In the News:

The Muddy Moose Trail Races Return for Fifth Year
By JOSHUA SPAULDING
Sports Editor
Granite State News
April 8. 2004

WOLFEBORO – If you enjoy running in the mud, then you are going to want to mark April 25 on your calendar.
That’s the date for the fifth annual Muddy Moose Trail Races.
The Muddy Moose Trail Races are two races, a four-mile run and a 14-mile run. The two start together and run together for almost two miles before the trails split.
“Racers don’t have to commit until the two-mile mark,” said new race director Fergus Cullen.
Cullen, the cross country coach at Kingswood Regional High School and the track coach at the middle school, has taken over the organization duties from Dan Coons. Coons ran the race for the first four years.
“Dan had a good event going,” said Cullen. “It should be a seamless hand-off.”
The Muddy Moose begins at the high school and runs off through the woods on dirt roads, logging roads and trails. Cullen compares it somewhat to a cross country meet, as there are very few traffic concerns.
The courses leave the high school and go down McManus Road, through the woods, across Pleasant Valley Road and out to Camp School Road. From there, the four-mile course loops back to the high school while the 14-mile course continues out toward the woods of New Durham and Brookfield.
So far, the response to the Muddy Moose has been good. Cullen had received 86 registrants as of last week, a number that put him on pace to reach approximately 200 runners.
An addition this year is the chance to register on line, and to date Cullen said that about one-quarter of the registrations he had received came from the web.
Racers can visit www.metricmarathon.com or www. signmeupsports.com to download an application for the race.
The Muddy Moose Trail Races are serving as a fundraiser for the Kingswood cross country and track teams. This race, along with the fall’s Metric Marathon, gives the teams a spring and a fall fundraising event.
“It gives the kids steady, consistent fundraisers,” said Cullen, “to do things above the budget.”
Last fall the cross country team was able to purchase shirts for the runners and also some uniforms. They also purchased a tent, which is a huge asset to the team.
In addition, the team has made down payments on summer camp for some athletes, and has paid membership in the USATF for team members.
“A couple thousand goes a long way,” said Cullen.
His top piece of advice to anyone coming to run this race is to “wear old socks.” This is certainly an unusual race where the mud can sometimes claim a shoe.
“It should be a lot of fun,” said Cullen. “I have a lot of support from the kids and their parents.”
He praised the track and cross country team members for their dedication to helping get these events off the ground and baking the goodies that make the end of the race something to look forward to.
So if you love the mud, this is the place to be. Just remember to heed Cullen’s advice and “wear old socks.”