The following is excerpted from PEC Program Manager Helena Kotala’s essay about about her experience running the 42-mile Allegheny Front Trail this spring. Find the full story and more photos on Helena’s blog. For more on PEC’s events, advocacy, and statewide efforts to activate trail use and cultivate stewardship through outdoor recreation, click here.
I barely slept. A soreness was creeping back into my throat and a nagging voice was questioning my ability to complete a 40-mile trail run today. Was this a dumb idea?
As my husband, Evan, drove us to Black Moshannon, I sipped my coffee and tried to choke down my bagel. My stomach was in knots. By the time we pulled into the dark parking lot, my running partner, Barb, and her husband, Brent, were already waiting. I left the uneaten third of my bagel on the dashboard to finish later and donned my running vest.
It was time.
Back in early 2019, I got this idea that I wanted to do the entire 42-mile Allegheny Front Trail by foot in one day. The Allegheny Front Trail travels through a variety of landscapes throughout its 40+ miles, which is part of why I love it so much. Each section is unique. There are the steep and rocky valleys punctuated by vistas, rolling open plateaus, off-camber cuts right next to streams and rivers, and pine forests. There is a moderate amount of climbing over its length, but it’s not crazy. There are parts that are very rocky, and other sections where there isn’t a rock for miles.
Part of why I chose it for my first ultra run was this balance. The elevation and technicality wouldn’t be extreme, but at the same time the steep and rocky sections that would require walking would be a welcome break from running.
Barb and I set off across the road and onto the trail. It was damp but not raining yet. A whooping sound pierced the darkness — a coyote? Or an owl?
It was peaceful and quiet — neither of us speaking much. I was trying to control my effort and breath through my nose as much as possible, not wanting to irritate my throat or lungs by gasping for air or burn myself out too quickly. So far, I was feeling good.
When my watch beeped at the first mile, I told Barb, “One-fortieth of the way there!”
We had timed our start to get to Ralph’s Majestic Vista around sunrise, but there wasn’t much to see except fog. Still, the Ralph’s portion of the trail was always one of my favorites, hugging the very edge of the Allegheny Front and dropping steeply in and out of little creek valleys.
As we neared the final climb up to Rt. 504, we heard voices, and I spotted Evan’s bright green rain jacket in the distance. It was a joy to see the boys, our own personal race crew who would meet us at various points along the trail with refreshments and gear.
Hours later, almost 20 miles in, I was beginning to feel the fatigue. I told Barb to go in front, as she’s faster on the descents, and I wanted to be cautious and not push to go faster than I was comfortable on the loose, babyhead-sized rocks.
Around mile 28, Brent and Evan cheered and clapped for us as we neared their aid station. Evan had the stove going with hot pierogi and bacon waiting. I quickly got to work on foot care — baby powder, chamois creme, and dry socks.
Across the road, I let Moon off leash and she proceeded to zoom all over, chasing and splashing in the water, running up ahead and then back. Watching her bounce around with endless energy made me feel more energetic as well, and for the next few miles, I got a second wind.
The last 10 miles were probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I’d gotten a bit of a boost after picking up Moon, seeing friends, and eating pierogi, but after mile 30 hit, I really started to tank. After the Clay Mine crossing, there is a somewhat long climb and then gradual descent back to Six Mile Run Road at Wolf Rocks.
This was probably the first point where I really hit a low, because I’d hoped to take this section faster than what I was able to. I let Barb ahead again, preferring to struggle by myself without any pressure from behind. I felt embarrassed that I was going so slow and kept apologizing. Though I knew this would be so hard, I envisioned a stronger finish than this. But I pulled it together and reminded myself that it may be slow, but I am doing it and I wasn’t sure that I could.
As we neared the end, I began to realize that the number of miles the mapping apps told me we had left did not line up with the number of miles I knew we must have left. When I plotted the route on Ride With GPS and Strava, both loops came out to be right around 40 miles. Yet other sources say that the Allegheny Front Trail is 42 miles. Two miles may not seem like much, especially when you’re already covering 40, but at the pace I was going, that translated into an extra 30-40 minutes of running.
Shirks Road was the last crossing, and from there, I knew we had about 3.5 miles to go. This is a boggy section of trail, and after rain for the past couple days, it was extra wet. We danced and dodged around puddles while the dogs splashed straight through. I continued my alternating run/walk, able to run a little more now fueled by the adrenaline of knowing the end was in sight. We were going to make it.