With nearly 300 participants toeing the start line at this year’s event, the race is known for offering runners a gnarly blend of steep downhills, icy rocks, cold temps and multiple difficult climbs.

Surprisingly, that bone-chilling blend is exactly what registrants look forward to when they sign up for this event, which sold out in a record 17 minutes for this year.

“This has definitely been my favorite race so far,” reported Cy Haight, 15, of Trout Run. Overall winner of the 8.5 mile distance, Haight labeled the course “steep and slippery.” None of that was a deterrent for Haight, even in his first year running trails.

“I had to adjust my running for those conditions, but it was a ton of fun,” Haight said.

PHOTO PROVIDED Erica Lubera, at left, and Kaylee Frederick celebrate at the finish line post-race. Lubera ran the newly added 25k distance, and Frederick ran the 13.5 distance.

Those sentiments were echoed by the top female finisher in the 8.5 mile distance, Michele Zandona, 46, of West Harrison, N.Y.

“The entire race was phenomenal,” she exclaimed. “I felt like a little kid holding onto the ropes while running those steep downhills. It was so much fun and so challenging!”

This was Zandona’s first attempt at the event, but she expects to return and tackle some of the alternate distances in the years to come.

The 13.5 mile distance, which includes a second intense boulder climb in addition to the first, had the largest field of competitors this year with nearly 150 finishers.

“It was a really interesting course. I could run those downhills all day,” said Kaylee Frederick, 20, of Johnstown. This was Frederick’s first running of The Frozen Snot, and she took the top female spot in the 13.5 miler. She also recognized the amount of time others gave back to the event.

PHOTO BY Emily Shaffer Natalie Rosamilia, 13, of Port Matilda, makes her way along The Frozen Snot course, followed by her dad. Rosamilia was first in her age group for the 8.3 mile distance.

“I couldn’t believe the number of volunteers out there in so many different places on the course,” she said. “It was super cool to see so many friendly faces!”

Eric Smith, 33, of State College, was the first male finisher in the 13.5 miler.

“I felt great in between all the hills…which wasn’t much!” he joked. “The weather was so nice, too. It was a perfect day to be out on the trails.”

Saturday’s event saw a new crop of finishers, thanks to this year’s addition of a 25k distance option, adding even more mileage to the wide variety of terrain on the courses.

“It all went great!” reported Frozen Snot Trail Coordinator, Paul Noll, of Lock Haven. “We got so much positive feedback on how nicely the new distance flowed in with the other courses. The added miles allowed people a chance to stretch their legs and open up some speed while still tackling all of the traditional hardcore Frozen Snot climbs and descents.”

PHOTO PROVIDED Trail Coordinator, Paul Noll, and Volunteer Coordinator, Joanne Heimer, both of The Frozen Snot race team, made sure that all ran smoothly on race day, as well as in the months leading up to the event.

Those who took on the new 25k found some surprising rewards in the added mileage.

Top male finisher, Eric Kosek, 44, of Wellsboro, said, “I’ve run the half distance twice before, but this course included some great new stuff! The downhill was really awesome. I felt better than ever before at this race.”

Kosek also credited the event staff for adding to the overall experience, commenting, “The volunteers are the best part of this race.”

The new course sent 25k participants onto a separate loop partway through the race to gain the added mileage, then dropped them back into the half course to finish out the race.

For Erica Lubera, 34, of Bangor, Pa., the flow of the new distance was half the fun.

Photo provided Winner of the 25k race, Eric Kosek, 44, of Wellsboro, with Race Director, Luke Ebeling. This was the first year a 25k distance was added to the event. After receiving great reviews, the 25k will be included again for the 2026 race.

“I’m often out there by myself during races. With the way this was set up, I got to see so many more people! It added a social aspect that I often miss during races,” Lubera said.

As the first female finisher in the inaugural 25k, Lubera appreciated the extra mileage, but also found joy in the signature Frozen Snot aspects, remarking, “Those ropes on the downhill are still so much fun.”

For Race Director, Luke Ebeling, of Bellefonte, witnessing the joy on participants’ faces at the finish line makes all the work put into the event worthwhile.

“Seeing people smiling from ear to ear out there on this brutal course — that’s credit to my amazing team. People know what they need to do, and they do it,” he said.

Ebeling also attributed the event’s success to the time and effort contributed by the community as a whole over the course of the day.

PHOTO PROVIDED The start of the 2025 Frozen Snot event. The race began at 7:30 am from the Restless Oaks pavilion in McElhattan and headed down Reservoir Road, giving runners a chance to spread out and warm up before hitting the trailhead.

“We’re beyond proud to see a 90 percent volunteer return rate. These folks stand out in the cold for hours — in some ways, that’s just as hard as running the race,” he said. “It really speaks to the central PA trail running culture, but also the niche Jeff Stover (founder and original Frozen Snot Race Director) cultivated from the beginning. He did a fantastic job building this event at the outset, and we’re just carrying that on.”

Official race results are available at falconracetiming.com. For more info on The Frozen Snot, visit thefrozensnot.com.