Mark Valites

I went to school in Geneseo & worked there after graduating / lived in the city/Lakeville for a while & starting running roads while I was out there, but didn’t get into trail running until just before I moved back to Buffalo. I’ve since done a handful of longer races all around the country & spent a lot of time on the FLT/the Adirondacks/PA on my own. In general, I love spending time outside not just running, but any type of adventure. The more remote & technical, the more it appeals.

Places to trail run around Buffalo:

• Sprague Brook
• 18 Mile
• Chestnut Ridge
• Hunter’s Creek
• Niagara Gorge
• Ellicottville (Holiday Valley/HoliMont/Little Rock City & McCarty Hill State Forests)
• Allegany State Park
• Finger Lakes Trail, Conservation Branch/North Country Trail
• Carlton Hill
• Allegheny National Forest
• Erie County Parks Quadruple Trail Challenge
  • ~22.5 miles of trail, split between the most popular Erie County Parks: 18 Mile Creek, Chestnut Ridge, Hunter's Creek & Sprague Brook. You run them all self-supported in one day & drive time between them counts. The routes at each park are the "traditional" routes & more detail can be found in the map. Order & route direction for the parks with looped trails is up to your discretion. Keep your watch running the whole time & send me the track after. FKT currently sits at 5:08:40.

Running Highlights

2021

So many unsupported FLT 50Ks
Manitou's Revenge
FLT FKT

2020

Summer Trap Dyke
World's End
Multiple un/self supported 50Ks & a 50M on the FLT for the #flt50

2019

Winter Trap Dyke
World's End
No Business

2018

Glacier Ridge
Manitou’s
Never Summer
Crystal Hills FLT (finished FLT)
IMTUF
No Business

2017

Glacier Ridge
Breakneck
Manitou’s
Onondaga FLT
Eastern States
No Business
Allegheny Front Trail

Previous

Burning River
Twisted Branch
Bigfoot
Tahoe
Moab
Sehgahunda
Cranberry Lake
Great Range Traverse
All FLT branch trails
15 marathons