Ultrarunning Matters, in cooperation with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation- Central Region, presents the 4th annual

green lakes endurance runs

100 km & 50 km trail marathons

Sunday August 30, 2009

100 km race - 6:00 a.m. start time
50 km race - 6:45 a.m. start time

Green Lakes Endurance Runs
Race Office
120 Edgemere Ln
Fayetteville, NY 13066-2207
United States
ph: (315) 415-5562 voice mail
admin@gleruns.org

Ultrarunning Matters

Ultrarunning in Upstate and Western New York is becoming more and more popular. The growth of the sport has coincided with the inception of the Western New York Ultra Series in 2004. The 2004 four race series was the brainchild of ultra running veteran Tom Perry. In 2005, the Highland Forest 1-2-3 30 mile trail run joined the series. The Inaugural Green Lakes Endurance Runs added another 50 km trail race and the first 100 km race to the series in 2006. The Western New York Ultra Series now has six events and nine races to choose from.

The regions ultrarunners have also ventured outside the series to compete in some historic ultramarathons such as the Vermont 100 Endurance Race, the JFK 50 mile, the Comrades Marathon, and the Badwater Ultramarathon. Noted ultra runners from Hawaii, Oklahoma, Canada, and even as far away as Brazil have competed in the series races. It's this national and international supportive camaraderie that is valued by UM. Increasingly, the sport of ultrarunning matters.

What is UM?
Ultrarunning Matters (UM) is a non-profit organization committed to annually present the Green Lakes Endurance Runs (GLER) in cooperation with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation-Central Region.
As of December 2008, Ultrarunning Matters started a Yahoo! Group to explore the possibility of becoming a membership club, and soon decided to apply as a USATF competitive club and RRCA running club. UM wishes to serve an international membership of runners at all levels of ability interested in ultra marathons which are road and trail foot races beyond the official marathon distance of 42.195 km. UM promotes healthy ultra running as well as environmentally-sound and socially-responsible trail running participation and race management. Ultra runners and future ultra runners are encouraged to join the dialogue and efforts of this fledgling organization.
Click to learn about the Ultrarunning Matters Yahoo! Group
Ultrarunning Matters has the philosophy that the Green Lakes Endurance Runs are part of a community, a park and a sport. As such, along with the fun and competition, come responsibilities that go beyond the race results. What UM does:
- Foster national and international ultramarathon competition.
- Produce and manage the Green Lakes Endurance Runs.
- Raise funds for the Natural Heritage Trust which directly benefits public programs at Green Lakes State Park.
- Promote trail etiquette.
- Provide an informative and fun website for ultra runners.
Calorie intake at the Serengeti aid station
The Beginning
In August 2006, the Inaugural Green Lakes Endurance Runs were held. 50 runners were allowed to race on the lake trails. GLER 2006 was a success as a result of many dedicated volunteers that were mostly runners and walkers who were motivated by their love of the park.
In 2007, it became apparent that more than 50 runners would be signing up to race. The Park Manager decided the field could be expanded if the course utilized more of the 20 miles or so of additional trails in the park. This would spread the runners out, minimizing the event's footprint on the busier lake trails. Baum and USATF certifier, Don Hughes, applied road certification standards as much as possible in the design and measurement of the current 12.5k course. The current course provides a true trail race competition with varied surfaces, grades, and views, yet remains runnable.