Runners set to scale Mountain Creek

VERNON — The New Jersey Trail Series is inviting runners to the Mountain Creek "Running with the Devil" race on Saturday, July 19.

“Running with the Devil” is a grueling trail-loop race where participants not only have to push through physical pain and the summertime heat and humidity, but also must come mentally prepared to continuously run along steep and uneven terrain for hours on end.

Participants can choose to register for a three-hour, six-hour, or 12-hour race, all of which start inside the lodge at the base of South Peak Terrain Park and immediately scale up the mountain to the summit of Bear Peak. The course continues through wooded ATV trails to South Peak’s summit at 1,440 feet and descends back down to the base. Runners will complete the 5K loop as many times as they can handle within the given time limit and those who run the most amount of miles will earn a general admission ticket to Mountain Creek Bike Park, Action Park or a Winter lift ticket for skiing and snowboarding.

Last year’s 12-hour race winner demonstrated finished 51 miles in the hazy mid-summer heat.

The 12-hour race begins at 6 a.m. with a 5:30 a.m. check-in while the three and six-hour races kick off at 9 a.m. with an 8 a.m. check-in.

The 6- and 12-hour races can be completed in relay format with an unlimited amount of runners per team, but all participants must conquer the loop at least once.

Pricing is as follows:
12-hour: $80 until July 16, $90 day of race

12-hour relay: $70 until July 16, $80 day of race.

6-hour: $70 until July 16, $80 day of race.

6-hour relay: $60 until July 16, $70 day of race.

3-hour: $60 until July 16, $70 day of race.

Interested participants can register online at njseries.com.