Welcome to the start of 2023 on the No Coast and our 10th anniversary!

We hope everyone has had a wonderful winter thus far and is as excited for the arrival of spring as we are! So whether you’ve been busy training for a big early season race or taking the opportunity to rest and recover from a long year of trail running, we hope you’re ready for another great year of racing trails on the No Coast!

First some updates:

-Hawkeye 50k/25k/10mi which has usually occurred in April is no longer taking place. Sad news for sure but we are happy to be left with so many great Hawkeye memories from over the past 10+ years!

-Team Red Shamrock Trail Challenge has changed locations and added a new 10mi distance! After the date shift last year, they are back to their usual date on the first Saturday of April, the 1st.

-The ScoCo50 is the newest addition to the No Coast Trail Series and will take place on August 26th this year! ScoCo offers a 50k and 10mi distance on the trails at Scott County Park, just north of Davenport in the Quad Cities!

Registration is open and space still available in a number of this year’s races including the season opener at Red Shamrock, Crater, Booneville and Doggone!

Registration is set to open for Swiss Valley (Feb. 1st), Schuetzen (Feb. 3rd), ScoCo (Feb. 24th) and Mines of Spain Trail Races (Mar. 3rd) with registration opening a little later in the year for Pleasant Creek and Woodpecker. All registration links can be found on the No Coast website or at each race’s website/social media.

-2023 NCTS Series Schedule-

Team Red Shamrock Trail Challenge – April 1

Sunderbruch B&B Trail Races – May 20

Crater Trail Run – June 3

Schuetzen NEIN Hour Endurance Run – June 17

Mines of Spain Trail Races – August 12

ScoCo50 – August 26

Booneville Backroads Ultra – September 2

Pleasant Creek Trail Run – September 9

Doggone Tired (10M & 50K) – September 30

Swiss Valley Trail Run – October 7

Mines of Spain 100 – October 20-21

Woodpecker Six – November 11

All important information on the series including the sign-up link, info on the races, rules and past results can be found at https://nocoasttrailseries.com/ so please take a look and spend a minute browsing around! And always, be sure to Share the No Coast Trail Series Facebook page to help spread the word about NCTS!

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact NCTS via the Facebook page or nocoasttrailseries@gmail.com

Thank you and we hope you’ll join us for another year of training, racing and building this awesome slice of the trail running community on the No Coast!

The 9th year of the No Coast Trail Series has come to a close and we are left with another year’s worth of amazing memories shared with this incredible community of trail people. TWELVE races this year made for our most robust schedule to date with amazing trail race opportunities ranging from 5k to 100 miles!

Amazing job to all No Coast participants this year and special congratulations to all of the division award winners! On the team side, Thorsday and the LoKeyz put up a hard fought battle but the QC-TUR(d)s stayed strong and claimed the Club Division trophy for a second year in a row!

A huge thank you to all of the hard working race organizers this year with the biggest thanks reserved for the incredible volunteers who consistently step up to ensure the preservation of our little community. THANK YOU!!!

Attention all division award winners! I’ll be in contact via email to make arrangements to get you your NCTS Hydro Flask division trophy!

Thank you!
Josh

Full 2022 NCTS Standings: https://nocoasttrailseries.com/standings/

#1 Overall Trail – Male – Ross Salinas
#1 Overall Trail – Female – Jaclyn Hoke
#1 Overall Ultra – Male – Jacob Gallagher
#1 Overall Ultra – Female – Tiffany Gunhus

Open Trail – Male
1st – Justin Newnum
2nd – Andrew Gray

Open Trail – Female
1st – Jodee Ross
2nd – Mandi Martin
3rd – Kendal Hausmann

Masters Trail – Male
1st – Cary Richey
2nd -Donny Montgomery
3rd – Jeff Haight

Masters Trail – Female
1st – Jennifer Steadman
2nd – Julie Tyler
3rd – Susan Eisenbacher

Open Ultra – Male
1st – Leo Buzalsky
2nd – Michael Price
3rd – Kyle Weber

Open Ultra – Female
1st – Eileen Tan
2nd – Jen Even
3rd – Becky Rea

Masters Ultra – Male
1st – Travis Swanson
2nd – Scott Hundertmark
3rd – Gordon Graham

Masters Ultra – Female
1st – Tara Flesch
2nd – Tiffany Miller
3rd – Lois Cahill

Club Division
1st – Quad Cities Trail & Ultra Runners QC-TUR(d)s – 920.7 points
2nd – Thorsday TC – 713.7 points
3rd – LoKeyz – 547.5 points
4th – No Regrets – 241.7 points
5th – The Runner’s Flat – 119.4 points
6th – Trail Sisters – 56.1 points

The 2022 No Coast Trail Series wrapped up this past weekend with race #12 at the Woodpecker Six and what an epic closeout to an incredible year of racing on the No Coast! Winter came early for the weekend and dropped the temps and threw down some snow to make things interesting on the hilly 6 hour Woodpecker loop! Every loop ran meant more series points and No Coast runners rose to the challenge throwing down some impressive mileage totals in the conditions!

A huge congratulations to each and every runner who ran at Woodpecker and extra kudos to the those No Coast runners placing at the top of the pack and earned themselves a Woodpecker trophy (in order of total mileage): Michael Price, Ross Salinas, Matthew Yorek, Jacob Gallagher, Jodee Ross, Leo Buzalsky, Kyle Weber, Lauren Hoth and Tiffany Gunhus!

Brisk but gorgeous fall weather greeted runners at the Mines of Spain 100 this past weekend! Dry conditions complimented a beautiful course covering a wide range of trail terrain and of course, some big Dubuque hills! 100mi and 100k runners alike really had to buckle down and see what they were made of to reach that finish line but the reward was definitely worth the challenge!

A huge congratulations to each and every runner who stepped up to the line and gave it their all! Special kudos to Tiffany Gunhus for taking 1st place in the 100 miler and Jen Even for finishing 2nd place female in the 100 miler! Donny Montgomery was 3rd place Masters in the 100k and Tara Flesch was 2nd place Masters in the 100 miler! Jen, Tara and Gordon Graham were also 5x 100mi finishers at the Mines and part of the first class in the 500 Mile Club!

On the Club side, the QC-TUR(d)s (904.5 pts) showed up in force and threw down some BIG points adding SEVEN 100mi and 100k finishes to the team total! Just 7 points separate Thorsday (566.1 pts) in 2nd place from the LoKeyz (559.1 pts) in 3rd!

The series finale at the Woodpecker Six on November 12th rapidly approaches! Lots of points for individuals and teams in the 6 hour timed event!

The Swiss Valley Trail Run took place this past weekend near Dubuque on one of the most picture perfect October weekends possible! Race #10 saw runners tackling the 5.2mi loop once, 3x for the 25k or 6x for the 50k!

Congratulations to all of the Swiss Valley runners and special kudos to the TWENTY TWO No Coast runners at the race, many of whom placed on the podium!

In the 50k, Jacob Gallagher took 1st place and Scott Hundertmark was 3rd!
In the 25k, Ross Salinas was 1st place male, Cary Richey was 3rd place male and Jodee Ross rounded out the female podium in 3rd place!

On the Club side, the QC-TUR(d)s (654 pts) maintain their commanding lead ahead of Thorsday TC (536.8 pts) and the LoKeyz (399.1 pts) but the gap between the trophy and 2nd place continues to shrink as Thorsday throws down some commanding performances including Jacob Gallagher’s 2nd 50k victory on back to back weekends!

With there only being two races left, the 3 race minimum rule is beginning to take effect and we’re seeing the point spread becoming much closer in both the individual and club competitions! A big Ultra slugfest rapidly approaches at the Mines of Spain 100 next weekend followed up with the No Coast’s newest member race, the Woodpecker Six on November 12th! The six hour timed format provides something for everyone and will be a great opportunity to score some final series points! Get signed up now before the race sells out!

The Doggone Tired Ultra took place this past Saturday in Vinton for race #09 of this year’s series and runners enjoyed some beautiful late summer weather for their 50k or 10mi races in and around Rodgers Park!

Congratulations to all of the Doggone runners and special kudos to the No Coast runners at the race, many of whom placed on the podium!

In the 10 miler, Rose Amundson took 1st place for the women along with Leo Buzalsky in 3rd place for the men!
In the 50k, Tiffany Gunhus got 1st place and Melissa Barnard got 3rd place for the women along with Jacob Gallagher winning the men’s race (and setting a new course record) and Michael Price taking 3rd place for the men!

On the Club side, the QC-TUR(d)s are still in the lead with 642.6 points but Thorsday TC (487.6 pts) showed up in force at Doggone in the 50k and chipped away at that TUR(d) lead! The LoKeyz (395.9 pts) are in close pursuit in 3rd place!

Just 3 races remaining in this year’s No Coast Trail Series with the Swiss Valley Trail Run coming up fast this Saturday (Oct. 1st) followed by the Mines of Spain 100 on Oct. 15th and the series finale at Woodpecker Six on Nov. 12th! Registration is still open for Swiss Valley this weekend as well as Woodpecker so get signed up if you haven’t already!

The Pleasant Creek Trail Runner’s Trail Races that took place this past Saturday and cool and overcast skies made for some perfect running weather on this fun, fast and flowy loop around the lake!

Congratulations to all PCTR runners and special kudos to all of the No Coast runners at the race, many of which placed high in the standings and in their age groups!

Kendal Hausmann, Michael Price, Julie Tyler & Jennifer Steadman in the 15k!

Cary Richey, Ted Smith, Jill Waterman, Tiffany Miller, Rachel Seabold & Lois Cahill in the 30k!

Kyler Weber, Tiffany Gunhus & Leo Buzalsky in the 45k!

On the Club side, the QC-TUR(ds)s (611.8 pts) are in 1st with the LoKeyz (395.9 pts) in second and Thorsday TC (351.3 pts) in third! All Trail slots are filled for these top 3 teams with the TUR(d)s also having their Ultra slots filled. For those paying attention at home, this means the next few races are going to be shake things up quite a bit and make things a lot more neck and neck in short order!

Just 4 races remaining in this year’s No Coast Trail Series with the Doggone Tired 50k/10mi up next weekend on the 24th followed in rapid succession by the Swiss Valley Trail Run on Oct. 1st, the Mines of Spain 100 on Oct. 15th and the newest race to the series Woodpecker Six on November 12th!

Check these great races out and get signed up if you haven’t already!

The Booneville Backroads Ultra took place over this past Labor Day weekend and No Coast runners hit the gravel and dirt roads of central Iowa in distances ranging from 10k all the way to 100 miles!

Congratulations to all BBU runners and special kudos to all of the No Coast runners at the race and to those who placed high in the standings! Tara Flesch taking 2nd in the 50k, Jacob Gallagher 3rd in the 100k and Leo Buzalsky tackling the 100 miler the weekend before placing in the 45k at PCTR!

On the Club side, the QC-TUR(d)s (636.5 pts) are maintaining their strong lead but Thorsday TC (407.5 pts) have made their move into 2nd place with LoKeyz (395.9 pts) right behind them in 3rd!

Just 4 races remaining in this year’s No Coast Trail Series with the Doggone Tired 50k/10mi up next weekend on the 24th followed in rapid succession by the Swiss Valley Trail Run on Oct. 1st, the Mines of Spain 100 on Oct. 15th and the newest race to the series Woodpecker Six on November 12th!

Check these great races out and get signed up if you haven’t already!

The Mines of Spain Trail Races took place this past Saturday in Dubuque and runners were treated to some unseasonably cool, overcast and drizzly conditions for the 10th anniversary of the race!!!
Congratulations to all MoSTR runners and special kudos to all of the No Coast runners at the race, many of which placed high in the standings and in their age groups!

On the Club side, the QC-TUR(d)s are maintaining a strong lead with 558.8 pts over the rest of the pack with the LoKeyz in 2nd place with 356.5 pts holding a narrow lead over Thorsday TC who have 328.4 pts! We now move into the second half of the series schedule where lots of Ultra points wait for the taking! Please note, the deadline to join/change Club affiliation is September 13th.

You or someone you know running No Coast races and aren’t signed up for the series yet?! Sign up! It’s free, takes all of 10 seconds and will put you (and your running club) in the chase for some sweet division awards! Plus your participation supports an incredible community of trail races in this great state of Iowa!
September brings us the Booneville Backroads Ultra on the 3rd with PCTR – Pleasant Creek Trail Run the following weekend on the 10th and the Doggone Tired Ultra (Vinton Pizza Hut Runs) rounding out the month on the 24th! All races still have spots open so make sure to check them out and get signed up if you haven’t already!

Photo Credit: Mile 90 Photography

Runners at the start of this past weekend’s Schuetzen NEIN Hour Endurance Run were treated to some cooler than normal temps but the heat, stairs and hills that Schuetzen is known for quickly made their presence known! Race #05 in the series challenged runners to either run solo or as a relay team for nine hours for as many miles as possible in that time and the NEIN did not make it easy!

Congratulation to all the “survivors” and special kudos to No Coast runners Jake Miller, Austin Schoeck, Scott Hundertmark, Travis Swanson, Tiffany Gunhus, Morgan Russell, Lauren Hoth, Tara Flesch, Lauren Cronbaugh, Rob Morrison, Michala Mielke, Eileen Tan, Rachel Seabold, Matthew Lommen, Gordon Graham, Steve Hagarty, Tiffany Miller, Donny Montgomery, Ana Philips & Ted Smith for digging deep and hitting 50k or more within the nine hours to earn themselves a Schuetzen Spanker. A number of No Coast runners participated on Relay teams and earned a team Spanker for running 50 miles or more!
Team ‘Platform Nein & Three Thors’ – Andrew Gray, Jodee Ross, & Michael Price as well as Tiffany Anderson on Team OMR: Sassy Asses!

On the Club side, the QC-TUR(d)s showed up in a huge way on their home turf and scored big ultra points to take the lead with 543.6 points! The LoKeyz are in 2nd place with 324.1 points and Thorsday TC close behind in 3rd place with 292.1 points! With the TUR(d)s having most of their point slots filled, it’s going to be quite the chase by the other clubs vying for the trophy!

You or someone you know running No Coast races and aren’t signed up for the series yet?! Sign up! It’s free, takes all of 10 seconds and will put you (and your running club) in the chase for some sweet division awards! Plus your participation supports an incredible community of trail races in this great state of Iowa!

We have a bit of a summer break in No Coast racing through July and then race #06 is scheduled to take place at the Mines of Spain Trail Races on August 13th in Dubuque!

Photo Credit: Ry Schulz & Michele Thompson