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Change is law – Breakneck Point Trail Run – 2026

Change is law – Breakneck Point Trail Run – 2026

Published by Patrick Durante on May 8, 2026

It’s year 2 of the Breakneck Trail Marathon, and it was amazing. This was the exact feeling I had after I had completed my 2nd Broad Street I’m sure. For the 2nd year in a row I decided on Breakneck over Broad street. Broad street was a Philly race that is the fastest 10 miler in the nation run down the center of the city by some 40,000 people. Why would I head back to New York? I will answer that in this post.

Broad Street was a family tradition I enjoyed for several years, but the more I hit the trail, the more I enjoyed being out in nature, the more I developed a love for the sense of awe that comes from trail racing. Trail running strikes a nerve that road running never did. While if you told me my son or daughter wanted to go run Broad Street I would have to go, but these 2 races are worlds apart, just like I am not the same person that ran Broad Street 20 years ago. Change is law, and it came from this quote.:

“If you don’t get what you want, you suffer; if you get what you don’t want, you suffer; even when you get exactly what you want, you still suffer because you can’t hold on to it forever. Your mind is your predicament. It wants to be free of change. Free of pain, free of the obligations of life and death. But change is law and no amount of pretending will alter that reality.” – Socrates

So yes, I could have kept doing exactly what I have done every year, and got exactly what I had always got. A fast run down a loaded road with thousands of people. I know exactly what that run tastes like. Breakneck is the new kid in town. Will I be saying the same thing after 20 years of Breakneck? Maybe, or maybe not? I don’t know, but what I do know is that my breathe is taken away at the top of some of those views. My limits are pushed on those descents, and as Bud Wilson will tell you, there’s no point in broad street where you feel like doing this:

via GIPHY

If you ran Broad Street, congrats to you. One thing I also broke in my habits is caring about the clock. The goal of this race was DO NOT CRAMP, not PR, seriously, it was to not cramp from going out too hard on hills too steep. How awesome of a race goal is that? I took my time, I took it all in, I enjoyed every damn moment of that race again for a 2nd time. I even took a friend with me. I convinced Bud Wilson, and many others from my video last year that this race is a race that you need to experience. It was a blast seeing a person experience it for the first time, seeing the look in his eyes once he was finished, and also hearing how the race kicked the crap out of him.

Each year I plan my adventures in December for the following year, and I put this one again because its worth the trip and effort. I met so many awesome people in the race and so many of you thanked me for showing them the race through filming it. I was glad that it was inspiring, but thank the people who put this on, the race directors, the volunteer at the aid stations, and most of all the catering at the end. Good lord that BBQ at the finish was great and its almost worth the trip up there for that meal. I hope they keep putting on this event, because it was the highlight of my week, my month, and to many even their year.

For my race report, here are my what went right, what went wrong, and what I did differently this year. I used my own custom high carb gels, and forced myself with a zone 2-3 HR for the first 6 miles until I got to the rock scramble. Those are the 2 things that I did that lead to not over extending myself in the beginning that would have lead to an inability to run later in the race. Hyner 50K with its 6,800 ft of climbing taught me that if a race starts with a massive climb, it has the ability to wreck you, that you struggle to recover from the entire race. Run the first few miles as you would like to be running your last. Why do I still struggle to remember that?

You can find my Gel formula here: https://ultraruncoach.com/gel

Click here to enjoy my 2nd, and final filming of Breakneck. I’ll be back next year, but without the camera.

Hyner 50K Trail Challenge – PA Triple Crown

Hyner 50K Trail Challenge – PA Triple Crown

Published by Patrick Durante on April 26, 2026

This is my quick recap of the Hyner Trail Challenge, a 50K that kicks off the PA Triple Crown of racing for this year.

Question 1: Did I achieve my outcome goal and execute my process goals?

The goal was just to finish for this race, so yes, I achieved that. I had set a PacePro plan of at 6 hours, and I was an HOUR late! I had set this from looking at stats of past races, but I really had no idea. The thing about running a course for the first time is that its very hard to predict. The heat slowed me down as well as the hard start. I should have seeded myself more toward the back, and picked up time as the race progressed. Instead I put myself at the front and blew up, like the bomb I was. That was OK, I didn’t fully “blow up” I was more just out there to get this race done. If I had to do it again I would have taken that first climb easier, and the first descent slower. Word to the wise! Watch that first descent and that you don’t wreck your quads.

Question 2: Was I clearly under-prepared in any specific areas?

Yes, I was not ready for this much vert, and the heat got me, it was a lot hotter than I thought it was going to be so I didn’t have enough hydration for some of the sections. While there was a lot of aid stations I needed more water in some of them. I tried to get away with just one handheld. That was a pretty fatal mistake, as even SLIGHT dehydration will severally affect performance. That was my only major failing of the race, and I was still “OK” but for sure I was thirsty.

Question 3: Did I start the race too fast — how was my pacing and RPE effort?

The pace starting out seemed fine, but something happened mid race where I was moving too fast and burning up. I can see from the HR data it was too hard that lead to a struggle at the end. My quads got killed on the downhill so I paid a price for that as well.

Question 4: Did I stick to my tested nutrition and hydration script?

Yes, except for the lack of water. Near the end I didn’t want to eat any cookies and just started slamming gels, they seem to be the only thing that I can get down in the heat when I am forced to eat.

Question 5: How effectively did I troubleshoot any issues that happened?

The water issue was mitigated by dipping my hat in as many streams as I could. I used ice in sleeves to help cool me at the aid stations that had them, then also dipped them in the streams and wrapped them around my neck.

Question 6: What were my primary “limiting factors” during the race?

Heat slowed my pace and poor hydration. I wasn’t ready for this much vert early in the season. The start of the season makes it always difficult to get in enough training with weather conditions, and this year wasn’t ideal. What is the total amount of training I can and should do to increase performance? What if tried 10-12 hours a week? I need to balance energy for kids as well. When I am older I will have all the time in the world to train, but right now I don’t. That’s OK. I am also OK with everything else that is going on in my life. I am content to A-finish, and B-have fun. I did both of those. I think I had more anxiety about sleeping in the car, as this was my first FULL night alone. It went amazingly well, I slept better than I thought, and dinner with some friends the night before was awesome.

Question 7: Did my gear perform as expected under race conditions?

Yes, the shoes and double socks I wore made my feet bullet proof. This new double sock combo of Injinji toe socks with darn tough create a barrier that absorbed the shock of all the rocks and roots. I could tell I would have needed a sock change soon after I had finished. I did keep my feet dry, as that always saves your feet long term in these races.

Question 8: Was my mental “WHY” strong enough to pull me through dark spells?

Yes, I told myself that I was a coach, that I set an example. I tried NO MUSIC, and just my thoughts. I focused on the now. This worked very well, I stayed present, and I kept moving.

Question 9: What is the number one thing I need to stop doing?

Thinking about the end, I had to rope myself back into just realizing I had to run the mile I was in. I didn’t know the distance to aid stations, I didn’t have a pace chart, I didn’t have it on my watch. Why not? Because this was just a 50K and for me that is a short distance. I can get it done with less planning, I had an idea but I didn’t have it written down. That did create a little bit of race stress but I knew it was always 3-4 miles away per aid station.

Question 10: What went well with the race, and I should keep doing going forward?

The social aspect of it. The fact that I met many people, talking with them, and hung out afterward was what made this great. I did things a lot different in this race than what I normally do. If I keep doing what I have done in the past, nothing will change, so try new things! I pushed myself in different and unique ways. The car camping seemed scary going in but now I love it. It’s never as bad as you think… I have to always remind myself of that.