From the running boom of the 1970s, many towns across the country started hosting races. From 1984 to 2015, a person or group hosted many ultras per year from Punxsutawney. Pennsylvania.
Over time, the original organizers grew older, and younger people did not take over to continue these long-standing races.
On September 8, 2001, I ran the Groundhog Fall 50km. At that time, the organizers also managed Spring and Summer ultras. The original fall version was 50 miles. After missing 1998, the race was resurrected as a 50km.
Punxsutawney is northeast of Pittsburgh, about a five-hour drive from Fredericksburg on Mahoning Creek. The area was overrun by insects that inhabited the local swamps, which the indigenous people called ponkies; this is the basis for the current name, the Land of Ponkies.
The first white settlers came to the area in the 1770s. It wasn’t until the 1850s, when the swamps were drained and insects were eradicated, that the area began to flourish.
Groundhogs and hedgehogs are rodents and members of the squirrel family. They hibernate underground during the winter.
Many of the early Pennsylvania settlers were of Germanic heritage. They brought their winter festival traditions with them. Part of the tradition was digging up the hibernating creatures for a winter feast.
These traditions evolved into the present-day Groundhog Day festivities, minus the rodent feast. The festivities are held at Gobblers Knob, two miles south of town. Phil has a comfy year-round home with siblings and offspring in a facility in Barclay Square in town.
There are chain hotels in the area. I stayed at the Pantell Hotel, built in 1888, which overlooks Barclay Square. It’s comfy with private baths and was within feet of the race start line.,
After leaving town, the course was on jeep and single-track trails to the north and east. Once off pavement, the organizers painted a white dot on rocks about every 50 feet. By looking down, I was able to ensure I was on the right path. I missed one turn and knew my mistake within 20 seconds.
The course went out 4 miles, then ran a loop twice before returning. At 3 miles, there was a significant downhill, dropping over 200 feet in a quarter mile. That drop haunted me for the next 24 miles, knowing I had to go back up when tired.
In the prerace brief, the organizers warned us of two hills on the loop. The first was called Yellow Bus, as there was a wrecked school bus at the bottom. The hill seemed to climb forever. Well, at least a mile. By the way, nobody knows how the bus was transported into the woods at the bottom of the hill.
After a descent, I was at the bottom of Cry Baby. Looking up, it appeared to be a repeat of Yellow Bus, which made many cry, “Not another!” Fortunately, it was much shorter. However, I knew I had to do the two hills again.
Once done with the loops, there was still that last climb. I found out after the race that it was called Two Beers, as the motocross riders needed at least two before trying the climb. Yes, during the climb, there were times I needed to grab roots and branches to pull myself up.
I’ve never run for a buckle. This race was my only one with a buckle as a finisher’s award. This race is my 50km PR, although I’m sure I covered 50km in my first JFK 50-mile in less time.
The only races still run out of Punxsutawney are a 4-mile run from town to Gobbler Knob and back in early February and an October half-marathon, 10km, and 5km.
——-
Vic Culp is a co-founder of the Fredericksburg Area Running Club in 1994. He has managed a few races and run a few miles.
You can follow his blog at slowoldrunner.com and subscribe to receive notification emails from that site.
Check out his book “Go for 25” on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B094YFRJ7G.
