Building a trail running legacy: Benjamin Mazur's journey from runner to race director

By Henry Howard

Benjamin Mazur has been instrumental in shaping the trail running scene in Pennsylvania. He and some friends saw a need for trail races so they jumped into action.

“It was simply about giving our local running community a place to gather, compete and celebrate the trails in our own backyard,” he says.

As the founder and president of Allegheny Trailrunners and the co-founder and vice president of the Eastern States Trail Endurance Alliance (ESTEA), Mazur is building a trail running legacy. He has led the organization of more than three dozen races. Mazur currently directs some of the region’s most challenging events, including Ironstone 100K and Eastern States 100, and co-directs Worlds End and Black Forest ultras.

For his contributions to the trail and ultra running community he is my featured race director for November. In January 2024, I kicked off this monthly feature to pay tribute to the trail and ultra race directors who make the sport great. To see previous RDs featured, they are all available here. If you have any nominations, feel free to email me here or fill out this form.

Ben Mazur, race director and vice president of ESTEA

Question: Why did you get into race directing?

Answer: I became a race director because our community needed it. When I first got involved,

there weren’t any local trail races. There was nothing for runners who wanted dirt under their feet without driving hours to find it. A few friends and I decided to change that. We formed a small nonprofit and built two races from the ground up. It was grassroots, scrappy and fueled entirely by passion. In the end, it was simply about giving our local running community a place to gather, compete and celebrate the trails in our own backyard.

Question: What's the most interesting thing you've learned about yourself since you became an RD?

Answer: The biggest thing I’ve learned about myself as an RD is the power of mindfulness. Race directing is a storm of logistics such as details to solve, crises to avert, a dozen spinning plates and only two hands to keep them balanced. But mindfulness keeps me grounded. It reminds me to truly see the people around me: our runners, our volunteers, our race team. Being mindful means understanding their motivations, their goals, their frustrations and their triumphs. It’s made me more aware, more compassionate and far more respectful of the incredible humans who make these events possible.

Question: What's your best piece of advice for someone who wants to become an RD?

Answer: My best piece of advice for a new race director? Know your audience. Who are your runners, and why are they showing up? Are you hosting a laid-back community fun run or a soul-crushing sufferfest that will demand everything they’ve got? Is your event a stepping stone to something bigger, someone’s A-race, or their very first go at trails? Are your participants seasoned veterans who’ve seen it all or newcomers who need guidance every step of the way? Understand their expectations and be honest about whether you can meet them.

Question: What's your favorite race to direct?

Answer: My favorite race to direct is the Ironstone 100K. It’s delightfully low-key, unapologetically difficult, and absolutely not for everyone. The race kicks off at 2 p.m. in the brutal humidity of mid-July, sends runners straight into 20 miles of sunbaked rail trail, and then hurls them into some of the most technical terrain Pennsylvania has to offer at night, with no pacers, and with aid stations spread thin. It’s a beautiful kind of cruelty, and the runners who choose it are cut from a special cloth.

Question: What's your favorite race to run?

Answer: My favorite race I’ve ever run — three times now — is Manitou’s Revenge. I first entered back when registration still happened by mail, and check-in took place from the back of a Subaru. The course is pure chaos in the best possible way: 53 miles and 15,000 feet of vertical on legendary Catskill trails like the Escarpment and Devil’s Path. You claw your way up jagged climbs, stumble down unruly descents, and find yourself scrambling on all fours more often than you’d care to admit. It’s raw, humbling and unforgettable.

Question: Tell me about a funny experience as an RD and what you learned from it.

Answer: One of my funniest moments as an RD came early in my career. A man and woman got lost during one of my races and showed up at an aid station running the wrong direction. When we asked how they missed the signage, he just grinned and said, “We were talking ... and suddenly we were lost. So we kept going.” Turns out he saw the markings — he was just too busy enjoying the conversation. A year later, during her race, he waited atop a mountain to propose to her. The next year, they got married there. The lesson? Never assume a race is routine. You never know what a single event might mean to someone.

Question: If a runner can only do one of your races ever, it would be ...

Answer: If a runner can only do one of our events in their lifetime, it has to be the Eastern States 100. It’s a brutal, beautiful test of resilience that pushes every runner to the edge. But what truly makes it special is the heart of the people here — our volunteers, our communities, our trail culture. The hospitality is deep-rooted and genuine; the generosity is real. There’s nothing else like it. If you know, you know.

Question: What exciting project do you have in the works?

Answer: Looking ahead, we’re excited about several new initiatives, especially increasing

female participation in our races and in endurance sports more broadly. We’re also working to build our races into year-round drivers of regional tourism and economic growth. And yes, I’ve got a few wonderfully odd, off-beat race ideas on deck.

Question: Where can runners find out more about your races?

Answer: https://www.easternstates100.com/