The Tame the Tower Trail Challenge will make its debut on the morning of Saturday, Dec. 14, with walkers, hikers, and runners embarking on their choice of three courses around the trails of Mount Gretna.
While athletes brave the trails, locals will brave the cold weather to cheer them on from the starting line, aid stations that are scattered throughout the courses, and the finish line.
Race co-directors Marissa Mattu and Nikki Maurer Gray spoke with LebTown about their expectations for the first-ever Tame the Tower Trail Challenge.
Mattu has been an avid runner for the past decade, competing in races across the country. She described the trail running community as “phenomenal” and said that there is much less of an emphasis on “just data” than is the case for other running communities.
The Lebanon County native served in the U.S. Marine Corps and returned to the county about a year and a half ago when she and her husband moved into the home they built in Mount Gretna.
“It’s a wonderful trail system,” Mattu said of the network of paths around Mount Gretna. “They’re always well-maintained. Jedd, the new park director, he does a phenomenal job at making sure the trails are clear and well-maintained all throughout the year. And I’m just blessed that they’re right here in my backyard.”
Read More: [Photo Story] Taking a fall foliage hike up to Governor Dick Observation Tower
Mattu works as an administrative assistant for the state Bureau of Elections.
“I run trail races, but I’ve never co-directed one,” Mattu said. “So, I’m learning a lot from Nikki. And she is somebody I look up to a great deal because of her leadership skills.”
Gray has served as a member of the Park Trails and User Committee at the Clarence Schock Memorial Park at Governor Dick since 2021. She works as the executive director for the Community Health Council of Lebanon County.
And although readers might recognize events that Gray has organized through the council, she noted that the Tame the Tower Trail Challenge is affiliated with the Clarence Schock Memorial Park at Governor Dick instead.
Tame the Tower is also not affiliated with previous races that Gray has helped organize, such as the Tower to Town or Summer Solstice events.
“We did the Tower to Town race for five years, and it was a great race. We loved it,” Gray said. “But it just didn’t grow. It just kind of stayed the same number of participants every year. And I think any race director is committed to finding the right mixture of fun and challenge that sort of keeps return racers coming back every year but also attracts new racers every year. So, we decided to move away from the Tower to Town challenge to try to find a different event that might draw in racers from maybe a little farther and wider.”
Read More: Tower to Town raises estimated $10,000 with more than 100 racers participating
As for Summer Solstice, Gray said that the timing of the event was off. Although the race was held on the longest day of the year for locals, it competed for their participation with a popular event in Lancaster County, Father’s Day celebrations, and summer vacations.
“The Solstice run was the first event in a long time that raised money exclusively for the Clarence Schock Memorial Park at Governor Dick,” Gray said. “And so, when we decided we wanted to do another trail run, it was really important to us that we were raising money for the park.”
Sometime last year, Mattu and Gray started talking about the possibility of a new race on the trails of Mount Gretna. This past spring, they started organizing the event alongside Jedd Erdman, park manager, and Taylor Casey, office manager and environmental educator, at Clarence Schock Memorial Park.
“So, when we came up with Tame the Tower, I volunteered right away to create all three of the courses,” Mattu said. “I know those trails like the back of my hand. And we wanted to take people up different ways in the mountains that they wouldn’t normally go if they were just out there walking their dog. And we’ve essentially, we’ve successfully done that.”
Dogs are not permitted to accompany racers on the day of the event.
Walkers, hikers, and runners can choose to register for one of three courses — a 5K, 10K, and 10-mile course — that are subject to change until race day. All of the courses will tentatively pass right by the tower.
Mattu said that the event will also feature refreshments and “a huge community presence. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
The organizers are hoping to see upwards of 200 racers at the inaugural Tame the Tower Trail Challenge, which has no registration limit.
Athletes can register in advance online or by downloading the registration form and mailing it along with a check made payable to Clarence Schock Memorial Park to Attn: Taylor Casey, P.O. Box 161, Mount Gretna, PA 17064.
Although there are no refunds, athletes who submit their online registration or mail their paper application to be postmarked by Friday, Nov. 1, will enjoy cheaper rates and a complementary trucker hat.
Athletes can also register on the day of the rain-or-shine race between 7:30 and 10 a.m. Those who registered in advance can also pick up their race numbers during this timeframe.
Parking lots at the Environmental Education Center and the State Game Lands trailhead, which is across the street, will be used for the event.
“We are going to come up with some plans for overflow parking and getting people to the race site,” Gray noted. “So, I’m not really at liberty to talk about what those plans are yet because they involve other areas and other properties. But we do have some things in the works.”
Pretzel City Sports will time the race and publish the results on its website.
The fastest male and female athletes in each course will be awarded a cash prize. In addition, the fastest male and female athletes in each age group in each course will be applauded at the event.
All of the proceeds from the challenge will benefit Clarence Schock Memorial Park.
“There are so many of us that love the mountain. We are so proud of this natural [ 1,105 acres] … of just natural wilderness here in the county,” Gray said. “And those of us who are lucky enough to live close to Clarence Schock Memorial Park at Governor Dick, we just want to share it with people. And we’re so excited to be doing a true trail run.”
She added that Governor Dick can still have “really decent weather” in the month of December and that many athletes enjoy trail running during the winter months.
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