9 Hours for 9 Lives Ultra

06/20/2025

Today's email!

Hi everyone! I've been waiting for all the monies to come in and go out to send a more thorough follow up email but there are still outstanding items, so I thought I'd better at least touch base with you! I can't even begin to tell you how thankful I am to all of you for participating, making donations, buying raffle tickets, and spending the day with us in support of Colony Caregivers! I sure hope you all had at least as much fun as I did! Here are some details to share with you.
In total, you all ran and walked (if I did my math right) 857.28 miles for the cats! That would get us to Augusta, SC or Cedar Rapids, IA. Fun facts. Does anyone want to figure out total elevation change? oof.

Our winners were as follows.

Overall Female and new women's course record holder: Danielle Hunold 45.6 miles

Overall Male: Johnny Kolh 36.48 miles

Open Female: Sarah Mountain 33.44 miles

Open Male: Jacob Mountain 27.36 miles

Masters Female: Jennifer Toti 38 miles

Masters Male: Steve Coslop 34.96

Thank you to everyone who made a donation to the raffle table! Between direct donations on runsignup and raffle ticket sales, we raised $550!

A huge thank you to Gil from HourGlass Works for his outstanding job of keeping track of this event and for submitting results beyond our borders and making a name for my little races!

Thank you to Lynn and Michelle Fish for providing us a fantastic venue for the event and pretty much letting us take over their farm for the day!

Thank you to Wegmans for providing a $100 donation for your aid station supplies!

Thank you to the Greater Rochester Running Club (GRRC) for supporting the race and helping to promote it!

Thank you to my handful of friends who volunteered their time to help make the event run so smoothly. I honestly couldn't do it as well without you all! I refuse to list your names because the brain farts are real and I'm going to feel really bad if I neglect to list someone so please feel free to give yourself some public kudos on my behalf!

Lastly, I talked some ears off about my other races so let me just drop some links right here.

https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Shortsville/SleighMe48HourUltra

https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Shortsville/5thAnnualBoundfortheHounds6HourUltra

I will email again once I have the final tally of the donation being made to Colony Caregivers (and I remember things I forgot to mention here)! LOL!

You all ROCKED and I hope to see you all again at another one of my races!

Martha

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06/05/2025

Today's email to participants! It's not too late to register and I gladly accept day of registration! First of all, Mother Nature is about to have more mood swings but luckily we won't have this 90 degree heat on Saturday! It will likely still be warm so make sure you are already hydrating! I will have water and Gatorade for you at the aid station to keep you hydrated during the event. If you don't like Gatorade, please plan to bring your own favorite mix.

My friend and I cleared your trail this week of low hanging tree branches and some trip hazards. I raked the wooded section for you so you can see the tree roots (there aren't many). Lynn Fish of Fish Farms is taking care of mowing the grassy sections for you. I'll be clearing that up for you before Saturday as well as marking your course with pink survey flags. There is a small culvert where Lynn has placed pallets and some plywood for you to hopefully keep your feet dry. If you go off trail, you will likely find poison ivy in the woods so be aware of that. With all the wet weather we've had, if you are a skeeter magnet like I am, you will want your favorite anti-skeeter spray. I will have some on hand if you forget.

I will have a large tent at the start/finish/aid area to give us a little shade and coverage if we get the sprinkles they are currently calling for. You may also set up your own tents if you have them as well as any other personal aid station gear. Please use stakes to keep your tent in place as it can get breezy in the open area.

Do you have someone coming with you to crew or just hang out? Ask them if they'd be willing to volunteer with me! Many hands make light work! It's a pretty easy gig! Let me know!

Be ready to be wowed by the raffles and by the flowers and plants in the greenhouses! The greenhouse accepts cash and card. Raffle tickets can be purchased with cash or venmo. Money raised by raffles also goes to Colony Caregivers! The gals hosting the raffle table are the heart and soul of the organization and they would love to chat it up with you about what they do and how you can help!

Brooke Mawery of In Motion PT will be there from about noon on to help keep you moving! I honestly can't say enough about her as a human and her skills as a physical therapist! She literally saved my running last year! Don't be shy about asking for her help!

There are two porta-potties on site and a hand washing station.

Hmmm..... what am I missing?

Water, Gatorade, chips, pretzels, cookies, pickles, cheese quesadillas, pb&j, cola, gingerale, candy, and probably hot dogs (including vegan) will be on hand for you. I always grab more than this when I do the shopping but these are at least the basics. Is there something not listed here that you know most folks would like? Tell me!

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06/03/2025

Here are some pics I took while clearing your trail for you! Some of the hills you go up, some you go down! 😉

06/02/2025

Today's email to participants!
5 sleeps! How did we get here already? Below a few notes here is an email I sent a couple of weeks ago with lots of information for you. Let's not talk about the weather yet because a lot can change in 5 sleeps but...... Fingers crossed that Mother Nature shines upon us! My buddy, Jerry and I will be clearing your trail for you today. I'll try my best to mark any big trip hazards for you and to smooth out the section through the plowed field but be prepared to watch your footing for the first loop or two until all the footsteps pound it down. I have not started online raffle sales yet as I don't have all the raffles in my hands so stay tuned for that! I'll send out at least one more email before race day. I love this little race and I hope you do too! Tell your friends! Bring your family! Let's have all the fun and make everyone wish they came too! WOOHOO!!!

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05/23/2025

Today's email to participants and prospective participants! 😉

Good morning and welcome to 9 Hours for 9 Lives Ultra! Thank you to all of you who have registered and here's a little nudge for all you past participants and fence sitters! Today is the last day to register before a $10 increase! Of course, that just means a little more money goes to Colony Caregivers so feel free to wait. *wink. Here are some details for you for race day!
The race starts promptly at 8:00. The location of the race is Fish Farm Markets at 4494 Mt. Payne Rd, Shortsville. Google it up and you'll find it. There is plenty of parking right at the start/finish so please follow parking attendant instructions. If you aren't planning on doing the whole 9 hours, you don't have to start right at 8:00.

You may use your car as an aid station or you may set up your own area along the course. It's all very convenient. I will have a fully stocked aid station for you with all the typical ultra goodies. If you've come to play in the past, I'm very sad to tell you that we won't be having those personal pizzas again (Jack's building got taken out by a car). I'll try to fill that gap with something yummy for you. Feel free to give me suggestions.

Colony Caregivers will be on site selling raffle tickets for some amazing raffles! They would love to chat with you about what they do! Bring cash or you can use venmo. I'll be starting online raffle ticket sales on June 1st so stay tuned!

Brooke Mawery of In Motion PT will be on site to help keep you moving! She's amazing so don't be shy about asking her for a little help!

As for the course. It is trail and dirt on a produce farm. You will find some little rocks and little roots and ruts, a little mud, some hills in the woods, about 1/10 mile of roadside, and growing crops. Hopefully strawberries will be ready and you'll be running along cornfields. It's pretty cool. I will have sunscreen and bug spray on hand if you forget yours. I find this course to be trail shoe worthy with less aggressive tread. Road shoes will work fine as well, you just might slip some if this rain doesn't let up!

There will be awards for top mileage for overall M/F, open M/F, and masters M/F. There are medals for all participants whether you do one loop or ALL the loops! HourGlass Works Timing will be there with a big screen so you can watch your progress as you lose track of your loops!

Fish Farm Markets also has their greenhouses bursting with colorful flowers and lots of veggie plants so plan accordingly if you are easily persuaded into taking all the pretty things home!

Please leave your doggie friends at home for this one. I have a different race for you and your hounds!

Don't be shy with your questions because I'm sure I'm forgetting something here. I'll email again in a few days with updates!

Thank you for choosing my little race that lets us have a blast and helps all the kitties out there who need our help!

Martha ( )

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05/19/2025

Get in now before a $10 increase that starts Saturday, May 24th!

The 9 Hours for 9 Lives Ultra is on Saturday June 7, 2025.

01/11/2025

https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Shortsville/9Hoursfor9LivesUltra

The 9 Hours for 9 Lives Ultra AND 30 Hour Option is on Saturday June 8, 2024.

10/04/2024

Bound for the Hounds 6 Hour Ultra is 6 weeks away! Get in now at the low fee of $50 before it jumps up on October 20! Last year, we had 75 awesomely fun friends participate and I'd like to see us get to 100! Let's do it! You can walk one out and back of 2.3 miles or you can run for 6 hours or anything in between! It all benefits the maintenance of our beautiful dog park! Raffles support Gordy and Friends! Can't run or walk but want to help? You can volunteer. You can donate using this same link. You can buy raffle tickets. You can donate a raffle item. Don't wait! Contact me for more fun details!

The Bound for the Hounds 6 Hour Ultra is on Saturday November 16, 2024.

08/16/2024

Click the link to join the fun at the Shortsville Reindeer Farm, LLC! Yes, we are looking at YOU! https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Shortsville/SleighMe48HourUltra

08/14/2024

Attention runners, walkers, supporters of ROCovery Fitness, lovers of the Shortsville Reindeer Farm, LLC!
How am I at only 20 participants? Meander for one mile and get all the same fun as those trying to earn a belt buckle! Fun! Food! Firepit! Reindeer! Camping under the stars! Mysterious shenanigans!
The loop is one mile. Dirt, a few small roots, and flat.
LET'S GO!!! Here's your link!

The Sleigh Me 24 and 48 Hour Ultra is on Friday September 20, 2024 to Sunday September 22, 2024. It includes the following events: Sleigh Me 48 Hour Ultra and Sleigh Me 24 Hour Ultra.

07/14/2024

Bob Haas! Hi! Ask and you shall receive!

https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Shortsville/SleighMe48HourUltra September 20

https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Shortsville/5thAnnualBoundfortheHounds6HourUltra November 16

https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Shortsville/9Hoursfor9LivesUltra Registration for 2025 is not open yet but the date will likely be June 14. Stay tuned.

I also host the Wild Water Derby 5k that will be held on April 26!

The Sleigh Me 24 and 48 Hour Ultra is on Friday September 20, 2024 to Sunday September 22, 2024. It includes the following events: Sleigh Me 48 Hour Ultra and Sleigh Me 24 Hour Ultra.