The local temperatures are expected to be good for trail running Saturday morning, and that's nice because two unique sets of trail races will be held then on Lookout Mountain - one starting at the top and the other confined to the lower slopes.
But showers also are in the forecast and likely would keep Daniel Hamilton's and Anne Wheatly's Lookout Mountain 50 Miler records set last year from being challenged. The December 2015 race in the Wild Trails Trail Series would be hard to match for speed anyway, as it had the top two times and four of the top seven in the 50-miler's history that started in 2009 - after a 100-kilometer (62-mile) version based at Lula Lake in 2008 - and Wheatly broke the year-old women's record by 26 minutes with her finish in 7 hours, 46 minutes, 13 seconds. She's from Asheville, N.C.
Hamilton, from Chattanooga, ran the course in 6:39:52, and Endicott, N.Y., resident Cole Crosby likewise broke the old record in 6:45:12. John Kelly of Rockville, Md., also broke seven hours. There were nearly 200 finishers.
Until last December, the Lookout 50 record was Josh Wheeler's 6:52:10.
"It was just so perfect - perfect temperatures and it was dry," Randy Whorton, director of the Wild Trails organization, said about last year's conditions. "But we have some people coming who could go for the record. The 2013 winner (Brady Adcock of Pfafftown, N.C.) said he was coming and he's faster now, and he's bringing a buddy who he says is faster than he is.
"I think it's getting a reputation for being a fairly fast 50-miler."
The deadline has been extended to midnight tonight for online registration for the four races this year from Covenant College atop Lookout Mountain. In addition to the 50-mile and the 10k race won in 2015 by Cleveland's Paul Patterson and Signal Mountain's Shanna Hutchinson, there are a 21-mile option using the first loop of the 50-mile course and a 5k.
"It was no extra effort on our part to add two events, and we think that will appeal to a wider variety of runners," Whorton explained, adding that he wants to promote the 5k for high schoolers.
He noted that the 50 is a race "people get excited about" as they look toward the end of the calendar year, yet some don't really train for it like they intended. The 21-miler gives them still a long option, just not as intimidating, and it also should work well for marathoners who don't feel ready for an ultra. Plus it's a wonderfully scenic course.
Registration will be held at the race site, with $10 added then to the current fees of $105, $65 and $55 for the three longer races. The 5k will remain $30.
The 50- and 21-miles races will start at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, and the 10k and 5k begin at 8.
Starting at 9:30 from the Chattanooga Arboretum and Nature Center at Reflection Riding at the foot of the mountain will be the hilly 6.7-mile Wauhatchie Trail Run, a 32nd annual race that gives head starts based on age and gender. Women ages 80 and older take off at 9:30, and the last group to start is males 25-29 at 10:15.
The Wauhatchie individual winner and two-person team winners from a family get Golden Antlers trophies, and last year siblings Carter and Claire Cheeseman were the male and female winners and set a record as the team winners. Older sister Alison Cheeseman was the women's runner-up. Dean Thompson was second overall.
Yet another different thing about the Wauhatchie event is the prize table featuring recycled running awards or mementoes or whatever else participants deem worthy to recycle.
Pre-registration is available at www.active.com until midnight, and race-day signups start at 8 a.m. Saturday. The cost is $15.
Contact Ron Bush at rbush@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6291.