Sugg Farm Ultra: A Race Director's Journey

Photo: Dan Paige

It’s been almost a week since the inaugural Sugg Farm Ultra and I’m still riding a noticeable high.

It’s crazy to spend almost a year planning and preparing for something that ends in a matter of 12 hours or so. And it’s even crazier when all that planning and preparation is almost undone by a freakish day of unexpected rain, wind, and lightning. 

But, we did it! And what a day it was!

Initially, I wanted to write a recap of the day from the perspective of a first-time race director, but honestly, that probably wouldn’t capture the essence of what I experienced out there. And besides, Dan Paige did a tremendous job recapping the event with this awesome short video he put together for us:

So instead, I want to acknowledge some key takeaways I realized after a few days of processing everything.

Belief

When I set out to create the Sugg Farm Ultra, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. All I knew was that I believed that the course I created would be beautiful and challenging, that the location would draw a good crowd, and that I would figure out all the things I needed to learn along the way. After a few years of running ultras, I’ve discovered that you can do hard things even when all the pieces don’t fit together just right, simply by putting in the work and having immense belief in your ability to overcome. 

Fear

The fear set in for me back in January when I signed the check to rent the venue for race day. It wasn’t cheap, and it wasn’t exactly a smart financial decision at the time, but again, I believed in myself. However, belief doesn’t negate or eliminate fear. So there I was, with my fear, growing week by week as the registrations came slower than I had expected. The imposter in me started to scream at me, “You don’t know what you’re doing, and this isn’t going to work!” I had to wrestle with the imposter daily, and trust the process I put in place, and eventually, spots filled up and we were selling out. Then, a new fear crept in—the fear of “Oh shit, we actually have to do this thing!” That fear was a little more exciting because it was partnered with momentum, adrenaline, and a hint of success. But, all of these fears were trumped by the fear that I felt during the day of the event when the forecast changed for the worse and we were dealing with potentially unsafe weather conditions. The fear lasted with me throughout the entire day until the final runner safely crossed the finish line. What I learned though, is that if at any stage of any of these fears that I was experiencing, I allowed the fear to get the best of me and stop me from moving forward, there would be no Sugg Farm Ultra and it would have remained a figment of my imagination. I’m so thankful that isn’t the case.

Community

There’s no community like the ultrarunning community. Period. From gracious and selfless volunteers coming out to help with setup and operations, to badass runners with bigass smiles pushing through their suffering in terrible weather—I can’t help but feel incredibly lucky to be a part of such an amazing tribe of people. There would be no Sugg Farm Ultra without this beautiful community. 

Love

Love shows up in many different ways, and I experienced so much of it during the event. The love of friends and family showing up to volunteer or run. The love of runners crossing the finish line and giving me a big hug and thanking me for creating a space for them to recognize their potential and overcome their suffering. And the love of my wife, Christa, who didn’t marry an ultrarunner or race director, but wound up married to one, and has supported me in my calling with every fiber of her being. She has worked behind the scenes with planning and preparation, put in long days of setup and breakdown, and committed herself to the duties that the race required without hesitation or complaints. I know that the only reason she did all of these things is because of the love that she has for me. I’m so damn lucky!

There’s so much more I could write about here, but ultimately, I wanted to make it clear that this experience was one of the most rewarding and incredible things I’ve ever created and been a part of, and I owe that to all of you that supported me and showed up that day. Thank you all so much for believing in my vision and for the comments and feedback you’ve provided post-event. 

I’m already thinking about the 2024 Sugg Farm Ultra—hope to see y’all there!