04/03/2026
Hi Runner:
We can't wait to see you in just a few days for the 3rd Annual Livingston Oval Ultra. Please read through the event details so you are ready for a great day! We have 46 athletes, our largest field yet, including runners from DE, MA, MD, NH, NJ, NY, PA, and Ontario, Canada! There will be several hometown runners and several who have been with us for all three years.
Pre Race:
The race team will be at the Oval a bit before 6 a.m. You can arrive before that, but we may not be there to greet you. If you want to drop a chair, tent, blanket, etc., right past the scorers' table, that's perfectly fine. It can't be before the tables because it might block the staff from recording the laps. I still recommend having a floor of cardboard to buffer you from the wet ground. The snow is mostly gone, at least.
You can drop off your materials at the race HQ and then park your vehicle. You will be able to park on the outside edge of the Oval, so you don't have to park all the way up on Madonna Drive. That said, be a good neighbor, and do not park in the library lot or in the lot of the church adjacent to the Oval.
The Pre-race briefing will be 10-15 minutes before each race. A member of the race staff will take a photo of each group at that time. Races will start and end at the published times, 7a-7p for 12-hour, 7a-1p for 6-hour, 8a-11a for 3-hour, 9a-10a for the 1-hour.
Race Day:
You must run counterclockwise around the Oval. You will not receive credit for any partial laps. In case two athletes complete the same number of laps, the runner who completes their final lap first is placed higher. Pacers are allowed, but only in the second half of your race, e.g. last six hours of the 12-hour race, last three hours of the 6-hour race, etc. I encourage participants to run together.
Bib on the front of your body, though it doesn't matter where exactly, so scorers can see it because there is no chip timing. No Bib sharing / muling. You will be DQ’d for these infractions.
No dogs, strollers, rollerblades, wheelies, skates, or other accouterments that give a physical or mechanical advantage, unless allowed by the ADA. Unacceptable items are at my discretion. You will receive a warning and then will be asked to leave for a second infraction.
I will have music and a leaderboard at race HQ.
Food and drink are placed after the scorers' table to prevent blocking the view of the scorers. Eat before you’re hungry, drink before you’re thirsty, but do not block the path. I packed food in plastic bags for your convenience and food-handling protection. Race staff will continue to pack bags using nitrile gloves. The largest number of runners asked for pizza. One of our sponsors, Calabria’s, opens at 10 a.m., so we’ll have our first round of pies at about 10:30 a.m.
We have two PortaJohns, one near the race HQ and also one at the far side, near the high school. The closer one will be delivered on Friday afternoon. It will be zip-tied shut until Saturday morning. There is extra toilet paper and hand sanitizer. If you notice we’ve run out before the race staff does, let the race staff know ASAP. I have plenty of each.
No littering. Trash bags at the scorer’s table and cans along the path. Too much litter, and the town won’t allow us to have the next race. I have lived in Livingston for 45 years, and other racers at the LOU are in town, too.
Course Information:
This is a public space, so share the path. I have signs, but town residents don't always follow. The path course is USATF-certified, so you must run on the path or in the street, not inside the path. Pass slower runners on the outside because they may not move for you.
Enter and exit the course between the colored cones
Headphones are permitted, but you need to be able to hear others, so keep the volume low. Again, if you can't hear, you will receive a warning and then will be asked to leave for a second infraction. I do not want to DQ anyone. Please don't make me. I am nicer than Gary Cantrell, but safety is my top concern.
Post Race:
Awards ceremonies will be within 30 minutes after each race ends. It's not the Olympics, but I have a podium and most of the plaques. Some aren't going to arrive on time due to the several snow falls, but I will mail plaques to anyone who earns one ASAP. Everyone is encouraged to stay to cheer on the long-distance runners.
If you have additional questions that were not answered in this email, on the race page, or the race website, please reach out to me via email [email protected]. If you have an issue on race day, you can call me 973-216-9610. I have the spam filter on, so identify yourself as a Livingston Oval Ultra runner.
We can’t wait to see you on 7 March!
Thanks, Your Friendly Neighborhood Race Director,
Mike D. Skara
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