Dahlgren Heritage Trail 50KM run.

This is the long awaited account of the 50km trail run in August.

The race start/finish was in the Caledon Natural Area in King George, VA. The trail itself used to be a railway line between the town of Fredericksburg and the Dahlgren Naval Weapons base. Established in the 1940/50s, it was not used after the 1970s I think. Now it is part of a state park system.

If you think of a railroad bed, there is a thick layer of gravel at the bottom. The gravel serves to hold up the ties and to drain any water that falls on the rail bed. The gravel spills around the wooden ties to keep them from shifting around. The wooden ties hold the rails in place. The rails are connected to the ties with iron cleats and thick iron spikes.

Since the rail line was abandoned, almost all of the rails have been pulled up as well as the iron cleats and spikes.

These are reports from various points along the trail:

Mile 2.6. Over time, the rail ties have rotted. They were originally held in place by dirt and gravel, and the now any given tie is either completely rotted (so there is a depression in the ground), partially rotted (so my foot breaks through the tie when I stand on it) or still intact. There's no way to know which of the last two I am dealing with before stepping on it. Lots of broken ground because of the rotted ties.!

At the first turnaround at one end of the race course, the trail bed much better here. Someone has cleaned out most of the rotted ties and the ground is relatively flat and level. Very friendly support crews! Weather is currently 72F with high humidity

Back at the aid station again, not quite at the junction. There couldn't be more than 50 runners here. That's nice! I met Birdy & Lynn, two local gals from Fredericksburg. Birdy had already fell - no injuries but her pride. We are all moving on!

Back at the start/finish connection to the trail. Mostly pea gravel & pebbles with some larger stones. Footing is difficult because the gravel moves. "Look up, fall down" is a good motto on this trail. Feeling good, running good.

About mile 15, halfway, at an aid station. Oreos left outside in humid weather absorb water! The trail was routed around a shooting range impact area - I for one appreciated it. I'm drinking lots of water and gatorade and sweat is flowing off me. I'm not dead last, there is one person behind me. Feeling good, running strong.

Just reached final turnaround pt. Another aid station here. Nice folks. Just the home stretch 10 mile left. There are rails here and a hand car. Most of the trail is shaded by trees, but this 4 mile section is not. The trail/rail line went through the middle of a swamp - every bug in the world is out there trying to get a piece of us as we run through. I drank some more g-ade and water, and back at it. I'm beginning to pass people now.

I'm at the next to last aid station, grabbed some some orange slices. These darn biting flies land on my shoulders and the back of my neck. Hate 'em! Almost back in the full shade part of the trail. The outside temp is in the 80sF. Footing is as bad as ever. Having fun though my feet hurt some.

The last aid station - I've been closing in on 3 faster runners who dawdled at an aid station and so I grabbed liquid and got out of there. Now I want to get going and keep them behind me. Three more people down.

I finished in 6:51:09. Finishing temp was 88F & humidity around 60% range. Got a finisher hat & a bright green tech shirt. BBQ at the finish line - veggie burgers, hamburgers, hot dogs & also rice krispie treats (carbs) + water (need more). Got to rinse off my hair and head and then get out of here back to Alexandria for a family event.