to Craven’s House Road. Stay on the road to the aid station and be mindful of traffic.

Craven’s House Aid Station to Reflection Riding Center Aid Station (6.95 miles / 22.03 total)
Runners leave the aid station and continue on the road to a gated dirt road. Continue on the dirt road (another National Park access road) and then make a hard right onto the Guild Trail (also dirt road). Runners will make a hard left onto the single track Jura Trail (rolling hills and mildly technical). Runners then take a short connecter trail to enter the Reflection Riding Center trails, most of which are jeep trails. Runners turn left, and gradually work their way downhill to the aid station.

Reflection Riding Center Aid Station to Covenant College Aid Station (8.42 miles / 30.45 total)
From the aid station, runners head out, eventually running for nearly 1/2 mile on jeep road before turning left onto Blue Beaver. After a 1 mile climb, runners turn right onto a rolling single track (Skyuka Trail) before beginning a 2 mile climb on the single track John Smart trail. At the top of the Bluff Trail, runners turn right up the Jackson Springs trail head is on the right. Runners take the single track which includes a climb to and around Jackson Lake (approximately 1 mile) and up a rocky chute to the back of Covenant College’s practice field. Continue up the dirt road to the aid station at the back of Covenant College.

****This aid station has a strict cutoff of 8:10 hours / or 3:40pm. If you feel you will be close to the cutoff time, please leave a headlamp at this aid station to make sure you make it back to the start/finish at Lula Lake. If you miss the cutoff, we will ask you to continue on to Lula Lake and drop there. We will not have a shuttle to get you back to Lula Lake so unless you have a crew to pick you up, you will need to continue. Your time at Lula Lake will be officially recorded as a 62k time and will be posted with the 100k and 10k results. We do not have finisher’s awards for this event. Please note that if you are close on the cutoff, you may make up the time before you reach Lula Lake. If this happens, race staff will allow you to continue. If you fail to make up the time, your 62k time (37.3 miles) will be recorded and you will be congratulated. Please submit to the race staff’s decision. Failure to do so will put you and everyone else at risk (you will not get a time and will not be congratulated).

Covenant College Aid Station to Lula Lake Aid Station (7.46 miles / 37.91 total)
From the Covenant College Aid Station, runners back track on pavement, gravel trail, and pavement again to the Covenant College X-Country Park Trails. Take care in crossing Scenic Highway as it may be close to dark and there will not be a course marshal. The return to Lula Lake Land Trust is on the same trails as the out portion. Before entering the Land Trust, runners will again cross Lula Lake Road. Please proceed with care in crossing the road and descending to the aid station.

Cutoff at Lula Lake Land Trust (start/finish) – 10:15 hours or 5:45pm

Lula Lake Land Trust to Long Branch Aid Station (6.37 miles / 44.28 total)
From the Lula Lake Aid Station, runners continue on gravel and dirt roads and single track. Be sure to note Lula Lake Falls before you head up the steep single track to run on the bluff. From the lovely land trust you’ll emerge at the edge of Nickajack Road. Please stay on the right side of the road, proceeding with care, and continue along the edge of the road .25 miles to the designated crossing. Run up the gravel road to the aid station in the big parking lot.

** Pacers can meet up with their runners at Lula Lake Land Trust.
Cutoff at Long Branch – 11:45 hours total / 7:15pm

Long Branch Aid Station to High Point Aid Station (3.35 miles / 47.63 total)
Leaving the parking lot runners will take the mostly single track as it winds around the Long Branch Home Preserve. After runners pass an old hunter’s cabin they will begin an ascent to High Point. The first part of this trail is steep and rocky and runners will have to scramble up some boulders. Please proceed with care on this entire 1+ mile section of trail. Beware the edge and observe the flagging. The flagging will be reflective tape but we will use glow sticks in sections that require extreme caution. In this High Point section runners will encounter rock chute climbs and down climbs as well as a short cable section designed to encourage runners to stay close to the rock. Continue along to the High Point Aid Station. Get some goodies and observe the views (even if it is dark, it is quite pretty!)

Once runners reach High Point Aid station and down climb to the gravel road, the remaining 15 miles are non-technical but do contain two extended climbs.

Cutoff Warning – 8:15pm at High Point

High Point Aid Station to Lula Lake Road Aid Station (2.70 miles / 50.33 total)
From High Point, down climb to the dirt/gravel road and run until it is time for a hard left turn onto the connector trail. Runners will take the connector trail to the bottom of the valley, cross a wooden bridge and then climb out to Lula Lake Road Aid Station.

** Pacers can meet up with their runners at Lula Lake Road Aid Station.
Cutoff at Lula Lake Road – 14 hours total or 9:00pm

Lula Lake Road Aid Station to Long Branch Aid Station (4.67 miles / 55 total)
From Lula Lake Road Aid Station, runners will turn around and back track on the connector trail. Cross the bridge and start the climb out of the valley. Runners will not turn off to climb to High Point again but will instead stay on the connector trail as it winds back into Long Branch Home Preserve and back to the Long Branch Aid Station.

Long Branch Aid Station to Lula Lake Land Trust (6.34 miles / 61.34 total)
Exit the aid station via the dirt road and cross in the designated location. Runners will stay along the edge of Nickajack Road, running toward oncoming traffic until the trail cuts back into the woods. Please proceed with care and watch your footing along Nickajack Road! Back track to the finish line at Lula Lake Land Trust.

**There may be an error with the map depending on which version you downloaded. This error would appear as a 1/2 mile discrepancy from Covenant College to the start/finish on the return loop.