The Traprock trail race series (17& 50K distances) started in April 2010 as a result of  local trail runners & rock climbers  (Steve Nelson/Kevin Hutt) aspiring to create an event that would fill a few gaps in the local Connecticut trail racing scene.

 

At the time, most Ultra events were a long distance from central CT and  we wanted to create a way for local runners to have an Ultra event nearby. We also recognized that most people don’t immediately jump into a 50k or longer event without having some shorter distance trail races under their belt.  Thus , we created an event with a 17k distance to help runners progress up to the 50k distance if they chose that route.

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One of the little-known facts from the first race in 2010 is that the actual race location was not finalized until 3 weeks before the race- well after 50 runners had signed up! The original race course was a local reservoir, but that location did not pan out. The irony of the situation was that Penwood State Park turned out to be a MUCH better location for hosting the event due to the excellent terrain.

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Over the years, over 1000 people have participated in the event and have contributed to the ongoing success either by returning as runners or volunteers. Traprock has donated  over $20,000  to local organizations focused on land access or serving unmet needs in the greater Hartford community. The ongoing success of Traprock is entirely dependent on support from the trail running community and we hope to host this event for many years to come! In 2019 the CT Trailmixers took over race directing responsibilities, and continue the tradition of one of the most scenic, tough, and fun races we have in the state.