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March 28th and 29th, 2020, Russell Forest Trail System on Lake Martin
In East-Central Alabama near Alexander City
About the Lake Martin 100, 50 and 27 Mile Endurance Race
The Lake Martin 100 was designed from the ground up to be the perfect step-up from a 50K to a 50 mile or from a 50 mile to your first 100 mile trail race. Our goal is your success. We promise to do everything in our power to help you accomplish your ultra goal, whether that goal is to run your first ultra, the 27 Mile Fun Run, or to break 21 hours in the 100. We also pledge to make your race experience Fun! The race will be hard. All those beautiful hills become steeper and longer with each successive lap. Those gentle carriage paths become very long about mile 80. But if you have put in enough training miles, we will encourage you, push you, help you, and even yell at you if necessary, to get you to the end. We might even let you rest occasionally. If you are ready, you can do it.
Non-Technical Defined: I describe the Lake Martin trails as non-technical. If you the regularly run ultras on single track trails, you will agree the LM100 trails are non-technical. If you're a road runner or only run on trails groomed by machines, you may not agree. Some Russell Forest Trails have lots of small rocks about the size of your fist. There are also roots on all the single track trails. You simply have to pay attention where you step. I was a "roadie" for 35 years. For a roadrunner, it's like running down an old sidewalk with a few crack, holes and uneven blocks. You just have to "Watch where you step."
For experienced 100 mile runners the lake Martin 100 is no “Walk in the Park.” My Suunto Ambit 3 Vertical GPS watch shows almost 14,128 feet of elevation gain. Probably the true elevation gain is more like 13,000 but the course is very hilly. There are virtually no trails that could be called flat. There are also no big climbs. Almost all of the hills range from 50 to 100 feet in height but those small hills are relentless. If you alternate walking and running, you will not need to time the cycles. The Lake Martin 100 Official Cutoff is 32 Hours. The 50 Mile and 27 Mile Cutoffs are16 Hours. Actually, we don't enforce any cutoffs at the Lake Martin 100. If it takes you 20 hours to finish the 50 mile, you are a finisher. Same with the 27 Mile. Also, if you register for the 100 or 50 and have to drop down, you are still a finisher if you cover at least 27 miles. (Exception, You MUST be off the trails before sunset Sunday. That's a Russell Land's Rule)
Start and Finish Location: The race starts at the Cabin, Located in Russell Crossroads. This is also the location of the Cabin Aid Station:
Address: Russell Crossroads, 288 Stables Loop, Alexander City, AL 35010. GPS coordinates are: 32.763937, -85.945281
Non-Technical Defined: I describe the Lake Martin trails as non-technical. If you the regularly run ultras on single track trails, you will agree the LM100 trails are non-technical. If you're a road runner or only run on trails groomed by machines, you may not agree. Some Russell Forest Trails have lots of small rocks about the size of your fist. There are also roots on all the single track trails. You simply have to pay attention where you step. I was a "roadie" for 35 years. For a roadrunner, it's like running down an old sidewalk with a few crack, holes and uneven blocks. You just have to "Watch where you step."
For experienced 100 mile runners the lake Martin 100 is no “Walk in the Park.” My Suunto Ambit 3 Vertical GPS watch shows almost 14,128 feet of elevation gain. Probably the true elevation gain is more like 13,000 but the course is very hilly. There are virtually no trails that could be called flat. There are also no big climbs. Almost all of the hills range from 50 to 100 feet in height but those small hills are relentless. If you alternate walking and running, you will not need to time the cycles. The Lake Martin 100 Official Cutoff is 32 Hours. The 50 Mile and 27 Mile Cutoffs are16 Hours. Actually, we don't enforce any cutoffs at the Lake Martin 100. If it takes you 20 hours to finish the 50 mile, you are a finisher. Same with the 27 Mile. Also, if you register for the 100 or 50 and have to drop down, you are still a finisher if you cover at least 27 miles. (Exception, You MUST be off the trails before sunset Sunday. That's a Russell Land's Rule)
Start and Finish Location: The race starts at the Cabin, Located in Russell Crossroads. This is also the location of the Cabin Aid Station:
Address: Russell Crossroads, 288 Stables Loop, Alexander City, AL 35010. GPS coordinates are: 32.763937, -85.945281
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Map of Harbor Lodge area
Packet Pickup and Meeting Location, coming from Alexander City. Turn in 0.4 mile past Kowaliga Bridge at the second Children's Harbor entrance. Enter and take an immediate right. Park anywhere you can find a place. Harbor lodge is located just 3 Miles from the LM100 Start. 
This is a "Relive" video of one 25 Mile Loop of the Lake Martin 100, 50 & 27 course.
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The 2020 Lake Martin 100 Runners Manual
Please take a few minutes to look over the 2020 Runners Manual. The information in the manual is important. It just might make the difference between finishing and a DNF! 
The 2020 Runners Manual in PDF Format.
Click on the image below to see the video of the 2019 Lake Martin 100
The 2019 Lake Martin 100 and 50 Mile Endurance Run and the 27 Mile Fun Run
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We will offer a pre-race dinner Friday night before the briefing and breakfast Saturday morning at Harbor Lodge before the race.
The dinner will be $13.00 per person (including $2 gratuity) and you must make reservations no later than March 15th. Logan Cook is a professional caterer who prepares food for all Southeastern Trail Runs races and he is good. He is also an "Ultrarunner!" He will prepare a Chipotle style Mexican dinner with good pre-100 mile race food. He will have several options including vegetarian selections. Dinner will start at 5:00 PM. The pre-race meeting will follow immediately. (This is NOT the usual Pasta Dinner!)
Pre-Race Breakfast: Breakfast will be available for all runners and crew staying in the Harbor Lodge. Logan will prepare an appropriate breakfast for 100 and 50 mile runners. The pre-race breakfast will be $5 per person and is available on Ultrasignup.com.
Register now at Ultrasignup.com
Price Increase - March 1, 2020: Entry fees will increase so sign up early.
Registration closes Tuesday, March 24th. There is no late registration.
Getting to the Lake Martin 100 start at the Cabin at Russell Crossroads:
The Lake Martin in run on the Private Lands of the Russell Forest Trail System at Starts at Russell Crossroads, 10 miles south of Alexander City, Alabama, in east-central Alabama. The closet airport is in Montgomery, Alabama, 49 miles southwest of Lake Martin. Birmingham's Shuttlesworth Airport is 89 miles to the northwest. Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport is 137 miles east northeast.
Lodging for the Lake Martin 100, 50 & 27 at Harbor Lodge
Children's Harbor is the location of the iconic Lighthouse on Lake Martin 100 Buckles and Shirts. It is also a camp built and donated by Ben and Luanne Russell to provide special services to kids with serious illnesses. Children's Harbor is the location of Camp Smile-A-Mile, Alabama's camp for Kids with cancer , one of 20 organizations that use the camp. Smile-A-Mile is the recipient of the money raised from the first race Southeastern Trial Runs created in 2011, the Run for Kids Challenge. To date RFK has raised over $50,000.
We have reserved all 44 rooms in Harbor Lodge at Children's Harbor. The Lodge is located just 3 miles for the start of the Lake Martin 100 at Russell Crossroads. The lodge has 11 separate cabins in a beautiful setting by the lake. Each cabin has 4 individual rooms. Each rooms has a private entrance, private bath and sleeps up to 5. Each room has two twin beds and a bunk bed plus a pullout sofa bed. The rooms are basic but neat and clean. Each room is rented for $56 per person, per night with a two night minimum. No additional taxes or fees. You ARE reserving a private room, that is, Each reservation reserves one room. One person can register at the "per-person" rate and that person receives a private room. We have to rent the rooms at the per-person rate because that's how Harbor Lodge was rented to us. This makes no sense to me, but it how Children's Harbor does it. We have reserved the entire Harbor Lodge for Friday and Saturday night so we can only accept reservations for those nights. If you have questions please contact me. David Tosch
Race Weekend Schedule
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(There will be NO Late Registration Friday or Saturday before the race.) |
Friday, March 27th - 3:30 PM. to 5:00 PM - Package Pickup for all races will be Friday afternoon at the Harbor Lodge at Children's Harbor. When you pick up your packet you will be required to sign a release form for Russell Land's. We will accept drop bags for 50 and 100 mile races only, for the Heaven Hill Aid Station during package pickup. Be sure your bags are properly labeled with Name, Bib # and Aid Station. My white Ford F150 truck "Should" be in front of the meeting hall at Harbor Lodge. Place the dropbags for Heaven Hill in the back. If my truck is not there, there will be a sign telling you where to leave them. DO NOT leave "Cabin Aid Station" dropbags at Harbor Lodge!! Bring them to the start Saturday morning.
50 Mile Runners, When you go through Heaven Hill AS the 4th time, (second time on lap 2) tell the AS crew you will not be back and ask them to place you bag with the 50 mile bags to return to the cabin. We will get them back as soon as possible.
Drop bags for the Cabin Aid Station should be taken to the start Saturday morning. If you arrive early, you can park close to the cabin along the road. You are welcome to use your car as you aid station. Your crew is welcome to set up personal aid stations along the gravel road or in the field across from the cabin. We will not accept dropbags for Heaven Hill from 27 mile runners but you may leave a bag at the cabin. Here are the GPS Coordinates for the meeting center at Harbor Lodge: 32.730519, -85.968550
And a link on Google Map to the Meeting Center at Children's Harbor from Russell Crossroads.
GPS Coordinates for The Cabin at Russell Crossroads: 32.763928, -85.945330 - Link to Google Maps Cabin Start Location.
50 Mile Runners, When you go through Heaven Hill AS the 4th time, (second time on lap 2) tell the AS crew you will not be back and ask them to place you bag with the 50 mile bags to return to the cabin. We will get them back as soon as possible.
Drop bags for the Cabin Aid Station should be taken to the start Saturday morning. If you arrive early, you can park close to the cabin along the road. You are welcome to use your car as you aid station. Your crew is welcome to set up personal aid stations along the gravel road or in the field across from the cabin. We will not accept dropbags for Heaven Hill from 27 mile runners but you may leave a bag at the cabin. Here are the GPS Coordinates for the meeting center at Harbor Lodge: 32.730519, -85.968550
And a link on Google Map to the Meeting Center at Children's Harbor from Russell Crossroads.
GPS Coordinates for The Cabin at Russell Crossroads: 32.763928, -85.945330 - Link to Google Maps Cabin Start Location.
Friday, March 27th - 5:15 PM - Following package pickup we will have a pre-race dinner in the Harbor Lodge dining room at Children's Harbor. The meal will be catered by Logan Cook who provides food for all Southeastern Trail Runs races. The meal will be hot, Chipotle style Mexican Dinner with several options including vegetarian fare. Following dinner there will be a short pre-race briefing for ALL 100 MILE RUNNERS. It is not mandatory but we highly recommend being there if at all possible. We will cover such things as trail marking, course conditions, any last minute changes, etc. and answer any questions. We also encourage all 50 and 27 mile runners to attend. If you arrive late you may pick up your race packet Friday night after the meeting. If you plan to eat dinner please make reservations by March 15th.
Saturday, March 28th - 4:30 to 5:15 AM - Breakfast at Harbor Lodge - Hot breakfast will be prepared by Logan for all runners and crew staying at the Lodge. The price is $5 per person. We need to know by March 15th if you will be having breakfast with us at the Loge.
Saturday, March 28th - 5:30 to 6:30 AM - No race day registration. Race packets for the 100, 50 and 27 mile races may be picked up Saturday Morning at the Cabin Start area. If you arrive later than 6:30 AM you may not be able to get your race packet until after the race starts. Your start may be delayed as much as 15 minutes so please arrive early. 100 mile and 50 mile runners may bring all drop bags to the start Saturday Morning. If you wish to send a drop bag to Heaven Hill aid station please have it there by 6:15 AM and place it in the back of my White F150 pickup. 27 mile runners may only have a drop bag at the start.
Saturday, March 28th - 6:45 AM - Start of the 100, 50 and 27 mile races. (Sunrise - 6:49 AM - Sunset - 6:54 PM) If you expect to take more than 11 hours to run the 50 you should have a flashlight or headlamp with you or have one in your drop bag at the Cabin.
Sunday, March 29th - 12:45 AM - 50 Mile and 27 mile races will end. (18 hour cutoff)
Sunday, March 29th - 2:45 PM - Race course will officially close. (32 hour time limit) There will be mandatory cutoffs in place at the start finish area at the start of the third and fourth laps of the 100. The cutoff will be very generous. Awards will be presented as runners finish. 100 mile runners are not required to stop at the 32 hour cutoff. As long as you can make it back to the Cabin before sunset you may continue running. We are required to dismantle and clean up the star/finish area so everything may be gone when you finish. You are still a 100 mile finisher and receive a Lake Martin 100 Buckle. If you think you may need more than 33 hours to finish you need to have crew members to stay at the Cabin until you make it back.
Saturday, March 28th - 4:30 to 5:15 AM - Breakfast at Harbor Lodge - Hot breakfast will be prepared by Logan for all runners and crew staying at the Lodge. The price is $5 per person. We need to know by March 15th if you will be having breakfast with us at the Loge.
Saturday, March 28th - 5:30 to 6:30 AM - No race day registration. Race packets for the 100, 50 and 27 mile races may be picked up Saturday Morning at the Cabin Start area. If you arrive later than 6:30 AM you may not be able to get your race packet until after the race starts. Your start may be delayed as much as 15 minutes so please arrive early. 100 mile and 50 mile runners may bring all drop bags to the start Saturday Morning. If you wish to send a drop bag to Heaven Hill aid station please have it there by 6:15 AM and place it in the back of my White F150 pickup. 27 mile runners may only have a drop bag at the start.
Saturday, March 28th - 6:45 AM - Start of the 100, 50 and 27 mile races. (Sunrise - 6:49 AM - Sunset - 6:54 PM) If you expect to take more than 11 hours to run the 50 you should have a flashlight or headlamp with you or have one in your drop bag at the Cabin.
Sunday, March 29th - 12:45 AM - 50 Mile and 27 mile races will end. (18 hour cutoff)
Sunday, March 29th - 2:45 PM - Race course will officially close. (32 hour time limit) There will be mandatory cutoffs in place at the start finish area at the start of the third and fourth laps of the 100. The cutoff will be very generous. Awards will be presented as runners finish. 100 mile runners are not required to stop at the 32 hour cutoff. As long as you can make it back to the Cabin before sunset you may continue running. We are required to dismantle and clean up the star/finish area so everything may be gone when you finish. You are still a 100 mile finisher and receive a Lake Martin 100 Buckle. If you think you may need more than 33 hours to finish you need to have crew members to stay at the Cabin until you make it back.
The Lake Martin 100 and 50 Mile Course Details
The Lake Martin 100 Course, 25 Mile Loop on the Russell Lands Map.
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Terrain Map of the Lake Martin 100 Course.
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Elevation Profile of the Lake Martin 100 Course - 25 Mile loop. The Profile is color coded to the Russell Lands Map above.
Links to photos from the 2019 Lake Martin 100, 50 & 27
Two Photo Sets by Marathon Runs (mRuns)
Photo Set 1 by Marathon Runs
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Photo set 2 by Marathon Runs
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Gordon Harvey's Photos for Lake Martin - Click the image below
Southeastern Trail Runs Sponsors
