We passed through this cool stone tunnel on our way to the start of the One Tough Cookie trail run on Sunday.
We did the One Tough Cookie trail run in Warren/Clarendon, Pa., on Sunday for the first time, but it won’t be the last time.
What a fun little race and…as you might expect…cookies for post-race refueling! And…I might add…they weren’t Oreos and Chips Ahoy, but real, bakery-made cookies (I had a maple one that was fantastic!).
Dan enjoying his post-race cookie.
It wasn’t hard to find the race (thanks to our handy-dandy GPS), but it was a haul — more than 2 hours from our house — but since we were already headed down that way for an afternoon canoe trip with friends, it was worth heading into Warren early to participate in the One Tough Cookie run.
Since we were canoeing at noon, we only had time to participate in the 4-mile run which was, basically, a rocky dirt road through the woods. It was wide enough for a car and was mostly shady. We ran to the 2-mile marker, then turned around. It was uphill all the way to the turn around, which meant, of course, that it was downhill all the way back (nice).
Try as I might, I just couldn’t run down this young lady in front of me at the end. Youth wins!
My husband, Dan, actually won the 4-mile race! He was in third when I saw him at the turn around, but ended up passing another guy and a girl to take the 4-mile title. 
Complete 4-mile results here.
Dan got a really neat locally-made gemstone keyring that was made of “energy stone” said to enhance performance, etc. (I’ll spare you my comments when he asked me if I wanted to see his energy stone .
The 11-mile winners got their choice of a couple of very nice — and unique — gemstone necklaces. Prizes for other runners who placed ranged from homemade jam (I got elderberry) to homemade honey to refrigerator magnets. (Keep in mind the race benefits Warren County Hospice — story here — so you won’t find big trophies at this race…fine by me, I’d rather the money to a good cause than a medal that will collect dust at my house).
We ran the race with three other friends — Jennifer Wright and Joe & Suze Kitts — and we all loved it & vowed to move back the canoe trip so we can try the 11-mile course next year. I’m guessing that one offered a little more of a true trail experience with roots, rocks and single-track running space.
Erie’s Jen Wright finishing the 4-mile race.
North East’s Joe Kitts finishing the 4-mile race.
Several Erieites did do the 11-mile race and…they did well! Check out results from the 11-mile race here — you’re sure to recognize a few ERC names in there like No. 4 — Mark Weber; No. 7 — Kevin Louis; No. 24 — Jeff Shaw; No. 55 — Lisa Celeski; and No. 68 — Clarence Mason.
Premium was a really cute black T-shirt in some sort of soft cotton (not your run of the mill thick cotton shirt). We also got some unique water bottles and, some folks, were handed doorprizes on the course (Donna Shaw got a gift certificate for Road ID).
This is a trail race that’s worth the drive (something different!) and is, certainly, for a really worthy cause. Consider seeing how Tough of a Cookie you are next year!
A sign on the course (Yes, I know it’s blurry…hey, I was running, you know)!
