The Ghost Town 50 K Invitational
The course for this event has been perfected. All forest service road, old mining roads and trails, the entire race is on dirt and/or gravel/rock. There are numerous spurs to keep the out and back course interesting. Held in the Gila National Forest about 6 miles from the village of Hillsboro, the course is rarely level. There are many climbs and descents with elevations ranging from about a mile to just around 7,000 ft. There is plenty of free camping at HQ which is deep in the forest but just off the forest service road. Race director Susan Reynolds provides camp toilets, supported aid stations, various goodies (race shirts, handmade ceramic finishers awards, special place awards, door prizes), lots of food, and wonderful volunteers. This is a purposely small event. Susan's goal: "a great day with friends running and walking in the Gila.
"Ghost Town is the presentation of a place I love. The route takes runners into nooks and crannies seldom experienced by people throughout the year. It's a bit of a forest buffet - open areas, mountainous climbs, old mines, deep forest, amazing vistas, hidden pools, potential to see wildlife. At the Nov. 2018 event the front runner JordanCamastro ran up the No Man's Land spur and stopped as he spotted two black bears in the meadow where the turn-around cone was. The bears looked at Jordan, he looked at them, and the bears meandered off so Jordan could continue his run. The bears were a Ghost Town first but it's not uncommon for runners to see deer, elk, raccoons, hares, squirrels, and wild turkeys the size of 'pterodactyls. Ghost Town is not just a run, it's a community. Friendships are formed and we always look forward to the return of cherished alum. Once you run the Ghost Town you're part of the familly."
To register for this event: contact susan at [email protected].