Saturday’s Fire on the Rocks 10K a real Snow Day!

MCELHATTAN, PA – The snow came down heavily, but that didn’t deter about 250 people who took part in Saturday’s second annual Fire on the Rocks 10K trail challenge. The overall mood was downright festive, and it was an especially great day for Brock Rider of Centre County. The 43-year-old from Spring Mills completed the slightly longer than six-mile course in one hour and 10 minutes, winning his first trail race.

“It was tricky and slippery, but beautiful,” said Rider of the route on Bald Eagle Mountain. In fact, a face-first fall at one point resulted in a banged up knee, but Rider persisted, even joking afterward that he ‘found a rock’ in all the snow. An avid trail runner, Rider competes in many of the local races, and he finished last year’s inaugural Fire on the Rocks event in eleventh place.

Rider and second place finisher Dave Endress, 48, of Tyrone, challenged each other throughout the race, with Endress finishing about 16 seconds after Rider. Joseph Woodford, 35, of Ridgway, placed third Saturday, with a time of 1:12.

The first female to cross the finish line was 39-year-old Jeana Lucas of Bellefonte. Lucas was fifteenth overall, with a time of one hour, 17 minutes.

“The trail was slick,” said Lucas, a first-timer for the race, “but you couldn’t have asked for a prettier day.”

Kara Moyer, 34, of Montoursville, was the second female finisher and eighteenth overall, with a time of 1:18. She was followed by Larie Hall, 53, of Morrisdale, who finished nineteenth overall with a time of 1:19.

The late winter snow storm – which included at times near white-out conditions, bitter temperatures in the mid-20s, and howling winds – did keep some participants from the race. Of the more than 400 people registered, about 160 did not pick up a racer’s bib Saturday. Those who did make it came mostly from Pennsylvania, and there were also participants from New York and New Jersey. In all, 241 people finished the 10K, with the last participant coming in in three hours, 25 minutes.

Saturday’s race started and finished at the Durty Dabbers Motorcycle Club pavilion in McElhattan, with the course winding around the mountain and the City of Lock Haven’s Keller Reservoir. The event is organized by the PA Trail Dogs group, which hosts a number of trail races around the region. Race Director Craig Fleming was elated for the turnout and said the weather conditions actually added to the day’s fun. Just before Saturday’s 9 a.m. start, the racers sang Happy Birthday to Fleming, as he and his twin brother Curt (who was already out along the course as a volunteer), would turn 50 the following day.

For more information on the race and the PA Trail Dogs, visit www.patraildogs.com.