Centre County native Mike Casper is no stranger to distance running. In the late ’90s, after running a 200-mile relay in New Hampshire, he wondered if he could bring a similar event back home, to the trails of Rothrock State Forest.
“A friend of mine and I thought this would be an amazing thing for runners in our area,” shares Casper, race founder and director. “We went out on a weekend, driving around Rothrock, and put together what we thought might be an interesting route.”
He and Steven Bodner envisioned a challenging 50-mile course starting with the switchbacks up Laurel Run Road — just past Tussey Mountain Resort — and winding around landmarks such as Whipple Dam State Park, Alan Seeger Natural Area, the Greenwood Fire Tower, Penn-Roosevelt State Park, and Colyer Lake.
The culmination of their efforts? The Tussey Mountainback Ultramarathon and Relay — now approaching its 26th anniversary.
When they founded the race in 2000 as a 50-mile relay and ultra, Casper and Bodner weren’t initially sure if the event would gain the traction it needed to succeed.
“We had been running in the community for a while but didn’t know if this was something that would be interesting,” says Casper. “The first year, we had 16 relay teams and one ultramarathoner show up to run the full 50 miles.”
Despite initial hesitancy, the Mountainback has grown over its lifetime to be a well-respected race, increasing in visibility, popularity, and impact alike. On Oct. 25-26, when the event takes place this year, Casper anticipates that over 60 relay teams and more than 100 ultramarathoners will toe the starting line.
Those running this year have plenty of registration options. In addition to the original 50-mile ultra and 50-mile relay, race organizers have expanded events in recent years to include a 50-kilometer race, a kids’ mile, and a 100-mile ultra.
The Mountainback community also comes together beyond race weekend to offer free “Tussey Teasers.” These informal, volunteer-led races allow local athletes to preview sections of the course, try different relay legs, and connect with other runners in a low-pressure setting. For some, the teasers are a way to train and prepare for the 50- or 100-miler or the relay. For others, they’re simply an opportunity to enjoy Rothrock’s trails.
After the first few years of the race, runners began asking Casper if they could do two loops of the course to run 100 miles. Casper took this request to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, which provides the permit necessary to put on the race. Because the race takes place during hunting season, DCNR couldn’t approve a Saturday race start before 6 p.m. — a challenge for a race that can take 24 hours for a runner to complete.
“After some discussion, we asked, ‘What if we started the event after 6 p.m. Saturday?’” remembers Casper. “And they said that was fine.”
In 2024 — the inaugural year of the 100-mile race — three ultramarathoners completed the course, which began on Saturday at 6:30 p.m., ahead of the race’s other events on Sunday.
In the Spotlight
While the 100-mile ultra is just taking off, the Mountainback’s 50-mile race is nationally recognized, certified by USA Track & Field.
“We’ve hosted the 50-mile national championships for USATF 13 times,” notes Casper. “That’s something that has helped bring the national spotlight to Happy Valley. It’s been an honor for us to do and has brought high-caliber runners to take part in the race, including some world-class people. That’s always exciting.”
Casper shares that the interplay between relay teams and ultramarathoners is a unique aspect of the Tussey Mountainback.
“A lot of ultramarathoners that do races across the country are used to being out there on the road all by themselves — never seeing anybody until the finish line. At this race, not only do they see volunteers, but relay teams cheering for them along the course. And on the other side, you have relay teams seeing the ultramarathoners running 50 or 100 miles and are inspired by what they see,” says Casper. “It does something good for them as well.”
The diversity of relay teams has been another interesting part of the race’s evolution. The relay race attracts high school clubs, Penn State University department teams, family teams, and even teams from the West Point U.S. Military Academy and beyond. One team that has stood out over time is the Old Men of the Mountains, a co-ed relay team organized by local legend George Etzweiler, who passed away earlier this year at age 105. (See writer Vincent Corso’s tribute to Etzweiler in the May issue of Town&Gown.)
Tom Lechleitner, a longtime volunteer and race organizer, shares that “George had a rule. You had to be at least 65 years old to be on his team. He didn’t want anybody young because it would blow the average.”
Casper adds that part of what made Etzweiler an inspiration to the local running community was his effort to engage the oldest runners of the community and go for the relay team with the highest average age.
“But also, his perspective on the whole thing was the joy of running, the joy of being out in nature, the joy of fellowship of the race,” notes Casper. “He’s been an inspiration for all the runners who have taken part, as well as for the broader community.”
One of the groups inspired by Etzweiler’s grit, consistency, and tenacity is a relay team formed several years ago called the Young Chicks of the Mountain. The team is made up of four female runners, ages 9 to 14, plus two parents.
Etzweiler’s team is a “nice group of people who take themselves very seriously,” according to Lechleitner, who often saw him training, walking up the switchbacks of Laurel Run Road in early spring.
“George’s was always the first relay team to register,” shares Casper. “We open registration in January, and he always registered immediately. He had registered the team for this year before he passed away.”
The Old Men of the Mountains plan to run the relay this October in remembrance of Etzweiler and to honor his legacy.
Making a Difference
Beyond runners inspiring runners, the Mountainback delivers impact through a yearly partnership with local nonprofits. Each year, race organizers invite nonprofits to apply to be considered as a beneficiary of the event.
“We try to focus on organizations that do vital work in the community but are either small or new, have limited budgets, or are low in visibility or community awareness,” says Casper. “We’re not going to raise millions of dollars for everybody, but we want what we raise and contribute to make a difference in what they do.”
Over 25 years, the Tussey Mountainback has raised more than $170,000 for local nonprofits. In 2024 alone, the race raised over $14,000 for the Centre Region Down Syndrome Society. This year, proceeds will benefit the Jana Marie Foundation, a Centre County nonprofit working to prevent suicide and support mental health among youth and young adults.
Looking to the future, Casper and Lechleitner are optimistic about how the event will grow and change over the next 25 years and beyond.
“We’ve established a foundation of events; it’s just a matter of continuing to make the event more visible to people,” says Casper. “We can partner with more and more organizations locally to raise more money for our beneficiaries, and we have the capacity for more teams to join. We could involve more business and corporate teams, community teams, and university teams to take part in the event.”
Lechleitner describes goals to expand volunteer engagement and community involvement on race day, offering the JFK 50-Miler in Maryland — the first ultramarathon established in the United States, in 1963 — as an example.
“They’ve got the same people at the same aid stations year after year after year,” says Lechleitner. “Those people really take pride in what they’re doing.
“We’re in the early parts of talking with some community groups to do something similar here and hopefully grow that,” continues Lechleitner. “We’ve got 12 different aid stations, and 13 for the 100-miler. It would be great if we could set up aid stations from local groups and let them brand it and run with it.”
Additional ideas for future expansion include adding new distances, potentially a 5K or 10K event, if organizers can get the OK from DCNR to begin events on Friday or Saturday of race weekend.
“That would give us the opportunity to build this up so it’s a full running festival weekend,” says Casper. “We really have a great venue out there in cooperation with Tussey Mountain Ski and Recreation. It’s the perfect spot to launch all that and have people see what’s going on in the area outside a football game.”
Lechleitner adds, “Mike and his team of folks have done a fantastic race. It’s amazing that anything lasts for 26 years, and it’s got the legs to keep going and get community involvement.”
Casper and Lechleitner highlight the crucial role volunteers play in preparing for race day and carrying out day-of operations.
“We need scores of people — upwards of 80 volunteers over the course of the event,” says Casper. “Primarily, we need people out there on Sunday. It’s a wonderful opportunity to be in nature and also be inspired by the runners.”
Get ready to run — or volunteer
The 2025 Tussey Mountainback races will take place Saturday, Oct. 25, and Sunday, Oct. 26, with the 100-mile ultra beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. The following morning, the 50-mile ultra, 50K, 50-mile relay, half marathon, and kids’ mile will kick off. All races start and finish on Bear Meadows Road, just below the Lodge at Tussey Mountain.
Go to tusseymountainback50.com for more information, to register for the race, or to volunteer. Race registration ends on Oct. 4. Volunteers can sign up any time before race day.
This year’s races benefit the Jana Marie Foundation, janamariefoundation.org. T&G
Jules Slater is a writer and runner based in Bellefonte. They’ve run a few Tussey Teasers and have their sights set on the Mountainback 50-miler in the next few years.
