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Group hosts Ghost Town Trail Challenge

The Cambria County Conservation and Recreation Authority held its inaugural Ghost Town Trail Challenge on June 18 as the second event of its 2016 Cambria County Trail Series races.

More than 100 people participated in the event from Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, Virginia, Delaware, Ohio and Spain.

“This event attracted destination runners/walkers from a large geographic area, and this tourism, in exchange, helped to benefit many local restaurants, hotels and businesses that surround the Ghost Town Trail,” Leanna Bird, CCCRA program specialist, said. “Participants especially enjoyed shopping at Up-N-Running in Ebensburg and visiting local restaurants after they picked up their race packets on Friday night.”

The Challenge was to finish the event by sunset on the longest Saturday of the year. Shuttles departed from the Young Peoples Community Center, 300 Prave St., Ebensburg, for the various starting points. All challenges ended back at the center.

There were three challenges to choose from:

Full Challenge -?32 miles (50K), beginning at Saylor Park in Blairsville.

Half Challenge – 16 miles (16K), beginning at Wehrum Trailhead.

Friends & Family Challenge -?8 miles (13K), beginning at Nanty Glo Trailhead.

The top three 50K finishers were Nick Ramirez (4:37:16), Ethan Imhoff (4:42:58) and Jacque Schiffer (5:13:11).

The top three 25K finishers were Dean Banko (2:11:10), Tony Garaventa (2:21:58) and Amber Marsh (2:23:21).

The top three 13K finishers include Marilyn Gregory (52:55), Jerry Pyrock (1:02:20) and Bob Vitale (1:02:40).

Many Challenge volunteers from the bard of directors and from the Greater Johnstown community assisted runners and walkers at the six food/aid stations along the trail.

Participants received a T-shirt, commemorative pint glass and a commemorative finisher’s medal.

The first event of the 2016 Cambria County Trail Series was the Jim Mayer Family Fun Run held on May 14, which celebrated the new extension of the Jim Mayer Trail in downtown Johnstown.

The third and final event of the series was the Path of the Flood Bike & Hike Duathlon on July 23.

All proceeds from the Cambria County Trails Series go directly towards the preservation, maintenance, and enhancement of the Cambria County trails.

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