Great day for Mountain of Hope Trail Challenge

LAMAR TOWNSHIP – Some early morning fog quickly turned into sunshine Saturday for those participating in the annual Mountain of Hope Trail Challenge. Held on private grounds in the East End area and organized by brothers Calvin and Emanuel King, the race includes two very challenging courses – a Half-Marathon and a 5K course – and is a draw for both Amish and English participants.

The nearly 70 participants were split almost evenly between the longer and shorter course, with 30 runners finishing the 13.1-mile half-marathon, and another 37 finishing the 3.1-mile 5K.

A first-timer to the race likely set a record on the half-marathon course. Lock Haven’s Reagan McCoy is a top contender in many races around the region but it was his first time to compete in the Mountain of Hope Trail Challenge and he burned up the course, finishing in one hour, 53-minutes.

The 25-year-old McCoy called the course “awesome,” saying, “There were some really cool trails you don’t get to see every day, with the race being on private land, and the view from the mountain down to Interstate 80 was awesome.”

Second-place finisher was Matthew Stoltzfus, 17, whose time was 2:16, followed by 17-year-old Abner Beiler, who finished in 2:21.

The first female to finish the long course was Kate Fisher, 63, of Watsontown, who was 12th overall with a time of 2:49. She was followed by 18-year-old Kathryn Oberholtzer, who finished 18th overall with a time of 2:55. Lauren Simcox, 29, was the third female finisher and 19th overall with a time of 3:00.

In the 5K race, 13-year-old David Lapp of Rebersburg had his personal best of the three years he’s competed in the Mountain of Hope, and it saw him crossing the finish line first, in 26 minutes, 28 seconds. The young man has run the 5K the past two years, placing second last year, and third in 2021.

Second-place went to 12-year-old Nathaniel King of East End, who ran the course in 28:42, followed by Joseph Lapp, 19, of Rebersburg, who finished third with a time of 28:44.

Ashley Bowes of Bellefonte was the first female finisher in the 5K. The 29-year-old was 11th overall, with a time of 33:21. Second female finisher was Liz McCloskey, 13, of Lock Haven, who finished 12th overall with a time of 33:26, followed by McKinzie Double,14, of Blanchard, who finished 16th overall with a time of 36:18.
The annual race benefits Sharing Hope Ministries, a local nonprofit whose volunteers help individuals and families in the United States and beyond recover from natural disaster and poverty.

Visit the Mountain of Hope Trail Challenge Facebook page for more on the race, and view the full results on www.falconracetiming.com. For more on Sharing Hope Ministries, visit www.sharinghopeministries.org.