2025 Report
October 3, 2025 • Luray, VA
2 starters, 1 finishers
The 4th running of the Massanutten Revenge, like the previous three iterations, started with a relatively small field of runners. For 2025 it was a small but mighty field: Jana Fridrichová and Dan Fogg. These were two Revenge veterans who outlasted others who had entered but who all ultimately dropped out pre-race. Jana had bagged a Revenge finish in 2023; she ran again in 2024, but was unable to finish that year in large part due to the effects of an automobile accident in the days leading up to that year’s event. Dan had some unfinished business with the event in general after a DNF in the inaugural year of 2022 (see his report here), but also with what has become the notorious Three Top section of the course above Powell’s Fort Camp on the way into the Woodstock Tower aid station (just short of halfway through the run).

The weather for this event could not have been any better. Year One was cold, foggy and very wet, as the remnants of a hurricane rolled in for the bulk of the run. Year Two was pleasant and dry. Last year, there was a threat of bad weather in the forecast, but it turned out to be dry, as well. The two runners in 2025 commented on feeling some heat in the sunnier sections during the first third of the course, but the temps topped out in the 70s, with lower humidity. Overnight the temps dropped into the low 40s, and then back up into the 70s with continuing sunshine on Day Two.
Both runners looked comfortable and strong throughout the daylight sections over roughly the first third of the course, as they made their way north from Camp Roosevelt at the southern end of the Fort Valley to Buzzards Rock, and then back into the valley at Elizabeth’s Furnace. Then things got more serious, as a couple of climbs on the blue-blazed Tuscarora Trail took them over from the east ridge of the Massanuttens to the western ridge. And to the notorious Three Top Mountain section of the course.

If you are keeping score at home, it is now Three Top Mountain 2, Dan Fogg 0. On his first foray over its rocky length in 2022, Dan was battling fog, rain and cold. This year, the battle was with an overgrown and sparsely marked “trail.” Dan’s report was that it was so overgrown and challenging to follow that he eventually bushwhacked down the side of the mountain to the more regularly maintained and heavily used orange-blazed Massanutten Trail that parallels that section of the Tuscarora Trail. When he arrived at Woodstock Tower he withdrew from the event since he had not followed the entire course to that point.
Jana survived her Three Top experience and arrived at Woodstock Tower about 3 hours after Dan. But she was still in the game and eager to press on. A photo of her eating at the Edinburg Aid Station a few miles later shows the effect of that Three Top section, as her legs looked like they had just been through the Rat Jaw powerline climb at the Barkley Marathons (see that photo in the gallery below this report; Jana supplied a more detailed image that can be seen to the left).
Could that be some foreshadowing of what lies in store for Jana in the coming year? We shall see …
Now that the match race was down to just the Jana Show, the volunteer force out to support the event worked hard to help her score her second Massanutten Revenge finish (see below for the full list of volunteers, in addition to the run splits and some photos). Aid stations were manned by some stalwart VHTRC veterans, who generally had provisions to feed an army. And who fortunately had the right ingredients to feed the Army of One still fighting on Day Two, Jana.

She also benefitted greatly from some expert and timely assistance from last minute Safety Runner volunteer, Carl Bligan. Carl picked Jana up at her second visit to the Picnic Area aid station, nearly 35 hours into her run (and just shy of 9 PM, so early in her second night). The two of them stayed together over the final 16+ miles of the course, which involved a second climb up Waterfall, a delightful journey across Kerns Mountain, a plunge down Jawbone to the final aid at Gap Creek II, then up to Peach Orchard and down to Duncan Hollow for the final muddy miles to the finish at the pavilion at Camp Roosevelt. Jana and Carl were joined at Gap II by the event record holder, Luc Claessens, who provide a boost to them both over the closing 6+ miles to the finish.
Jana’s finish in 42 hours and 51 minutes knocked nearly an hour and a half off of her previous time here; she is the women’s event record holder. This despite the course being 2.2 miles longer in 2025, as RD Bur added an early out-n-back from the top of the initial Stephens Trail section to the top of Kennedy Peak. She is now the only two-time finisher of this event, and one of two women to complete the course, to date. Two men have finished, the above mentioned Luc Claessens in 2023 (who not only holds the event record, and is the only sub-40 hour finisher), and last year’s sole finisher, Joey Cohen.
Thanks to everyone who came out to play in our beloved Massanuttens for Revenge IV. And yes, despite a dip in participation, there WILL be a Revenge V. Director Mike Bur has tinkered with the course each year (adding Duncan Knob in 2024, and in 2025 adding an early out-n-back to Kennedy Peak); what might be in store for 2026? Stay tuned!

Other reports
- A Few Words From Carl, by Carl Bligan
Results
Name | Age | Sex | Home | Time |
---|---|---|---|---|
Jana Fridrichova | 46 | F | MD | 42:51 |
Dan Fogg | 40 | M | VA | DNF |
Splits
Aid Stations:
Habron Gap (11.2)
Veach West (23.4)
Buzzards Rock (33.6)
Elizabeth’s Furnace (39.7)
Woodstock Tower (52.3)
Edinburg Gap (60.5)
Gap Creek I (71.1)
Picnic Area I (83.6)
Picnic Area II (93.5)
Gap Creek II (103.9)
Camp Roosevelt Pavilion/Finish (110)
Name | Age | Sex | Home | Habron | Veach | Buzzard | Furnace | Tower | Edinburg | Gap I | Picnic I | Picnic II | Gap II | Fin! |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jana Fridrichova | 46 | F | MD | 2:12 | 5:17 | 8:35 | 10:50 | 16:53 | 20:45 | 24:50 | 30:53 | 34:40 | 39:49 | 42:51 |
Dan Fogg | 40 | M | VA | 2:09 | 4:58 | 7:36 | 9:24 | 13:55 | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | XXX | DNF |
Volunteers
Massanutten Revenge Volunteer | Assignment |
---|---|
Mike Bur | Creative Genius/RD |
Brian O'Connor | Buzzards |
Hank O'Connor | Aid Station Policing/Belly Rubs |
Quatro Hubbard | Roving/Posting |
Tom Simonds | Elizabeth Furnace |
Jeff Best | Woodstock Tower |
Charlene Howard | Edinburg Gap |
John Hord | Edinburg Gap |
Kevin Bligan | Gap Creek I/II |
Meaghan Burton | Gap Creek I/II |
Carl Bligan | Gap Creek I |
Luc Claessens | Gap Creek I/II |
Lisa Peabody | Picnic I/II |
Jacob Lankford | Picnic I/II |
Last updated October 9, 2025