Snaketail 50 is a trail race with camping at the start/finish. You know what that means? It’s time to load up the Avion and drive down to Summertown, Tennessee for some trails and tails from what once was America’s largest commune.
The Farm
The Farm was founded in the 1970s, when 60 buses, vans, and trucks settled on 1,064 acres in middle Tennessee. Taking vows of poverty, the members strove to create a self-sufficient and selfless community that was open to all. That mission grew harder, though, as widespread attention turned to the booming commune. For all their ideals, the community couldn’t support the 1,600 people on the main property and eventually had to restructure as a Coop, with remaining residents contributing dues.
These days, the land is private. Long gone are the times when everyone was welcome to live in the commune. So, Snaketail 50 is not only an opportunity to race on some trails and meet other runners. It is also a rare opportunity to explore a unique piece of history.
Snaketail 50
Snaketail 50 is not about snakes. It’s actually named after Ophiogomphus acuminatus, a dragonfly that is native to the rivers of Tennessee. And this 13-mile loop course includes 10-creek crossings, with many opportunities to spot the whimsical insect.
While we sign up for the marathon distance, runners also have the opportunity to participate in the 5k, 6-mile, half-marathon, and 50-mile distances. All the distances cover some portion of the 13 mile loop. While the longer distances involve multiple loops (two for the marathon and four for the 50 miler).
The course starts and ends on The Farm but also wanders into the Swan Trust, a non-profit organized to protect critical watersheds and wilderness in the area. The route covers a combination of single track and lumber roads meandering along rolling hills and ridgelines through a relatively young forest (the region was aggressively logged before the Swan Trust acquired the land).
Snaketail 50 is a relatively new race. Its inaugural run was 2024, which gives us some points of comparison to set our goals, but a lot of room for guessing. The entrant field is small. Only 10 people signed up for the 2025 marathon. Chris looks to be in good shape, but I have legitimate competition.
Special Considerations for Snaketail 50
Along with a few steep climbs and sprintable straights, Snaketail 50 has a lot of creek crossings.
Up until Snaketail, we’ve run races where there may be water, but it is reasonably avoidable. And, for the first couple of miles, that’s also the case of Snaketail. But pretty quickly, we encounter shallow but broad creak beds with slick solid rock. There’s no point in trying to find a dry way around, we have to go through. And we have to do it slowly, because the solid rock is slick as ice and more than once we almost fall over. We will get wet. Now, what to do about it?
Water is a constant concern when running. Wet feet are often more likely to blister. So we take special care to keep our feet dry with foot powders, moisture wicking socks, and occasionally gortex shoes.
I have worn Salomon Speed Cross GTX running shoes for almost every one of my races. But, for this, Gore-Tex will do more harm than help. Instead of keeping the water out, any water that gets in will be trapped. Instead, I want something that will drain well. Fortunately, I also have a standard pair of Speed Cross shoes which I chose instead. I also mix up my sock selection. Normally, I’ll race in a pair of Wright’s Coolmesh II double-layered socks to minimize blisters. This time, I opt for Feetures Trail Max Cushion running socks which seem to handle the water well. And, most importantly, I slather RunGoo Blister Prevention Cream all over my feet. I can’t keep my feet dry. But at least I can lubricate them to minimize chaffing.
The Night Before Snaketail 50
As mentioned earlier, Snaketail 50 allows camping at the start / finish. Not many people take up the offer, but we are there, the night before the race to chat with the organizers and volunteers, learn about the race and life on The Farm. Most people affiliated with the race have some point of contact with The Farm, wether they lived on the farm or had friends that did. We linger around the bonfire and then turn in early.
Race Day
After a full night’s sleep, we are up with oatmeal, slather our feet with RunGoo, and gather at the start line with everyone else running the half and full marathon. (Other distances have their own start times). Chris and I charge out at the front and wind through the forest. We quickly breakaway into a lead pack of five. Two are running the half marathon and three of us are running the full. We chat about the farm (the lead male for the half is close to the race organizers), catch each other in wrong turns, and take turns at the lead for most of the first loop.
The first quarter of the course follows single track trail along a creekbed with frequent creek crossings. We slip and slide our way over slick rock but never actually fall. In the back quarter, deep into Swan Trust land, we climb up along a ridge line, following lumber roads past occasional deer stands and the odd break into grasslands. There is even an small patch of pine forest, planted by lumber companies interested in a quick growing tree to plant for the next harvest.
The third quarter is a mix of single track and lumber roads. We encounter the one manned aid station where Chris and I pause to refill our water bottles while the other three dash ahead to a steep climb up a scenic ridge. At this point, we overtake a large group of runners from either the 5k or 6-miler. We negotiate the narrow trail but manage to catch up with the rest of our running pack at the top of the ridge.
While most of the course winds through forest, the final three miles break out into smooth mowed grassland and gravel roads with a few stretches of single track. The pace picks up and, shorterly after, we drop our fellow marathon runner who heard natures call. The two half marathon runners that we had been with continue to pick up pace. We’ve run this whole loop with them, so I want to see them finish, but we let them build some distance. We have an additional loop to run, after all. They take first in their respective gender categories (she even sets a new course record!).
Loop 2
That leaves Chris and I to take on the next loop, 2 hours and 9 minutes into the race. I have to admit, at this point, we are fleeing a ghost. While we did drop the other marathon runner in our pack, we don’t know how far behind she is. Just because we can’t see her, doesn’t mean she isn’t close. And so, we keep pace. We run along technical stretches of roots and rocks, sprint the straight aways, and only walk for those cautious creek crossings.
We do catch one sight of our fellow marathon runner around four miles into the second loop. We had just finished a long, steep climb and caught a glimpse of her at the bottom. But that was it. And so, without a person to chase, we set on a new goal: the course record. Of course, it’s only stood for one year, but the woman who set the 4:46:03 finish time in 2024 is an accomplished trail runner. But lets see what we can do to cut that time.
As opposed to some troubled races in the past (I’m looking at you, Blue Ridge Ultra) everything came together well. We were meticulous in our fueling for this race, opting mainly for liquid fuel and sticking to a definitive schedule. Our muscles got tight but never locked up. Our feet were wet but we didn’t feel any hot spots. We ran the edge of our limits but never pushed so far as to tip over into the realm of injury or illness.
And when the finish line came in sight, we clasped hands and crossed together at 4 hours and 23 minutes. That’s a first place for Chris, a first place for me, and a new course record for the ladies.
| Mile | Pace | GAP | Elev | HR | Cadence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9:36 /mi | 9:43 /mi | -157 ft | 130 bpm | 160 spm |
| 2 | 11:10 /mi | 10:13 /mi | -9 ft | 151 bpm | 148 spm |
| 3 | 9:18 /mi | 8:28 /mi | 103 ft | 167 bpm | 168 spm |
| 4 | 10:02 /mi | 10:09 /mi | -170 ft | 151 bpm | 152 spm |
| 5 | 10:58 /mi | 9:27 /mi | 162 ft | 156 bpm | 150 spm |
| 6 | 8:49 /mi | 8:48 /mi | -20 ft | 152 bpm | 170 spm |
| 7 | 11:06 /mi | 9:08 /mi | 33 ft | 149 bpm | 148 spm |
| 8 | 9:23 /mi | 9:11 /mi | -31 ft | 161 bpm | 166 spm |
| 9 | 11:22 /mi | 9:31 /mi | 54 ft | 150 bpm | 152 spm |
| 10 | 9:05 /mi | 8:54 /mi | -66 ft | 157 bpm | 168 spm |
| 11 | 9:57 /mi | 8:49 /mi | 112 ft | 165 bpm | 164 spm |
| 12 | 8:56 /mi | 8:48 /mi | -28 ft | 159 bpm | 168 spm |
| 13 | 9:53 /mi | 9:09 /mi | -14 ft | 156 bpm | 160 spm |
| 14 | 10:10 /mi | 10:15 /mi | -155 ft | 146 bpm | 158 spm |
| 15 | 12:48 /mi | 11:24 /mi | 46 ft | 151 bpm | 140 spm |
| 16 | 9:33 /mi | 8:53 /mi | 80 ft | 156 bpm | 168 spm |
| 17 | 10:30 /mi | 10:36 /mi | -165 ft | 148 bpm | 154 spm |
| 18 | 11:41 /mi | 10:07 /mi | 157 ft | 155 bpm | 148 spm |
| 19 | 8:42 /mi | 8:44 /mi | -41 ft | 161 bpm | 170 spm |
| 20 | 11:27 /mi | 9:26 /mi | 47 ft | 156 bpm | 150 spm |
| 21 | 9:12 /mi | 9:03 /mi | -33 ft | 165 bpm | 168 spm |
| 22 | 11:13 /mi | 9:22 /mi | 62 ft | 159 bpm | 152 spm |
| 23 | 9:17 /mi | 9:06 /mi | -70 ft | 159 bpm | 168 spm |
| 24 | 10:22 /mi | 9:08 /mi | 117 ft | 163 bpm | 164 spm |
| 25 | 9:07 /mi | 8:58 /mi | -24 ft | 166 bpm | 170 spm |
| 0.94 | 9:55 /mi | 9:12 /mi | -11 ft | 167 bpm | 162 spm |
