Registration is now open for the 2011 LLTH to be held on Saturday, February 12, 2011 at 8:00 a.m. EST:
http://www.active.com/running/fairdale-ky/louisville-lovin-the-hills-2011
Regular entry fee will be $50 for either the 50k or 15m thru January 22 and $60 thru February 9, 2011 @ 8:59 PM on Active.com. Late & race day entry fee will be $60. A mail-in entry form is available on the official LLTH website:
http://web.me.com/cynthiaheady1/louisvillemarathon/llth_page_1.html
There will be an extra goodie in the race packets of early (first 100?) 50k/15m registrants. A race buff was given away last year.
Updates on the 2011 event are forthcoming -- there will be changes -- including a major re-route of the course (3 miles of roadway sections will be bypassed).
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
LLTH 2010 - a tough one
The challenge of LLTH is not just the hills. The uncertain February weather & course conditions will always be a part of the race:
This year saw a storm dump over an inch of rain onto an already wet course Friday, leading to high streams & lots of standing water on the trails. With the rain changing to snow overnight, the puddles & the mud would be hidden from sight with a 1-2" white blanket. It wouldn't take long though, for the runners to reveal all those puddles, splashing water & mud everywhere. Eventually the mud worked it's way to the top on most, but not on all the trails. Where the trail drained well & was on the shady side of the hills, the snow would remain & become packed down as the day wore on. On some hills, the wet snow actually provided better traction than had there been mud alone.
Temperatures hovered at or just below the freezing mark all day. There was a 15-20 mph north wind most of the day. Gusts were in the 25-30 mph range & most noticeable on the ridge tops.
Counting race day registration, there were close to 200 entries for the 50k & 15m races this year -- a record. Also a record in the number of 15m finishers. The slushy, muddy parking areas in the grassy fields next to the Start held up surprisingly well. This was the first test as they've always been fairly dry or frozen in previous years.
Lodge:
Congratulations are in order for everyone who finished this day! Special honors go to Eric Grossman, the one responsible for starting this wonderful race in 2004 and returning for his 3rd 50k overall win this year. Full results are posted on the Headfirst Performance website.
THANKS go out to Cynthia & Todd Heady, who once again put on another great event and to all the runners & volunteers who helped make LLTH another success this year!
Anyone who took pictures & wishes to share them on this site, let me know! The Forest was a really gorgeous backdrop to the race this year with the wet snow plastered onto the trees and the snow covering everything with a sound deadening blanket -- a true winter wonderland!
prerace:
goodies:
This year saw a storm dump over an inch of rain onto an already wet course Friday, leading to high streams & lots of standing water on the trails. With the rain changing to snow overnight, the puddles & the mud would be hidden from sight with a 1-2" white blanket. It wouldn't take long though, for the runners to reveal all those puddles, splashing water & mud everywhere. Eventually the mud worked it's way to the top on most, but not on all the trails. Where the trail drained well & was on the shady side of the hills, the snow would remain & become packed down as the day wore on. On some hills, the wet snow actually provided better traction than had there been mud alone.
Temperatures hovered at or just below the freezing mark all day. There was a 15-20 mph north wind most of the day. Gusts were in the 25-30 mph range & most noticeable on the ridge tops.
Counting race day registration, there were close to 200 entries for the 50k & 15m races this year -- a record. Also a record in the number of 15m finishers. The slushy, muddy parking areas in the grassy fields next to the Start held up surprisingly well. This was the first test as they've always been fairly dry or frozen in previous years.
Lodge:
Congratulations are in order for everyone who finished this day! Special honors go to Eric Grossman, the one responsible for starting this wonderful race in 2004 and returning for his 3rd 50k overall win this year. Full results are posted on the Headfirst Performance website.
THANKS go out to Cynthia & Todd Heady, who once again put on another great event and to all the runners & volunteers who helped make LLTH another success this year!
Anyone who took pictures & wishes to share them on this site, let me know! The Forest was a really gorgeous backdrop to the race this year with the wet snow plastered onto the trees and the snow covering everything with a sound deadening blanket -- a true winter wonderland!
prerace:
goodies:
Thursday, February 4, 2010
last minute notes 2010
Course: The 5" snow from last weekend has been melting away this week. Could get a little messy if we get all the precipitation that's forecast the next couple days. Below are a couple pics on the Blue Trail (3rd Leg) at the dam -- just a little snow left in the shaded areas as of this morning:
Parking: Much of the ground near the start is saturated, but I've been informed by the Forest staff that the grassy fields adjacent to the start area actually have a gravel base beneath them -- I have not confirmed this personally on site . . .
Early packet pickup: Time has been changed to 11 am to 6 pm (was 10 am to 7 pm) Friday at Ken Combs Running Store. You can also register for the race here.
Extra goodies: There will be an extra item in some of the race packets: buffs to the 1st 100 entrants by date; socks or gloves in some of the others.
Entrants: The entry list has been updated thru 2-3-10, 74 entries for the 50k, 88 for the 15m.
New photo gallery: Eric Grossman, the founder of LLTH & one of the top ultrarunners in the country, is the current record holder for the 50k (2007) and plans to participate again this year. He has just uploaded all of his pictures from the 2005 LLTH, the 2nd of the two races which he directed -- the new photo gallery is posted under 2005 by Eric Grossman. Thanks Eric for sharing!
I hope everyone gets the chance to take in the sights thruout the Forest when they're running & when they can afford to take their eyes off the trail. Although the Jefferson Memorial Forest has been scarred badly in recent years from tornadoes, a hurricane & a severe ice storm, there are still very nice areas to enjoy.
You may want to check out the Horine Center (Lodge) after the finish -- I've heard that there will be at least a half dozen hot soups to choose from (Cynthia doesn't want you to leave hungry)!
May everyone have a SAFE & FUN race!
Parking: Much of the ground near the start is saturated, but I've been informed by the Forest staff that the grassy fields adjacent to the start area actually have a gravel base beneath them -- I have not confirmed this personally on site . . .
Early packet pickup: Time has been changed to 11 am to 6 pm (was 10 am to 7 pm) Friday at Ken Combs Running Store. You can also register for the race here.
Extra goodies: There will be an extra item in some of the race packets: buffs to the 1st 100 entrants by date; socks or gloves in some of the others.
Entrants: The entry list has been updated thru 2-3-10, 74 entries for the 50k, 88 for the 15m.
New photo gallery: Eric Grossman, the founder of LLTH & one of the top ultrarunners in the country, is the current record holder for the 50k (2007) and plans to participate again this year. He has just uploaded all of his pictures from the 2005 LLTH, the 2nd of the two races which he directed -- the new photo gallery is posted under 2005 by Eric Grossman. Thanks Eric for sharing!
I hope everyone gets the chance to take in the sights thruout the Forest when they're running & when they can afford to take their eyes off the trail. Although the Jefferson Memorial Forest has been scarred badly in recent years from tornadoes, a hurricane & a severe ice storm, there are still very nice areas to enjoy.
You may want to check out the Horine Center (Lodge) after the finish -- I've heard that there will be at least a half dozen hot soups to choose from (Cynthia doesn't want you to leave hungry)!
May everyone have a SAFE & FUN race!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
More updates
Updated course maps (see tabs to the side): The new courses for the 15 mile & 50k consist of 3 lollipop shaped legs -- an out and back section with a loop at the end for each leg. All the loops will be run counterclockwise, EXCEPT the final loop on the 3rd leg of the 15 miler, which has been changed to clockwise this year. The layouts have been simplified over previous years with fewer turns. There will still be a section where the 15 mile participants will be running in the opposite direction of the 50k runners for a short 0.25 mile section at the beginning of the 3rd leg of the 50k -- which is the end portion of 3rd leg of the 15 mile course. There will be signs as well as a volunteer at each end of this section to be sure everyone is on the right track. The finish line has been moved from the starting line area to the Horine Center (Lodge), which requires a left turn upon reaching the gravel road at the end of the 3rd leg for both the 50k & 15m -- see course maps. Updated FAQ's: Biggest change here is that early packet pickup has been moved to the new sponsor location (Ken Combs Running Store) and the announcement of 2 training runs the weekend of January 16-17. New photo gallery added: Larry Hilton, a Naturalist & the Trail Supervisor in the Jefferson Memorial Forest was on the 2nd leg of the 2009 LLTH race when he took these pictures -- 2009 Larry Hilton. Thanks Larry for the photos & for keeping the trails clear for us each year!
Monday, November 23, 2009
A couple changes for 2010
I've just started updating this blog for 2010. Changes will be forthcoming on dates, links, maps, etc. The first couple changes are here:
The date for the race has been changed to Saturday February 6, 2010. Sorry for any inconvenience this will make to anyone's plans. Although Headfirst Performance had reserved the site for the 13th, Metro Parks changed their mind & gave notification just recently. They have said that the Horine Center would not be available that weekend -- reason being that they were going to extend their one day Valentine's Retreat for couples from Sunday the 14th to the entire weekend!
There will be a course change on the final leg of the 50k. Instead of running the Purple Heart Trail in Tom Wallace Park, the Scott's Gap loop at the end of the Siltstone Trail will be included. The Siltstone Trail will be run in its' entirety from start to finish. After the 3 miles around Scott's Gap, the course will return on the full length of the Siltstone Trail back to the Welcome Center & then back to the finish at the Horine Center. This change will remove about 1.25 miles of sidewalk and paved road within Tom Wallace Park. With fewer turns, it will also make for less confusion for runners & for easier marking of the course. New course maps will be posted when available.
Online registration is currently available at Active.com.
The date for the race has been changed to Saturday February 6, 2010. Sorry for any inconvenience this will make to anyone's plans. Although Headfirst Performance had reserved the site for the 13th, Metro Parks changed their mind & gave notification just recently. They have said that the Horine Center would not be available that weekend -- reason being that they were going to extend their one day Valentine's Retreat for couples from Sunday the 14th to the entire weekend!
There will be a course change on the final leg of the 50k. Instead of running the Purple Heart Trail in Tom Wallace Park, the Scott's Gap loop at the end of the Siltstone Trail will be included. The Siltstone Trail will be run in its' entirety from start to finish. After the 3 miles around Scott's Gap, the course will return on the full length of the Siltstone Trail back to the Welcome Center & then back to the finish at the Horine Center. This change will remove about 1.25 miles of sidewalk and paved road within Tom Wallace Park. With fewer turns, it will also make for less confusion for runners & for easier marking of the course. New course maps will be posted when available.
Online registration is currently available at Active.com.
Monday, February 16, 2009
2009 Louisville's Lovin' the Hills -- Notes & Results
FOR 2011, click here: 2011 LLTH
After the ice storm, "postpone" or "cancel" were possible options for the race this year. Fortunately for everyone, Headfirst Performance took on the challenge. This was Cynthia & Todd Heady's 2nd year at directing LLTH & it was another successful event!
The light rain that was forecast didn't happen & the course, for the most part, was only damp with just a few muddy spots here & there. Trails were in great shape, considering what they looked like only recently. Even though most of the course had been cleared at least a couple times, a few new branches & maybe a tree or 2 had fallen onto the trails by race time, but there was nothing very big or hard to get over or around.
THANKS again to all the workers & volunteers who cleared the trails & made the race possible! Special THANKS to Larry Hilton with the JMF staff who went above & beyond to meet the deadline. Also, THANKS to all the runners & volunteers who helped make LLTH a success!
The 2009 LLTH Race Results have been posted at the Headfirst Performance website.
After the ice storm, "postpone" or "cancel" were possible options for the race this year. Fortunately for everyone, Headfirst Performance took on the challenge. This was Cynthia & Todd Heady's 2nd year at directing LLTH & it was another successful event!
The light rain that was forecast didn't happen & the course, for the most part, was only damp with just a few muddy spots here & there. Trails were in great shape, considering what they looked like only recently. Even though most of the course had been cleared at least a couple times, a few new branches & maybe a tree or 2 had fallen onto the trails by race time, but there was nothing very big or hard to get over or around.
THANKS again to all the workers & volunteers who cleared the trails & made the race possible! Special THANKS to Larry Hilton with the JMF staff who went above & beyond to meet the deadline. Also, THANKS to all the runners & volunteers who helped make LLTH a success!
The 2009 LLTH Race Results have been posted at the Headfirst Performance website.
Friday, February 13, 2009
update
I'm having to post this from another computer as I've been without power at my house since the wind storm hit Wednesday:
With the rain & high winds earlier in the week, plans were set back for the chainsaw crews, but they are working now as I type this to finish the last mile or so of the trails. There was also a last minute (small) re-route on the Yost (Yellow) Trail on the 2nd loop yesterday to avoid a heavily damaged section of trail as it was easier to do so than to cut & remove all the trees. Don't be surprised if you encounter an obstacle in your path tomorrow, in fact, I'd be surprised if you didn't encounter something! Dangling limbs & branches & damaged tree tops left over from the ice storm have continued to fall on the trails. Even going back on the trails to mark the course, it felt at times like a clearing operation. Normally, the trails here are trimmed back fairly well. This year there will be branches & brush that extend into the trails at some locations, so be cautious for those at head/eye level!
May everyone have a SAFE & FUN race!
With the rain & high winds earlier in the week, plans were set back for the chainsaw crews, but they are working now as I type this to finish the last mile or so of the trails. There was also a last minute (small) re-route on the Yost (Yellow) Trail on the 2nd loop yesterday to avoid a heavily damaged section of trail as it was easier to do so than to cut & remove all the trees. Don't be surprised if you encounter an obstacle in your path tomorrow, in fact, I'd be surprised if you didn't encounter something! Dangling limbs & branches & damaged tree tops left over from the ice storm have continued to fall on the trails. Even going back on the trails to mark the course, it felt at times like a clearing operation. Normally, the trails here are trimmed back fairly well. This year there will be branches & brush that extend into the trails at some locations, so be cautious for those at head/eye level!
May everyone have a SAFE & FUN race!
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