Conquering Cayuga Trails: New York Ultramarathon Review

Topics covered

• Course description: Elevation, terrain, aid stations, finish
• Useful information: Perks, parking, lodging, gear, nutrition
• Reflections: Preparation, experience, goals, conclusion

As a notable New York ultramarathon, Cayuga Trails 50K stands out among the best, and it was also my ultramarathon debut. Dumb, naive, or brilliant? We’ll make that conclusion at the end of this review. I have so much to say about this one, so let’s jump right in.

An ultramarathon is defined as any foot race longer than the traditional marathon distance (26.2 miles). Put those miles on outdoor trails and boom, you have yourself a trail ultramarathon.

Cayuga Trails has both a 50-kilometer and 50-mile option. Given that this was my first ultramarathon and considering the elevation gain, I opted for the shortest ultramarathon distance, the 50K. This event was organized by Red Newt Racing, which I believe did a fantastic job. I’m eager to try more of their races.

Imagine this: You are ascending about the 500th stone stair for the morning and you’re only 8 miles into a 31-mile race, your buns are cooking, and you’re making a terrible wheezing sound from your throat, BUT THEN… you make it to the top of that 1,000 foot climb, turn the corner, and see this:

Yep, completely worth it, and then you drop back down and the cycle continues. That’s basically what Cayuga Trails was like. Stair step up, be mesmerized by the view, and stair step down. Actually, more like slip and slide down, because all of the descents were SO slippery from everyone’s wet shoes.

Where

Cayuga Trails takes place in Robert Treman State Park in Ithaca, New York. This area had some of the most stunning scenery and for being an East Coast trail race, the terrain was not nearly as technical as other East Coast races. Not to mention, this was a perfect area to explore brews and eats following the race.

When

This event takes place during the first weekend of June, which I thought would be perfect before the real summer heat kicks in. The first weekend of June 2023 was exceptionally HOT and the spring was very dry, so I guess you never really know what you might get. East Coast weather can be unpredictable, to say the least.

The Course

This was a looped course. There were a few sections that overlapped but only one section of trail was the same. The 50-mile runners started an hour earlier but there were some spots where you passed each other, but that wasn’t a big deal. 

Elevation

Compared to other trail events at the 50K distance, 6900 feet was on the higher end for elevation gain, and it was mostly all thanks to the stone stairs going up the gorges.

Terrain

This race was 95% trail and 5% pavement, with plenty of singletrack. The pavement sections were primarily passing through parking lots, which also hosted some of the aid stations. There was about a two-mile section that was along the road for much longer than I anticipated, but at least it was in the beautiful countryside. My legs weren’t thanking me for the extra pounding, though. 

The trails were a mix of dirt, grass, stone, and loose rocks. It was not nearly as technical as other east coast trails. There were only two sections of trail that were loose rock for maybe less than one mile each, although they were a decent climb. 

Most of the climbing in this race was stone, given that you were climbing the beautiful stone stairs along the gorges. It was killer on the legs but a least the earth beneath you wasn’t giving away while your legs were also burning.

NOTE: There is a creek crossing, depending on the rain for that year, it can be up to knee or mid-thigh height! 2023 was a particularly dry year, so the water was only low/mid-calf, but getting comfortable running in wet shoes is imperative for this race. It was glorious to cool off in.

Aid Stations

As this was my first ultramarathon, I was prepared to bring everything I would need, so I did not use anything from the aid stations. My boyfriend and my best friend brought everything I needed to the aid stations at miles 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25. It was perfect that there was an aid station about every 5 miles, which was about every hour for me. Although I didn’t use much from the aid stations, they seemed to be well stocked with water, electrolytes, and a mix of salty and sugary snacks.

Finish

I had no idea what to expect for time or place. My final finish time was 7 hours, 50 minutes, and 24 seconds. This pace was about 15 minutes and 8 seconds per mile. This put me in 81st place overall and 20th in my division (20-29F).

Useful Information

Perks

Registration included a Patagonia cool capilene long-sleeve hoodie. The graphic on the front was a bit “extra” and large (covered the whole chest area) but overall, it’s a nice shirt. All finishers received a wooden medal as well.

Lodging/Parking

We stayed at an Airbnb about 15 minutes from the race event. Given that this was near the Finger Lakes, there were plenty of lodging options, from Airbnb to hotels. Although I will say, we did procrastinate quite a bit and places were selling out fast! We booked one of the last available dog-friendly Airbnbs about two weeks before the race (whoops).

Parking and driving to the event area was a bit of a nightmare. If you did packet pick up the night before, the only available road was a tight dirt road to the event area. Two cars couldn’t comfortably pass and given that there was a drop-off on one side, it was a little dicey pulling over to let another car pass.

On the morning of the race, you have to park about one mile from the start…AND it’s a steady incline walk. It was a solid warm-up but it also hurt descending back down after you finish the race. 

Gear and Nutrition

Feet: Hoka One One Speedgoat 4 and Injinji quarter toe socks 

• I trained with these socks and trail sneakers SO MUCH, but my feet were my biggest problem. My toes were starting to hurt early in the race around mile 10. By the end of the race, all of my toenails were black and I lost them all, sorry. I don’t know what happened.

Bottom: Brooks 5” Chaser

• These just work for me. No riding up and no chafing = WIN.

Top: Jolyn Rae Sports Bra

• This is a swimsuit brand but they also sell activewear. The bras are like a swimsuit material, which I find perfect for when I’m sweating since it dries quickly.

Pack: Salomon Adv Skin 5

• I love this pack. A variety of mesh and zippered pockets, and everything was accessible.

Accessories: REI bandana, Garmin Venu watch, and Goodr sunglasses

• The bandana was a last minute decision and it turned out to be lifesaver given the heat. I dunked it in water or shoved ice cubes in it and tied it around my neck.

Hydration: Water and Tailwind tropical flavor

• GAME CHANGER: I froze jugs of water and my boyfriend brought them in a cooler at the aid stations. The water at the aid stations was not very cold and warmed up in my pack way too fast. It was so hot out and having a jug of ice cold water SAVED me.

Calories: Gu Roctane Gels, banana, frooze balls

• I found that I needed a lot more calories than what I trained with. I think I was expending so much more energy because of a combination of the heat and elevation gain.

Given that most of the climbs were steps and relatively short-ish (just a lot of them), I don’t think poles would have been helpful.

My reflections of this New York ultramarathon experience

My preparation

All in all, I would say that I felt prepared. My endurance felt great and I was strong through the climbs. If I were to run this race again, I would prepare for the climbing more on the stair master and do more strength work, including step-ups and split squats.

I struggled through the heat and GUZZLED my fluids. I wish I had more time for heat acclimation since most of my training was done through the winter and spring.

Experience during the race

I can’t complain about anything going wrong during the race, other than my piggly wiggly toes. They hurt so bad. I also got lazy towards the end and didn’t replenish as much water as I should’ve at the last aid station, so I was struggling with thirst the last 3ish miles. Rookie mistake. So yes, I WAS crawling up the last set of stone stairs towards the end.

My goals and mindset

My only goal for this race was to finish feeling strong, and I would say that was accomplished. While there was some suffering of course, there was much more oooh-ing and awww-ing about the scenery, feeling strong, and chatting with fellow trail runners!

So, what we’ve all been waiting for: Was running Cayuga Trails for my first marathon a dumb, naive, or brilliant decision?

Not dumb, no. I was adequately prepared. Was I called crazy by family members and friends? Yes, but that’s a different topic for another time.

Maybe slightly naive, yes. I had no concept of what exactly 6,900’ was like. Now that I’ve browsed many other 50K distance races, anything over 6,000’ for a 50K appears to be exceptionally high. I’m a newer trail runner; you can learn more about my journey into running here.

This decision felt bold and I felt confident with the challenge I set for myself. I successfully completed the race and had such a positive experience. Yes, this was a brilliant decision.

My conclusion: 0% dumb, 25% naive, and 110% brilliant.

Did I mention there’s a 50-mile option too? I wasn’t THAT dumb, naive, or brilliant, so I opted for the 50K instead. Am I tempted to go back for vengeance? Absolutely.