green lakes endurance runs 100 km & 50 km trail races

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 Central New York (CNY) is becoming more and more popular. The growth of the sport has coincided with two Syracuse area marathons taking part in the Western New York Ultra Series. 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.

CNY 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. Increasingly, ultrarunning matters in CNY.

What We Do
Ultrarunning Matters, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation 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.
Ultrarunning Matters is a current registered member organization of the USATF. We are an event organizer, not a competitive club.
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 we do:
- 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 that pays special attention to the interests of the Central New York ultrarunner.
Calorie intake at the Serengeti aid station
The Beginning
In 2006, Todd Baum with the assistance of Mark Driscoll (Syracuse Chargers Track Club), Tom Perry (WNY-Ultra Series), and Margaret Hartmann (Syracuse Track Club), approached the Green Lakes State Park manager, Jon Livingston, with the proposal to hold ultra marathon races that combined the traditional road & track ultra with the modern trail ultra. Baum and Don Hughes (USATF course certifier) designed and certified a 5k course on the scenic lake trails around Green and Round Lakes.
Naturally, Mr. Livingston needed to be reassured that the event would not disturb the general public from enjoying the park and would not harm the park's natural environment. Baum and Livingston worked closely together and soon realized thay shared a respect for the park and those that frequented it.
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. Livingston and Baum 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. Once again, Baum and Hughes who applied road certification standards as much as possible, designed and measured the current 12.5k course. The new course was no longer flat and it no longer hearkened back to the day of the traditional ultra. However, the course is now a true trail race competition with varied surfaces, grades, and views, yet remains very runnable.