Presidential Race: JFK 50

The legacy of the JFK 50 lives on

Sunday, September 14, 2008, 12:00 am

Of all the things President John F. Kennedy contributed to the U.S. before he was assassinated, one that usually flies under the radar is the impact he had on trail running.

In the spring of 1963, Kennedy offered a challenge to spur American military personnel -- as well as the rest of the country -- into optimal physical fitness. His inspiration was the blueprint used by Teddy Roosevelt, who at the dawn of the 20th century had implored his military officers to cover 50 miles on foot in 20 hours to maintain their commissions.

When word got out about the "Kennedy Challenge," many hearty civilians -- including then U.S. Attorney General Bobby Kennedy -- also wanted to take the test. As a result, several 50-mile events popped up around the country in 1963, including the JFK 50 Mile Challenge near Washington, D.C.


Now held the Saturday before Thanksgiving, the JFK 50, run primarily on trails between Boonsboro and Williamsport, Md., is the only remaining event from that presidential pronouncement. The spirit of the original event has remained throughout and is a big reason why it's long been one of the country's pre-eminent ultra races.

To put that in perspective, the JFK 50 had 673 finishers in 1973 -- the year before Gordy Ansleigh became the first person to run the esteemed Western States 100 -- and is typically the largest ultra race in the country, including last year when it had 1,078 finishers. The 46th annual JFK 50 will be held on November 22.

While JFK's age and size are impressive, it's the race's loyal volunteers, determined competitors and invigorating course that make it so compelling to experienced trail runners and road runners unfamiliar with the nuances of racing off-road.

"The most rewarding aspect is seeing ordinary people from all walks of life prepare themselves for a serious challenge and then accomplish it," says Mike Spinnler, JFK's race director since 1993. "It is an overused cliché, but it's about ordinary people doing something extraordinary."

A typical day at JFK dawns with a thousand or so runners, their crews and numerous race officials crowding into the Boonsboro High School gym. For Anstr Davidson, who finished his 25th straight JFK last year, the hour before the start is his favorite part of the day. "Some of the people I see only once a year, but they are close friends," he says.

During the half hour before the 7 a.m. start, participants straggle out of the gym and make the mile-long trek to the starting line in downtown Boonsboro. For the first mile or so an upbeat, chatty mass of runners takes the flat, straight road out of town while the front runners string out ahead. Not long into the grinding 500-foot climb up to the Appalachian Trail (AT) most of the chatter tails off.

After the longest climb of the day, the comparatively flat start to the AT section is a welcome sight for many; however, a novice trail runner's opinion of the AT may change quickly. The difficult footing on the AT is usually the biggest challenge road runners face during the race, Spinnler says. The infamous rocks have certainly taken down their fair share of runners, including Senator Max Baucus during the 2003 race. Trail junkies face their own challenge on the AT -- not getting stuck behind those who don't often run technical trails. "There's nothing worse than power hiking uphill, only to find people tiptoeing downhill," explains Meredith Murphy, who is not alone in her frustration.

The AT section ends with a treacherous descent down the Weverton Cliffs. It is here at the transition from trail to towpath that the infamous train crossing can quickly derail anyone's race. Every year at least a few runners are stopped dead in their tracks while a freight train rolls on by. Even speedsters get caught by the train. Until his 2007 JFK win, Michael Wardian had been stopped by the train in each of his three prior runnings of JFK. Despite having once dropped from the race, Wardian's worst JFK memory is of getting caught by the train and "watching all the guys that didn't get caught keep running."

Once you manage to cross the train tracks, the footing improves dramatically. Be sure to stop staring at the ground and take in the remnants of fall foliage and the historic town of Harpers Ferry across the Potomac River. You will have plenty of time to take in scenery as you run the next 26 miles on the obstacle-free towpath along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. Spinnler believes that this long, uniformly flat section is "just as difficult" for trail runners as the AT is for road runners.

Runners have come up with all sorts of ways to overcome the monotonous miles of the towpath. One runner employs a strategy of running for 8 minutes and then walking for 2 minutes, which gives her something to focus on. Others tick off the mile markers found along the towpath. These in-the-know racers are counting up to mile marker 84, after which you leave the towpath for the roads. After a few hours of counting, this strategy can be as frustrating as it is helpful.

One particularly effective way to deal with the towpath is to team up with competitors, whether it is for 15 minutes or 15 miles. Not only are such alliances strategically useful, they are what make JFK a blast to run. Spinnler, who ran JFK 20 times and won it twice before becoming the race director, explains, "Most ultras are much smaller in comparison to the JFK 50 Mile, and interaction with fellow competitors is usually much more limited. You see a lot of 'friendships' develop in the event. Bonds form, and people who didn't know each other before suddenly become 'teammates' with everyone pulling for each other to be successful in their quest that day."

Competitors are not the only individuals who provide a much-needed boost during the race. JFK veterans rave about the race's volunteers and aid stations. Dane Rauschenberg, who visited plenty of aid stations when he ran 52 marathons in 2006, sums up the collective praise when he says, "I will never forget what an oasis the aid stations were. I have run few races that could compare to the wonderful array of drinks and the smorgasbord of food available to the runners. Throw in the wonderful volunteers and their knowledge of how to handle racers, and it is hard to top JFK."

No matter how you survive the towpath, the first climb on the roads that follow provides all but the fastest competitors a welcome opportunity to walk. From there, the final 8.4 miles enjoyably roll through bucolic farmland. Even a trail junkie can appreciate how the scenery, long overdue rolling terrain and firm pavement of the final road section can propel you to the finish (and hot showers) in Williamsport. Steve Burton, a five-time JFK finisher, notes that the roads are a place "where you can move at the end if you have life left in your legs."

With its large field, ample aid stations, exemplary volunteers and varying terrain, the JFK 50 is a top-notch ultramarathon, whether you are gunning for first place or your first ultra finish.

Monumental Trails

Tucked in and around the monuments and attractions of Washington, D.C., is an extensive network of trails ranging from flat and fast to challenging singletrack. Here are a few of the gems:

The crown jewel of trail running destinations in the Washington, D.C., area is Rock Creek Park, a 6,000-acre federal park founded in 1890. While running the park's paved paths and dirt trails that wind north from the Lincoln Memorial, you can encounter wildlife (either native species such as deer, coyotes or owls or the robust collection of animals at the National Zoo), experience history (the park is home to the Civil War era Fort DeRussy and Peirce Mill, as well as various other historic buildings and bridges), cruise along the banks of the aptly named Rock Creek and climb onto the forested ridges that flank it.

For much of its 185 miles, the 170-year-old Chesapeake & Ohio Canal towpath is tucked in a greenway along the Potomac River. Running the towpath, you are alternately enveloped by forest and waterways, and you should not be surprised to encounter turtles, great blue herons or even the occasional beaver. A few brave souls have even run the canal's entire length in one go, with ambitious local ultrarunner James Moore having twice completed out-and-back runs of the full towpath.

Glover Archibold Park is an excellent off-road option for anyone who happens to be in Georgetown. For those spending time closer to American University, the trails of Battery Kemble Park quickly lead to Glover Archibold and beyond.

Just outside the Beltway, trail runs on either side of the Potomac River's Great Falls -- Great Falls National Park's River Trail in Virginia and the Billy Goat Trail in Maryland -- guarantee spectacular views of Mather Gorge, where the river narrows from a thousand to a hundred feet wide, and builds up speed and force as it falls over a series of steep, jagged rocks.

No park in the nation has as many recognizable landmarks as the National Mall. During a lap of the Mall's mix of paved and crushed stone paths, you'll see the Capitol building, the White House, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials, and many of the Smithsonian museums, just to name a few of the sights. If you are in town in the spring, you can easily incorporate the District's famous cherry blossoms into your run around the Mall.