Trail Talk – WV Trail Fest Coming to Snowshoe in May

Welcome to Trail Talk, a new feature here on AMR that’s all about highlighting the trails and events that we love here in the Allegheny Highlands.  In this first segment, we’re talking with Alex Papadopoulos about the WV Trail Fest, coming up in May.

This is the first year for the WV Trail Fest, a family running event which offers 5 races: a one-mile fun run, a 5K, and 30, 60 and 100K runs that traverse some of the best and most challenging trails in Pocahontas County. Alex gives us more details about the event.

“It manifested from a couple of other ideas,” he said. “First, it’s a love for the outdoors, otherwise we wouldn’t be out in beautiful and austere environments challenging ourselves both physically and mentally, psychologically, emotionally, getting through difficult things.  Originally we were looking at another event to start and finish at Snowshoe and this goes right around the time that covid started.”

“We got through all the shutdowns with covid and we started talking again with Snowshoe and the folks at Cass. The trails out there I think are some of the best in the east coast; a little secret that hopefully people in Pocahontas County will be happy that we got to share with the rest of the county. Right now, we’ve got representation from 20 states and we’re closing in on 200 participants for the first year which is going to exceed our expectations with two months to go until the event.”

“We have five total events, starting with the kids 1-mile fun run. And then we have a 5K which will be on Friday evening, and then at midnight Saturday morning at 12:01[am] we’ll be starting the 100K which is a point to point event.  That will commence on a similar network of trails that the 60K will be featured on which will start at 7am and that will be from Cass Scenic Railroad.  Then we’ll have the 30K that will start at the top of Snowshoe.”

For those interested in conversions, the Twilight 5K is 3.1 miles and includes 650 feet of vertical assent, the Stargazer 30K is 19.3 miles and includes 3800 feet of assent, the Full Moon 60K is 37.1 miles and includes 7400 feet of assent, and the Dark Skies 100K is 61.05 miles, and includes 11,500 feet of vertical assent.  So there are plenty of choices to challenge anyone from beginner to hard core trail runners.  AMR will have more information about the WV Trail Fest, scheduled for the weekend of May 10-12^th as we get closer to the event.

You can find more information about all of the races and other events happening during the WV Trail Fest at wvtrailfest.com.