The terrain is tough. The weather is unpredictable. The rugged, changing trail requires a constant injection of willpower and an abiding desire to conquer new peaks and steeps.

But to lovers of high-energy, -endorphin and -endurance sports, the reasons for mountain running are clear.

“It’s the people for sure,” said Laurel Moyer, 28, of Lockhaven, Pennsylvania, who has come from the Keystone State to charge up the challenging Kinsman Ridge trail to the summit of Cannon Mountain on Saturday, which will be the first Cirque Series mountain running race on the East Coast.

It features a 3,386-foot vertical gain and a 6.7-mile course to the top and back.

Moyer, who is camping near the base of Cannon, started training for mountain running in 2022, now works with a coach, and competed in her f

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