Ultra-impressive

In a feat that defies the average imagination, Pennsylvania College of Technology grad Reagan McCoy not only completed, but won – by 35.5 minutes over the second-place finisher – the Eastern States 100, a 100-mile ultramarathon trail race that starts and finishes in Little Pine State Park, about 30 miles from Penn College’s Williamsport campus.

On the Penn College campus, McCoy ’20 was part of the cross-county team and prepared for his current work as a process engineer for Advanced Powder Products Inc. by completing a bachelor’s degree in plastics & polymer engineering technology.

At the Eastern States 100, McCoy crossed the finish line in 22 hours, 23 minutes and 58 seconds. He and 130 other finishers from across the U.S. and beyond outlasted not only a full day and night (and day again, for many, with a 36-hour cutoff to finish the race) on their feet, but steep terrain and rain that made for fast-moving water when the course had them cross Pine Creek.

“I’m glad we didn’t know about that ahead of time,” said his father, Steven K. McCoy, an external records evaluator in the college’s Registrar’s Office, who said he and his wife were battling sleeplessness even without knowledge of a water crossing.

The elder McCoy recalls, with humor, his son’s first venture into running: a 2-mile route to earn a Boy Scout badge. After some teasing from a passing car, he told his father, “I’m never doing that again.”

Turns out, he loves it. Here, McCoy explains why.

During my senior year of high school, I used to lift weights with one of my friends after class. He was an active runner and one day talked me into going for a run. It was rough, but after a few months I was able to run a couple of miles at a time. I went out for track that year, which was unconventional to start a new sport as a senior, but I loved it. I continued to run for the next few years and had friends that introduced me to trail running. I signed up for the cross-country team at Penn College to improve upon my trail running and learned how to train smart and effectively, and it totally transformed my running abilities.

For one, it’s the easiest and most effective way to get exercise. The world is your gym and no membership is required. Additionally, it gives me mental clarity, focus and relaxation. If something is bothering me at the start of a run, chances are I’ll forget about it by the end. I greatly enjoy all the scenery and experiences running in the mountains, from the scenic vistas to the encounters with wildlife. I love the trail running community, which is full of kind, determined and likeminded people.

The idea of running 100 miles just sounded so outlandish that I couldn’t help but be enthralled with the idea. The biggest trail races in the world are generally 100 milers, and they are the focus of some of the world's most elite runners.

The course features 20,000 feet of elevation gain through extremely technical terrain – amid August, no less. The humidity was intense, and staying on top of nutrition/hydration was a constant battle. The biggest challenge was the sleep deprivation towards the end. I just became so loopy and my morale started to crack. Luckily my crew and pacers kept me motivated.

I had to devote every minute of my free time to running. Every day after work I immediately had to stack miles. The weekends called for even longer days on the trails; often I would run back-to-back marathons on Saturday and again on Sunday. I also incorporated a lot of speed workouts, hill workouts and strength training.

Recovery is the best part! After training so hard for months on end, it is very easy to reward yourself by simply doing nothing and eating all the food your heart desires!

On an average weekday I would run 10-12 miles; on a weekend day I would run 18-25 miles.

I’ve had so many unique encounters with wildlife that some would never believe. I’ve run up on more bear than I can count, sometimes mothers and cubs. I’ve kicked up bobcats, coyotes, fishers, minks and other unique creatures you seldom get to see. I’ve stood at so many mesmerizing vistas that few people know about and even fewer make the journey out to see. I enjoy running by old foundations from a bygone era, seeing old Civilian Conservation Corps cabins, and running on old logging grades from the turn of the century.

My favorite places to run are at Zindel Park in McElhattan or in Pine Creek Valley.

The community is the best part of trail running. Whether you are in first or last place, you are guaranteed thunderous applause during your race. People are so devoted to clearing trails and volunteering at aid stations – sacrificing so much of their time just to see these events continue to thrive. The community is just full of like-minded people who enjoy nature, work hard and love to have fun!

I've run the Worlds End 100K and Oil Creek 100K trail races, as well as a couple runs at Hyner, the Frozen Snot, Call Of The Wilds Mountain Fest, and Boulder Beast. I also ran a 50 miler in the Finger Lakes.

Definitely my run at Eastern States.

I'd like to find some way to make it out to Western States 100, which is the biggest trail race in the United States. It will take years to gain entry, but I’m ready to start working now.