The no-frills Fat Ass phenomenon
By Neal Jamison

The entry form for the Gunpowder Keg Fat Ass 50K, in Hereford, Maryland, includes this disclaimer: “No entry fee. Bring your own supplies. Any potential refreshments, meals, etc., are subject to the whims of potential sponsors … If you want to be fed at a race, you can go pay $35 and run a flat, fast 5K and get a cheap cotton T-shirt to wipe the crumbs of a day-old, cinnamon-raisin bagel that tastes suspiciously like onions.”

Have you got a fat ass? You might, and not even know it. Or maybe you do, and you just can’t admit it. Fat Ass (FA) races are cropping up everywhere, and there may be one near you. Of course, there is appeal to any race that is free, but it’s more than just the zero-dollar price tag that feeds popularity. FAs normally take place in the winter, when there aren’t many trail races happening, giving runners a place to test their mettle and burn off their fat derrieres.

One would think a free race would draw thousands of runners. Well, there are a few catches. First, you get what you pay for. In other words, you get no T-shirt or awards. And, since these no-frills races usually cover long distances (most are 50-kilometers, give or take) on tough, mostly unmarked trails, they definitely target the low-maintenance, no-whining crowd.

Credit the FA movement to Joe Oakes, who in 1978 used a lack of 50-mile races as an excuse to stage his own. Oakes needed a 50-mile race in order to qualify for one of the 100-mile races.

Finding none, Oakes entered a 50-mile relay race as a team of one. He finished the relay and later ran the 100, but his search for that 50-miler sparked an idea. A year later, Oakes inaugurated the first-ever Fat Ass 50 and invited his friends. Two of them showed up-not a great turnout by present-day standards. But a few more showed up the following year, and a new breed of event was born.

Today there are FA races everywhere, and lots of people run them. The 2005 Catherine’s FA, a summertime bungle in Virginia’s muggy and buggy Massanutten Mountain range, challenged 70 runners from as far away as Arizona. And thanks to the post-race celebration (another trait shared by many FA races), let’s just say that nobody left unhappy.

Why do people like these FA races so much? It’s more than just the party. Mike Strzelecki of Baltimore, Maryland, says, “These events strip the sport down to its basic elements: a trail, a runner, a pair of shoes and a passion to move forward-it’s not about the T-shirts, bragging rights or finishing time.”

So this winter, when the race calendar looks slim and your butt balloons, look for a Fat Ass in your neighborhood. But be warned: they are not always easy to find. Some of the best FAs fly under the radar, because in their quest to stay hassle-free they take place without the benefit of some permits, licenses or insurance.

Trail Runner lists fewer than five FA races (they usually have the words “Fat Ass” in their name) but there are rumored to be over 20 in the country. A good bet is to scour the web (Google “Fat Ass Race”). Better yet, ask around at local running stores or running clubs-they should give you info, even if it comes with a “ssshh!” or a wink.

This article appeared in Trail Runner magazine, issue #37

Check out British Columbia’s Club Fat Ass: http://www.clubfatass.com/