Running

Big Mike's Running Page

Ultrarunning

Ultras - An ultramarathon is any running event longer than a marathon (i.e. 26.2 miles). An ultrarun is any unusually difficult running event, regardless of distance (e.g. Pikes Peak Marathon).

My favorite kind of running is long distance on trails, and my favorite kind of running events are ultramarathons, for many reasons. I like being away from pavement and cars, I like the scenery, I like the challenge, and I especially like the people.

Nearby Ultras

Here are a few of the ultras within driving distance of Western PA:

Ultra Sites

Here are some links to some interesting ultramarathon-related sites:

David Blaikie, from Manotick, Ontario, has built an impressive Web site called Ultramarathon World. He has lots of general news about races, runners, the history of ultrarunning, and much more.
Stan Jensen , Moss Beach, CA, has compiled statistics on several US 100-mile ultras, and has some other interesting ultra links.
Kevin Sayers has collected and cataloged several years' worth of helpful articles about various aspects of running ultras.
And, of course, UltraRunning is THE magazine for ultrarunners.

Pittsburgh Running

Most of my running is on bike paths and hiking trails. The Pittsburgh area has some great trails.

The 70-mile Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail is my favorite.
The Montour Trail provides many miles of traffic-free scenic running to the south and east of the city.
The Youghiogheny River Trail is one of the nations's finest rail trails.
North Park has a five-mile paved loop and a twelve-mile horse trail.

Hashing

Hashing is a good activity for people who take running and/or themselves too seriously and for people that are tired of people who take running and/or themselves too seriously. There's all kinds of good info on hashing -- check it out:

Pittsburgh Hash House Harriers

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