7th Annual RockCreek Stumpjump 50K
400 Ultrarunners attend 7th Annual Rock/Creek StumpJump 50K and raise $4000 for the Cumberland Trail Conference.
Contact:
Mark McKnight
423.266.8200 ext. 1113
mark@rockcreek.com
Chattanooga, TN, October 10, 2007 - 400 trail running enthusiasts tackled unseasonably warm conditions at the 7th annual Stumpjump 50k. The race sold out months in advance. “Despite the heat, this was probably the best StumpJump we’ve put together yet,” said Race Director Jamie Sanders; “We were happy that it sold out early and that we were able to expand this year’s race.” The heat did take it’s toll, with over 20 runners pulling out. It’s doubtful that anyone set a personal record this year. Ultrarunner Matt Karzen, Rock/Creek Race Team member, summed it up well: “StumpJump 2007 was the toughest 50K I’ve run. The topography makes it a challenge, but the unseasonably warm temps this year made wise pacing and diligent hydration key. I didn’t do either very well, and boy did I pay for it.”
The race raised $4000 for the Cumberland Trail Conference for trail work on the 300-plus-mile long Cumberland Trail. The Trail, still under construction, stretches across the state of Tennessee from Chattanooga to Cumberland Gap. The Rock/Creek StumpJump 50K course starts on Signal Mountain at Nolan Elementary and runs into Suck Creek Gorge into Prentice Cooper Wildlife Management Area, where the runners complete the Mullens’ Cove Loop on Walden Ridge, then head back across Suck Creek to finish at Nolan Elementary.
Eric Grossman from Emory, VA won the race with a time of 4:33:32. Several sponsored athletes showed up for the event, raising the level of competition.
Both owners of Rock/Creek, Dawson Wheeler and Marvin Webb, are long time residents of Signal Mountain, and were heavily involved in the event:
“The topography, the tremendous elevation gain, views of the Tennessee River, Suck Creek Gorge, enthusiastic volunteers, great sponsors, incredible race bags and prize packages: all these elements add up to make the Rock/Creek StumpJump one of the premier races in the country. The natural beauty of the Cumberland Trail cannot be matched,” Wheeler explained.
Be sure to save the date for next year’s race, taking place October 4, 2008.
Check out full race results and photography or read the entire press release…