Exploring the Greater Allegany Passage: 150 Miles of Pure Adventure

 I received team entry to the GAP Relay as a part of being a BibRave Pro. Check out BibRave.com to read and write race reviews.

The last 2 weeks I've been posting about the upcoming GAP Relay where I am running with my BibRave teammates 150 miles from Cumberland, MD to Pittsburgh, PA. But where exactly are we running and what kind of conditions can we expect? This week I've been researching just that and here is what I have found. 

GAP stands for Greater Allegany Passage. It is a rails-to-trails path the covers 150 miles through a small portion of Maryland, but mostly through rural Pennsylvania ending in Pittsburgh. Construction on the trail began in 1978 starting when the Pennsylvania  Bureau of State Parks was given the deed to the 26.75 miles of the abandoned Western Maryland Railway corridor. The trail grew with local partnerships over the next 35 years and was completed in 2013.

Salisbury Viaduct - image from GAP Relay website

Here's Scott on the GAP
Trail in 2019

The trail is one of the most scenic in the country passing over bridges, past waterfalls and gorges, climbing mountains and winding through multiple state parks. There are about 16 small towns that are on the trail allowing easy access to amenities such as lodging, restaurants, and lots of cool points of interest. One of my fellow BibRave Pros, Scott Snell, ran it in 2019 and said there was a cool train museum with miniature trains at one of the exchange points. You can read all about his review here:

https://www.bibrave.com/races/gap-relay-reviews/13137

Because of its easy access and many amenities, traveling the Great Allegheny Passage is a sought-after, “bucket list” adventure drawing visitors from all 50 states and over 40 countries annually.  It receives around a million visits every year,! Upon its completion, the GAP was the first path inducted into the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s Rail-Trail Hall of Fame. 

Photo from Jenn Savage who
also ran with Team BibRave in 2019

At first I was nervous when I heard the term Trail as the trails I am most used to are root and rock winding paths cut through thick woods. And while I have run that kind of trail in an overnight relay race before (Ragnar Trail Carolinas) it did make me think twice. The GAP, however, is not that fortunately. The trail itself is a mix of different surfaces, mostly topped with crushed limestone, hard packed dirt and even paved surfaces in some areas. There are road crossing and bridges throughout. And while there is some climb, mostly it's fairly minor with a maximum grade of 1.5%. Would I say this is going to be easy? No. No way. But at least it sounds like we will not be dodging trees in the dark, so ya! 

I am super excited to be travelling through this scenic area in the Fall especially. I cannot wait to see all of the colors that the trail will have for us. 

For more information on the Greater Allegany Passage, visit their website here: 

https://gaptrail.org/ 

For more information about the GAP Relay and how it works, check out the P3R website here: https://p3r.org/races/gap-relay Want to put together your own team to take it on? If so, you can register here: https://raceroster.com/events/2022/58381/2022-great-allegheny-passage-gap-trail-relay and use special discount code: BIBRAVEGAP to save $50 off of a team registration.