2026 LLTH Results and Race Recap

Preliminary results have been posted:

 https://headfirstperformance.com/Results/26%20LLTH.pdf

If you note any errors, including name spelling or missing information, contact HeadFirst Performance.  Once the results are finalized at a later date, they will be posted on Ultrasignup,

 

Race Recap: 

LLTH almost didn't happen this year as the snow & ice in February forced postponement and then with a big rain storm just before this rescheduled event, there was a distinct possibility that there would be a cancellation of 2026 LLTH altogether.  Despite the wet conditions and downed trees across the trails, the only last second directive made by the Jefferson Memorial Forest (JMF) was to close the off-road parking at the main parking area near the start. Some volunteers didn't make it, but some dedicated souls stepped up and all critical positions on the course were filled.  Headfirst Performance had to write off the good weather plans for a festive holiday race weekend in the campground they reserved, but for the runners who showed up, it was an experience to remember. 

It was overcast with misty conditions at the start with temps in the mid 60's.  There was occasional very light rain in the morning hours with light wind.  It would eventually reach the mid 70's when the sun came out late in the day.  Of course, humidity was high all day -- a non-existent factor for runners to deal with in the usual LLTH race in February.

The trails had been mostly dry this Spring, so the trails were wet but not overly saturated from all the rain preceding the race.  However, there were storm consequences as bushwhacking was involved for the 50k runners on the Siltstone Trail this day: one stream crossing the trail was dammed up & runners found detours to avoid any surprises crossing the deep water;  and two trees (1 very large) were blocking the trail around miles 14/28. The trees crushed the bridge there and since they were situated between 2 steep hills and in a stream, it was difficult to even find a way to get thru & over everything -- I saw 2 runners who didn't attempt it.

start video: 

 2026 winners:

50k:             Jem Stuart      5:28:27                    Piper Grey     6:53:12

15m:     Patrick Hammnd    2:12:30           Helena Areschoug    2:47:59

6m:            Miles Bynum       48:29              Sally Thompson*       55:47

 * Sally Thompson -- 5th win (4th in a row) in the 6m & 6th win total

 

An award is issued to runners when reaching 10 finishes at LLTH.   2  runners reached that milestone this year: Brian Holzhausen &  Ruel Romigo -- Congratulations!

10 year award:

  Other notes:

The free pre-race pasta dinner at Quest Outdoors was very well attended and the food was fantastic!   As usual, Quest went above & beyond & also donated prizes for LLTH.  Thanks Quest Outdoors!

  

As noted previously, in collaboration with Land Between the Lakes (LBL), a special award was given to those who completed both LLTH (50k, 15m or 6m) and LBL (50m, 60k, marathon or 23k).  Information on LBL can be found here:   

 https://runsignup.com/Race/KY/GrandRivers/LandBetweentheLakestrailruns

   

 

 

If anyone has any photos/videos/race reports that they wish to share on this blog, send them or the link to me.  Thanks!


Congrats & Thanks to everyone for making LLTH a success this year!

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5-20-2026 LLTH Last Minute Notes

Online registration thru UltraSignup ends tonight (May 20) at 11:59 pm EST. 

Early packet pickup is at QUEST OUTDOORS at 4600 Shelbyville Road in the Shelbyville Road Plaza in Louisville on Friday, May 22 from 4 to 7 pm EST.  You can also register here.   QUEST OUTDOORS will also be having their FREE pre-race pasta dinner again this year at their store location -- everyone is welcome.    True North Catering will again provide the catering of the pasta dinner.   

You can also register and/or pick up your race packet at the FINISH area (not the Horine Center) in the campground on race morning starting around 7 am EST.  It's recommended to pick up your packet on Friday to avoid the rush & lines on race day.

 

Flagging will be orange & pink this year.  Trail junctions will be marked with several flags & major junctions will also have signs or a volunteer on site.  Intermediate/confidence flagging is spaced approx. 200 to 300 feet along the entire course.

 

Please read the previous blog post where notable changes have been made to this year's event.  To add to those changes:

 

Big Change: 

With the Horine Center not being used this year, Headfirst Performance has decided to make a change & move the FINISH line location to the campground for all the races for this May edition of LLTH.  The START location will remain the same.  I learned of the details yesterday just as they were finalized so I won’t be able to update the race maps & descriptions to reflect all the recent changes before race day.  This change will also alter the 15m and 50k courses and the 1st aid station.  I will go thru the changes here as best as I understood them.  On race day, follow the flagging, signs and volunteers and you should be ok.  Details:

 
6 mile 

The Orange Trail ends as it returns to the gravel road that the race started on (around mile 5.6).  This is where the change begins.  The aid station which was previously at the START area, will now be located here.  Runners will turn right at the gravel road, then will turn right again into the Group 1 campsite.  The FINISH will be across the grass field at the back of the campsite about 500 feet from the gravel road.

15m and 50k

Course and aid station change:
At the end of the Orange Trail (around mile 5.6) where it returns to the gravel road that the race started on, you’ll encounter the aid station that was previously located at the START area.  Instead of turning right onto the gravel road, you will now cross this road & head down to the Red Trail that turns right and runs parallel to the gravel road back in the direction of the START area.  Once you encounter the gravel service road that heads to the Horine Center, you will be back on the original course.  You will be bypassing the START line and the main parking lot.  


Finish line change:
Upon passing the small lake & reaching the top of the last big hill you will encounter in the race, which is on the Blue/Mitchell Hill Lake Trail, the trail T’s into the gravel service road for the Horine Center.  Instead of turning left to head to the Horine Center and FINISH, you will now turn right and follow a mix of gravel road and trail to the Group 1 campsite and FINISH — it will be marked all the way.  The finish line is located about 500 feet from the gravel campground road to the back of the campsite.


Drop bags:
Since you will not be returning to the Start area and main parking lot during the race, you can leave your drop bags at the aid station at the end of the Orange Trail.  50k runners can leave any drop bags for Scott’s Gap here also.

 

 Added 5-21-26:

Although this will likely make it more confusing, this is a very rough sketch of the new finish area.  Orange is the 6m, blue is the 15m & 50k:

 

I’m sorry for this new information so close to the race, but I just learned of all this myself yesterday and I’m getting this information out as quick as I can.  I will add to this post if more information becomes available.

 

Quick Links:

2026 FAQ

Current local forecast

  

For those who finished Land Between the Lakes (LBL) trail running event (50m, 60k, marathon or 23k) in western KY this year and also finish LLTH (50k, 15m or 6m) will receive a special award.  Just let them know at the finish line Saturday.

 Information on LBL can be found here: 

 https://runsignup.com/Race/KY/GrandRivers/LandBetweentheLakestrailruns. 

5-14-26 LLTH UPDATE on Rescheduled 2026 Louisville's Lovin' The Hills 50k/15m/6m

Registration for the 22nd running of Louisville's Lovin' The Hills, to be held at 8:00 a.m. EST on Saturday, May 23, 2026 is open on UltraSignup at

 https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=130582  

Online registration will close on Wed, May 20, 2026 at 11:59 pm EST.  In person registration will be available at early packet pickup at Quest Outdoors on Friday 4-7 pm EST, see the 2026 FAQ, and also on race morning at the start/finish area starting around 7 am.

 

There will be several notable changes this year:  

The Horine Center, where event activities were centered in previous years, will NOT be used.   HeadFirst Performance will have a setup in the start/finish area for pre and post race activities.  The exact locations of the Start & Finish lines for all distances has not been finalized as of this writing, however there will be an update of this information in the next post.  I will be posting a "last minute update" a few days before the event next week with the latest information.  For now, please ignore maps in this blog that show where the start and finish lines are usually located.

The entire Horine Campground has been reserved by HeadFirst Performance & will be open to EVERYONE from 1 pm EST Friday, May 22, to 12 noon EST on Sunday May 24.  The campground has 4 group sites and 7 family/single sites -- all sites are primitive.  The group 1 site (is about as large and open as a football field though not shaped as such) is by far the largest and begins just past the dumpsters about 100 yards from the original START on the campground gravel road.   All runners will run right by this site and the group 2 site on the outbound trip and return of the first loop.  Then, groups 3 thru 4  sites nearby followed by the individual/family sites.  It is first come first serve at the individual/family sites and sharing is OK though off road parking is very limited there.  Do NOT park on the gravel road as runners & cars will be using it.   Parking is allowed where the off road terrain allows you to.  Please leave your site clean and before Sunday at noon.   More information can be found here:  Horine Camping  and here:  Accommodations  The white circles denote the campsites: 

JMF is currently in the process of constructing numerous diversions/re-routes of the trails throughout the forest so that the trails are conforming to their most current standards (bypassing segments that they consider are too steep, too eroded or too technical).  Most are minor but several will certainly be noticed by race veterans.  Each of the diversions/re-routes will add some bonus distance & elevation to your race challenge this year.  The mileages on the course maps have not been updated to account for this as your GPS will soon confirm.  There are only 3 very minor diversions for the 6 miler (1st loop) with the longer diversions being on the 15m & 50k.  There is also one detour on the Yost loop for the 15m/50k due to a landslide last year.  The detour is short, but steep.

Since the Horine Center is not being used, there will be no indoor restrooms near the start.  There will be port-o-lets at the start & in the campground.  Also, the rear of the Welcome Center (15 milers & 50k) is under construction and the direct rear entrances to the restrooms are closed.  Access must be thru the front/main entrance.

As of today, since it's May & not February, there will not be an option for an EARLY START for any of the races this year as there are plenty of daylight hours to complete any race before dark.  

 

 

 

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Rescheduled 2026 Louisville's Lovin' The Hills 50k/15m/6m Registration

Registration for the 22nd running of Louisville's Lovin' The Hills, to be held at 8:00 a.m. EST on Saturday, May 23, 2026, has been re-opened on UltraSignup at

 https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=130582  

Online registration will close on Wed, May 20, 2026 at 11:59 pm EST.

 

  

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Feb-4-2026 2026 LLTH POSTPONED

LLTH 2026  has been postponed.  I am checking to confirm a date.   I will update this blog as more information comes in.  

update Thursday 2-5-26:  Cynthia has stated that the re-scheduled date will be Saturday, May 23, 2026 and not the requested date shown in her email below.

 

 

I received this email a while ago from Cynthia Heady, RD for HeadFirstperformance:

  

                  UltraSignup

  Louisville Lovin' the Hills

                  Cynthia Heady [1]

LOUISVILLE LOVIN' THE HILLS

Hello Runners and friends,

_It is with great sadness I have to postpone the race this year.  I have
been going over this for days, trying to make it all work.  As you know
(if you saw my last email) the park sent me an email on Monday and said
we could not park in the areas we have in the past.  The only parking
was down the hill and in a school parking lot.  They also said they did
not want us on muddy trails.   I called the school and they were happy
to let us park there but it is several miles away and I need a shuttle
or several.  I called about this but at this late notice the cost is
beyond what I can pay.    This race started in 2004 and we have never
come across this issue.  I have been praying  for a miracle.  _

_The trails are full of snow and  ice.  It is really beautiful but slick
in a few areas.  For an experienced runner  I think it would be
beautiful yet slow.  I think it would be hard to finish the 50k quickly
or  at all...  I have been on the trails the past 4 days and I have
battled my thoughts, I want you to see how beautiful this place is but
is it to dangerous to put on a race?  In the end I know it cannot happen
Saturday._

_I have sent an email requesting May 14 as the reschedule date.  I know
this month, once the snow melts, it will be wet and they will not let us
run...then in March the triple crown starts, LBL Trail Runs, Bourbon
50k,  April is mini marathon, Backside Trail Marathon, Knobstone 50.
Then Derby..._

_I would like to camp in May and it should be dry._

_You will have the option to do another Headfirst race, Backside Trail
Marathon, this race in May, or _

_transfer to next year.  I will send you info on how to sign up for
these.  If you cannot do any of these and want to do a virtual race I
will be happy to give you you shirt and medal.   I plan to be out there
on Saturday if you have come from out of town or you are in town and
want to run._

_I am so sorry.  This is so hard for me.  I love running and I thank you
for signing up for this race._

_If you have any questions for me please text me 502-220-3440._

Sincerely,

Cynthia

_Race Director _

 

 

The following pix are from the " 2-4-26 LLTH Last Minute Notes" that I had originally prepared to post, prior to the decision to postpone the event:

  

 Some pix from earlier today:

 2-4-26, trail at dam milepoint 6.3, snow&sleet thickness 3-4" frozen solid, dusting on top :

 

 

  2-4-26, trail near dam milepoint 6.4,  dug hole, snow&sleet thickness 3-5" frozen solid, dusting on top, deer tracks not penetrating: 

  The Welcome Center is being re-constructed and the rear portion of the building is closed off -- this includes the outside direct entrances to the restrooms.

 

2-4-26, welcome center back entrance under construction  

 

 

 

 

  2-4-26, a trail closure in Yost, detour to the left

 

 

The Land Between the Lakes (LBL) trail running event in western KY info can be found here: 

 https://runsignup.com/Race/KY/GrandRivers/LandBetweentheLakestrailruns. 

 

 

 

 

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2026 Louisville's Lovin' The Hills 50k/15m/6m Registration

Registration for the 22nd running of Louisville's Lovin' The Hills, to be held at 8:00 a.m. EST on Saturday, February 7, 2026, is open on UltraSignup at  https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=130582.  Online registration will close on Wed, February 4, 2026 at 11:59 pm EST.

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2025 LLTH Results and Race Recap

Preliminary results have been posted:

https://headfirstperformance.com/Results/25%20LLTH.pdf

If you note any errors, including name spelling or missing information, contact HeadFirst Performance.  Once the results are finalized at a later date, they will be posted on Ultrasignup,

 

Race Recap: 

The trail conditions added to the challenge this year.  There were periods of drizzle & light rain thruout the day.  Trails were very wet & slick.  Temps began in the upper 30's and reached the upper 50's with overcast skies & light winds that picked up later in the afternoon.  There were less entries than recent years due to the wet weather that was forecast for race day and for some, because of the lack of trail training time in an unusually frigid & snowy January.

start video:

 2025 winners:

50k:  Jameson Kloeckner   4:49:50              Daisy Packard     5:46:08

15m:            Ryan Haulk    2:17:32         Amanda LeBlanc*    2:49:18

6m:              Chris Curcio     48:29          Sally Thompson*        52:02

* Amanda LeBlanc -- 4th win (2nd in a row) in the 15m
* Sally Thompson -- 4th win (3rd in a row) in the 6m & 5th win total


An award is issued to runners when reaching 10 finishes at LLTH.   3 runners reached that milestone this year: Brenda Gutmann, Jonathan Marcum and Randy Troyer  -- Congratulations!

10 year award:

 Other notes:

The free pasta dinner provided by Quest Outdoors was SUPER!!   There were many "exotic" (including: Butternut Squash and Balsamic Gnocchi, Roasted Garlic and Veggie Pasta and other) pastas that were delicious!  Once again, Quest went above & beyond & also donated prizes for LLTH.  Thanks Quest Outdoors!

      photo courtesy of Todd Heady:

 Cynthia provided her famous homemade soups for post race enjoyment -- they were all very popular as usual!   She even added in house made pizzas for everyone this year!

As noted previously, in collaboration with Land Between the Lakes (LBL), a special award will be given to those who complete both LLTH (50k, 15m or 6m) and LBL (50m, 60k, marathon or 23k).  Information on LBL can be found here:   

 https://runsignup.com/Race/KY/GrandRivers/LandBetweentheLakestrailruns

 

  

                                                   

If anyone has any photos/videos/race reports that they wish to share on this blog, send them or the link to me.  Thanks!



Congrats & Thanks to everyone for making LLTH a success this year!

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