UltraRunning Magazine Jan/Feb 2014 by UltraRunning Magazine

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

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IN THIS ISSUE » NEWS & NOTES » RUNNING WISE | Race Preview – Zion 100 by Gary Dudney 10 » NUTRITION | A Day We(ll) Lived by Sunny Blende 14 » ASK ANN | Beating The Blues by Ann Trason 15 » THE NEXT STEP | Are You Tough Enough? by Dean Karnazes 16 » THE OPEN ROAD | Steady State by Gary Cantrell 18 » Where Did The Gravel Go? by Win Van Pelt

19 » NOW, AND THEN | Road Warriors by Joe Uhan 21 » TRAINING | 100-Mile Prep by Ian Sharman 23 » GEAR REPORT | (Not Your Usual) Shoe Review by Brett Rivers 28 » ULTRA/LIFE BALANCE | Racing To Work by Ellie Greenwood 92 » THE ULTRA LIFE | The Rocket by Steve Tursi BRAD CLAYTON

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SPECIAL SECTION 50 » 2013 YEAR IN REVIEW & ULTRARUNNERS OF THE YEAR

Rob Krar, Men’s Ultrarunner Of The Year, at The North Face championships in Marin County

INTERNATIONAL ADVENTURES 50 » High in the Himalayas by Jacqueline Windh

FEATURE RACES 52 » Mountain Masochist 54 » JFK 50

RACE REPORTS 79 » Stagecoach 100 80 » Prairie Spirit Trail Fall Classic 81 » Surf the Murph 82 » Big’s Backyard Ultra 83 » Whistler 50 84 » Run With Scissors 85 » Stone Steps 86 » Door County Fall 50 87 » Stone Cat 89 » Bills’ Bad Ass 50K 91 » Old Glory Trail Trot

UltraRunning (ISSN 0744-3609), Volume 33, Issue 8 © 2014 by UltraRunning, all rights reserved. UltraRunning is a trademark of UltraRunning Media Group, LLC. © 2014 UltraRunning Media Group, LLC. UltraRunning is published 10 times a year, monthly

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Canada/Mexico $75 per year (U.S. funds); $90 outside North America (U.S. funds). POSTMASTER Send address changes to UltraRunning, P. O. Box 9, Fairfax, CA 94930.

What a year it has been. I want to thank ev- the Appalachian Trail, and Race Across America eryone who has supported UltraRunning maga- (that’s a 3,000 miler…), to Barkley, in addition to zine through our transition, which has been an smoking ultra races like the JFK 50. In his spare ongoing process since June. Tia and the rest of time, Horton conceived and organized new our team have pulled together to overcome chal- races and mentored younger faster ultrarunlenges while also developing and implement- ners. This generation saw the emergence of new ing improvements to the magazine and our products, like GU and S!Caps. Ann Trason and infrastructure. We have a roster of eight strong Tim Twietmeyer led us through that generation columnists, there is a new digital version of into the third, with fast younger runners at the the magazine, we have launched a new web- front, more women, new customized products, site and we have improved our subscription re- “sponsored” runners who got free shoes, and the newal process. We appreciate your patience and emergence of race series like Montrail Ultra Cup support, and our entire team looks forward to - hello, AJW. And UltraRunning magazine, which bringing you increasingly relevant, helpful, and started in 1981 as a journal of the sport and the entertaining coverage, in print and online. We only place to find race results, went from blackhope you enjoy this Ultrarunner of the Year is- and-white photos to color in 2007. sue, and make sure to check out our shoe review Which brings us to our current, fourth gento help get you in the right kicks for 2014. eration. A booming sport, races selling out, new Year-end 2013 also marks the end of another races emerging everywhere and several new race huge year of change and growth in our sport. series for 2014. With new products, brands and More ultra races than ever, more finishers than innovations just for ultrarunners. The elites are ever, course records broken and amazing perfor- seeing more prize money and real sponsorships mances in all portions of the age spectrum. Be and they globe-hop to compete on all contisure to check out all of the stats beginning on nents and epic terrain. At the same time, every page 28. In a frankly stunning sign of the times, ultra race seems to have more and more first both Ultrarunners of the Year for 2013 ran their time finishers, who get a taste of ultrarunning first ultra in, get this, 2012. That was last year. and usually want to come back for more. And This leaves me wondering, how can we get our we all know there are few places on earth better head around this growth and change in the sport than the finish line and post-race party at an ulwe love? Adam Chase, President of the American tra, where we celebrate, happy that it’s over but Trail Running Association and Salomon’s Trail also with the lingering thought, “Hey, maybe I Team Captain, framed the history and evolution could do that again, only faster…” Ironically, this fourth generation of ultraof the sport recently at a presentation at The Running Event in Austin, Texas. He identified running is fueled in all respects by technology, four generations of ultrarunning, roughly as fol- whether it is race websites, on-line results datalows: the first generation were the pioneers - these bases, GPS data, blogs and more than anything, folks were tough, independent individuals, who social media. The emergence of iRunFar brings were “out there” literally – hello, Gordy. They ran us real-time coverage of major ultras, in-depth with maple syrup bottles and canteens for hydra- video interviews of the elites and more. It is tion on courses that had never been run, weren’t inevitable that the fifth generation will include professional ultrarunners and increased comalways marked and had no aid stations. The second generation brought more orga- mercialization of the sport. Maybe a dedicated nized races and structure to the sport, symbol- TV network? Naturally the growth and change ized by David Horton, who did everything from makes us wonder and worry about the future of

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

P. O. Box 9 Fairfax, CA 94930 www.ultrarunning.com

MANAGING EDITOR Tia Bodington CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Erika Lindland COLUMNISTS Sunny Blende, Donald Buraglio, Gary Cantrell, Gary Dudney, Dean Karnazes, Ann Trason

SUBSCRIPTIONS subscriptions@ultrarunning.com or UltraRunning Magazine P. O. Box 9 Fairfax, CA 94930 attn: Carol King

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PUBLISHER Karl Hoagland

COPY EDITOR Susan Bush DIRECTOR OF IT Ted Knudsen WEBSITE CONTENT MANAGER Cory Smith

LISA HENSON

THE LONG VIEW

our sport. Look no farther than marathons and the “marathon majors” to get a sense of where we may be heading. But it’s at times like these that it is more important than ever that the underlying values of our sport remain in place and guide us on the path forward. All of you know what it means to share, support and contribute to create our community. This means the little things like encouraging other runners during a race, picking up a piece of garbage we see on a trail, detouring from an A-race to help another runner in need, sharing with new ultrarunners at the postrace event and embracing the spirit that the last runner is just as important as the first. These are the values that create our community and make ultrarunning so special and worthwhile for all of us. Our culture is the combined values of every ultrarunning participant. What you do matters, a lot, and together our values and positive attitudes can insure that growth is indeed good for our sport. Having met and interviewed our two ultrarunners of the year, “newbies” each, I can assure you that our sport is in good hands. Rob Krar and Michele Yates are both very humble, friendly and thoughtful individuals who respect and embody the traditions of ultrarunning and its community. As Tropical John Medinger recently said in this magazine, these are indeed the good old days, enjoy them and do your part to lead the sport forward. Here’s to a great 2014! Karl karlh@ultrarunning.com

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Geoff Baker Photography, Keith Facchino, Michigan Bluff Photography, Glenn Tachiyama, Matt Trappe PHOTOGRAPHERS Ivan Buzik, Micah Carroll/Mykkah Photography, CDH Creative, Brad Clayton, Lori Clayton, Bryan Cochran, Glen Delman, Shannon Drohan, Gary Dudney, FarNorthEndurance.com, Fourth World Images, Lisa Henson, Tyson Hofsommer, Jacqueline Hurd, Jacqueline Hurd, Jon Jarosh, Ben Kimball, Milan Kovacevic, John Lewis, Bill Manual, Kristi Mayo/ Mile 90 Photography, Rick Mayo/Mile 90 Photography, John McCarroll, Andre Pielage, Chad Randolph, Reebok Spartan Race, Brett Rivers, Scott Rokis, Mark Shelton, SkiPix.com, LLC, Victor Sportdesign, Matt Trappe, Tyoga Running Club, Masha

Udensiva, Win Van Pelt, Natalie Werner, Kristin Wilson, Jacqueline Windh CONTRIBUTORS Sue Angell, George Banker, Denny Colegrove, Brandon Janosky, Joel jenkins, Greg Lemkau, Todd Lieman, Daven Oskvig, Heather Poast, Brett Rivers, Mark Shelton, Steve Tursi, Matthew Van Horn, Win Van Pelt, Celeste Wagner, Jacqueline Windh, Zeke Zucker CORRESPONDENTS AT LARGE Lisa Henson, John Medinger EDITORS EMERITUS Peter Gagarin, Fred Pilon, Stan Wagon, Don Allison PRINTING Independent Printing Co., Ashland, Oregon CIRCULATION Northwest Mail Services

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NEWS & NOTES

NEW RACE SERIES IN 2014 UTWT On December 8, Topher Gaylord, CEO of Mountain Hardwear, gave a presentation on the UltraTrail World Tour at San Francisco Running Company. Gaylord, a true ambassador of the sport, provided a comprehensive overview of the UltraTrail World Tour. The Ultra-Trail World Tour is an innovative approach to organizing and unifying the sport on a global level by providing a race series that consists of 100K and longer iconic ultras in countries around the world. If you are looking for a series with epic international races that are sure to have the energy and excitement of an elite field at the front, and a great experience for all participants, this is it. Races in the series include UTMB, Marathon des Sables, Transgrancanaria in the Spanish Pyrenees, Mt. Fuji, Tarawera in New Zealand, and Western States 100, among others. Scoring for the series is complex and there are as many approaches to that as there will be participants in the series; 2014 will be the inaugural year and there are many details to work out and issues to address, but it is likely that this series will evolve, grow and emerge as a beacon of the sport. Check it out at www.ultratrailworldtour.com.

SKYRUNNING SERIES COMES TO THE US Skyrunning is coming to the United States in 2014, with ultra races in Utah, Montana, Colorado, Washington, Arizona and Georgia. The U.S. has hosted Skyrunning events before, but never a larger domestic series. Skyrunning races have taken off globally in recent years at the more extreme end of mountain running with stars like Kilian Jornet leading the charge. There will be new national series in approximately 10 countries in each of three distance categories – Ultra, SkyMarathon and Vertical K. Ian Sharman, the Director of the U.S. Skyrunning Series, comments, “Ever since I first saw Skyrunning at Transvulcania, it captured my imagination with the audacity and beauty of the courses and sheer difficulty of the races.

The events are some of the toughest around but leave runners wanting more, from the leaders to the back of the pack.” The first race in the series is in May, 2014, at the Cruel Jewel in Georgia. Complete series details are available at www.usskyrunning.com. MACKEY BREAKS QUAD RECORD On November 30, 2013 at the 31st edition of the Quad Dipsea in Mill Valley, California, Dave Mackey broke the course record at this historic race. Likely fueled by turkey and all the Thanksgiving fixings, Mackey flew in from Colorado the night before and charged over the hilly course in 3 hours 48 minutes and 45 seconds, besting the record by 13 seconds. Look for a full race report and interview with Dave in our March issue.

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RUNNING WISE

RACE PREVIEW – ZION 100 MILE/100K/50K by Gary Dudney

RACE PREVIEW ZION 100 MILE/100K/50K APRIL 4-5 (FRIDAY/SATURDAY) VIRGIN, UTAH (NEAR ZION NATIONAL PARK) ZION100.WORDPRESS.COM (OR FACEBOOK) If you’ve ever seen an episode of the Lone Ranger, Have Gun Will Travel, Death Valley Days, or Gunsmoke, you know this area. If you’ve ever sat in a dark movie theater and watched the camera pan over a series of red-rocked, striated mesas rising thousands of feet off the desert floor in the opening scenes of a dozen classic Westerns, you know this area: the mesa lands of southern Utah. Now imagine local ultrarunners tasked with laying out a hundred miles of trail that will best showcase the area, taking in world famous hiking/mountain biking terrain, scrambling thousands of feet up and down the sides of the mesas, ranging out through the desert along the canyon formed by the Virgin River. Then imagine first-class planning, organization, and execution, and you’ve got the Zion 100. Among the highlights of the course is the Slickrock hiking/mountain biking trail that stretches for 12 miles on top of Gooseberry Mesa. Running this trail is a wholly unique experience. The trail twists and turns through a maze of rock formations and scattered piñon and juniper trees. You follow white dots painted on the rock through “bowls and ledges,” dodge cactus and yucca plants, and jump up and down over a

thousand boulders. Suddenly the trail sweeps by the knife edge of the mesa and you’re looking out over miles of the Zion National Park, then it’s a quick turn and you’re back in the maze. You traverse a similar slickrock area at night on yet a different mesa top called the Guacamole Trail. You can take comfort in the food and fire provided at the aid station at the beginning and end of this nine-mile loop, but the topsy-turvy run around the edge of the mesa is a bewildering maze of lights, rock cairns, white dots, and sharp turns. Only the excellent course markings get you through it. The climbs to reach these mesa tops are epic, and you will not believe the final drop to the finish off Smith’s Mesa into a vast desert valley with the tiny town of Virgin below and all the mesas you’ve visited crowding the horizon. Attention to the experience of the runner at this race is remarkable. There are the accommodating three distances: 100 mile, 100K, and 50K. There are early start waves at 4 and 5 o’clock for the 100, which effectively extends the cutoff to 34 hours (although early starters are

not eligible for awards). Runners can chose from several items for their race swag. The colors and graphics on the clothes are elegant and reflect the desert setting of the race. Special care has been taken to craft unique finishers’ buckles that artfully incorporate materials from the trail into the resin of the buckle. Even the event website is a full bore experience, complete with video, pics, forums, blogs and a lot of thoughtful commentary from Race Director Matt Gunn about his quest to make the Zion 100 as epic as possible. TRAVEL It’s possible to fly directly into St. George, Utah, but the small airport there has limited connections. Try McCarran International in Las Vegas, a full-service airport with connections to everywhere and bargain flights. The drive up to the race is only 2 hours and you pass through the dramatic Virgin River Gorge on your way. On

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

GARY DUDNEY

Scenes from the Zion 100

your way home, you can do things in Vegas that stay in Vegas, and re-up your carbo stores in the first-class restaurants on the Strip. WHERE TO STAY St. George is a half-hour west of Virgin and offers the widest selection of standard, low-cost hotels. Springdale, 15 minutes east of Virgin, is just outside the entrance to Zion National Park and boasts some fancier and pricier accommodations, including the Cable Mountain Lodge, which is a short walk from the park entrance and the shuttle ride into the park. Packet pickup will be at the IMAX Theater near the park entrance this year, another reason to consider the costlier charms of Springdale.

AREA ATTRACTIONS Gunn writes, “The highlights of Zion National Park can easily be seen in one day. There are plenty of easy hikes that could be done before the race (Emerald Pools, Canyon Overlook on the east side of the tunnel, Riverside Walk).” Also, “…make sure to a) ride the canyon shuttle all of the way to the end of the road, b) get out of the shuttle and make the mile journey up the walking path to “the Narrows” slot canyon… and c) drive up to the east entrance of the park through the tunnel.” If you’re still hungry for more after taking in Zion, Bryce Canyon Na-

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NUTRITION

A DAY WE(LL) LIVED COURTESY SUNNY BLENDE

by Sunny Blende, M.S., Sports Nutritionist

Todd Lieman was our major sponsor (A Day Well Lived), media liaison and Official Observer (every detail of what went in, and out, of Paul as well as winds, water temperature, seas, mood, etc. had to be documented). Scott Servin, owner of La Mision Hotel in Loreto and adventure below his “cross-over point” – the point where seeker; Scott Rokis, professional photographer an athlete begins using more carbs rather than and Tahoe Backcountry Ski Patrol (Search and mostly their own body fat for energy. Although Rescue), and me - ultrarunner, swimmer and he was capable of swimming fast, he could also “swim 100s (yards) on the 1:05” endlessly. sports nutritionist, rounded out the team. Base training included swimming 4-5 times And you thought organizing your crew for a per week, anything from 4,000 to 12,000 yards. 100-miler was complicated! In addition we had three boat captains – Gerry, In the three months leading up to the event Paul would swim a big chunk of back-to-back Chino and Ben Alley. More about that later. swims every three weeks - three consecutive days: 3x4hr swim, 3x5hr swim, 3x6hr, 3x7hr and THE STATS Paul is a 49-year-old family man living in Mill 3x8hr (8 hours is about 20 miles in the water). Valley, California with his wife, Chris, and Three years ago he started a very physical weight their twin boys, Luke and Cole. He weighs 175 training program, acclimating his muscles to pounds at 5’10” and has a resting heart rate of the over-fatigue he would experience in the 48 and blood pressure of 119/64. He is spiritual, Sea. Paul was very strategic with his training, introspective and totally believes in himself, yet using RestWise, a science-based algorithm is always respectful of the Sea. recovery program to determine if he was overtraining. Any time he was sick or tired, he took TRAINING 3-5 days off. This is super-impressive for an Like any ultramarathoner, Paul put in his ultramarathon athlete, as we often over-train training time. This was the third year he was and get sick, injured, obsessed. He didn’t get trying to swim across the Sea of Cortez. In 2010 sick and only had minimal injuries. he was on a Relay Team of six swimmers that attempted a 102-mile crossing. In 2012, Paul NUTRITION PLAN swam 24 straight hours before the crew called For his training nutrition, Paul’s mainstay was the swim due to extreme currents that stopped the product UCAN. UCAN is a superstarch, almost any forward progress. So in reality, Paul meaning that it has a very high molecular had been training a couple of years for this. He weight that enables it to clear the stomach was extremely fit, and his athleticism was never quickly (therefore avoiding stomach and gut in question. He was a “metabolically fit” athlete issues which can often be a “race stopper” for due to his high mileage and lower (grain-based) many ultra-endurance athletes), and yet, once carbohydrate intake. Most of his mileage was it reaches the small intestine, it “slowly drips” into the blood. This slow, but continuous absorption keeps the blood sugar from spiking (and therefore having a resultant crash), and is all carbohydrate, yet has no sugar in it. The product allows an athlete who has trained their fat-burning system to use mostly their own body fat (which even the leanest athlete has plenty of) for energy and gives that athlete the added advantage of having to take in fewer calories during their event, again avoiding gut issues. Because Paul’s training has been so extensive – 60 miles of swimming in three days - he would normally be required to take in about 200 to 300 calories of carbohydrates an hour in order to be able to continue exercising at that level/rate. But because he is using more of his own fat, rather than exogenous energy (calories taken in from outside sources), he only has to consume about 100 calories an hour. A huge improvement. That said, he would still get hungry in such a long swim (40-60 hours) and he would still be breaking down muscle. He would need some protein to “spare” that breakdown and repair those muscles, as well as have something satisfying and a little filling, aka “comfort food.” In training, he used CrossFuel, a fat-proteinPaul Lundgren taking in liquid fuel at an “aid station” carbohydrate drink made of nuts and other proprietary ingredients being developed by a fellow

10 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

SCOTT ROKIS

As ultra endurance events go, we were supremely well prepared. The goal: for Paul Lundgren, ultramarathon swimmer, to swim solo across the Sea of Cortez according to English Channel Swim Rules, setting a world record distance swim in the process. This meant a swimsuit, swim cap and goggles were all he was allowed to wear on the entire 82-mile distance. He would be able to take in fuel handed to him by his crew as long as he did not touch them, or the kayak or the larger boats supporting him. In other words, once he started swimming, he would not stop until he touched land on the other side of the Sea of Cortez, unless the swim was aborted for some reason. He had a crew of 12 and they were tight; most of them seasoned athletes themselves, some of whom had been to the Sea of Cortez on two previous unsuccessful attempts. The team included co-captains Chris Chorak (Paul’s wife) - a swimmer and former triathlete as well as physical therapist and owner of Presidio Sport and Medicine; and Jamie Patrick, 2012 Ultramarathon Swimmer of the Year. Former lifeguard, professional triathlete and waterman Mark Montgomery, and pole vault athlete and coach Randy Hixon, acted as the main escort kayakers. Dennis Sullivan, former triathlete, EMT and 2012 San Francisco Fireman of the Year, acted as medical coordinator and back-up kayaker. We had strong support swimmers on the team including Phil Cutti, current world record holder in the longest relay swim (Point Conception to San Diego - 228 miles), Brian Bunch, former U.C. Berkeley water polo player, and Edna Llorens, elite Mexican swimmer from La Paz who had been on the relay team in 2010 that swam 68 miles before having to be aborted after one of the team members suffered a bad jellyfish sting.

SCOTT ROKIS

A kayak for safety and a pacer for company, surrounded by waves instead of trees and trails

THE SWIM The team arrived over a three-day period in Loreto, Baja Sur, Mexico. Then began the series of obstacles, hitches, snags and complications that would begin to unravel our well laid out plans. The first is that we lost our support pilot boat. This almost ended the attempt right then. Without a boat to carry the crew, the kayaks, the nutrition products, and to provide safety and a place for some crew to rest while others worked their shifts, the swim was not possible. Scott Sevrin, owner of La Mision Hotel in Loreto, came to the first of many rescues, by calling every boat owner he knew in Loreto asking them if they could provide support for the swim. We spoke to the Mayor of Loreto, the Governor of Baja and even the Mexican Navy, as well as most fishermen and boat owners in the area. One big and two smaller boats were found to replace the pilot boat. There was a tropical storm brewing south of the Sea of Cortez, but we had a window where

we could launch the swim sooner to avoid impending strong winds and waves. When the last of the crew landed, we packed and launched our three boats immediately. The entire crew, half our water and Paul’s nutrition were loaded into the faster boats and we departed for the eighthour boat ride across the Sea to the start – going from a gorgeous orange, pink, then deep purple sunset into the dark. No moon, lots of stars. As Paul began to get ready, one of his worst nightmares surfaced; his swim bag was nowhere to be found. With a borrowed bathing suit and cap, and goggles that did not properly fit - this would be like borrowing a pair of running shoes at the 100-mile start line - Paul tried to quiet his mind. The captains found the shore near the coordinates we had chosen for the start while the crew slathered on a mixture of Bag Balm, Safe Sea (a patented sunscreen lotion that deactivates jellyfish stings) and zinc oxide to protect Paul from some of the elements for a while. Paul jumped in the water and made his way to shore, shuffling his feet to avoid stingrays. Yelling to the boat to start the watches – 10:10 p.m., Sunday night, November 3 – Paul stepped back into the sea …and onto a stingray that inserted a barb into his foot that would burn for the next eight hours. As Paul began finding his rhythm in the water, the crew was trying to settle the chaos on top of it. We needed to manage two support boats and find a working cadence that would allow the kayakers to launch fully stocked with Paul’s nutrition needs, allow the swimmers to get in the water to accompany Paul part of the time and stop crew members from trying to jump between boats in the dark in a sea that was getting rougher and choppier by the hour. We settled into a comfortable routine, and had a moment to enjoy the gorgeous night full

of stars, the Milky Way, the water illuminated with bioluminescence, Paul’s tiny light shining from his cap, the swimmers joining in for an hour or so …kayakers like clockwork handing off nutrition every 30 minutes. Shouting to Paul asking how he was – on a scale of 1 to 5 – on things such as energy, gut, stroke, frame of mind, provided numbers we could live with. Not excellent, but then he WAS swimming in the dark in the middle of the sea and had been for hours. As the sun rose, so did everyone’s moods; except for that nagging feeling that maybe we had not outrun the winds. Time marched on; jellyfish stung, but as the seas came up, they seemed to be less of a problem. 11 Paul continued to swim at a consistent 60 strokes per minute while another issue started raising its ugly head. We had not been able to reach the bigger boat with all our supplies all night. As nutritionist, I had made sure to have all Paul’s supplies on one of the smaller boats, and I had asked team members to bring high calorie bars to sustain themselves if we could not prepare crew food, but the small boats could not carry all the water and fuel that we needed. The seas were getting rougher and I worried about our fuel – both boat’s and the crew’s – but mostly I worried about our WATER. First rule, drink to your thirst and don’t get dehydrated. We had a crew of twelve plus two captains and Paul. Taking inventory, we had eight gallons of water remaining and we were still in the middle of the Sea of Cortez. Paul had to have water to sustain the swimming … the crew could get a little dehydrated, but not too much. Finally, the Alley Cat radioed. As it appeared on the horizon, it buoyed all of us, Paul included. He was left to swim escorted by only a kayaker, as each one of the small boats refilled with fuel and water. It would turn out that this would be critical to everyone’s safety. The crew ULTRARUNNING.COM

swimmer. A four-ounce serving is about 200 calories. In the actual swim, Paul used Justin’s Almond Maple Nut Butter and Chocolate Hazelnut Butter in a mixture that included pecans and starch. These products had been the staple of his training diet, plus water of course. He also used some electrolytes (Hammer Nutrition Endurolyte in powder form) mixed in with his water. We had tried many “real food” items in training – PBJ sandwiches, turkey, bananas, pickles, peaches, and a lot of other foods – but what worked best for Paul were egg whites (hard boiled) and avocado. We rotated the UCAN with some real foods and a protein source and came up with a plan that could sustain him for hours on end without lulls in his energy level and with no stomach issues.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

50 hours on. Waiting for us at the got some of their warmer gear and RACE NUTRITION PLAN Loreto airport, in La Mision-style, a meal as things settled back down. were two white-uniformed waiters But the storm was heading our way FEEDING SCHEDULE with a tray of margaritas, and our as the sun began setting for the secFirst hour is nothing. Then rotate the Four Hour Feed Cycle fellow crew members, who had ond night at sea. outlined below, with feedings every 30 minutes. UCAN and hair-raising stories of their own to As the seas came up and one Justin’s on the hour, the electrolytes, water, egg whites and tell. of the kayakers took on water and avocado on the half hour. Alternative foods on the trailing began sinking, we realized that we kayak if needed. THE SMALL BOATS SAGA might not be able to assist and feed Todd Lieman, who was on the Agave, Paul from a close range kayak anyFOUR HOUR FEED CYCLE (THE STAPLE OF THE SWIM) more. More swimmers went in and tells the story: 1:00 – UCAN (Plain flavor) out, quickly making trips from the “I was surprised by the first 1:30 – H2O/Electrolyte – Hammer Endurolyte Powder main feed boat to Paul with bottles ‘bounce’ of the boat. The wind was 2:00 – UCAN and baggies with avocado or egg kicking up and the surf was getting whites in them. Paul was getting choppy, but the explosive sound of 2:30 – Egg Whites/H2O – about 2 egg whites, hard-boiled fatigued and was worried about the boat crashing back to the surf 3:00 – UCAN making it through the second night. was shocking. Our captain, Ger3:30 – Avocado/H2O – about ½ small avocado He wanted a swimmer with him at ry, let out a playful holler, which all times. We felt it was necessary to made me think we were okay. I sat 4:00 – Justin’s Maple Almond and Justin’s Chocolate put kayakers back in the water, as in the chair next to him and conHazelnut Nut Butters it was not very safe for the swimvinced myself that it was fun. After 4:30 – Justin’s, starch and pecans mers in the dark without them there. the first wave broke on the bow of Our problem - even with a crew of the boat, however, Gerry’s fun calls ALTERNATIVE FOODS (AS NEEDED) twelve, it was asking a lot to have quickly turned to curses. And when Licorice/Ginger Candy/ Snickers, 5-Hour Energy, swimmers and kayakers in at the he called the panga in front of us Tums, Green Tea same time throughout the night. on the radio to say, “We can’t take Paul called out he was getting another wave like that,” I explained cold. Swimming a bit faster to stay to Gerry that the expert isn’t supwarm resulted in greater fatigue. The additional contact with the smaller boats and were worried posed to feel that way, or at least let on to the rain Baja had endured the previous weeks along about their safety; they had the same concern inexperienced crew that we might be in some with the tropical storm Sonia, had dropped the about us. Scott Servinm was now on the galley kind of trouble. He calmly explained to me that water temperature seven degrees from what was floor of the Alley Cat, green and sick, curled into the boat wasn’t designed to take waves like that. Wave after wave crashed over the boat. We expected, from 82 to 75. That is huge in swim- the fetal position, looking more dead than alive. ming. Things were not looking good… Chris, who was now seasick, had wedged herself were soaked to the bone. Even as this went on, After twenty hours and thirty-one minutes, behind a ladder going to the fly bridge, staring I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, hoping I and without much fanfare, Paul called the swim. out at sea and taking an hour to chew the two would just wake up and we’d be … somewhere. “This isn’t safe,” he said. It was over. Adversity crackers I had given her. Paul was asleep in the Anywhere that wasn’t where we were. There was was slightly ahead in this attempt. The crew, downstairs bunk; he awoke to take a pain pill, no sleeping, however, as my body kept getting the captains, the training, the nutrition, the and then crashed again. Randy was trying to thrown into one railing or another. The waves continued to break on the boat swimming were all near perfect – but the sea sleep, but I was bugging him to plot our course had thrown a few curve balls we could not on his handheld GPS just to have a back-up and us. We were running low on fuel, we were overcome. World records are not made easily, directional guide. I made it my job to now talk out of warmth and we were in the midst of the and this one was eluding us for another day. to, and feed, our heroic captain who had been longest, worst night of my life. The small boats’ going non-stop for over 24 hours. I am sure he captains decided to head for a safe bay instead thought I was nuts as I talked about anything of through the storm to Loreto. We pulled into 12 and everything, while trying to stop the flying the tranquil bay at 4:30 a.m. The swim had breadboard, coffee bean jar and metal objects ended about 10 hours earlier and hot showers, in the stove and refrigerator from becoming tequila, and nachos were nowhere to be found. At this point, the plan was simple: wait deadly projectiles near Scott’s head on the floor. Eventually I fell asleep and as the sun came until dawn and motor back the last 30 miles up, we expected to see Loreto soon. Or not... in daylight. Soaking wet, emotionally and Captain Ben had decided that, rather than head physically exhausted and freezing cold, we all into a storm that was growing in magnitude, he fell asleep for an hour. When we saw daylight, would turn around and get us safe on land in we untied our boats and as we made our way San Carlos on mainland Mexico. We had been down the Baja coast towards Loreto, the sunrise at sea over 12 hours since the swim was aborted was spectacular. We turned toward the sun and we were still in the middle of the Sea of to welcome the warmth and gazed in awe at SURVIVAL – A DAY WE LIVED The crew, Paul and gear were divided among Cortez, with declining fuel supplies. Once more the surrounding scenery. Hours earlier, in the the three boats for the ride back to Loreto. we got turned around, but this time we could darkness of night, this same terrain was its Paul was put aboard the bigger, slower boat. I clearly see it on the handheld GPS. Finally, after mean, evil twin - this morning, pure beauty.” transferred to this boat to take care of Paul and 3:00 p.m., 21 hours after Paul stopped swimming, see my partner, Randy, who had been on the we saw the shoreline of San Carlos. With phone REFLECTIONS kayak boat until he developed heat exhaustion service now, we texted the rest of our crew in Looking back, there were no regrets. Attempting a swim such as this takes enormous planning by and was transferred to the Alley Cat. We had Loreto…THEY WERE SAFE! Scott, with a 100% turnaround from his everyone concerned - not only from the athlete been on different boats since the start and I was glad to finally see him. The plan was for the two seasickness-from-hell, was already coordinating and crew, but also from all the friends and smaller, faster, boats to head quickly back to our return to La Mision Hotel with his staff. family left back home that supported this event. Loreto and we would follow. This was our plan; Upon docking, we had a taxi waiting to take Most things went according to plan. We raised us to Guaymas Airport to meet his friend with money for the Mexican non-profit group Eco however, it was not Mother Nature’s. The seas continued to come up, reaching 10 to a private six-passenger plane to safely fly us 35 Alianza, the crew was top notch – without the 12 feet with the occasional rogue wave. We lost minutes across the sea that we had just spent experienced critical decisions that were made

“IF THAT WAS THE END OF THE STORY IT WOULD BE A PRETTY GOOD TALE, BUT THAT WAS ABOUT THE TIME THE ADVENTURE BEGAN,” RECOUNTED PAUL. MORE WAS TO COME.

by them and the boat captains, we could have suffered serious loss. The training was good. The nutrition plan will be used again; how often can you go 20-plus hours with no gut issues? In fact, Paul swam the same number of miles as his 2012 attempt in four hours less time, and in much worse conditions. We were all grateful to Paul for giving us the opportunity to experience this adventure.

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ASK ANN COURTESY ANN TRASON (CENTER)

BEATING THE BLUES by Ann Trason Dear Ann, Now that WS100 lottery is done, and a few of us are in and needing to plan our training we realize that it entails quite a bit of downhill running. As a 14-time winner, what did you do to train for downhills? What can you advise us to prepare for the downhill portions of the race? Dear DownhillOh yes, downhill running was an integral part of my training regimen for any mountain trail event. It had to be because it was one of my weakest links as a trail runner. I was known to periodize

this critical part of my training into three segments: going to school, practice, and execution. Going to school always started around the first of the year. My instructors were incredible runners such as Dan Williams, Bob Bunnell and Emma Davies, to name a few. Coursework centered around working on technique, turnover and efficency. I also learned that, when

14 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

running downhill, always be prepared to fall elegantly, almost effortlessly so that it almost looks that you are enjoying the earth’s gravitational pull. Every year it seemed I would have a notable faceplant and I made a point to get the most laughs out of each dirt tasting. My homework, during school session, included reading and watching videos - whatever I could get my hands on for some bit of advice. Improvement seemed to come in small steps but my goal was to make the new year better than the last. So, factors to take into consideration are that research has shown that there is adaptation to stress of downhill running or eccentric contractions (lengthening). It has also been documented that too much downhill running is associated with decreases in VO2 max. My advice is to avoid doing downhill training too frequently so that your body has time to recover. The last six weeks leading up to a major event should be all about execution. In fact, for yetto-be-explained reasons, the soreness insurance provided by a single bout of downhill running can often last for six weeks or more (Muscle Function after Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage and Rapid Adaptation, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, vol. 24(5), pp. 512-520, 1992). It has been documented that this insurance wanes perceptibly after six weeks and no positive effect is seen 10 weeks out. For me, running the canyons or down Hope Pass hard six weeks out with a repeat performance one to two weeks later was critical. Race day would come and I would then have the confidence that I had worked on my technique and that my quads would not turn to mush during the event. Yes, Downhill Will, this is an excellent time to be thinking of downhill training.

Send your questions to AskAnn@ultrarunning.com

Ann, With new “championship” races popping up and new race series on the scene, what are your thoughts about prize money in ultrarunning? Is it a good thing? Should it increase?

athlete who could break the 100-mile record set Dear Alan, by Jenn Shelton, 14:57:18. Thank you, Ellie, as this The growth of the prize money and “champion- is a fine example of how a bit of vocal concern ship” races is definitely a hot topic in the beloved can have a very positive impact. ultrarunning community. It is my belief it is just For the majority of ultrarunners, prize money too early to tell how this will affect the sport. The re- and championships are not their major concern. ality is that this is a natural progression as the sport At the end of the day, Alan, change is a good becomes more mainstream and popular. Hand in thing. New races, new championships, financial hand with prize money come such difficult ethical incentives to the elite crowd, can be an excellent questions as the use of banned performance-en- development if it does not sacrifice the integrity of hancing substances, and gender equality, to name the sport. I am a firm believer that not all events just two. As a race director I am also concerned that have to have a huge amount of swag and pomp championship races may cause some the current and circumstance. Local and regional races and local and regional races to lose their draw and fade “old school events” will continue to have their niche away into distance memory. in the ever-changing world of ultramarathoning. I could be wrong here but at the present it You never know. The new breed may even seems like a bit like the Wild West. The sad truth enjoy a well-managed event that gives out a cotis that some sort of monitoring of doping should ton shirt, a pat on the back, and some good be addressed. Out of competition and in compe- home-cooked food at the end. tition drug testing may have to be a part of the new landscape. It was not that long ago (okay, Ann Trason is a 14-time women’s champion at the maybe it was in the last decade) that a woman Western States 100, and set World Records at the I was competing against tested positive for a 50-mile (5:40:18 in 1991), 100K (7:00:47, 1995), 12-Hour banned substance and got a two-year suspension. (91 miles 1312 yards, 1991) and 100-mile (13:47:42, 1991) Comrades Marathon has tested the top athletes distances. Ann was co-director of the Firetrails 50 for years. Does the sport of ultrarunning want to in northern California for 10 years, and has taught be under USATF drug testing guidelines? I think science at the college level. so. Do you? This is the time to delve into this topic and not sweep it under a rock. Gender equality should be mandatory. From the number of spots in a given race, to travel assistance, from time incentives, to prize purses, all should be equal for both the men’s and women’s fields. Hard to monitor, I agree, but gender issues should be transparent so that folks can determine the philosophy of given races. Ellie Greenwood, in her September 18, 2012 iRunFar column titled “The Politics of Prize Money” addressed just this issue. Ellie elegantly brought up how the Indiana 100 had caused “quite a stir” when they first announced a $25,000 incentive for breaking the “overall” current North American-soil 100-mile record of 12:44:33, set by Ian Sharman at Rocky Raccoon in When ordering from 2011. Hard to imagine, but it is possible but not likely that a woman would have a chance of breaking Ian’s time. The shopmpc.com Race Director later added an use code ultrarunner Copyright © 2013 MISSION PHARMACAL COMPANY, All rights reserved. incentive for a new women’s missionpharmacal.com PP-13402 when ordering record as well, to the female

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ARE YOU TOUGH ENOUGH? by Dean Karnazes Ready to take on a challenge tougher than a marathon? No, it’s not an ultramarathon, it’s a 10- to 12-mile course in which you crawl through mud pits, waddle across ponds of brackish water, swing from ropes and hop over wooden walls. Best of all, you have as much time as you’d like to do it, because you’re not timed. All of which left me scratching my head wondering if the people claiming the Tough Mudder is tougher than a marathon have ever actually run a marathon? What I’ve discovered is revealing. It case you haven’t noticed, the number of socalled “alternative” running events has erupted. In the short time they’ve been around, nearly as many people are now participating in these types of events as in traditional running races. Some of these events are little more than an extended street party, such as the Color Run—a 5K in which you are doused from head to toe in different colored powders at each kilometer. Others are a bit more arduous, such as the Warrior Dash or Muddy Buddy, while still others are legit endurance conquests, like the World’s Toughest Mudder or the Spartan Ultra Beast. So how do these more grueling obstacle races compare with a standard ultramarathon? In some

ways they’re similar, but in many ways they’re quite a bit different. Both involve running a substantial distance, mainly on trails and natural surfaces with aid stations set up along the way for support. Of course, there are usually no major obstacles to overcome during an ultramarathon, with the exception of the occasional river to cross or fallen tree to scurry over. In obstacle racing, participants are required to traverse mud pits, scale walls, crawl under barbed wire, heave bulking tractor tires across sand, climb rope ladders, hurl heavy spears toward distant targets and run through a group of muscular men violently swinging big punching pads toward you. Yeah, some of these activities are a bit foolish and hokey, while others are more realistic and not dissimilar to what an ancient foot-messenger may have encountered during an extended cross-country run. While the racers in these obstacle-style events are typically more of the Cross Fit crowd, there is no shortage of triathletes and ultramarathoners also taking up the challenge, especially in the more hardcore races like the Spartan Ultra Beast. In fact, the Spartan Race series was founded by an accomplished ultramarathoner.

Many ultrarunners these days practice functional fitness as a means of cross-training and building overall strength. I’ve done a few sessions with the likes of Tim Olson, Nikki Kimball and Mike Wolfe, all of whom showed extraordinary all-around fitness, strength and endurance. These types of skills translate perfectly into the world of obstacle racing. Ultrarunners are a naturally exploratory and inquisitive people. I encourage you to keep an open mind when it comes to these alternativestyle events, maybe even sign up and give it a go. Even if climbing ropes and crawling through vats of mud isn’t entirely your thing, what’s not to love about the outdoor community shower at the finish. Dean Karnazes’ ancestry hails from an area not far from Sparta, so he is partial to the Spartan race series.

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STEADY STATE

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Last Man Standing. The concept was simple even a moment, that the 100K will be counted as enough. Create an ultra in which everything was a finish during a 100-mile event almost ensures equal, and the only factor determining failure or that option will be exercised. There can be no success was the determination not to quit. The worse plan for an ultra, than to go in with the concept was simple, but the outcome turned out mindset that, “I will go to (pick any distance) and to be complex. The result was a thorough study then decide about continuing.” As the event continued, other participants of one of the touchiest subjects in any sport, and found their way to the sidelines for a variety the very crux of ultrarunning: quitting. The race was held on a 4.16667-mile trail loop. of physical ailments. Knee pain and stomach The trail was not exceptionally challenging; upsets are always favorites. Divining the featuring neither difficult terrain nor extreme difference between a serious issue and weather conditions. The only requirement something transitory is always a challenge was for runners to toe the line every hour, on until we get to view the issue in hindsight. And the hour, and complete the loop in time to hindsight is too late. Many of the entrants eventually fell behind answer the bell for the next hour, a feat well within the capabilities of most ultramarathon the time limits. It was not a matter of the time runners. Failure to answer the bell resulted in limit being unattainable. Four miles an hour was elimination, so the winner would be the “last well within the runners’ capabilities. For those man standing.” To further simplify the demand, of us who have had to battle them, time limits a road out-and-back course was substituted for are implacable foes. Time marches relentlessly on, whether we remain strong or falter. Time the trail after dark. Not surprisingly, the race attracted a field limits, however, are also the friend of weakness. of exceptionally tough runners. There is an Outright quitting is so unpalatable; it is inherent appeal to a race in which simply not considered the gravest violation of sports ethics. quitting assures that you will be in the lead. Getting timed out allows a certain retention It seemed possible that the race might go on of honor. In reality, other than cases where a for days. After all, most runners would only be runner simply cannot make the pace from the eliminated by “giving up,” and we all know that outset, getting timed out is just another form of ultrarunners never give up. Surprisingly, after quitting. This was demonstrated repeatedly at three years, the longest the race has lasted is the last man standing event. Runners eventually a mere 35 hours. As it turns out, ultrarunners, lost concentration, and found themselves behind even the toughest and most determined, will pace. Then the runner would either pick up the pace to remain within the time constraints, or “give up.” Quitting can come in many guises. We are concede and come in comfortably out of time. all familiar with the standard “throwing in the We all face the same decision in continuous towel,” when a runner simply walks off the ultras, to push on or give up. There was another factor in quitting, that we course and declares that they have had enough. It is equally quitting, although considerably often fail to fully appreciate. Knowing when more acceptable, to slow down until the time the end will come. In the open ended format limits do the dirty work for us. Sometimes the of the last man standing event, runners became 16 line is blurred. Running an ultra at our best ef- discouraged not by the belief that they could not fort is always a battle between the mind and the “go the distance,” but by the belief that someone body, with the body willing to go to extremes else could go further. Quitting is really more in order to convince us to stop what we are do- about the abandonment of hope. As the number ing to it. We stop with an “injury” that seems of runners gradually declined, those remaining much worse when we are running than it does became more and more determined not to show during the trip home, and are left to wonder signs of weakness. The end came with less than if we really needed to quit. Quitting does not 150 miles as a total. There is little doubt in my necessarily even mean a failure to finish. In the mind that; had we set the race for a distance of wee hours of the night, that 24-hour hundred 150 miles, and based the finish on accumulated can come to seem much less important than it time, over half the entrants would have finished. Had the race had a set distance of 150 miles, did while we were planning the race. It seems entirely reasonable to slow down considerably rather than short-circuiting the methods we use and accept a slower time rather than continue as ultrarunners to extend our perseverance, the to drive ourselves on. Ultrarunners can be, at four-miles-at-a-time breakdown would have one time or another, their own harshest critic… dovetailed nicely with the most popular mental trick we use; setting aside the finish line, as Or their own enabler. Observing the action during the last man too far away to contemplate, and focusing on standing event, we saw quitting in all its various intermediate goals. Ultrarunners commonly forms. Some of the runners had come with a cope with the mental burden by running from target distance, and summarily stopped once aid station to aid station, or mile to mile, and that distance was reached. This brought to mind under the most extreme distress some will refer the races with “drop down” options, or any other to themselves as having run “from tree to tree.” The unavoidable conclusion at the end of time events. It is exceptionally difficult, during an ultramarathon, to continue past any option to the event was that mental preparation is as quit honorably. Allowing yourself to consider, for important, if not more, than physical preparation

GARY CANTRELL

by Gary Cantrell

to be successful at running ultramarathons. The old saying that we are stronger than we think we are, and capable of more than we realize, is the great underlying theme of the sport. The concept is easy enough to embrace while we are sitting at home; entering races or formulating race plans. It can be hard to remember when the difficulties of the moment push the finish line beyond our imagination. The popular trick of setting intermediate goals along the way, and running the race in small increments is effective as far as getting us to the finish line. However, it may not yield the results we desire, since it does not address the problem of maintaining the necessary tempo to achieve our real goals. The ultimate goal is to achieve the ability to enter a steady state; running consistently at a predetermined pace, thinking of neither the start nor the finish. It is not that one must never think about the finish, it is just that finish is not the driver that keeps the steady state runner going. The steady state runner is simply performing a task. It is not like this approach is totally unique. At our jobs, at school, even in our weekend chores at home, the steady state is the way most of us work. We all know when our workday ends. But, we do not start with enthusiasm and then quit halfway through the morning when that initial burst of energy wears off. We don’t mow the lawn focusing on surviving one round at a time. We don’t calculate our progress and realize that we are not going fast enough to finish by quitting time, throw up our hands in despair and just quit. We figure out how to go faster and pick up our output. The only reason we do not approach running an ultra the same way we perform other tasks is that physical discomfort is involved. What we have to do is look at these sensations as simply information. My muscles are getting sore: insignificant, continue. I am developing a blister: significant, stop and treat. We can also stick with the term discomfort, rather than pain. We are all overaccustomed to life with no unpleasant sensations, and have come to believe that all discomfort should be avoided. Of course, none of this addresses the original problem. How do you approach a race with no defined finish? I found myself trying to imagine how we would respond if we went to work, and found out that only one person was going to get paid that day: the person who was last to go home. I imagine most of us would quit much sooner than we would otherwise. Achieving the ability to maintain a steady state will make us better ultrarunners. But there is no escape from the need to know when the race will end.

17 ULTRARUNNING.COM

WHERE DID ALL THE GRAVEL GO? by Win Van Pelt

18 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

WIN VAN PELT

Hmm... This will be a great cross-training exercise. Trail runners running with wheelbarrows of gravel – yeah! We took shifts. Some runners loaded the wheelbarrows and other ran with them to where they were needed. It took us 2.5 hours to move the 10 yards of gravel. In no time we were munching on our tasty Egg (mc)Muffins, and the ranger came walking up, “Let’s see how you did.” We took a little stroll to where the gravel used to be… “Where did all the gravel go? I can’t believe it! How did you do that!” You ran with the wheelbarrows… you guys are nuts …but I like it! The senior ranger will be very happy.” We posted pictures of the work party on our club website and sent them to the rangers who posted on them Facebook. And since we did such a good job, they gave us extra credit. You can’t beat that. We host five Cougar Mountain trail races a year now and are required to volunteer 150 hours of trail maintenance, a number we far surpassed in 2013. Runners are always asking when we are going to have our next trail work party? What are some of the things that have made Wheelbarrow workout the difference? 1. We use Meet Up to schedule our trail runs. and his store, The Balanced Athlete. Eric is And to schedule our trail work parties. Letvery generous and believes in giving back. ting our running community know one to 4. Our trail work parties are three hours long two months in advance really helps. followed by a free brunch. My wife makes 2. Talking about giving back to the trails at our the best Breakfast Egg (mc)Muffins: English group runs has boosted attendance. muffin, bean burger, egg, spinach, and hum3. We have had great support form Eric Sach mus. The runners say they taste so good after three hours of trail work. I think it is one of our little secrets to get them coming back to the work parties. Seattle Running Club has raised $115,000 over the last 10 years for the park and has contributed over 1,500 hours of service to help maintain the trails. The trail race series is designed to meet the needs of a broad spectrum of runners. All the way from introducing the sport to those who have never run on trails, to elite athletes such as Uli Steidl who has won the Seattle Marathon nine times, and his wife Trisha, who has won the Seattle Marathon three times. Among others who have raced the series are Joseph Gray – a national Mountain Running Champion, Marlene Farrell – a two-time Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier. Cougar Mountain was also the training ground for Scott Jurek – a seven-time winner of the Western States 100. To find out more about the race series, or the trail work parties, check out seattlerunningclub. org/wordpress/club-events/. WIN VAN PELT

It is so easy to take for granted the privilege we have to run on trails. But where would you run if your local park was closed? Seattle Running Club home base for trail running is Cougar Mountain Park. When the Parks Department were handed big budget cuts, they approached Scott McCoubrey, then the President of SRC, to help raise funds and provide volunteer trail maintenance to keep the park open. That was the beginning of the Cougar Mountain Trail Race Series and SRC involvement in helping with trail maintenance. Through Scott’s passion and experience in race directing, the first Cougar trail race series began about 11 years ago. Out of each entry fee, $15 went to the parks, and for every race SRC donated 30 hours of trail work. [editor’s note: our taxes are supposed to cover public spaces, but...ultrarunners put in a lot of trail time, so perhaps we “owe” a little bit more to our favorite training and racing venues.] I remember Scott calling me and saying, “Hey can you join me this evening in some trail work?” Sure! We struggled then to get in our allotted hours of trail work. We have come a long way. Earlier this year, the Parks Department had 10 yards of gravel that needed to be spread on the trails. We met up with the ranger, who said, “You guys will never get through this pile, but do the best you can.” He left us with a few wheelbarrows, shovels and some rakes and walked off, saying, “I’ll be back in three hours.”

Hard-working ultrarunner/volunteers create value for Cougar Mountain Park

NOW, AND THEN

ROAD WARRIORS while, global trail series – Sky Running, and the new Ultra-Trail World Tour – continue to garner more and more attention. Just when we’re ready to hammer the final coffin nail, the cool autumn breezes blew in, and breathed new life into the roads: Californian Jon Olsen quietly showed up to an indoor track fun run in Ottawa, Canada, setting a new North American 100-mile record at the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence Ultra Classic, in September. Olsen became the first North American to break the 12-hour barrier, clocking an impressive 11:59:28. October’s Tussey Mountainback 50-Mile – the USATF championship road event held outside State College, Pennsylvania – saw a rare head-tohead – and smoking fast – battle between Matt Flaherty and Zach Bitter, two emerging road talents. The pair dropped IAU veteran David Riddle early with their hot pace, with Flaherty emerging out front in 5:28, a mere four minutes ahead of Bitter: blazing fast for a road course

While I love the trails for their scenery and the unique challenges of the terrain, I still enjoy seeing how fast I can go for a particular distance. And I really like getting in that groove where you lock on a pace and just go. When you are racing a long road race, it really doesn’t matter who else is running the race with you. The clock is really your main competitor and it is very objective. – Pam Smith

While Olsen’s mark garnered requisite attention, the 50-mile performances flew under the radar. Until November. The Chicago Lakefront 50-mile has a storied history: the two fastest 50-mile performances ever run were clocked there – by the aforementioned Fordyce and Klecker. Zach Bitter, perhaps feeling he had unfinished business from Tussey and, as he put it, “to test [his] recovery,” signed up for Lakefront just days before the race, with the implicit feeling that he could run fast there. And he did. Running alone on the 12.5-mile out -and-back, Zach started clicking off 6:20s, and kept going. And going. Pre-race, he did his homework: a sub 5:14 finish would put him on the Top Ten list. Facing a strong breeze and mounting fatigue, he dug down over that last lap, knowing a strong finishing push would get him there. He clocked a 5:12:36, good for Number 8 on the list, and the fastest American at the distance since 1981. That caught our attention. My first-ever ultramarathon was a road race, also at Autumn Leaves. Back then, it was a Western States qualifier, and that was its only draw for me. But after running that first year, something stuck. A deep allure. To the simplicity. The geometry. As such, while the trails beckoned, I returned each year to Autumn Leaves. Here is why, and also what is drawing the many runners to the roads:

SIMPLICITY Trail ultras have mass appeal, in part, because of the myriad variables that must be balanced. 19 Road ultras, by nature, are simpler: consistent surfaces and conservative pitches are a stark that features a gravel surface and over 5,000 feet contrast to the extremes of terrain, altitude, of vertical gain. weather, and late nights, of the trail run. The Not to be outdone, Cassie Scallon ran hard up simplicity of the road challenges runners to fofront with the boys at Tussey, posting a course-re- cus more inward. That may deter some, but it is cord 6:24 on the rolling course, a winning margin a major draw for others. by nearly an hour, and a third overall placing. That Flaherty notes, “There are fewer variables [on time places her in the front of the fastest 50-mile the roads], making it easier to compare perfortimes in the world for women in 2013. mances across time and geography.” He adds, A week later, Oregonian Pam Smith – best- “Some may say the roads are ‘boring,’ but I say known for her dominant victory at the rug- that the focus simply shifts from stunning views ged, heat-packed Western States in June – toed to the struggle against your competition and the baking flour starting line at the quaint your own body.” Autumn Leaves 50-Mile, outside Portland, for her traditional Halloween fun run. Though WEAKNESS HAS NOWHERE TO HIDE bedecked in metallic silver and lilac spandex, The variability of trail racing allows one to dull she meant business, intending to run a World the impact of their weaknesses by emphasizing Champs-caliber effort to replace that lost by their many other strengths: an inefficient flat runthe canceled IAU event. Perhaps in homage to ner might easily out-run a fitter competitor by Katy Perry, she “roared” to an unfathomable excelling at hill running, or technical navigation. 6:11 on the hybrid road/mud course at the pasOn the roads, weakness has nowhere to hide. toral Champoeg State Park. This time now plac- Pacing, stride inefficiency, and nutrition challenges her firmly in eighth on the all-time North es are magnified in the consistent, repetitive, and American list for women. high-intensity, speed-inducing road realm. As such,

ULTRARUNNING.COM

Road Warriors: The resurgence of road ultramarathoning in 2013. At first glance, the North American all-time fastest road ultramarathon list looks like a time capsule: names and times from decades past, seemingly frozen in time. The bulk of those fastest-ever road and track performances were all logged over 20 years ago. In fact, the most recent entry onto the USA Top Ten list for the 50-mile distance was etched in 1990. In 1990, Andy Jones’ 4:54 clocking for 50 miles was an impressive push toward Barney Klecker’s 4:51 set in 1981, and in the rear-view of Bruce Fordyce’s 1984 4:50:21 World Record. Conventional wisdom might’ve said, surely by the end of the [first] Bush administration, we’d have a new 50-mile standard, or a sub-twelve-hour 100-miler. But just like that, the roadies faded away, over the horizon and out of sight. Until this fall. What transpired back then, we may never know. North American distance running as a whole took a precipitous dive in the 1990s, evidenced by the presence of a single American male marathoner at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. On the ultra side, there began an exodus of sorts – to the singletrack. When Klecker and Fordyce were storming the double-marathon distance in the early eighties, trail ultramarathon races comprised only a fraction of all ultra races; the rest were on the tried and true tarmac and tartan. By the nineties, trail races were growing more and more prominent. Perhaps it was the Running Boomers, souls wayward and joints aching from two decades of pavement pounding, taking refuge on the hills and dales of the trail run. Or perhaps it was the growing legend and allure of the Original Trail Hundreds – Western States, Leadville, Old Dominion, and Vermont – that drew folks to the trails as a challenge even more epic than the safety of civilized pavement. Either way, the magnetic pole of distance running allure flipped in a geologic instant in the nineties, and with the snap of a finger, the continent’s talent shifted with it, pouring efforts and race entries to the trails. But if the 1990s was a pole flip, the 2010s have seen a tsunami of talent flooding to the ultra distance. Perhaps, then, it is only natural that some spill over to the roads. Or is a renewed interest in road ultra racing drawing talent back? The International Ultramarathon Association has been a strong – if isolated – draw for America’s ultrarunning talent, marked by 100K World Championship podium finishes for both men and women, individually and as a team, in recent years. Yet we aren’t seeing a carry-over to the domestic road races. In fact, the dismal showing at this year’s USA 100K championships at Mad City in May – where only eight runners, including just one woman, finished – and the outright cancellation of the World’s race in South Korea may be further evidence of ongoing malaise and decline of the road ultra. Mean-

BRETT RIVERS

by Joe Uhan

Indeed, the consistent nature of road ultras for many runners, they’re a truer measure of fitmay be one aspect that allows for faster ness – and mastery – than trail running. Smith speaks to some of the challenges of performances. Country road mile posts, bike road ultrarunning, “I think the wear and tear on path markers, loop courses, and even track your legs is much greater than a trail race. Also, ovals all allow the brain to attach itself to running with the same gait [on a less forgiving “The Pattern” - to compartmentalize the race surface] the whole race puts you at greater risk into smaller, more manageable parts. Bitter’s Lakefront wasn’t 50 miles, it was four times for some of the repetitive type injuries.” The mental challenges can also be staggering. 12.5 miles. Or eight times a 10K, for Smith at Adds Smith, “There is definitely a strong men- Autumn Leaves. Bitter notes: “Maybe it’s my track background, tal component, because the roads usually don’t offer the same stimulation that a trail does. but going as fast as possible is very motivating to me. I love trails, mountains, and beautiful Many of the races are on loop courses, which scenery as much as the next person. But compounds the need for mental toughness not there is definitely something missing in that to quit when you pass through the start/finish realm. I think if I ran only on trail I would every lap. I think attention to pacing is a much be left wondering how fast I could go given a bigger deal in a road ultra since you need to minimum of environmental hurdles.” maintain a fairly consistent pace even in the Smith agrees: “While I love the trails for last miles to run your best time.” their scenery and the unique challenges of the Because of their pure nature, road ultras can terrain, I still enjoy seeing how fast I can go for represent a more equitable assessment of fitness a particular distance. And I really like getting and fortitude. Says Flaherty, “When you have a in that groove where you lock on a pace and race at 11,000 feet with relentless ascents and just go. When you are racing a long road race, descents, there are a select few who are going to be able to properly prepare for the endeavor. it really doesn’t matter who else is running the The roads are accessible and equitable. Anyone, race with you. The clock is really your main competitor and it is very objective.” from anywhere in the country, can compete on a level playing field.” HISTORY The surge in trail running – in numbers, and SPEED Roads mean speed. Period. You’re either fast, or new races – makes comparison difficult. Storied you’re not. Your fitness has nowhere to hide. races with great record-keeping, such as Western States, allow for historical comparison, but The consistency of the roads allows runners to other races – most notably new races or those groove a sustainable, if not blazing, pace.

with varying courses each year – make it more difficult to gauge even personal improvement, let alone historic standing. Both Bitter and Flaherty recognize this, and value both personal and historical comparison. Says Bitter, “If I run Western States one year, and then a different mountain 100-miler the next, I don’t have as accurate of a sense of how much improvement, stagnation, or regression. A pair of flat ultras can be much easier to gauge improvement.” Flaherty adds: “Since 2011, I’ve had my eye on the U.S. Top Ten lists for 50K, 50 miles, and 100K. I love the historical aspect of those races, where I can say ‘Wow, look at what Barney Klecker ran in 1980! He was a 2:15 marathoner, so that means I should be able to run sub-5:10:00 at my current level.’ ” For these runners, the roads are a joyful pursuit. Should the trend continue, their performances will likely inspire more runners to return to the roots of the sport. And with that, the record books will see exciting revisions in the coming years. Joe Uhan is a physical therapist, coach and ultrarunner in Eugene, Oregon. Joe ran his first ultra at Autumn Leaves 50/50 in October, 2010, was the bronze medalist at the 2012 USATF 100K Trail Championships, and finished ninth overall at the 2012 Western States 100. Joe works at Tensegrity Physical Therapy in Eugene.

TRAINING MICHIGAN BLUFF PHOTOGRAPHY

PREPARATION TO FINISH YOUR FIRST 100-MILER by Ian Sharman

CONSIDER WHETHER A PACER IS NEEDED You may assume that a pacer will help drive you on and improve your time, but the choice of pacer is important and not all runners find them helpful at all. If you’re a very driven individual and think that having someone around while you suffer might not make the time pass more quickly, at least give thought to whether you need a pacer or whom you choose to pace you. Family members aren’t always ideal because they may not be as familiar with the sport and can care too much if they see you struggling, rather than giving you a kick in the butt at the appropriate points. EDUCATE YOUR CREW Even if a pacer isn’t for you, a good crew is likely to save you time at aid stations and deal with your ailments more effectively than you will alone. However, they won’t be much use if you don’t explain your plan for the race in enough detail. It’s the runner’s responsibility to make sure the crew knows exactly when and where to go, plus to stick to the race rules. The more they know about ultras, the more help they can provide, but also the better they know you, the more effective their advice can be. DON’T DROP OUT ON A WHIM Finally, 100-milers are such long events that there’s usually time to reflect if you decide you want to drop out. If that’s on your mind then don’t immediately quit at the next aid station. Instead, take a little time to eat, drink and look after yourself since it’ll help put the day in perspective and could perk you up significantly. 21 This obviously doesn’t apply if you have a serious injury, but most drops are through choice and I’ve seen many people regret their DNF at their leisure in the months after the race because they realize they could have walked in a finish under the cutoffs. Overall, bear in mind that the longer a race is, the more the mental side dictates how well you do. These simple tips can help to get you through the bad patches and avoid many of them happening in the first place, especially if you try to react to issues in your run at the first hint of something going wrong. ULTRARUNNING.COM

HAVE POSITIVE MOTIVATORS TO FALL BACK ON Linked to the will to finish is the ability to turn negative thoughts into positive mantras. Whenever you get focused on anything that’s going wrong, try to turn it around to what’s going right. For example, repeating in your head that you’re sore and tired won’t help, so instead tell yourself that despite feeling worse you’re still moving forward and that months of training are allowing you to do this. We all have different reasons to want to finish races, but have your most important ones lined up to remind you during those hard patches why you want to keep going. Bear in mind that even the fastest runners sometimes doubt themselves and every runner is likely to go through dark patches in their 100-miler. This is what makes the distance so special – there’s no such thing as an easy finish, so each one is DON’T RUN IF INJURED This applies both to your training and race day. very worthwhile and satisfying. Maybe you got lucky in a lottery and don’t want to waste a valuable race entry, but don’t let that THINK THROUGH AND HAVE A PLAN FOR cloud your judgment. There’s always a fine line ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE LIKELY TO GO between an annoying niggle that’s okay to run WRONG IN THE RACE on and a more serious injury that could lead At some point something will start to feel bad to months of rehab. It’s not worth risking your or go badly. Try to think each scenario through entire running career to attempt a race so it’s in advance to have a plan of how you’ll deal best to check with a medical professional if in with it. It’s much easier to do this when levdoubt. However, try to find a doctor or physical el-headed and fresh than when you’re feeling therapist who is an athlete themselves to get a dizzy at mile 90. better perspective. KEEP THINGS FUN AS LONG AS POSSIBLE BE PREPARED TO FINISH AT ALMOST ANY COST A good rule of thumb is to relax and enjoy the One of the key factors that will get you to the first half as much as possible. Try to take in the finish is for the race to be important enough scenery, chat with other runners and generally for you to be willing to dig deep when things have a good time. This helps to stop you goget hard. It’s guaranteed in a 100-miler that this ing out too fast or focusing too much on time point will come, possibly many times, so an in the early stages. Besides, most trail hundreds iron will is needed to push through and keep have beautiful courses in exotic locations, so it’s moving forward. A good way to train for this worth appreciating that during the race. is always to pick the more difficult option in training when faced with similar alternatives – PACE SENSIBLY for example, instead of cutting a corner on a Linked to the last point, don’t zoom out at the trail, pick the longer route. The more you do start and wear yourself out. Your 100-mile pace this, the more the tough option becomes your should be comfortable and relaxed for as long as possible. One useful tip is to slow down on a default and your resolve improves. Everyone will have a different line for how hill in the early stages if you don’t think you’d much they’re willing to suffer on race day, but be able to do it as fast in the second half of the in the race ask yourself if you’re doing longer- race. Try to keep the pacing fairly even throughterm or permanent damage to your body. If the out since the longer the race is, the more imporanswer is “no” then you will almost certainly tant your speed at the end is – this is the point regret dropping and you’ll have many months where time goals typically go out the window, to think it over, while the suffering on race day not the early parts of the race. is for a relatively short period.

At the end of the year most runners think about their plans for the following year, including their target races. This early planning is exacerbated by the number of lotteries for major races, something that’s becoming more common all the time. Due to the limits on participant numbers and the fame of events like Western States 100 or Hardrock 100, many readers will find themselves with what could be just oncein-a-lifetime opportunities to run one of these oversubscribed races. Therefore this article is designed to maximize your chance of finishing any 100-miler, especially if you haven’t finished one before. Rather than focusing on the physical training, the advice concentrates on the mental and tactical side.

Ian Sharman is an USATF certified ultrarunning coach, Grand Slam of Ultrarunning record holder and the 2013 Leadville 100 champion. He’s run over 180 ultras and marathons in over 30 countries, races frequently and his website is www.sharmanian.com.

22 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

SOMETIMES THE GREATEST INNOVATION IS SIMPLICITY. The new FluidFlex is as simple as it gets. No midsole gizmos. No gels, airbags or plastic parts. Just pure, responsive foam from toe to tail. Learn more about the FluidFlex at montrail.com

GEAR REPORT

(NOT YOUR USUAL)

SHOE REVIEW by Brett Rivers, with wear-testing feedback from Jorge Maravilla, Photos by Tanner Johnson

Victor Ballesteros, Jenny Maier, and Larissa Rivers

Welcome to the first installment of UltraRunning magazine’s shoe preview. Twice a year we will be highlighting 10-12 new or updated shoes that we believe are of interest to the ultrarunning community at large. This column is by no means an all-inclusive list of the best running shoes on the market. It’s a preview of a cross-section of shoes from various brands. The brands and models we cover will be regularly updated with each column. We find that shoe reviews that provide ranks and awards are inherently flawed as they are often too subjective to be useful to very many runners, especially with the large variation in types of running shoes that are now available. Our goal is to be as objective as possible, providing feedback to help you, the runner, as a guide for what shoes you may want to try out at your local running store. Our preview of each shoe is based on wear-testing by the staff at San Francisco Running Company in Marin County, California, and we discuss each shoe as if we were helping a customer in our store. This first column is heavy on trail shoes for the Winter and Spring. We will provide a greater mix of shoe types in our Summer column.

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GEAR REPORT

Altra ZeroDrop – Olympus

Hoka OneOne – Con

quest

24 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

ALTRA ZERODROP – OLYMPUS Approx. Stack Height (midsole and outsole): 32mm Heel, 32mm Forefoot Approx. Weight: Men’s size 10.5 - 14.5 oz Women’s size 8 - 11.5 oz The Olympus is Altra’s new oversized-cushioned running shoe that keeps the main tenets of Altra’s shoe design philosophy: a zero offset heelto-forefoot drop as well as a wide, rounded toe box built for natural foot splay. The unique feel of this shoe comes from a heavily rockered midsole shaping that is felt the most in the front of the shoe. The Olympus creates a pronounced rolling feeling up front keeping you moving forward even if you land on the heel or the back of the midfoot. The cushioning used in the Olympus feels more dense than a Hoka but still with a lot of spring. Thick padding is present throughout the heel cup and a hard-plastic toe cap provides protection and structure in the front of the toe box. The outsole is suitable for mixed road and trail terrain. The Olympus will work especially well for larger and heavier weight runners who are willing to sacrifice less shoe weight for more cushioning underfoot and for runners who desire a stable low-drop shoe designed to take additional pounding off of the body. A note to men with really large feet: the Olympus will come in size 15.

Montrail – Fluid Flex 2 MONTRAIL – FLUID FLEX 2 Approx. Stack Height (midsole and outsole): 20mm Heel, 16mm Forefoot Approx. Weight: Men’s size 9 - 8.4 oz, Women’s size 7 - 6.9 oz The Fluid Flex 2 from Montrail receives a welldesigned overhaul of the upper to improve the fit and structure of the shoe. Straight lacing and two types of updated mesh with welded overlays combine for a softer feel on top that still secures the midfoot while improving the fit of the toe box. There is no rock plate, but the shoe hardly needs it from the boosted amount of soft cushioning. Victor at SFRC took to calling this shoe the “Baby Hoka” and the 2013 version was popular with local Marin runners who raced the Dipsea and Mt. Tam Hill Climb races. With the improvements, expect the Fluid Flex 2 to fit better than the previous model especially through the midfoot and around the big toe. The soft cushioned midsole and crossover outsole carry over from the original Fluid Flex, as does the feel of the deeper-than-average heel cup. Try the Fluid Flex 2 if you are looking for a very light but well cushioned crossover that has a soft, lively feel allowing for natural foot movement.

HOKA ONE ONE – CONQUEST Approx. Stack Height (midsole and outsole): 29mm Heel, 25mm Forefoot Approx. Weight: Men’s size 10.5 - 12.7 oz, Women’s size 8 - 10.5 oz The Conquest is Hoka’s new premium cushioned shoe and is their first model to incorporate their proprietary RMAT midsole (rubberized EVA used for cushioning) and a new lightweight and breathable seam-free upper. The RMAT cushioning is still soft but is slightly more dense than the EVA on other Hokas, resulting in a rockered ride that has additional longterm spring and added responsiveness for an oversized shoe. The Conquest is unique in that it still has Hoka’s soft EVA directly below the foot and around the heel, but then transitions to a secondary RMAT midsole. Abrasion-resistant rubber is placed in high-wear areas of the outsole, while RMAT remains everywhere else for a ground-contact design that grips well on a variety of road and trail surfaces. Check out the Hoka Conquest if you are looking for a highly cushioned ride that feels more stable and more responsive than other Hokas and is suitable on both road and trail.

Newton – BoCo AT

Patagonia – EVERlong

Pearl Izumi – EM Trail N2 PEARL IZUMI – EM TRAIL N2 Approx. Stack Height (midsole and outsole): 24.5mm Heel, 17mm Forefoot Approx. Weight: Men’s size 9 - 9.7 oz, Women’s size 8 - 8.4 oz The E-Motion line originally debuted in March 2013 and is a fantastic overhaul of Pearl Izumi’s prior lineup of shoes. The Trail N2 has a rockered midsole that flexes while providing ample cushioning below the foot. A lightweight rock plate adds protection and the lugged outsole offers great traction on a variety of terrain. The Trail N2 offers a stable ride by leaving the midsole intact throughout the length of the shoe. The real story here is the seamless upper that hugs the foot for comfort right out of the shoe box. The N2 also offers a toe box that feels wider than that of the Trail N1 and has cushioning that is wider below the ball of the foot for added lateral stability. Try the Trail N2 if you are looking for a well cushioned and protective shoe that can absorb the pounding of long mileage runs.

25 ULTRARUNNING.COM

NEWTON – BOCO AT Approx. Stack Height (midsole and outsole): 28mm Heel, 25mm Forefoot Approx. Weight: Men’s size 9 - 9.7 oz, Women’s size 7 - 8 oz The BoCo AT marks the first fully trail-specific shoe from Newton Running. The BoCo offers four of Newton’s signature lugs under the ball of the foot and these cushioning lugs are each subdivided into three pieces for added trail-specific traction and cushioning. Newton flares out the forefoot for added lateral stability around the lugs and adds a multi-directional tread pattern under the heel of the shoe. The upper is cushioned with a rubber toe cap that adds protection in front of a slightly wider than average toe box built to allow for more natural forefoot flexion. Like other Newton shoes, the BoCo is built to promote a foot strike under the ball of the foot, however the soft midsole cushioning is forgiving if you come down on your heel or midfoot; a nice compromise especially on steep descents. If you are a Newton runner on the road you finally have a legitimate trail shoe. You should also try on the BoCo AT if you are looking for a cushioned trail shoe built to promote, though not aggressively require, a foot strike on the ball of the foot.

PATAGONIA – EVERLONG Approx. Stack Height (midsole and outsole): 24mm Heel, 20mm Forefoot (-1mm for Women’s) Approx. Weight: Men’s size 9 - 8.4 oz, Women’s size 7 - 6.8 oz Athlete-driven design and testing led by Jeff Browning has resulted in a shoe by Patagonia Footwear that is lightweight and low-profile, but with ample cushioning to get through longer runs in comfort. The EVERlong reminds us of the feel of the Saucony Kinvara below the foot and is a shoe that does a great job balancing soft and lightweight cushioning while still maintaining responsiveness. This shoe features a great breathable-mesh upper that wraps the midfoot well and leaves ample room in the toe box to fit a variety of foot shapes. There is no rock plate and the outsole tread is trimmed down, however the cushioning absorbs a lot under the foot. The midsole is slightly flared out on the sides for a bit of added lateral stability on the trails without the use of denser foam or posting. The overall design allows this shoe to be a great road/trail crossover, especially if you are a runner who does most of your mileage on trails but prefers the feel of a lightweight road shoe.

GEAR REPORT

Scott T2 Kinabalu 2.0

The North Face – Ultra Trail

Salomon – Sense Pro

26 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

SCOTT T2 KINABALU 2.0 Approx. Stack Height (midsole and outsole): 29mm Heel, 18mm Forefoot Approx. Weight: Men’s size 9 - 9.9 oz, Women’s size 8.5 - 9.1 oz The major updates to the T2 Kinabalu 2.0 all take place in the upper of the shoe while the cushioning and tread platform of the original Kinabalu remain the same in the new version. The rockered and responsive AeroFoam midsole, TPU rock plate protection, drainage holes, and durable tread carry over to the new model and continue to stand out as signature features of the Kinabalu, resulting in a neutral but inherently stable ride. The changes to the upper significantly improve the overall fit of the 2.0. There are additional breathable mesh and welded overlays which should extend the life of the upper for most runners. We found the toe box to fit much better and expect that to be the case for most runners, especially around the ball of the foot and the big toe. The Kinabalu is a responsive shoe built to absorb the long miles and provide great protection under the foot. SALOMON – SENSE PRO Stack Height (midsole): 16mm Heel, 10mm Forefoot Approx. Weight: Men’s size 9 - 9.2 oz, Women’s size 7 - 7.6 oz The Sense Pro is Salomon’s premium shoe from their expanding City Trails footwear line. The new model combines features from two of Salomon’s best shoes of 2013: an updated version of the midsole and outsole platform found on the Sense Mantra together with an upper that was originally only available from the S-Lab Sense line. The Endo-Fit midfoot upper wraps the top of the foot providing an incredibly responsive feel. The midsole is slightly more cushioned than the S-Lab Sense and also provides a bit more rock protection under the foot. We took to calling the Sense Pro the “Swiss Army knife” of the Salomon line as it is lightweight enough for time on the road, protective enough for the mountains, and has enough mid-density cushioning to absorb the pounding of the long miles. Note: the Sense Pro fits about a half-size large for most runners so expect to size down accordingly.

Saucony – Peregrine 4 THE NORTH FACE – ULTRA TRAIL Approx. Midsole Stack Height: 16mm Heel, 8mm Forefoot Approx. Weight: Men’s size 9 - 9 oz, Women’s size 7 - 7.4 oz The Ultra Trail marks the next step in the steady evolution of running footwear from The North Face. The defining aspect of the Ultra Trail is an incredibly well designed full-length Vibram outsole with a unique lug pattern that provides great traction on a variety of terrain. The upper of this shoe is stripped down and comfortable, locks in the heel really well, and should fit all but the largest volume feet. While we found the shoe does great in the traction and upper departments, we felt it lacks the cushioning we personally desire for really long mileage. However, if you are a runner who prefers a minimal stack height of firm cushioning for more ground feel and a flexible, responsive ride then you will enjoy the Ultra Trail. If The North Face builds upon this platform (outsole and upper) and creates a version with slightly thicker cushioning they will have a home run shoe built to absorb the full distance of mountain ultras. Check out the Ultra Trail if you are looking for a shoe with grippy tread that offers close-to-theground feel suitable for a variety of terrain. SAUCONY – PEREGRINE 4 Approx. Stack Height (midsole and outsole): 21.5mm Heel, 17.5mm Forefoot Approx. Weight: Men’s size 9 - 9.4 oz, Women’s size 8 - 8.3 oz The fourth iteration of the Saucony Peregrine debuts in January and receives some notable updates all while dropping weight versus the previous models. Special emphasis was placed on the traction and protection offered in the Peregrine 4. The multi-directional lugs are now 2mm deeper and the rock plate has been decoupled between the midfoot and forefoot for added flexibility. The shoe feels incredibly protective underfoot, especially for a trail shoe that stays under 10 ounces (Men’s size 9). A toe cap similar to the one on the Peregrine 3 adds structure and protection to the toe box. A slightly increased placement of welded overlays on the upper should also lead to added durability especially in high-wear areas at the widest section of the toe box. Overall the updates improve upon earlier versions of the Peregrine without dramatically changing the fit of one of the best selling trail shoes in the U.S.

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ULTRA/LIFE BALANCE

RACING TO WORK by Ellie Greenwood

28 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

We’ve all done it, signed up for a race with the simple click of a button, carried away with the enthusiasm of a recent race result or inspired by beautiful images from a race website, and only after do you begin to consider the practicalities of racing at the event that you have just so enthusiastically signed up for. Can you take vacation time from work? Is a major work project due the following week, meaning you’ll need to be working extra hours? Oh well, too late – your name is now on the race registration list so you’re committed and you figure that you can somehow manage things with work. Probably one of my tightest work/race commitments was whilst I was working one summer as a tour guide in Interlaken, Switzerland. There was no way that I was going to miss out on running the stunning Jungfrau Marathon, which starts in the center of Interlaken before taking you 26.2 mountainous miles up to the mountain station of Kleine Scheidegg, located in the shadow of the north face of the Eiger. The marathon started at 9:00 a.m. sharp (the Swiss are notoriously perfect timekeepers) and there was the slight issue that I had to see 20 or so British tourists onto a sightseeing train at 8:35 a.m. Twenty-five minutes was not going to give me time to get home and change clothing, so there was no other solution than to turn up to work at the train station already sporting my shorts, singlet and race number, ensure some rather bemused tourists got onto the correct train and then use the kilometer or so distance to the race start line as my warmup. Maybe not ideal, but I was definitely a middle-of-the-pack runner at the time and so it all worked out just fine. The finish line was no less hectic; as soon as I collected my finisher’s medal in Kleine Scheidegg some four hours later, I hurried over to bag check, got out my work cell phone and began responding to various missed calls relating to work. Although I would still do the same if I couldn’t get time off work and yet was determined to do a particular race, I now try to

GLENN TACHIYAMA

...whilst jetting off to each and every race we desire would be great, sometimes practicalities of the real world come into play...

sit down and plan my racing calendar around my work schedule a little more carefully. The unfortunate reality is that we the year just because work is busy, so instead I all have to hold down choose races closer to home. A race like Chuckaa job to pay the rent, nut 50K is a great example; a few hours drive to pay the bills, and from my home in North Vancouver, a race disof course to fund our tance which is manageable to train for even ultrarunning habit! when work days can be busy and stressful, and So whilst jetting off to a nice escape for a day without having to ask for each and every race vacation time from my manager. As we all sit here in January flicking through we desire would be great, sometimes prac- magazines with stunning race images and ticalities of the real browsing websites for race sign-up and lottery world come into play, dates, before you pull out the credit card and especially if we want click “enter” on a whim, maybe check your to perform our best work schedule first to see if you can get the at the races we take vacation time you need. part in. My day job is in ad- Ellie Greenwood is a Brit living in Canada. During ministration for a UK ski tour operator (the same the day she works a desk job to pay the bills, but one I worked for in Interlaken - I got away with not her true passion is trail and road ultrarunning. losing my job for showing up in running kit!). This Supported by Montrail/ Mountain Hardwear, Elmeans that typically from early December through lie’s racing highlights include a course record win the middle of April things can be pretty hectic and at Western States in 2012, preceded a few weeks it’s near impossible for me to take vacation. For that earlier by a second place finish at South Africa’s reason I rarely choose to race key events during this Comrades 89K. time. There are ultras that I would love to compete at during this part of the year but I know that I will “the voice of the sport” since 1981 not be able to train for them and give them the focus required to put in the sort of performance I would be happy with. It can be tough to make these decisions but ultimately our training and racing take up a lot of time and should be about enjoyment, and it can be hard to enjoy training if you are cramming it in after very long work hours and into weekends when you would prefer to be taking some well-earned down time. When my day job is in its busy season I focus on base training and getting in as much running as I feasibly can, without cramming in travel to far flung races where I will be more concerned about checking my work phone and finding wifi to check work emails, than focusing on enjoying my race experience. Of course it’s hard to totally forgo racing for a good chunk of

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the year in review 30 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

We all knew it was going to be another recordbreaking year for ultrarunning in 2013, and, sure enough, the pace of change and growth in our sport continues unabated. It is booming in popularity and faster than ever at the front. There were almost 70,000 finishes (69,573 to be exact) in 755 ultra races in 2013, up from 63,530 in 717 races in 2012. This continues the amazing growth, nearly triple the number of finishers since 2007. When you consider that so many races sell out – first-time Western States lottery entrants had a scant 6.5% chance of gaining entry in the 2014 edition – the underlying demand for ultrarunning actually exceeds these finisher stats. And faster? How about these stats – 34 major races saw new course records in 2013. Interestingly, 18 races were won by people aged 18 to 22 years old. But it’s not just the youngsters getting faster, there were 26 races won by people in their 50s. As a group we are getting younger! The median age dropped to 40.9 years in 2013, down from 41.5 last year and 43.9 five years ago. Women made up 29.8% of all finishes, up from 29.0% last year. Twenty years ago there were 18 races in the entire country with 100 finishers. This year there were 208! In our runners of the year voting Rob Krar and Michele Yates each capped amazing years with victories at The North Face 50 Mile Endurance Championship on December 7, both by comfortable margins. Krar and Yates stormed onto the ultrarunning scene in 2013, each having run their first ultra races in 2012. Not only did they set course records in the process of winning big races, they both excelled at the entire gamut of ultra distances, including 100-mile races. Krar threw in a huge improvement in the fastest known time of the Grand Canyon Rimto-Rim-to-Rim crossing in 6 hours 21 minutes too, just for good measure. With all of the ex-

traordinarily talented ultrarunners on the scene, cracking the Ultra Runner of the Year top 10 is a super-human accomplishment itself, leading one voter to suggest we need to rank the top 15. Jon Olsen finished second to Krar in the men’s voting, with Sage Canaday edging Timmy Olson by a single vote for third. Grand Slam record setter Ian Sharman was fifth. On the women’s side, Western States winner Pam Smith finished the season with a stellar 14:11:26 100-mile time at Desert Solstice, the second fastest ever behind only Ann Trason’s 13:47:41 set way back in 1991. Smith finished a very close second to Yates in the runner of the year balloting, but Yates’ six wins in seven races ultimately proved unbeatable. Perhaps most tellingly, Yates beat Smith both times they raced each other, at the Nueces 50 Mile and the Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile. In Best Performance of the Year, there was also a plethora of extraordinary races to choose from among the 34 new major course records set in the year. But in the end the top performances were easy to choose. Rory Bosio went to UTMB and destroyed the course record at the world’s largest – and one of the most grueling – 100 milers. Bosio ran around Mont Blanc in 22 hours 37 minutes, besting both the prior course record and the second place woman by over two hours – and she almost reeled in the all the men, finishing seventh overall in a field of 2300. Bosio’s performance at UTMB was so stellar that Sabrina Little’s American Record of 152.30 miles at the IAU 24-Hour was relegated to runner-up status. Zach Bitter and Jon Olsen achieved something akin to the four-minute mile, but at the 100-mile distance, being the first two Americans to break 12 hours for 100 miles. Olsen set the American record for 100 miles, knocking it out in 11:59:28 in Ottawa in September. A mere two

months later, Bitter ran even faster, clocking 11:47:21 at the Desert Solstice run in Arizona. For that effort, he won the Performance of the Year. For those wondering, that’s an average of 7:04 per mile – for 100 miles! Olsen’s win at the World 24-Hour championships in Holland was voted runner-up. Tim Olson’s 15:17:27 win at the Western States 100 on a 102-degree day, which many observers think was the finest run ever at the venerable race considering the conditions, finished third in the balloting. In best age group performances of the year, once again, there were many eye popping races by older runners, leaving this voter to wonder a few times: is that age a typo? At this point the question has to be asked – is 50 actually an older age group any more? Although many women did exceptionally well in their upper years, this category was again dominated by Meghan Arbogast – who, at 52, is a year older but apparently no slower – leaving voters to try to discern which of her incredible races was best? In the end it was her victory at the super-fast and hugely competitive Way Too Cool 50K (by less than a minute over the 28-year-old Bosio) that took the honors. For the second year in a row, Arbogast posted the top three age-group performances for women. For the men, the choice was tougher. There were several smoking fast 50-somethings, but the performance that garnered the most votes was by an older runner in an extremely difficult race on a historically hot year. Wally Hesseltine’s 31:20:32 finish at age 70 at Angeles Crest 100 was voted the most outstanding age-group performance. Given the hot conditions, the race saw only a 60% finisher rate. When we chatted with him afterward, he said, “no more 100 milers.” Never say never, Wally! And with that, please enjoy the stats, the voting and the rankings, and then make your own plans to get on these pages for 2014!

ULTRARUNNER OF THE YEAR – MEN

ROB KRAR

UR Were you able to execute that strategy – what was the key to your win today? How did you pull away from the pack? ROB The race played out perfectly. I settled into a good rhythm early on and didn’t let the 30 or so headlights ahead bother me—I was content waiting until daylight to begin making my way closer to the front of the field. Shortly after Cardiac aid station the early leaders had fallen back and I slowly moved ahead to join the lead pack of nine runners. I latched onto the back

and loved watching the train stay intact all the way down to Stinson Beach aid station where I knew things would quickly shake up. Shortly after, during the climb back to Cardiac aid station, the pack whittled down to just Mike Wolfe, Chris Vargo and me for the next 10 miles into Muir Beach aid station. I didn’t want the race to come down to the last climb so I made a strong push out of Muir and gave everything I had up the climb and thankfully was able to hold strong to the finish. UR Did you have a low point today, how did you overcome it? ROB I’ve hurt enough this year to not feel guilty saying I had a perfect day out there and other than some difficulty with my right achilles the last few miles, I was fortunate to not experience any lows, which is a first in my ultrarunning career. UR Compared to your other wins this year, how does TNF50 compare? ROB Each race presented unique challenges in training and on race days. All were huge opportunities to learn and grow as an ultrarunner. I love to compete and test my limits and it’s been great to end the season with races against strong competition. Running among so many talented runners really requires you to bring your best effort and I love how it pushes me to be bet-

BRAD AND LORI CLAYTON

UR How were you feeling heading into this race and at that start? What was your strategy? ROB Heading into the race I was excited to run but equally excited to put the season to bed. It had been an unexpectedly long season that had begun to take its toll on body and mind. I’d found such a great balance in training, racing and recovery earlier in the season and began to feel that slipping away a touch as the days became shorter, the runs became colder and my motivation to get out the door waned. Regardless, I’d made the commitment and managed to not go over the edge in training and arrived at the race really confident in my fitness. My strategy was to run a patient race, conserve as much energy as possible, and hope I still had enough left late in the race to make a strong push up one of the last climbs.

ter. The North Face Endurance Challenge was an exciting way to end a very long season and certainly helps my confidence looking toward the 2014 season. UR When you look back on the year you had, what memories, what races really standout for you? continued on page 32

ULTRARUNNER OF THE YEAR – WOMEN

MICHELE YATES 31

MATT TRAPPE

UR First of all, take us through your race at TNF50 – how did you feel coming into it and were you able to execute your strategy? MICHELE I was excited coming into the TNF50... it has been a goal for a long time to come see San Francisco, the redwoods, and race here. I would have preferred more time to train and focus on this event, but my race schedule for the year didn’t really allow for that. I had just raced four weeks ago and my body was a little beat up from it, but I still felt that I had one more race in there. I do believe my race strategy worked. From last year, I learned to use my strengths (mostly technical downhill running) and not sit back and wait. So that is what I did. I also planned on eating a lot more than I

usually do because of the hilly course. I found out that hard lesson a little earlier in the year when I bonked badly on a hilly course and was soooo hungry! The race started out fast (as expected) with a slight downhill and then a climb. At first I got caught up in the competition but slowed myself and sat in the back of the pack to enjoy the beautiful starry morning, and eat some breakfast. I made my way past the lead group of women on the first downhill and was actually surprised that no one came with me. I thought for sure they would catch me on the next up, but they didn’t. I knew that this being an ultra race, anything could happen so I never took leading for granted. I just kept pushing the downhills and taking in calories.

ULTRARUNNING.COM

Michele Yates ran her first ultramarathon in March 2012, then stormed onto the ultra scene this year and earned Ultra Runner of the Year for 2013. Yates won the National Trail Championships at three distances, 50K, 50-mile and 100K, and took victories in several of the most competitive ultras in the sport. In all she won six ultras, including two 100-milers, and capped off her year with a runaway victory at the intensely competitive The North Face Endurance Championship on December 7 in the Marin Headlands. Following is our interview with this phenomenal and personable young woman.

UR At what point did you first realize you were in a good position to win the race? MICHELE Before I started. If you don’t go into a race with a winning mind set, then how can you expect to win? I don’t ever take leading a race for granted, especially an ultra. You can prepare (and should) as much as possible but any one little thing can go wrong and that can be the end!

year, I know to keep eating and keep putting one foot in front of the other and that I will get through it.

UR Did you have a low point out there? How did you overcome that? MICHELE My legs always seem to get mad at the 30-mile mark, but from some races earlier this

UR What was your training like for this race? Did you do anything different or special to prepare? MICHELE Not too much, I just raced four weeks ago, so coming off of that I took it easy for a continued on page 33

THE YEAR IN REVIEW – 2013

ULTRARUNNER OF THE YEAR – MEN

ROB KRAR ROB Every race was an incredible experience, so it’s difficult to pinpoint one in particular. The ultrarunning community has been hugely welcoming and I feel more comfortable among the crowd than I’ve felt in previous running venues. It was great to spend time with my partner, Christina, traveling to and racing in new areas and her crewing experiences have provided some great stories as well! Something I’ve come to really appreciate and value in ultrarunning has been my ability to approach the races and stand on the starting line without nerves, instead feeling a strong sense of peace and confidence in the hours ahead. I think I can attribute that to having a more balanced approach to life and training in general since I began focusing on the trails in 2012. I’m the happiest and healthiest runner I’ve ever been and that pays dividends in training and racing. UR What was your greatest moment in ultrarunning this year? ROB Sitting next to Tim Olson and being interviewed by Craig Thornley moments after finishing Western States. It was a surreal experience and stands as my fondest ultra memory of the past year. UR What was your lowest, most frustrating experience in ultra this year? ROB My most frustrating moments the past year have been in training when I lost the balance I strive so hard for. I’ll always feel a certain amount of guilt in the selfishness of what I do and when training makes me a difficult person to be around and less of a partner to Christina it weighs greatly on my mind. It’ll always be a challenge but it’s something I hope to make improvements on in 2014. 32 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

UR What was your first ultra ever? What was it like – how did it go, what made you decide to go for it? ROB My first ultra was in November, 2012, at the Bootlegger 50K, a race put on by ultra legend and fellow Flagstaff resident, Ian Torrence. It was on a whim and really kick-started my journey into ultrarunning—it’s funny how life happens sometimes! UR Did you make a plan to ramp up ultras and put together a big year? When did it become real that you were going to have a huge ultrarunning year? ROB I had no intentions or plans for the year I had—I thought I was really pushing my luck when I pressed the “submit” button on UltraSignup for the Moab Red Hot 55K. Each race went better than I could have imagined and gave me the confidence to tackle the next distance. Finishing second at Western States was a turning point for me. I began to feel like I belonged and that my races weren’t flukes. It gave me the confidence to take my training to the next level and toe the line at UROC ready for the battle ahead.

UR When did you first think you might run WS100? How did you ramp up and prepare for that in such a short timeframe? ROB Two weeks before Leona Divide 50M I was on a run with a friend and he asked if I would accept the spot at Western States if I qualified. I remember laughing at the question, because the idea of running 100 miles still seemed silly to me. However, it planted the seed in my mind and I began to daydream about the idea the days heading into the race. The race went great and the next day I had an invitation from Craig Thornley to run Western States. It took some soul searching and a magical run in the Grand Canyon shortly after to commit to the race, deciding I couldn’t pass up what may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. At that point Western States was only seven weeks away and I couldn’t make drastic changes to my training if I wanted to arrive healthy. I was simply going to have to embrace the unknown and see what happened. UR How were you able to recover from WS100 and keep performing at such an extreme level all year? ROB It really comes down to the new philosophy I’ve embraced since focusing on the trails in 2012. I sound like a broken record but it’s about finding balance and listening to my body—I’m not afraid to take plenty of time off after big efforts to allow myself time to heal. I think this patience is invaluable and it’s what allowed me race and recover so well. UR What is your nutrition like? ROB I find it hard to put a label on my nutrition. I believe in eating well and taking care of myself. We eat a mostly plant-based diet and it works very well for me. I think this goes back to balance as well. I am not afraid to indulge, but our diet mostly consists of whole grains and veggies. My partner can get a bit crazy in the kitchen, so it would be hard to say what my favorite foods are. I’m a sucker for cereal, toast and peanut butter, and I love Christina’s tofu Po’ Boy sandwiches. UR What is your training regimen like? ROB Cross-training has been huge for me. Skinning up the mountain in the winters to gain low-impact fitness has been a key to beginning the running seasons healthy and motivated. Equally important has been a circuit routine I try to incorporate into my training twice a week. I run anywhere from 70- to 100-mile weeks when I’m in season and also include some twice-a-day runs. In August I started to incorporate more workouts into my training for the first time since my road running days in preparation for UROC and will likely continue that for the 2014 season. UR Are there things about your background or lifestyle that you think contributed to your immediate success at ultrarunning? ROB My partner would say my stubborn and

disciplined nature plays a strong role. I love to explore my limits and test unknown waters. Little things add up—my years of triathlon in high school taught me how to move through aid stations efficiently, I’m fortunate to have a strong stomach and have had good success with my race-day nutrition. The last factor would be the balance I’ve found over the past few years, because I had a tendency to cross the line of healthy training in the past. Today I’m able to find enjoyment in all areas of my life and I believe that allows for a much healthier approach to my training and racing. UR What advice would you have for other aspiring ultrarunners? ROB There has to be a first time for everything so don’t be afraid of the unknown. It’s amazing how often your body and mind can surprise you with what it’s capable of. At the same time, respect the distance and take your time working up to training and racing the longer distances. UR When you are not ultrarunning, what do you like to do for fun? ROB Relaxing on the couch with Christina and our two feline friends sounds about perfect. We love anytime we can spend in the mountains and on the river fly-fishing. UR What is your favorite vice? ROB Give me a box of cereal, a pint of my Christina’s ice cream or a tasty Hefeweizen and I’m down for the count. UR What other ultrarunner inspires you most? ROB Meghan Arbogast—she has an amazing story of overcoming adversity, a long successful career behind her, and she continues to push the limits of what is possible. UR What do you do for work and how did you choose that career? ROB I graduated from Butler University with a degree in pharmacy and have been working a seven days on/seven days off graveyard schedule the past 11 years. The schedule is challenging but has taught me to manage my time very well and the weeks away from work provide the great opportunity to travel and explore. UR What is your biggest weakness as an ultrarunner? ROB Technical descents will always be my greatest weakness but I’ve seen improvement over the past two years and hope that trend continues. UR How are you going to celebrate your awesome year and huge achievements? ROB I’m looking forward to a gentler pace of life the next month or so and soaking up the break with Christina. I’ll be ski mountaineering but won’t be lacing the running shoes for some time.

ULTRARUNNER OF THE YEAR – WOMEN

MICHELE YATES few days, hit it hard for a few weeks, then easy again the week before the race. I would have liked to have done more hill training, but the schedule didn’t allow for that. UR In 2013 you won national championships at THREE distances - what was your favorite and most memorable? Which one was the hardest and most grueling? MICHELE The hardest was the Bandera 100K in Texas. I actually hadn’t trained at all in the month [leading up to the race] - no biking, no cross-training...nothing. I had bronchitis (and actually had my wedding during that time, too). But my good buddy Dan Vega talked me into driving down with him and racing for the heck of it. Nueces 50-mile was my favorite. I trained hard for it and wanted to kill my course record from the previous year. One of the BEST things about ultrarunning is the camping, friendship, and “lax” atmosphere you experience as opposed to road racing, and at Camp Eagle you get just that - BBQ, fire pits, camping cabins, swimming. It makes for an easy, fun day out on the trails. The 50K champs were also special because I used to live near there and earned a degree from UNLV. Those Bootlegger trails were the trails I used to “escape” to when I didn’t have to hammer down on the track.

UR Do you think your degree in Kinesiological Sciences has helped you train and perform so well at the ultra distances? MICHELE Yes! When I first went to college, I studied architectural design, but couldn’t fight the fact that health and fitness were in my blood. I loved helping other people better themselves even with something simple like showing them how to stretch so of course I wanted to learn more to help them more and also learn more to apply to my passion for running and fitness. UR What other ultrarunners do you most respect or admire? MICHELE Ann Trason for sure. Who wouldn’t RESPECT let alone admire her? Her long-standing records are motivational; I’ve watched Race for the Soul and she is a machine. I would LOVE to meet her someday. Honestly though, I admire all ultrarunners, especially those who are at the back of the pack who may take 2x as long to finish the race as I do. They are the inspiration. They are the ones out there for more hours than I can even imagine. Not to mention those with disabilities. My heart goes out to them, especially the war heroes and wounded veterans who unselfishly risk their lives for me to live my dreams in freedom! There is nothing more precious than that.

l to r: Hellgate 100K (photo by Blanks Blankinship), Leadville 100 (photo by Andrew Pielage), Traprock 50 (photo by Scott Livingston) Cayuga Trail 50 (photo by Scott Livingston)

UR What is in your running future - 2014? MICHELE I’m really happy about 2013, but I feel excited and want more so I am hoping for big things in 2014. At this point my plan is to race Rocky Raccoon in February and if I am able to do well then earn an entry for Western States 100 and experience that special race in June. UR What about farther down the line - do you see going back to road marathons and Olympic Trials again? MICHELE Yes, I will be back to take on the speedy road again. I would like to get my qualifier in 2015 for the 2016 OTs and go for that Olympic marathon road team once again. I feel that trail and ultra racing have made me ridiculously stronger, more confident and more relaxed to take on the elite competition on the road once again. UR What else should people know about you? MICHELE I was crowned Ms. Figure Colorado in 2008. It was another “bucket list” thing for me when I was younger. I won a little money road racing and applied it towards that goal. I did, it went well and I competed for a year or so. I won Ms. Figure Colorado, went onto the National Championships, but then walked off stage! Yup, walked off stage right in the middle of the thing. I decided that it wasn’t for me. In ultrarunning, nobody cares how you look, or if your nails are done in a race. It’s just you and the trail. So that was the end of that. I am thankful for the experience and it is something I never thought I would do well at, but that’s a closed chapter for me and I’m much happier now. UR When you aren’t racing or training to race, what do you do for work? For fun? MICHELE I am also a personal trainer and coach. I coach all levels and train all levels. I love to dance, play with my pups, Bo and Zoey, go to amusement parks, hike, camp, and just spend time with my husband.

33 ULTRARUNNING.COM

UR What was the recovery strategy that enabled you to have so many “A races” in 2013? MICHELE It’s hard for someone to put themselves through more pain or discomfort, but that is what I do in order to recover. I finish the race and go sit in an ice bath right away. I eat a healthy, high-protein meal afterwards, push the fluids, do my recovery boots or get a light massage, and continue to do this on a daily basis, really. Training takes a lot out of you too so eating right - I’ve switched to a mostly raw diet and that has helped a lot - and taking care of yourself, sleeping and stretching, all add up.

UR Can you tell us about your running background and how you started in ultrarunning? MICHELE I actually have more of a road/road marathon background. I could afford running roads much more easily than the trail (travel expenses were paid by race directors, sponsors); now that is changing. I did my first ultra as a “girls’ weekend” with my best friend. We wanted to check off the 50-miler on our bucket list. I have always had a passion for trails (roads are pretty boring to me), so I enjoyed every minute of it. The little bit of money I made from that went into the next one and so on.

THE YEAR IN REVIEW – 2013

2013 ULTRARUNNING MAGAZINE RUNNERS OF THE YEAR

BIGGEST RACES BY CATEGORY

(first-place votes in parentheses)

MEN 1. Rob Krar, 35, Flagstaff, AZ (17) 2. Jon Olsen, 39, Modesto, CA (4) 3. Sage Canaday, 27, Boulder, CO 4. Timothy Olson, 28, Ashland, OR (1) 5. Ian Sharman, 31, Walnut Creek, CA 6. Zach Bitter, 27, Marinette, WI 7. Nick Clark, 39, Fort Collins, CO 8. Joe Fejes, 47, Hoschton, GA 9. Brian Rusiecki, 35, South Deerfield, MA 10. Mike Morton, 42, Lithia, FL

311 207 191 190 141 120 71 51 50 32

Also receiving votes: Cameron Clayton, CO, 31; Matt Flaherty, 28, IN, 27; Dylan Bowman, CA, 22; Jason Schlarb, CO, 22; Dakota Jones, CO, 15; Jacob Puzey, OR, 12; Max King, OR, 12; Dave Mackey, CO, 7; Nickademus Hollon, CA, 6; Gary Robbins, BC, 6; Mike Foote, MT, 6; Michael Borst, WI, 4; Karl Meltzer, UT, 4; Jorge Maravilla, CA, 4; Chikara Omine, CA, 3; Zach Miller, PA, 3; James Blandford, PA, 2; Chris Vargo, CO, 2; Hal Koerner, OR, 1; David Riddle, OH, 1. WOMEN 1. Michele Yates, 31, Littleton, CO (13) 2. Pam Smith, 39, Salem, OR (6) 3. Rory Bosio, 29, Soda Springs, CA (1) 4. Meghan Arbogast, 52, Cool, CA 5. Cassie Scallon, 31, Boulder, CO 6. Connie Gardner, 49, Medina, OH (1) 7. Emily Harrison, 27, Flagstaff, AZ 8. Kaci Lickteig, 27, Omaha, NE (1) 9. Nikki Kimball, 42, Bozeman, MT 10. Amy Sproston, 39, Portland, OR

283 272 134 105 102 83 82 75 74 71

Also receiving votes: Joelle Vaught, ID, 69; Darcy Africa, CO, 40; Sabrina Little, TX, (1) 36; Sarah McCloskey, UT, 23; Stephanie Howe, OR, 22; Suzanna Bon, CA, 20; Meghan Hicks, UT, 17; Aliza Lapierre, VT, 15; Beverly AndersonAbbs, CA, 13; Jodee Adams-Moore, WA, 11; Becca Kem, OR, 10; Amy Rusiecki, MA, 4; Denise Bourassa, OR, 3; April Cole, WI, 3; Nicole Studer, TX, 3; Ashley Arnold, CO, 2; Darla Askew, OR, 2; Leila Degrave, CO, 2; Diana Finkel, CO, 2; Bethany Lewis, UT, 2; Kristin Moehl, CO, 2; Ashley Moyer, PA, 2; Jennifer Pfeifer, CA, 2; Shanna Ailes-Istnick, OH, 1, Kerrie Bruxvoort, CO, 1.

100 MILES Leadville Trail, Leadville, CO Western States, Squaw Valley, CA Rocky Raccoon, Huntsville, TX Vermont, South Woodstock, VT Wasatch Front, Kaysville, UT The Bear, Logan, UT Pinhoti, Sylacuga, AL Umstead, Raleigh, NC Javelina Jundred, Fountain Hills, AZ Burning River, Cuyahoga Hills, OH

494 277 229 205 205 174 164 162 157 152

50 MILES JFK, Boonsboro, MD American River, Sacramento, CA Silver Rush, Leadville, CO The North Face – SF, Sausalito, CA Ice Age, LaGrange, WI Bull Run Run, Clifton, VA Dick Collins Firetrails, San Leandro, CA The North Face – DC, Sterling, VA White River, Crystal Mountain, WA The North Face - Bear Mountain, Peekskill, NY Avalon Benefit, Avalon, CA

858 836 401 395 305 296 288 286 286 275 273

100 KM Bandera, Bandera, TX Waldo, Willamette Pass, OR Cuyamaca, Lake Cuyamaca, CA Gold Rush, Folsom, CA UROC, Aspen, CO

186 108 89 81 79

50 KM Way Too Cool, Cool, CA The North Face – DC, Sterling, VA Cowtown, Fort Worth, TX The North Face – SF, Sausalito, CA HAT Run, Havre de Grace, MD Chuckanut, Bellingham, WA Rock/Creek StumpJump, Chattanooga, TN The North Face - Bear Mountain, Peekskill, NY Promise Land, Lynchburg, VA Holiday Lake, Appomattox, VA

853 430 420 365 363 347 344 335 335 328

OTHER DISTANCES Miwok 60K, Stinson Beach, CA Knickerbocker 60K, New York, NY Susquehanna Super Hike 28 Mile, PA Moab Red Hot 55K, Moab, UT Quad Dipsea 28.4 Mile, Mill Valley, CA

349 313 307 299 249

ULTRAMARATHONS WON OUTRIGHT BY WOMEN IN 2013* NAME

RACE

TIME

Heather Ceresini, 28, PA Kaci Lickteig, 27, NE Alyson Venti, 30, FL Olivia Eves, 37, OK Kaci Lickteig, 26, NE Brenda Carawan, 36, FL Joelle Vaught, 38, ID Amy Sproston, 39, OR

Susquehanna Super Hike 28 Mile Market to Market 50K KEYS 50 Mile Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd 50K Psycho Psummer 50K KEYS 100 Mile Wilson Creek 50K Iznik/Orhangazi Ultra 50 Mile

5:04:15 3:38:02 6:51:08 4:59:21 4:19:35 17:16:20 5:11:11 7:12:51

NUMBER OF FINISHERS 307 151 93 69 67 67 58 53

* 50 or more finishers

PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR – MEN 1. Zach Bitter, 27, WI, American Record 100 Mile, 11:47:21 (14)113 2. Jon Olsen, 39, CA, World 24-Hour Champion, 167.568 miles (6) 83 52 34 3. Jon Olsen, 39, CA, American Record 100 Mile, 11:59:28 4. Timothy Olson, 29, OR, Western States 100 Mile Win, 15:17:27 (2) 38 5. Max King, 33, OR, Way Too Cool 50K Course Record, 3:08:50 15

PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR – WOMEN 1. Rory Bosio, 28, CA, UTMB 103 Mile Course Record, 22:37:26 (16)123 2. Sabrina Little, 26, TX, American Record 24-Hour, 152.03 Miles (5) 77 3. Pam Smith, 39, OR, Desert Solstice 100 Mile, 14:11:21 (1) 69 4. Pam Smith, 39, OR, Western States 100 Win, 18:37:21 50 5. Meghan Hicks, 34, UT, Marathon des Sables 155 Mile Win 24

Chris Zurbuch at Cuyamaca

BEN KIMBALL

Cassie Scallon, CO, Lake Sonoma 50 Mile, 15; Angela Shartel, Angeles Crest 100 Mile, 12; Bethany Lewis, UT, The Bear 100 Mile, 11; Michele Yates, CO, The North Face – SF, 10; Cassie Scallon, Ice Age 50 Mile, 8; Meghan Arbogast, CA, Tokyo-Shibamata 100K, 7; Amy Sproston, OR, Tokyo-

MILAN KOVACEVIC

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

Also receiving votes: Zach Bitter, Chicago Lakefront 50, 14; Rob Krar, The North Face – SF 50 Mile, 13; Rob Krar, UROC 100K, 13; Rob Krar, Rim to Rim to Rim Fastest Known Time, 12; Sage Canaday, Lake Sonoma 50 Mile, 9; Dakota Jones, San Juan Solstice 50 Mile, 8; Rob Krar, Western States 100 Mile, 8; Zach Miller, JFK 50 Mile, 7; Dave Mackey, Quad Dipsea 28.4 Mile, 6; Gary Robbins, HURT 100 Mile, 6; Joe Fejes, Across the Years 72-Hour, 5; Sage Canaday, Speedgoat 50K, 5; Sage Canaday, Bandera 100K, 5; Rob Krar, Leona Divide 50 Mile, 5; Ian Sharman, Leadville 100 Mile, 4; Nickademus Hollon, Barkley 100 Mile, 4; Matt Flaherty, American River 50 Mile, 2; Matt Flaherty, Tussey Mountainback 50 Mile, 2; Scott Jaime, Colorado Trail Fastest Known Time, 2; Nickademus Hollon, Tor de Geants 205 Mile, 2; David Laney, Chuckanut 50K, 1; Mike Morton, Western States 100 Mile, 1; Alex Varner, Tamalpa Headlands 50K, 1.

Larisa Dannis at the Vermont 100

2013 MOST COMPETITIVE FIELDS Each year a few races attract a large number of elite runners. In this analysis, we have examined the races in which those who received votes for Runner of the Year competed. Giving the runners of the year 40 points, the runners-up 39 points, and so on, we have devised a system for determining which races had the most competitive fields. (Note that this analysis does not include foreign runners who are not eligible for runner of the year.)

MEN

1. Western States 100 Mile, Olympic Valley, CA 2. Lake Sonoma 50 Mile, Healdsburg, CA 3. The North Face Challenge 50 Mile, Sausalito, CA 4. Speedgoat 50K, Alta, UT 5. UROC 100K, Vail, CO 6. Bandera 100K, Bandera, TX 7. Vermont 100 Mile, South Woodstock, VT 8. Cayuga Trail 50 Mile, Ithaca, NY 9. Leona Divide 50 Mile, Lake Hughes, CA Ray Miller 50 Mile, Oxnard, CA

NUMBER OF RUNNERS

WOMEN

1. Western States 100 Mile, Olympic Valley, CA 2. Lake Sonoma 50 Mile, Healdsburg, CA 3. Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile, Steamboat Springs, CO 4. The North Face Challenge 50 Mile, Sausalito, CA 5. Bandera 100K, Bandera, TX 6. Nueces 50 Mile, Nueces, TX 7. Moab Red Hot 55K, Moab, UT 8. Speedgoat 50K, Alta, UT 9. Way Too Cool 50K, Cool, CA 10. Tussey Mountainback 50 Mile, Boalsburg, PA

SIGNIFICANT COURSE RECORDS SET IN 2013 NAME

RACE

Ice Age 50 Mile Quad Dipsea 28.4 Mile Angeles Crest 100 Mile Way Too Cool 50K Leona Divide 50 Mile Chuckanut 50K Chuckanut 50K Mountain Mist 50K San Juan Solstice 50 Mile Holiday Lake 50K Chicago Lakefront Fall 50 Mile OTHTC High Desert 50K The Bear 100 Mile HURT 100 Mile Bighorn 50 Mile Bighorn 50K Tamalpa Headlands 50K Waldo 100K Bandera 100K San Diego PCT 50 Mile San Diego PCT 50 Mile Land Between the Lakes 50 Mile Land Between the Lakes 50K Big Bend 50K HURL Elkhorn 50 Mile HURL Elkhorn 50 Mile Jemez Mountain 50 Mile Speedgoat 50K Speedgoat 50K Burning River 100 Mile Moab Red Hot 55K Moab Red Hot 55K Lake Sonoma 50 Mile Lake Sonoma 50 Mile

242 240 197 155 135 114 104 102 92 92

8 6 4 5 3 3 3 3 3 2

245 189 149 144 105 96 92 90 87 72

AGE OF TIME RACE

6:46:38 3:48:45 21:21:13 3:08:50 5:53:51 4:01:23 3:40:17 3:36:52 7:35:03 4:23:04 5:12:33 3:10:22 21:15:00 19:35:00 7:17:05 3:50:53 3:41:49 9:05:42 8:13:49 6:27:23 7:54:47 6:59:27 4:07:05 3:40:00 9:38:58 10:38:43 9:15:00 5:08:07 6:17:02 14:25:14 4:24:02 3:44:06 7:47:42 6:14:55

32 31 26 23 22 21 21 19 19 18 14 17 15 13 13 13 13 12 11 11 11 10 10 9 9 9 8 7 7 7 6 6 5 5

AGE GROUP PERFORMANCES OF THE YEAR – MEN 1. Wally Hesseltine, 70, CA, Angeles Crest 100 Mile, 31:20:32 (2) 40 2. Jon Lawler, 50, TN, JFK 50 Mile, 6:21:06 (3) 31 3. Hans Schmid, 73, CA, American River 50 Mile, 9:47:34 (2) 28 4. Mark Richtman, 58, CA, Quad Dipsea 28.4 Mile, 4:51:31 (2) 23 5. Charles Corfield, 55, CO, Leadville 100 Mile, 21:18:43 (2) 22 Also receiving votes: Bill Dodson, Jed Smith 50K, 20; Wally Hesseltine, Umstead 100 Mile, (2) 20; Jay Aldous, Salt Flats 100 Mile, 19; Hans Schmid, Way Too Cool 50K, (1) 15; Leo Lightner, North Coast 24 Hour, (2) 15; Scott Mills, Waldo 100K, (1) 13; Bill Dodson, American River 50 Mile, 11; Bob Hayes, Bighorn 50K, (1) 11; Gary Knipling, Massanutten 100 Mile, 10; Ronnie Wong, JFK 50 Mile, 10; Ian Maddieson, Vermont 100 Mile, 8; Denis Trafecanty, San Diego 100, 8; Karsten Solheim, Across the Years 24 Hour, 8; Joe Schlereth, Umstead 100 Mile, (1) 7; Grant Holdaway, Antelope Island 50 Mile, 5; Jay Aldous, Umstead 100 Mile, 5; Bill Dodson, Run de Vous 100K, 5; Dwight Shuler, Run for the Toad 50K, 5; Hans Schmid, Lake Sonoma 50 Mile, 4; Nofal Musfy, Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile, 3; Roy Pirrung, WI, Desert Solstice 24-Hour, 3; Mark Richtman, Skyline 50K, 3; Tim Hicks, Javelina Jundred, 3; August Leone, Palm 50K, 2; Charles Corfield, Bishop High Sierra 50 Mile, 1; Ed Demoney, Rocky Raccoon 50 Mile, 1. AGE GROUP PERFORMANCES OF THE YEAR – WOMEN 1. Meghan Arbogast, 52, OR, Way Too Cool 50K Win, 4:06:45 (7) 83 2. Meghan Arbogast, 52, OR, Western States 100 Mile, 19:30:50 (7) 67 3. Meghan Arbogast, 52, OR, Tokyo-Shibamata 100K Win, 7:50:31 (5) 57 4. Maria Shields, 62, MD, Umstead 100 Mile, 21:32:17 (1) 29 5. Roxanne Woodhouse, 50, CA, Dick Collins Firetrails 50 Win, 7:43:43 23 Also receiving votes: Bettie Smith, Western States 100 Mile, 16; Riva Johnson, Beast of Burden 50 Mile, 15; Eldrith Gosney, Jed Smith 50K, (1) 13; Meghan Arbogast, Ice Age 50K, 10; Pat Devita, Leona Divide 50K, 10; Pat Devita, Bishop High Sierra 50K, 9; Debbie Leftwich, Across the Years 24 Hour, 7; Hwa Ja Andrade, American River 50 Mile, 6; Riva Johnson, Mohican 50 Mile, 5; Sally Squier, Umstead 100 Mile, 3; Bonnelle Murphy, Razorback 100 Mile, 2; Meghan Arbogast, Lake Sonoma 50 Mile, 1; Barbara Ashe, Rio del Lago 100 Mile, 1; Diana Fitzpatrick, Headlands 50 Mile, 1. ULTRARUNNING MAGAZINE RUNNERS OF THE YEAR 1981-2013 2013 Michele Yates Rob Krar 35 2012 Ellie Greenwood Mike Morton 2011 Ellie Greenwood Dave Mackey 2010 Tracy Garneau Geoff Roes 2009 Kami Semick Geoff Roes 2008 Kami Semick Jorge Pacheco 2007 Nikki Kimball Scott Jurek 2006 Anne Lundblad Karl Meltzer 2005 Anne Lundblad Scott Jurek 2004 Nikki Kimball Scott Jurek 2003 Nikki Kimball Scott Jurek 2002 Ann Heaslett Chad Ricklefs 2001 Ann Trason Rich Hanna 2000 Deb Bolig Dan Held 1999 Daniele Cherniak Mark Godale 1998 Ann Trason Kevin Setnes 1997 Ann Trason Tom Johnson 1996 Ann Trason Tom Johnson 1995 Ann Trason Tom Johnson 1994 Ann Trason Tom Johnson 1993 Ann Trason Kevin Setnes 1992 Ann Trason Eric Clifton 1991 Ann Trason Andy Jones 1990 Ann Trason Andy Jones 1989 Ann Trason Sean Crom 1988 Ann Trason Stefan Fekner 1987 Mary Hanudel Charlie Trayer 1986 Sandra Kiddy Chuck Jones 1985 Sandra Kiddy Stu Mittleman 1984 Donna Hudson Bernd Heinrich 1983 Janis Klecker Bernd Heinrich 1982 Marcy Schwam Stu Mittleman 1981 Marcy Schwam Bernd Heinrich ULTRARUNNING.COM

Cassie Scallon, 27, CO Dave Mackey, 44, CO Angela Shartel, 39, CA Max King, 33, OR Robert Krar, 36, AZ Jodee Adams-Moore, 30, WA David Laney, 24, OR David Riddle, 31, OH Dakota Jones, 22, CO Holly Bugin, 33, VA Zach Bitter, 26, WI Jesus Campos, 29, CA Bethany Lewis, 35, UT Gary Robbins, 36, BC Seth Swanson, 34, MT Dane Mitchell, 35, CO Alex Varner, 28, CA David Laney, 24, OR Sage Canaday, 27, CO Rod Bien, 40, OR Angela Shartel, 39, CA Melanie Peters, 29, MI Scott Breeden, 23, IN David Brown, 34, TX Benjamin Bucklin, 34, WA Jenny Pierce, 30, MT Diana Finkel, 41, CO Sage Canaday, 29, CO Stephanie Howe, 27, OR Peter Hogg, 30, MI Emily Harrison, 27, VA Robert Krar, 36, AZ Cassie Scallon, 31, WI Sage Canaday, 27, CO

POINTS

8 10 8 5 4 4 3 3 3 4

Shibamata 100K, 7; Jodee Adams-Moore, WA, Chuckanut 50K, 7; Suzanna Bon, CA, IAU 24 Hour, 7; Cassie Scallon, CO, Tussey Mountainback 50 Mile, 7; Michele Yates, Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile, 7; Stephanie Howe, OR, Speedgoat 50K, 5; Emily Harrison, AZ, JFK 50 Mile, 4; Emily Harrison, Moab Red Hot 55K, 3; Darcy Africa, CO, Hardrock 100 Mile, 3; Shanna Ailes-Istnick, OH, Caumsett 50K, 1; Connie Gardner, OH, Graveyard 100 Mile, 1; Connie Gardner, OH, Burning River 100 Mile, 1; Kristin Moehl, CO, Mt Fuji 100 Mile, 1.

THE YEAR IN REVIEW – 2013

WINNERS OF THE 100 BIGGEST ULTRAMARATHONS IN NORTH AMERICA RACE RUNNERS 1. JFK 50 Mile, Boonsboro, MD 858 2. Way Too Cool 50K, Cool, CA 853 3. American River 50 Mile, Sacramento, CA 836 4. Leadville Trail 100 Mile, Leadville, CO 494 5. The North Face – DC 50K, Sterling, VA 430 6. Cowtown 50K, Fort Worth, TX 420 7. Silver Rush 50 Mile, Leadville, CO 401 8. The North Face Championship 50 Mile, Sausalito, CA 395 9. The North Face Championship 50K, Sausalito, CA 365 10. HAT Run 50K, Havre de Grace, MD 363 11. Miwok 37 Mile, Stinson Beach, CA 349 12. Chuckanut 50K, Bellingham, WA 344 Rock/Creek StumpJump 50K, Chattanooga, TN 344 14. The HUFF 50K, Albion, IN 342 15. Promise Land 50K, Bedford, VA 335 The North Face – Bear Mountain 50 K, Peekskill, NY 335 17. Holiday Lake 33.6 Mile, Appomattox, VA 328 18. Knickerbocker 60K, New York, NY 313 19. Susquehanna Super Hike 28 Mile, Susquehanna, PA 307 20. Ice Age 50 Mile, LaGrange, WI 305 21. Moab Red Hot 55K, Moab, UT 299 22. Bull Run Run 50 Mile, Clifton, VA 296 23. Dick Collins Firetrails 50 Mile, San Leandro, CA 288 24. The North Face – DC 50K, Clifton, VA 286 White River 50 Mile, Crystal Mountain, WA 286 26. Mountain Mist 50K, Huntsville, AL 285 27. Blues Cruise 50K, Reading, PA 283 28. Gorge Waterfall 50K, Cascade Locks, OR 281 29. Western States 100 Mile, Squaw Valley, CA 277 30. Speedgoat 50K, Snowbird, UT 275 31. The North Face – Bear Mountain 50 Mile, Peekskill, NY 275 32. Avalon Benefit 50 Mile, Avalon, CA 273 33. Terrapin Mountain 50K, Sedalia, VA 271 34. Lake Sonoma 50 Mile, Healdsburg, CA 266 35. Rocky Raccoon 50 Mile, Huntsville, TX 265 36. Golden Gate Dirty Thirty 50K, Black Hawk, CO 259 37. Seashore Nature Trail, Virginia Beach, VA 258 38. Mountain Masochist 50 Mile, Lynchburg, VA 253 39. Stone Mill 50 Mile, Rockville, MD 251 40. Quad Dipsea 28.4 Mile, Mill Valley, CA 249 41. Caballo Blanco 50 Mile, Copper Canyon, MEX 247 42. Bandera 50K, Bandera, TX 245 43. Skyline 50K, San Leandro, CA 240 44. McDonald Forest 50K, Corvallis, OR 239 45. Squaw Peak 50 Mile, Provo, UT 238 46. Knee Knackering 30 Mile, North Vancouver, BC 237 47. The North Face 50K, Madison, WI 233 48. Leona Divide 50 Mile, Lake Hughes, CA 232 49. Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile, Huntsville, TX 229 50. Vermont 50 Mile, Brownsville, VT 227

MEN’S WINNER Zach Miller, 25, PA Max King, 33, OR Matt Flaherty, 27, IL Ian Sharman, 32, CA Amos Desjardins, 31, VA Logan Sherman, 28, TX Andrew Catalano, 26, CO Rob Krar, 36, AZ Chris Campbell, 34, CA Caleb Masland, 31, NC Dylan Bowman, 27, CO David Laney, 24, OR Robert Pritchett, 36, WA Ryan Kienzle, 27, OH Shaun Pope, 24, NC Denis Mikhaylov, 29, NJ Steve Slaby, 32, VA Adolfo Munguia, 29, NY Scott Newcomer, 43, PA David Riddle, 31, OH Robert Krar, 36, AZ Brian Rusiecki, 34, MA Joseph Czabaranek, 28, FL Michael Wardian, 39, VA Rudy Gilman, 27, OR David Riddle, 31, OH John Wallace, 22, PA Christopher Kollar, 27, MT Timothy Olson, 29, OR Sage Canaday, 27, CO Jordan McDougal, 25, VA Fabrice Hardel, 39, CA David Hryvniak, 28, VA Sage Canaday, 27, CO Wade Barrett, 36, TX Chris Vargo, 31, CO Billy Edwards, 35, CO Brian Rusiecki, 34, MA Olivier Leblond, 41, VA Dave Mackey, 44, CO Ranulfo Sanchez, 33, MEX Timothy Olson, 29, OR Chikara Omine, 30, CA Dan Olmstead, 41, OR Erik Storheim, 40, UT Gary Robbins, 35, BC Andy Nesheim, 32, WI Robert Krar, 36, AZ Mike Morton, 41, FL David Le Porho, 36, QC

TIME 5:38:40 3:08:50 6:08:17 16:30:02 4:26:39 3:10:40 6:56:47 6:21:10 4:17:34 3:43:39 4:49:56 3:40:17 4:33:39 3:50:04 4:55:26 4:13:30 3:45:18 4:11:14 5:18:12 5:56:46 3:44:06 6:18:41 6:27:30 6:45:36 6:43:07 3:36:52 3:45:10 3:22:24 15:17:27 5:08:07 7:13:52 6:10:38 4:11:28 6:14:55 6:57:42 4:19:29 3:35:37 7:09:18 7:06:35 3:48:45 6:33:36 4:18:23 3:40:09 4:07:12 8:43:38 4:41:28 4:01:32 5:53:51 14:28:09 6:09:31

WOMEN’S WINNER Emily Harrison, 27, AZ Meghan Arbogast, 51, OR Pam Smith, 38, OR Ashley Arnold, 26, CO Rachel Clattenburg, 29, DC Kelley Aviles, 30, TX Leila Degrave, 35, CO Michele Yates, 31, CO Laura O’Meara, 30, CA Helen Dole, 30, NY Darcy Africa, 38, CO Jodee Adams-Moore, 30, WA Erin McMahon, 32, CO Melanie Peters, 29, MI Alison Bryant, 34, NC Amy Rusiecki, 33, MA Holly Bugin, 33, VA Gordon Bakoulis, 52, NY Heather Ceresini, 28, PA Cassandra Scallon, 31, CO Emily Harrison, 27, VA Rachel Bell Kelley, 32, NC Roxanne Woodhouse, 50, CA Christina Clark, 37, ON Ashley Arnold, 26, CO Katie Maehlmann, 35, AL Laura Kline, 36, PA Stephanie Howe, 29, OR Pam Smith, 38, OR Stephanie Howe, 29, OR Ashley Moyer, 25, PA Margaret Nelsen, 30, CA Kristina Folcik, 35, NH Cassie Scallon, 31, WI Sydney Pitt, 26, TX Laura Tabor, 25, CO Stephanie Manny, 31, VA Amy Rusiecki, 33, MA Megan McGrath, 29, NJ Ariane Buser, 35, CA Irene Vazquez, 30, MEX Jennifer Benna, 33, NV Tera Dube, 41, CA Becka Kem, 32, OR Meghan Woolley, 27, UT Ann Lanari, 36, BC Lorena Campos, 33, WI Melanie Peters, 29, MI Nicole Studer, 30, TX Aliza Lapierre, 33, VT

TIME 6:34:52 4:06:45 6:54:02 20:25:43 5:05:05 4:07:31 8:03:26 7:21:51 4:55:20 4:38:58 6:05:08 4:01:23 5:36:41 4:29:51 5:48:57 5:37:35 4:23:04 5:03:02 5:04:15 6:46:38 4:24:02 8:14:17 7:43:43 7:53:42 8:28:03 5:11:04 4:30:16 3:49:34 18:37:21 6:17:02 9:01:53 7:04:09 4:52:22 7:47:42 7:19:54 5:26:37 3:58:39 8:39:01 7:46:19 5:06:11 8:38:13 4:59:05 4:27:31 4:24:19 9:36:42 5:29:13 4:21:54 7:30:47 16:55:02 7:01:08

Beach vacation at Deception Pass

GLEN DELMAN

ANDRE PIELAGE

GLENN TACHIYAMA

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

Steep descent at Mogollon Monster

Cruising at altitude, 24 Hours of Boulder

51. Hinson Lake 24-Hour, Rockingham, NC 52. Chicago Lakefront Spring 50K, Chicago, IL 53. Orcas Island 50K, Orcas Island, WA OTHTC High Desert 50K, Ridgecrest, CA 55. Bighorn 50K, Dayton, WY 56. Pineland Trail 50K, Freeport, ME 57. Dances With Dirt Devil’s Lake 50K, Baraboo, WI 58. Chicago Lakefron Fall 50K, Chicago, IL 59. Lookout Mountain 50 Mile, Chattanooga, TN 60. Vermont 100 Mile, South Woodstock, VT Wasatch Front 100 Mile, Kaysville, UT McKenzie River Run 50K, Willamette Pass, OR 63. Born to Run 50K, Santa Barbara, CA 64. Mount Cheaha 50K, Oxford, AL 65. SweetH2O 50K, Lithia Springs, GA Leona Divide 50K, Lake Hughes, CA 67. Vermont 50K, Brownsville, VT Jemez Mountain 34 Mile, Los Alamos, NM 69. Siskiyou Outback 50K, Ashland, OR The North Face 50 Mile, Madison, WI 71. Chippewa Moraine 50K, New Auburn, WI 72. Hagg Lake 50K, Hagg Lake, OR 73. Noble Canyon 50K, Mount Laguna, CA 74. Baker Lake 50K, Baker Lake, WA 75. Bandera 100K, Bandera, TX Tamalpa Headlands 50K, Sausalito, CA 77. Bulldog 50K, Calabassas, CA 78. Seneca Greenway Trail 50K, Damascus, MD 79. The Bear 100 Mile, Logan, UT 80. Ice Age 50K, LaGrange, WI 81. San Juan Solstice 50 Mile, Lake City, CO 82. The North Face 50K, Atlanta, GA Afton Trail 50K, Afton, MN 84. Bear Brook Ultra, Allentown, NH Ohlone Wilderness 50K, Fremont, CA 86. Sylamore 50K, Allison, AR 87. Pinhoti 100 Mile, Sylacuga, AL Highlands Sky 40 Mile, Davis, WV 89. Labor Pain 12-Hour, Reading, PA

221 218 215 215 215 214 213 211 209 205 205 205 200 198 197 197 196 196 195 195 195 192 190 188 186 186 181 177 176 174 170 169 169 168 168 166 165 165 163

Joe Fejes, 47, GA Mick Brown, 40, IL Maxwell Ferguson, 27, WA Jesus Campos, 29, CA Dane Mitchell, 35, CO Scott Traer, 32, MA Brian Condon, 26, WI Rich Heffron, 30, IL Joseph Czabarnek, 27, OH Jason Lantz, 32, PA Nick Clark, 39, CO David Sherman, 25, OR Patrick Sweeney, 34, CA Dink Taylor, 47, AL Allen Moon, 28, GA Yassine Diboun, 34, OR Richard Thompson, 30, VT Eric Bohn, 31, AZ Ryan Ghelfi, 24, OR Tyler Sigl, 27, WI Michael Borst, 19, WI Jacob Puzey, 30, OR Neil Feerick, 39, CA Kurt Warwick, 24, WA Sage Canaday, 27, CO Alex Varner, 28, CA Ricardo Ramirez, 41, CA Tyler Burke, 27, DC Jeremy Humphrey, 34, ID Scot Van Asten, 36, WI Dakota Jones, 22, CO Mitchel Pless, 32, GA Chris Lundstrom, 37, MN Chris Mahoney, 35, MA Jean Pommier, 49, CA Matt Pruitt, 29, TN Jason Lantz, 32, PA Jake Reed, 25, WV James Blandford, 43, PA

8:38:24 3:50:17 4:21:42 3:10:22 3:50:53 3:33:00 3:50:38 3:19:03 6:54:36 15:23:26 20:24:26 3:41:56 3:49:43 4:44:45 4:57:10 4:03:33 4:10:01 4:50:25 3:42:38 5:38:49 4:08:57 3:24:22 3:54:18 4:20:30 8:13:49 3:41:49 3:53:09 4:27:11 17:56:03 3:56:59 7:35:03 5:03:11 3:40:20 3:33:12 4:54:38 4:09:13 17:44:24 6:02:53 70

91. Umstead 50 Mile, Raleigh, NC Arc’teryx Squamish 50K, Squamish, BC 93. Mohican 50 Mile, Loudonville, OH Minnesota Voyageur 50 Mile, Carlton, MN 95. Bear Chase 50K, Lakewood, CO 96. Diablo Trails Challenge 50K, Clayton, CA Superior Trail Spring 50K, Lutsen, MN Javelina Jundred, Fountain Hills, AZ 99. Forget the PR Mohican 50K, Loudonville, OH 100. Salem Lakeshore Frosty Fifty, Winston-Salem, NC Antelope Island Buffalo Run 50K, Syracuse, UT

162 162 160 160 159 158 158 158 157 156 156

Jim Sweeney, 31, NY Eric Carter, 26, MN Peter Hogg, 30, MI Michael Borst, 20, WI Chester Kurtz, 39, CO Ian Sharman, 32, CA Chris Lundstrom, 37, MN Hal Koerner, 37, OR Jay Smithberger, 43, OH Ethan Coffey, 29, NC Ryan Ghelfi, 24, OR

15:21:00 5:27:21 7:15:35 7:01:34 4:13:35 4:15:12 3:50:31 14:56:53 4:17:11 3:00:11 3:38:27

Andrea Stewart, 49, SC Katie Rodgers, 23, IL Jodee Adams-Moore, 30, WA Sada Crawford, 47, ID Sarah Keller, 47, MT Katy Agule, 26, ME Erin Seffrood, 37, WI Meredith Reshoft, 35, IL Christophe Block, 31, AR Larisa Dannis, 26, NH Sarah Mccloskey, 40, UT Becka Kem, 32, OR Alexis Smith, 38, CA Emily Ansick, 28, AL Lindsay Beckner, 31, TN Rachel Lipman, 24, NV Liz Gleason, 28, VT Petra McDowell, 41, NM Becka Kem, 32, OR Molly Culver, 23, IL April Cole, 28, WI Andrea Jarzombek, 38, OR Jayme Baldwin, 33, CA Emily Morehouse, 24, WA Michele Yates, 30, CO Bree Lambert, 45, CA Kate Martini Freeman, 31, CA Cori Brindle, 31, MD Bethany Lewis, 35, UT Meghan Arbogast, 52, OR Petra McDowell, 41, NM Taylor Cloy, 23, LA Melissa Jansen, 42, MN Stacia Broderick, 35, MA Elizabeth Vitalis, 48, CA Angie Zinkus, 36, TN Megan Rieger, 23, OH Martha Nelson, 32, WV Jackie Palmer, 25, DE Megan Stegemiller, 25, VA Michelle Gosselin, 27, CT Catrin Jones, 34, BC Riva Johnson, 50, PA April Cole, 28, WI Jen Byrne, 37, CO Katie Murphy, 30, CA Andrea Ring, 25, MN Rhonda Claridge, 46, CO Melissa Terwilliger, 29, OH Danielle Andolina, 31, NC Jenn Maley, 32, ID

2:24:00 4:19:36 5:01:58 4:20:17 5:14:27 4:27:02 5:08:26 3:42:26 8:19:19 18:38:10 0:31:19 4:00:15 4:28:09 5:28:26 5:17:47 5:21:56 4:31:44 5:44:16 4:11:57 7:51:12 4:58:06 4:07:10 5:05:25 4:50:24 10:08:48 5:11:02 4:39:45 4:59:05 21:15:00 4:04:29 10:26:57 6:03:01 4:42:55 4:27:11 5:52:51 5:12:07 21:22:39 7:03:06 65 65 16:08:29 5:51:52 8:27:42 8:23:22 4:23:23 5:22:20 5:42:45 18:34:00 5:20:02 4:02:45 5:08:17

LARRY HOLSCHER

SCOTT LAUDICK

GLENN TACHIYAMA

ULTRARUNNING.COM

Socializing on the run, Pigtails Challenge

Dancing with dirt (and a meadow), DWD-Devil’s Lake

Relaxing in sunny Florida, Destin 50

THE YEAR IN REVIEW – 2013

MEN’S 100 MILE

38 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

2013 TOP 100-MILE TIMES – MEN 1. Jon Olsen, 39, CA 2. Mike Morton, 41, FL 3. Valmir Nunes, 49, BRA 4. Peter Hogg, 30, MI 5. Mike Morton, 41, FL 6. Olivier Leblond, 40, VA 7. Karl Meltzer, 45, UT 8. Oswaldo Lopez, 41, CA 9. Joseph Czabaranek, 28, OH 10. Hal Koerner, 37, OR 11. Timothy Olson, 29, OR 12. Jim Sweeney, 31, NY 13. Rob Krar, 36, AZ 14. Jason Lantz, 32, PA 15. Chad Ricklefs, 45, CO 16. Oswaldo Lopez, 41, CA 17. Nelson Armstrong, 39, TN 18. Dale Draaistra, 37, ON 19. Nathan Leehman, 39, NC 20. Mike Morton, 41, FL 21. Michael Owen, 24, OH 22. Jim Sweeney, 32, NY 23. Nick Clark, 39, CO 24. Ian Sharman, 33, OR 25. James Bonnett, 26, AZ 26. Jordan Hanlon, 29, MN 27. Catlow Shipek, 35, AZ 28. Nathan Leehman, 39, NC 29. Brian Rusiecki, 34, MA 30. Olivier Leblond, 40, VA 31. Brandon Purdeu, 25, OK 32. Nick Pedatella, 27, CO 33. Steve Speirs, 46, VA 34. Mark Thompson, 35, IA 35. Ian Sharman, 32, CA 36. Ryan Jones, 33, PA 37. Nelson Armstrong, 39, TN 38. Grant Maughan, 49, AUS 39. Ian Sharman, 32, CA 40. Dylan Bowman, 27, CA 41. Chris Rubesch, 27, MN 42. Shaun Pope, 24, OH 43. Stephen Ryan, 55, NC 44. Seth Kelly, 28, CO 45. Joe Grant, 30, CO 46. Matthew Van Horn, 42, UT 47. Bob Ayers, Jr, 52, VT 48. Robert Cawood, 44, MD 49. Rich Riopel, 39, NJ 50. Nick Clark, 39, CO 51. Christopher Wehan, 31, CA 52. Tim Stroh, 50, WA 53. Sebastien Welterlin, 35, NM 54. Jeff Browning, 41, OR 55. Adam Hill, 38, ON 56. Eric Wyler, 25, MA 57. Nick Clark, 39, CO 58. Igor Campos, 28, CA 59. George Worth, 50, NY 60. Sung Ho Choi, 37, FL 61. Samuel Skeels, 35, MI 62. Dave Carver, 51, ON 63. Jason Schlarb, 35, MT 64. Lorenzo Sanchez, 35, TX 65. Jim Trout, 43, ON 66. Luis Guerrero, 49, MEX 67. Timothy Henderson, 43, NY 68. Matt Zmolek, 32, TX 69. Jorge Cardenas, 41, TX 70. Brett Rivers, 31, CA 71. Andy Woods, 40, FL 72. Serge Arbona, 48, MD

11:59:28 Ottawa Self-Transendence 13:14:31 Iron Horse 13:48:34 Graveyard 14:25:14 Burning River 14:28:09 Rocky Raccoon 14:33:25 Graveyard 14:34:00 Antelope Island Buffalo Run 14:38:02 Iron Horse 14:47:30 Beast of Burden – Winter 14:56:53 Javelina Jundred 15:17:27 Western States 15:21:00 Umstead 15:22:05 Western States 15:23:26 Vermont 15:26:32 Vermont 15:34:51 Yellowstone-Teton 15:35:03 Yellowstone-Teton 15:37:24 Sulphur Springs 15:45:05 Umstead 15:45:21 Western States 15:48:17 Burning River 15:48:31 Burning River 15:54:31 Vermont 15:57:42 Vermont 15:58:11 Born to Run 15:59:53 Lean Horse 15:59:58 Javelina Jundred 16:02:27 Rocky Raccoon 16:05:11 Vermont 16:06:33 C&O Canal 16:09:10 Prairie Spirit 16:10:00 Antelope Island Buffalo Run 16:16:55 Rocky Raccoon 16:17:01 Burning River 16:20:25 Western States 16:21:04 NJ Ultra Festival 16:21:33 Pistol Ultra 16:24:10 Yellowstone-Teton 16:30:02 Leadville Trail 16:32:18 Western States 16:40:46 Lean Horse 16:43:04 Burning River 16:46:37 Umstead 16:48:32 Rocky Raccoon 16:50:10 Javelina Jundred 16:52:55 Pony Express 16:54:32 Rocky Raccoon 16:54:44 Umstead 16:55:45 Umstead 16:56:23 Western States 16:56:46 Rio del Lago 16:58:00 Pigtails Challenge 16:59:20 Umstead 16:59:24 San Diego 17:03:34 Vermont 17:06:00 Ghost Train Rail Trail 17:06:28 Leadville Trail 17:09:30 Rohring Round the Clock 17:12:10 Umstead 17:12:54 Umstead 17:13:10 Burning River 17:13:15 Long Haul 17:15:20 Run Rabbit Run – Hare 17:18:22 Rocky Raccoon 17:19:15 Sulphur Springs 17:20:11 Rocky Raccoon 17:21:15 Umstead 17:22:24 Rocky Raccoon 17:23:12 Rocky Raccoon 17:23:13 San Diego 17:24:05 Beast of Burden – Summer 17:24:25 Umstead

EXPLANATION OF TOP GRADED PERFORMANCES We have listed the top graded performances for each commonly run ultra distance. These rankings are determined by using the Comparative Difficulty Ratios developed by Gary Wang at RealEndurance.com. In his analysis Wang compares times from runners who ran multiple events within the same year to determine

73. Neil Feerick, 38, CA 74. Duran Pardue, 25, NC 75. Dave Krupski, 36, FL 76. James Elson, 30, TX 77. Chris Estes, 40, TN 78. James Conway, 43, PA 79. Richard Handley, 24, FL 80. Chris Roman, 43, FL 81. Mike Halovatch, 34, NY 82. Jonathan Savage, 46, NC 83. Jeremy Bradford, 35, CO 84. Michael Versteeg, 28, AZ 85. Ray Sanchez, 46, CA 86. Anthony Parillo, 28, MA 87. Sebastien Roulier, 39, QC 88. Jason Lantz, 32, PA 89. John McAlister, 39, ON 90. Jesse Haynes, 40, CA 91. Michael Jimenez, 39, CA 92. Troy Shellhamer, 32, KY 93. Tomokazu Ihara, 35, JPN 94. John Maas, 51, MN 95. John Cash, 39, MO 96. Peter Burrill, 31, ON 97. Andrei Nana, 36, FL 98. Scott Rabb, 44, TX 99. Andy Pearson, 28, CA 100. Richard Stigall, 45, KS

17:26:14 Born to Run 17:28:02 Umstead 17:30:45 KEYS 17:32:09 Rocky Raccoon 17:35:00 Pistol Ultra 17:36:13 Pine Creek Challenge 17:36:20 Long Haul 17:37:35 Umstead 17:38:37 Umstead 17:38:58 Graveyard 17:39:00 Antelope Island Buffalo Run 17:41:00 Flagstaff to Grand Canyon 17:41:24 Nanny Goat 17:42:11 Old Dominion 17:43:23 Vermont 17:44:24 Pinhoti 17:44:32 Sulphur Springs 17:44:36 Western States 17:44:37 Javelina Jundred 17:45:04 Umstead 17:47:00 Antelope Island 17:52:55 Kettle Moraine 17:53:32 Kettle Moraine 17:54:29 Sulphur Springs 17:54:55 KEYS 17:55:01 Rocky Raccoon 17:55:12 Zion 17:55:31 Heartland

2013 TOP GRADED PERFORMANCES 100 MILES – MEN 1. Jon Olsen, 39, CA 11:59:28 2. Timothy Olson, 29, OR 15:17:27 3. Rob Krar, 36, AZ 15:22:05 4. Mike Morton, 41, FL 15:45:21 5. Peter Hogg, 30, MI 14:25:14 6. Ian Sharman, 32, CA 16:30:02 7. Jeremy Humphrey, 34, ID 17:56:03 8. Troy Howard, 40, CO 25:20:09 9. Mike Morton, 41, FL 13:14:31 10. Jason Schlarb, 35, MT 17:15:20 11. Ian Sharman, 32, CA 16:20:25 12. Karl Meltzer, 45, UT 14:34:00 13. James Blandford, 43, PA 18:30:53 14. Hal Koerner, 37, OR 14:56:53 15. Nick Clark, 39, CO 17:06:28 16. Dylan Bowman, 27, CA 16:32:18 17. Bob Shebest, 39, CA 18:03:55 18. Gerad Dean, 36, CA 18:25:47 19. Scott Jaime, 43, CO 26:38:43 20. Chris Price, 32, CA 26:51:13 21. Nick Clark, 39, CO 16:56:23 22. Nick Clark, 39, CO 20:24:26 23. Michael Owen, 24, OH 15:48:17 24. Jim Sweeney, 32, NY 15:48:31 25. Mike Morton, 41, FL 14:28:09 OLDEST 100-MILE FINISHERS – MEN Hans-Dieter Weisshaar, 73, DEU Hans-Dieter Weisshaar, 73, DEU Hans-Dieter Weisshaar, 73, DEU Hans-Dieter Weisshaar, 73, DEU Hans-Dieter Weisshaar, 73, DEU Bob Mercil, 72, CO Dan Pieroni, 72, AK Tom Sprouse, 71, NC Ian Maddieson, 71, NM Wally Hesseltine, 70, CA David Blaylock, 70, UT Tim Hicks, 70, CA Nofal Musfy, 70, TX Denis Trafecanty, 70, CA William Squier III, 70, NC

34:49:00 35:07:15 29:34:47 31:48:54 47:34:00 28:54:09 27:39:10 27:37:28 28:19:37 31:20:32 33:37:24 27:17:13 25:13:18 29:07:32 28:19:32

Ottawa Self T Western States Western States Western States Burning River Leadville Trail The Bear Hardrock Iron Horse Run Rabbit Run Western States Antelope Island Massanutten Javelina Jundred Leadville Trail Western States Tahoe Rim Trail Pine to Palm Hardrock Hardrock Western States Wasatch Front Burning River Burning River Rocky Raccoon

1.000 0.993 0.988 0.963 0.958 0.957 0.956 0.953 0.940 0.932 0.929 0.927 0.926 0.924 0.923 0.918 0.916 0.906 0.906 0.899 0.896 0.885 0.874 0.874 0.871

The Bear Wasatch Front Leadville Trail Cascade Crest Hardrock Salt Flats Umstead Umstead Vermont Angeles Crest Bryce Javelina Jundred Rocky Raccoon San Diego Umstead

a score for each event. Using this approach we can make a relative assessment for courses of widely varying difficulty. Some smaller events are not included as there was insufficient data for Wang to develop a reliable score. A couple of other events were not included due to significant weather-related course changes for 2012.

WOMEN’S 100 MILE 15:33:12 Graveyard 16:08:29 Umstead 16:16:13 Pine Creek Challenge 16:55:02 Rocky Raccoon 17:03:14 Pistol Ultra 17:16:20 KEYS 17:35:17 Indiana 17:38:24 Long Haul 17:46:00 Iron Horse 18:17:00 KEYS 18:19:21 Heartland 18:23:05 Rocky Raccoon 18:24:41 Graveyard 18:25:10 Yellowstone-Teton 18:30:49 Burning River 18:31:01 Run de Vous 18:34:00 Javelina Jundred 18:37:21 Western States 18:38:10 Vermont 18:53:30 Pigtails Challenge 18:57:59 Sulphur Springs 18:59:00 Ghost Train Rail Trail 19:01:00 Zion 19:04:27 Rio del Lago 19:12:01 Black Hills 19:13:18 Vermont 19:21:43 Western States 19:23:00 Badger Mountain 19:23:41 Sulphur Springs 19:25:11 Western States 19:28:27 Burning River 19:30:50 Western States 19:31:08 Graveyard 19:31:08 Graveyard 19:42:25 Yellowstone-Teton 19:44:39 KEYS 19:52:09 Western States 19:53:33 Vermont 19:59:59 Pony Express 20:04:46 Western States 20:04:59 Sulphur Springs 20:05:24 Yellowstone-Teton 20:07:15 Rocky Raccoon 20:10:11 Rocky Raccoon 20:16:44 KEYS 20:16:54 Run Rabbit Run – Hare 20:22:23 Zion 20:25:43 Leadville Trail 20:27:24 Headlands 20:28:40 Western States 20:35:43 Sulphur Springs 20:37:11 Rocky Raccoon 20:46:00 Badger Mountain 20:46:53 Burning River 20:47:00 Badger Mountain Iron Horse 20:47:42 20:51:40 Sulphur Springs 20:53:45 Vermont 20:54:01 Burning River 20:54:25 Beast of Burden – Summer 20:56:16 Beast of Burden – Summer 20:56:51 Rocky Raccoon 20:57:35 San Diego 20:58:24 Pine Creek Challenge 20:58:55 Javelina Jundred 20:58:56 Black Hills 20:59:07Antelope Island Buffalo Run 20:59:13 Run Rabbit Run – Hare 21:01:00 Flagstaff to Grand Canyon 21:03:29 Beast of Burden – Winter 21:06:46 Rocky Raccoon 21:07:00 Ghost Train Rail Trail

73. Bethany Lewis, 35, UT 74. Mandi Tuite, 32, NC 75. Catra Corbett, 48, CA 76. Rhonda Claridge, 45, CO 77. Angela Shartel, 39, CA 78. Megan Rieger, 23, OH 79. Becky Kirschenmann, 40, OR 80. Lucy Ledezma, 30, NY 81. Kathleen Cusick, 38, FL 82. Maria Shields, 62, MD 83. Lori Wetzel, 40, MA 84. Teresa Novick, 53, ON 85. Anastasia Andrychowski, 32, FL 86. Julie Fingar, 38, CA 87. Connie Gardner, 49, OH 88. Denise Bourassa, 43, OR 89. Maggie Beach, 42, CA 90. Rhonda Claridge, 46, CO 91. Mary Siegel, 41, GA 92. Jessica Goldman, 40, NH 93. Rachel Ballard, 48, TX 94. Lesa Snider, 36, ON 95. Yoshiko Jo, 48, PA 96. Candi Paulin, 32, KS 97. Becky Wheeler, 39, WY 98. Catherine Todd, 34, UAE 99. Christi Nowak, 25, MN 100. Kristina Pattison, 33, MT

21:15:00 The Bear 21:16:20 Umstead 21:20:34 Razorback 21:21:00 Grand Mesa 21:21:13 Angeles Crest 21:22:39 Pinhoti 21:25:11 Pine to Palm 21:28:26 Beast of Burden – Summer 21:32:01 Vermont 21:32:17 Umstead 21:33:57 Vermont 21:39:18 Beast of Burden – Summer 21:41:22 Iron Horse 21:41:40 Headlands 21:43:32 Mohican 21:44:37 Western States 21:45:00 Flagstaff to Grand Canyon 21:45:05 Run Rabbit Run – Hare 21:46:20 Umstead 21:47:00 Ghost Train Rail Trail 21:50:42 Rocky Raccoon 21:52:56 Vermont 21:54:45 C&O Canal 21:55:02 Heartland 21:55:59 Run Rabbit Run – Hare 21:56:00 Badger Mountain 21:56:04 Cascade Crest 21:57:57 Pinhoti

2013 TOP GRADED PERFORMANCES 100 MILES – WOMEN 1. Pam Smith, 38, OR 18:37:21 Western States 2. Bethany Lewis, 35, UT 21:15:00 The Bear 3. Darcy Africa, 38, CO 29:54:55 Hardrock 4. Michele Yates, 31, CO 20:16:54 Run Rabbit Run 5. Ashley Arnold, 26, CO 20:25:43 Leadville Trail 6. Nikki Kimball, 42, MT 19:21:43 Western States 7. Amy Sproston, 39, OR 19:25:11 Western States 8. Becky Kirschenmann, 40, OR 21:25:11 Pine to Palm 9. Meghan Arbogast, 52, OR 19:30:50 Western States 10. Angela Shartel, 39, CA 21:21:13 Angeles Crest 11. Kaci Lickteig, 26, NE 19:12:01 Black Hills 12. Darla Askew, 40, OR 31:09:52 Hardrock 13. Michelle Gosselin, 27, CT 16:08:29 Umstead 14. Nikki Kimball, 42, MT 20:59:13 Run Rabbit Run 15. Rory Bosio, 28, CA 19:52:09 Western States 16. Michele Yates, 30, CO 17:35:17 Indiana 17. Jennifer Benna, 33, NV 19:01:00 Zion 18. Aliza Lapierre, 33, VT 20:04:46 Western States 19. Erika Lindland, 31, CA 19:04:27 Rio del Lago 20. Connie Gardner, 49, OH 18:30:49 Burning River 21. Nicole Studer, 30, TX 16:55:02 Rocky Raccoon 22. Rhonda Claridge, 46, CO 18:34:00 Javelina Jundred 23. Emily Harrison, 27, AZ 20:28:40 Western States 24. Rhonda Claridge, 46, CO 21:45:05 Run Rabbit Run 25. Sarah Evans McCloskey, 40, UT 24:31:19 Wasatch Front OLDEST 100-MILE FINISHERS – WOMEN Sally Squier, 70, NC Barbara Ashe, 64, CA Mary Vish, 63, NJ Mary Vish, 63, NJ Maria Shields, 62, MD Linda Walter, 61, WA Bettie Smith, 61, CA Louise Mason, 60, IL June Gessner, 60, CA Leslie Hale, 60, TX Karen Riddle, 60, TX Lori Pratt Smith, 60, UT Louise Mason, 60, IL

1.000 0.991 0.990 0.973 0.966 0.962 0.959 0.956 0.954 0.952 0.951 0.950 0.946 0.941 0.937 0.932 0.930 0.927 0.918 0.915 0.914 0.913 0.909 0.908 0.904

29:52:00 Umstead 27:23:19 Rio del Lago 28:58:12 C&O Canal 27:29:28 Pine Creek Challenge 21:32:17 Umstead 26:24:00 Pigtails Challenge 27:37:07 Western States 28:39:34 Beast of Burden – Summer 27:42:35 Born to Run 26:58:21 Rocky Raccoon 35:49:35 Salt Flats 35:02:00 The Bear 27:49:48 Umstead

39 ULTRARUNNING.COM

2013 TOP 100-MILE TIMES – WOMEN 1. Connie Gardner, 49, OH 2. Michelle Gosselin, 27, CT 3. Connie Gardner, 49, OH 4. Nicole Studer, 30, TX 5. Kathy Smith, 48, TN 6. Brenda Carawan, 36, FL 7. Michele Yates, 30, CO 8. Whitney Richman, 32, IL 9. Allyson Weimer, 25, FL 10. Josephine Weeden, 44, FL 11. Amy Ewing, 44, TX 12. Shaheen Sattar, 28, TX 13. Kelley Wells, 39, SC 14. Connie Gardner, 49, OH 15. Connie Gardner, 49, OH 16. Maggie Beach, 42, CA 17. Rhonda Claridge, 46, CO 18. Pam Smith, 38, OR 19. Larisa Dannis, 26, NH 20. Hope Fox, 39, WA 21. Laura Perry, 32, ON 22. Alyson Venti, 31, FL 23. Jennifer Benna, 33, NV 24. Erika Lindland, 31, CA 25. Kaci Lickteig, 26, NE 26. Traci Falbo, 41, IN 27. Nikki Kimball, 42, MT 28. Megan Hall, 24, WA 29. April Boultbee, 41, ON 30. Amy Sproston, 39, OR 31. Deanna Culbreath, 33, NY 32. Meghan Arbogast, 52, OR 33. Mary Baniak, 40, WV 34. Mary Beth Strickler, 38, MD 35. Pam Reed, 52, WY 36. Maggie Beach, 41, CA 37. Rory Bosio, 28, CA 38. Amy Rusiecki, 34, MA 39. Cherri Marcinko, 43, UT 40. Aliza Lapierre, 33, VT 41. Kiriam Thompson, 35, ON 42. Sherry Shay, 49, ID 43. Starshine Blackford, 37, OH 44. Francesca Bissman, 25, TX 45. Gigi Tsang, 47, FL 46. Michele Yates, 31, CO 47. Larisa Dannis, 25, NH 48. Ashley Arnold, 26, CO 49. Beverley Anderson-Abbs, 49, CA 50. Emily Harrison, 27, AZ 51. Iris Cooper, 54, ON 52. Serena Wilcox, 33, VT 53. Jude Ultra, 29, BC 54. Stephanie Bartley, 29, IN 55. April Thorp, 31, CA 56. Heather Sturdivant, 32, FL 57. Karin McMillan, 41, ON 58. Gnarls Barclay, 39, ME 59. Donna Utakis, 45, MA 60. Stacy Kopchak, 50, PA 61. Issy Nielson, 30, RI 62. Ayano Murase, 36, MD 63. Jenny Capel, 40, NV 64. Stacy Gagne, 37, VA 65. Emz Eliason, 36, AZ 66. Christi Nowak, 25, MN 67. Kristel Liddle, 34, CO 68. Nikki Kimball, 42, MT 69. Suzanna Bon, 49, CA 70. Catherine Todd, 34, UAE 71. Jody Koehler, 42, TX 72. Mary Arnold, 34, NY

THE YEAR IN REVIEW – 2013

MEN’S 100 KM 2013 TOP 100 KM TIMES – MEN 1. Nick Accardo, 30, LA 2. Karl Schnaitter, 30, CA 3. Chad Ricklefs, 45, CO 4. Jean Pommier, 49, CA 5. Dave Proctor, 32, AB 6. Sage Canaday, 27, CO 7. Adolfo Munguia, 28, NY 8. Sebastien Roulier, 39, QC 9. Oleg Tabelev, 47, AB 10. Tristan Williams, 27, NH 11. Zach Bitter, 27, WI 12. Kyle Kiel, 32, MI 13. Padraig Mullins, 31, MA 14. Satoshi Mitsumori, 31, FL 15. Sam Skeels, 35, MI 16. Michael Borst, 20, WI 17. Dave Mackey, 43, CA 18. Sage Canaday, 27, CO 19. Paul Terranova, 39, TX 20. Timothy Olson, 29, OR 21. Daven Oskvig, 36, NY 22. Karl Meltzer, 46, UT 23. John Ehntholt, 46, NY 24. Lonnie Matsuno, 50, AB 25. David Laney, 24, OR 26. Norman Decelles, 25, KS 27. Damian Stoy, 32, MT 28. Mark Smith, 48, AB 29. Nakia Baird, 38, CA 30. Igor Campos, 29, CA 31. Craig Dolecki, 40, MI

7:34:51 Mad City 7:38:41 Ruth Anderson 7:42:48 Mad City 7:51:08 Ruth Anderson 7:51:12 Harriers Elk/Beaver 8:13:49 Bandera 8:15:00 Green Lakes 8:18:50 NJ Ultra Festival 8:21:05 Harriers Elk/Beaver 8:23:27 Hampshire 8:39:09 Kettle Moraine 8:39:57 Top of Michigan 8:42:20 Lake Waramaug 8:46:32 Croom Zoom 8:50:10 Mad City 8:52:53 Kettle Moraine 8:53:27 Bandera 8:53:34 Tarawera 8:55:41 Bandera 8:56:46 Tarawera 9:00:37 Green Lakes 9:01:27 Bandera 9:02:51 Lake Waramaug 9:03:38 Fast Trax 9:05:42 Waldo 9:06:06 Free State 9:06:40 Antelope Island Buffalo Run 9:06:55 Harriers Elk/Beaver 9:07:16 Ruth Anderson 9:12:16 Cuyamaca 9:19:21 Top of Michigan

32. Erik Stanley, 27, TX 33. Samuel Hammonds, 39, TN 34. Qinhua He, 36, CA 35. Kelly Knowles, 42, CO 36. Gary Gellin, 44, CA 37. Rob Krar, 36, AZ 38. Gregory Miller, 50, OH 39. Roger Bonga, 38, MI 40. Lee Kanitz, 39, MI 41. Dakota Jones, 22, CO 42. Kevin Shilling, 45, UT 43. Galen Farris, 31, CA 44. Ben Hian, 44, CA 45. Jeff Browning, 41, OR 46. Vincent Bouchard, 33, AB 47. Joe Marinaccio, 42, NJ 48. Justin Heinz, 21, IL 49. Andy Palmer, 41, CO 50. Chris Rubesch, 27, MN

9:21:50 9:23:00 9:26:08 9:27:16 9:27:41 9:29:00 9:29:49 9:29:49 9:31:10 9:32:26 9:35:27 9:37:08 9:37:20 9:37:52 9:38:48 9:41:53 9:43:41 9:44:12 9:45:00

2013 TOP GRADED PERFORMANCES 100 KM – MEN 1. Sage Canaday, 27, CO 8:13:49 2. Rob Krar, 36, AZ 9:29:00 3. Dakota Jones, 22, CO 9:32:26 4. David Laney, 24, OR 9:05:42 5. Cameron Clayton, 25, CO 10:06:24 6. Dave Mackey, 43, CA 8:53:27 7. Paul Terranova, 39, TX 8:55:41 8. Karl Meltzer, 46, UT 9:01:27 9. Ryan Ghelfi, 25, OR 10:24:37 10. Damian Stoy, 32, MT 9:06:40

Bandera Pistol Ultra Ruth Anderson Bear Chase Bandera UROC Mad City Top of Michigan Top of Michigan UROC Zion Gold Rush Free State Bandera Blackfoot Ultra NJ Ultra Festival Mad City CURE Kettle Moraine Bandera UROC UROC Waldo UROC Bandera Bandera Bandera UROC Antelope Island

1.000 0.999 0.993 0.939 0.937 0.926 0.922 0.912 0.910 0.886

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WOMEN’S 100 KM 2013 TOP 100 KM TIMES – WOMEN 1. Meghan Arbogast, 52, OR Amy Sproston, 39, OR 3. Carolyn Smith, 47, WI 4. Suzanna Bon, 48, CA 5. Brenda Carawan, 36, TX 6. Katalin Nagy, 33, FL 7. Michelle Mitchell, 38, LAT 8. Kaci Lickteig, 26, NE 9. Michelle Barton, 42, CA 10. Adela Salt, 40, AB 11. Jennifer Pfeifer, 41, CA 12. Tina Ryan, 39, MA 13. Jennilyn Eaton, 26, UT 14. Michele Yates, 30, CO 15. Melanie Fryar, 32, TX 16. Kristina Folcik, 35, NH 17. Ashley Nordell, 33, OR 18. Ashley Moyer, 25, PA 19. Tonia Smith, 44, CO 20. Lara Zoeller, 28, GA 21. Kelly Cronin, 36, CA 22. Melissa Danehey, 29, NC 23. Chantal Van Der Geest, 36, AB 24. Susan Warren, 56, NJ 25. Bonnie Reszel, 45, BC 26. Sabrina Little, 26, TX 27. Caren Spore, 45, CA 28. Liza Howard, 40, TX 29. Leigh Moser, 44, CA 30. Mariana Bartonicek, 26, VT 31. Maggie Guterl, 32, PA 32. Angela Quadrini, 28, MI

7:50:31 7:50:31 8:36:27 8:48:48 8:58:04 9:03:37 9:15:41 9:47:12 9:50:00 9:58:44 10:00:12 10:05:35 10:06:51 10:08:48 10:17:30 10:21:12 10:41:54 10:42:00 10:46:39 10:47:39 10:49:45 10:51:30 10:53:40 10:58:18 10:59:05 11:00:03 11:07:15 11:07:56 11:08:36 11:13:16 11:18:56 11:26:18

Tokyo-Shibamata Tokyo-Shibamata Mad City Ruth Anderson Graveyard Croom Zoom Belves Kettle Moraine Javelina Jundred Fast Trax Gold Rush Lake Waramaug Antelope Island Bandera Bandera Hampshire Gold Rush Oil Creek Bear Chase Iron Horse Gold Rush Graveyard Blackfoot Ultra Lake Waramaug Harriers Elk/Beaver Bandera Waldo Bandera Ruth Anderson Green Lakes NJ Ultra Festival Top of Michigan

33. Joelle Vaught, 38, ID 34. Stephanie Weigel, 31, NV 35. Karna Hyman, 41, RI 36. Alicia Woodside, 25, BC 37. Olga Varlamova-King, 43, TX 38. Sarah Miller, 23, MS 39. Monica Pearson, 39, MI 40. Suzanne Lewis, 37, UT 41. Alissa St Laurent, 28, AB 42. Cheryl Yanek, 34, NY 43. Andrea Kladar, 35, AB 44. Leah Harold, 31, MI 45. Kristen Hyer, 30, NY 46. Kendra Hershey, 41, CA 47. Debbie Legg, 48, GA 48. Patricia Munz, 57, PA 49. Sally McRae, 34, CA 50. Rosa Melendez, 41, CA

11:28:06 11:29:42 11:30:54 11:40:07 11:42:15 11:42:33 11:42:41 11:44:28 11:49:24 11:54:42 11:57:23 11:57:50 11:59:04 12:02:41 12:08:18 12:09:11 12:09:34 12:15:32

Waldo Zion Lake Waramaug Baker Lake Free State Big Butts Top of Michigan Zion Lost Soul Iron Horse Harriers Elk/Beaver Top of Michigan Green Lakes Ruth Anderson Iron Horse Pine Creek Challenge Cuyamaca Born to Run

2013 TOP GRADED PERFORMANCES 100 KM – WOMEN 1. Michele Yates, 30, CO 10:08:48 Bandera 2. Melanie Fryar, 32, TX 10:17:30 Bandera 3. Kaci Lickteig, 26, NE 9:47:12 Kettle Moraine 4. Caren Spore, 45, CA 11:07:15 Waldo 5. Stephanie Howe, 29, OR 12:29:27 UROC 6. Michelle Barton, 42, CA 9:50:00 Javelina Jundred 7. Ashley Moyer, 25, PA 10:42:00 Oil Creek 8. Sally McRae, 34, CA 12:09:34 Cuyamaca 9. Sabrina Little, 26, TX 11:00:03 Bandera 10. Joelle Vaught, 38, ID 11:28:06 Waldo

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1.000 0.986 0.959 0.947 0.935 0.935 0.930 0.929 0.922 0.918

THE YEAR IN REVIEW – 2013

MEN’S 50 MILE

42 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

2013 TOP 50 MILE TIMES – MEN 1. Zach Bitter, 26, WI 2. Matt Flaherty, 28, IL 3. Zach Bitter, 27, WI 4. Zach Miller, 25, PA 5. Tyler Sigl, 27, WI 6. Matthew Flaherty, 28, IL 7. Cole Crosby, 24, NJ 8. Robert Krar, 36, AZ 9. Michael Wardian, 39, VA 10. Brian Condon, 27, WI 11. Mark Thompson, 36, IA 12. David Cox, 28, KS 13. David Riddle, 31, OH 14. Iain Ridgeway, 33, DEU 15. Daniel Seigers, 30, NJ 16. Michael Daigeaun, 33, ON 17. Victor Ballesteros, 42, CA 18. Brian Condon, 26, WI 19. Eric Tatge, 28, WI 20. Zach Bitter, 27, WI 21. Matt Flaherty, 27, IL 22. Adam Condit, 30, IA 23. David Le Porho, 36, QC 24. Matt Flaherty, 27, IL 25. Fabrice Hardel, 39, CA 26. Sebastien Roulier, 39, QC 27. Barry Young, 38, BC 28. Jacob Puzey, 31, OR 29. Ryan Aschbrenner, 36, NH 30. Rod Bien, 41, OR 31. Mike Bialick, 32, MN 32. Sage Canaday, 27, CO 33. Kenneth Janosko, 22, OH 34. Chikara Omine, 30, CA 35. Ben Nephew, 38, MA 36. Mike Bialick, 31, MN 37. Brian Rusiecki, 34, MA 38. Hassan Lofti-Pour, 45, BC 39. Daven Oskvig, 36, NY 40. Joseph Czabaranek, 28, OH 41. Eric Senseman, 24, WI 42. Jon Lawler, 50, TN 43. Brandt Ketterer, 29, IL 44. Rob Krar, 36, AZ 45. Mark Jasper, 35, MI 46. Charlie Johnston, 30, CA 47. Andy Prevost, 35, MT 48. Scott Jaime, 43, CO 49. Josh Katzman, 33, MA 50. James Walsh, 34, CA 51. Eric Senseman, 24, WI 52. Jedediah Rogers, 34, MT 53. Jon Lawler, 49, TN 54. Igor Stevic, 38, WI 55. Josh Brimhall, 37, NV 56. Cody Moat, 34, UT 57. Matt Urbanski, 32, WA 58. Cameron Clayton, 24, CO 59. Joseph Czabaranek, 28, FL 60. Tomasz Kochanowicz, 39, NC 61. Scott Breeden, 23, IN 62. Heath Wiltse, 38, ID 63. Brian Rusiecki, 34, MA 64. Jason Baer, 35, PA 65. Cameron Clayton, 25, CO 66. Paul Terranova, 39, TX 67. Jacob Klaustermeier, 32, IL 68. Chris Vargo, 32, CO 69. Daven Oskvig, 36, NY 70. Ranulfo Sanchez, 33, MEX 71. Brian Rusiecki, 34, MA 72. Max King, 33, OR 73. Joshua Finger, 40, PA 74. JJ Jehangir, 23, CO 75. William Kuper, 33, VA 76. Piotr Janczyk, 42, IL 77. Dewayne Satterfield, 48, AL 78. Chikara Omine, 31, CA 79. Scott Dunlap, 44, CA 80. Daniel Kraft, 25, CO 81. Chris Sallade, 41, NJ 82. Jeff Browning, 41, OR 83. Bryan Bhark, 29, MA 84. Zack McCormick, 29, IL 85. Dylan Bowman, 27, CA

5:12:33 Chicago Lakefront Fall 5:28:11 Tussey Mountainback 5:32:23 Tussey Mountainback 5:38:40 JFK 5:38:49 TNF – Wisconsin 5:44:24 JFK 5:47:33 Can Lakes 5:53:51 Leona Divide 5:55:24 JFK 5:55:43 TNF – Wisconsin 5:55:44 Door County Fall 5:56:18 Prairie Spirit Trail Fall 5:56:46 Ice Age 5:57:13 JFK 6:05:48 NJ Ultra Festival 6:07:00 Sulphur Springs 6:07:15 Jed Smith 6:07:49 Ice Age 6:07:57 Door County Fall 6:08:14 Ice Age 6:08:17 American River 6:08:38 TNF – Wisconsin 6:09:31 Vermont 6:10:32 Ice Age 6:10:38 Avalon Benefit 6:10:55 Stone Cat 6:11:05 Whistler 6:12:25 Mt Hood PCT 6:13:12 JFK 6:13:44 Mt Hood PCT 6:14:32 JFK 6:14:55 Lake Sonoma 6:16:45 JFK 6:16:54 Quicksilver 6:18:20 Rock the Ridge 6:18:21 Ice Age 6:18:41 Bull Run Run 6:18:48 Whistler 6:19:13 JFK 6:19:47 Destin Beach 6:20:58 American River 6:21:06 JFK 6:21:07 Des Planes River Trail 6:21:10 TNF – SF 6:21:41 Door County Fall 6:24:00 Running from an Angel 6:24:10 Le Grizz 6:24:16 Antelope Island Buffalo Run 6:24:23 Stone Cat 6:24:39 Avalon Benefit 6:25:26 TNF – Wisconsin 6:25:34 Le Grizz 6:25:38 Umstead 6:25:43 Door County Fall 6:25:51 Ice Age Nueces 6:26:03 6:26:22 Land Between the Lakes 6:26:24 Lake Sonoma 6:27:30 Dick Collins Firetrails 6:27:37 Bethel Hill Moonlight 6:27:42 Ice Age 6:29:58 Le Grizz 6:30:30 Pineland Trail 6:31:01 Tussey Mountainback 6:31:17 TNF – SF 6:32:10 Nueces 6:33:31 Door County Fall 6:33:33 TNF – SF 6:33:35 Can Lakes 6:33:36 Caballo Blanco 6:33:43 Vermont 6:33:57 Lake Sonoma 6:33:57 Tussey Mountainback 6:35:03 Iron Horse 6:35:14 JFK 6:35:21 Des Planes River Trail 6:35:31 Delano Park 6:35:40 Dick Collins Firetrails 6:35:40 Tussey Mountainback 6:35:56 TNF – SF 6:35:57 JFK 6:36:25 Ice Age 6:36:57 JFK 6:37:07 Chicago Lakefront Fall 6:37:14 TNF – SF

86. Rod Bien, 40, OR 87. Miguel Lara, 39, MEX 88. Eduardo Vazquez, 40, CA 89. Mike Wolfe, 36, MT 90. Jorge Maravilla, 35, CA 91. James Blandford, 43, PA 92. Jan Wellford, 31, NY 93. Michael Borst, 20, WI 94. Dave Mackey, 43, CO 95. Silvino Cubesare, 44, MEX 96. Chris Vargo, 31, CO 97. Joe Uhan, 35, OR 98. Scott Loughney, 42, OR 99. Ryan Paavola, 29, VA 100. Kevin Kohls, 47, IL

6:37:23 6:37:27 6:38:16 6:38:19 6:39:05 6:39:07 6:40:29 6:40:46 6:40:46 6:40:47 6:40:51 6:41:10 6:41:37 6:41:50 6:42:04

PCT – San Diego Caballo Blanco Ruth Anderson TNF – SF Lake Sonoma Bull Run Run Vermont Glacial Trail Lake Sonoma Caballo Blanco Lake Sonoma Lake Sonoma Mt Si JFK Door County Fall

2013 TOP GRADED PERFORMANCES 50 MILES – MEN 1. Dakota Jones, 22, CO 7:35:03 San Juan Solstice 2. Rob Krar, 36, AZ 6:21:10 TNF – SF 3. Sage Canaday, 27, CO 6:14:55 Lake Sonoma 4. Zach Bitter, 26, WI 5:12:33 Chicago Lakefront Fall 5. Zach Bitter, 27, WI 5:32:23 Tussey Mountainback 6. Cameron Clayton, 25, CO 6:31:17 TNF – SF 7. Rob Krar, 36, AZ 5:53:51 Leona Divide 6:26:24 Lake Sonoma 8. Cameron Clayton, 24, CO 9. Chris Vargo, 32, CO 6:33:33 TNF – SF 10. Jordan McDougal, 25, VA 7:13:52 TNF – Bear Mtn 11. Daniel Kraft, 25, CO 6:35:56 TNF – SF 12. Zach Miller, 25, PA 5:38:40 JFK 13. Tyler Sigl, 27, WI 5:38:49 TNF – Wisconsin 14. Dylan Bowman, 27, CA 6:37:14 TNF – SF 15. Sage Canaday, 27, CO 6:47:00 Cayuga Trails 16. Brian Rusiecki, 34, MA 6:18:41 Bull Run Run 17. Mike Wolfe, 36, MT 6:38:19 TNF – SF 18. David Le Porho, 36, QC 6:09:31 Vermont 19. Brian Rusiecki, 34, MA 7:19:19 TNF – Bear Mtn 20. Max King, 33, OR 6:33:57 Lake Sonoma 21. Matt Flaherty, 27, IL 6:52:00 Cayuga Trails 22. Jordan McDougal, 26, VA 6:53:00 Cayuga Trails 23. Jorge Maravilla, 36, CA 6:43:14 TNF – SF 24. Matthew Flaherty, 27, IL 5:44:24 JFK 25. Dave Mackey, 44, CO 6:44:20 TNF – SF

1.000 0.999 0.998 0.981 0.978 0.973 0.971 0.969 0.967 0.963 0.962 0.960 0.959 0.959 0.958 0.956 0.956 0.955 0.951 0.950 0.947 0.944 0.944 0.944 0.942

WOMEN’S 50 MILE 2013 TOP 50 MILE TIMES – WOMEN 1. Pam Smith, 39, OR 2. Amy Halseth, 43, MN 3. Cassie Scallon, 31, CO 4. Carolyn Smith, 48, WI 5. Stacie Carrigan, 31, BC 6. Emily Harrison, 29, AZ 7. Alisha Damrow, 29, WI 8. Cassie Scallon, 31, CO 9. Alyson Venti, 30, FL 10. Michele Yates, 30, CO 11. Pam Smith, 38, OR 12. Kaci Lickteig, 27, NE 13. Malinda Honkus, 43, TN 14. Riva Johnson, 50, PA 15. Melanie Peters, 29, MI 16. Aliza Lapierre, 33, VT 17. Margaret Nelsen, 30, CA 18. Julie Fingar, 37, CA 19. Christy Nielsen, 38, NE 20. Katherine Plichta, 26, CA 21. Katalin Nagy, 34, FL 22. Tera Dube, 40, CA 23. Amy Sproston, 39, OR 24. Sage Norton, 33, VA 25. Deb Russell, 33, AB 26. Kara Henry, 28, CO 27. Debbie Gibson, 48, MT 28. Larisa Dannis, 25, NH 29. Stacey Cleveland, 34, BC 30. Sydney Pitt, 26, TX 31. Keely Henninger, 21, PA 32. Anita Marie Fromm, 41, CO 33. Missy Foy, 48, NC 34. Lara Shegoski, 21, MD 35. Kathleen Cusick, 38, FL 36. Christina Torres, 45, ON 37. Michele Yates, 31, CO 38. Kaci Lickteig, 27, NE 39. Andrea Jarzombek, 39, OR 40. Ana Guijarro, 32, CA 41. Aliza Lapierre, 32, VT 42. Shanna Ailes-Istnick, 35, OH

6:11:40 Autumn Leaves 6:19:44 Jed Smith 6:24:02 Tussey Mountainback 6:29:36 Door County Fall 6:33:37 Mt Si 6:34:50 JFK 6:40:44 Door County Fall 6:46:38 Ice Age 6:51:08 KEYS 6:53:25 Nueces 6:54:02 American River 6:54:15 Bear Chase 6:58:16 TNF – VA 6:58:44 Beast of Burden – Summer 6:59:27 Land Between the Lakes 7:01:08 Vermont 7:04:09 Avalon Benefit 7:05:58 Jed Smith 7:07:02 Lean Horse 7:09:39 Jed Smith 7:10:48 KEYS 7:11:13 American River 7:12:51 Iznik/Orhangazi Ultra 7:13:50 JFK 7:17:12 Fast Trax 7:17:24 JFK 7:17:56 Le Grizz 7:18:35 Beast of Burden – Winter 7:19:26 Sun Mountain 7:19:54 Rocky Raccoon 7:19:54 Tussey Mountainback 7:20:04 Jed Smith 7:20:10 Umstead 7:20:32 JFK 7:21:14 Tussey Mountainback 7:21:26 Can Lakes 7:21:51 TNF – SF 7:25:38 Hawk 7:26:33 Mt Hood PCT 7:28:43 American River 7:29:31 Pineland Trail 7:29:49 JFK

7:30:47 7:31:12 7:31:30 7:31:58 7:34:21 7:36:30 7:37:04 7:38:07 7:39:19 7:40:15 7:40:26 7:41:52 7:42:21 7:42:39 7:42:58 7:43:33 7:43:43 7:43:59 7:44:10 7:45:17 7:45:49 7:45:58 7:46:19 7:46:20 7:46:24 7:46:58 7:46:58 7:47:33 7:47:40 7:47:42 7:48:59 7:49:25 7:49:41 7:49:44 7:49:45 7:49:59 7:50:42 7:51:04 7:51:12 7:51:18 7:51:54 7:52:09 7:52:11 7:52:44 7:53:16 7:53:26 7:53:42 7:53:45 7:54:47 7:54:49 7:55:00 7:55:51 7:55:52 7:56:00 7:57:32 7:58:24 7:58:44 7:59:23

Leona Divide TNF – SF Chicago Lakefront Fall Nueces Avalon Benefit Prairie Spirit Stone Cat JFK Nueces American River Iron Horse Lake Waramaug American River Rock the Ridge Tussey Mountainback The North Country Dick Collins Firetrails Rocky Raccoon Surf the Murph Labor of Love American River Capitol Peak Stone Mill JFK TNF – SF Pony Express TNF – SF Avalon Benefit Blackfoot Ultra Lake Sonoma Palo Duro JFK Chicago Lakefront Fall San Diego Land Between the Lakes Tussey Mountainback TNF – SF Hells Hills TNF – Wisconsin Cremator JFK Chicago Lakefront Fall Croom Trail Umstead Nueces Ice Age TNF – VA Pineland Trail PCT – San Diego TNF – SF Tussey Mountainback Old Pueblo Vermont Mormon FA Avalon Benefit Door County Fall Chicago Lakefront Fall Leona Divide

2013 TOP GRADED PERFORMANCES 50 MILES – WOMEN 1. Michele Yates, 31, CO 7:21:51 TNF – SF 2. Magdalena Boulet, 40, CA 7:31:12 TNF – SF 3. Emelie Forsberg, 26, NOR 7:46:24 TNF – SF 7:01:08 Vermont 4. Aliza Lapierre, 33, VT 5. Aliza Lapierre, 33, VT 7:46:58 TNF – SF 6. Cassie Scallon, 31, CO 7:50:42 TNF – SF 7. Cassie Scallon, 31, WI 7:47:42 Lake Sonoma 8. Diana Finkel, 41, CO 9:15:00 Jemez Mountain 9. Joelle Vaught, 39, ID 7:54:49 TNF – SF 10. Emily Harrison, 27, AZ 6:34:52 JFK 11. Cassandra Scallon, 31, CO 6:46:38 Ice Age 12. Cassie Scallon, 31, CO 6:24:02 Tussey Mountainback 13. Michele Yates, 30, CO 6:53:25 Nueces 14. Joelle Vaught, 38, ID 8:30:41 McCall Classic 15. Joelle Vaught, 38, ID 8:02:39 Lake Sonoma 16. Leila Degrave, 35, CO 8:03:26 Silver Rush 17. Joelle Vaught, 38, ID 8:09:46 Silver State 18. Darla Askew, 40, OR 7:45:58 Capitol Peak 19. Malinda Honkus, 43, TN 6:58:16 TNF – VA 20. Amy Sproston, 39, OR 8:04:11 Lake Sonoma 21. Kristina Folcik, 35, NH 8:23:00 Cayuga Trails 22. Melanie Peters, 29, MI 6:59:27 Land Between Lakes 23. Pam Smith, 39, OR 6:11:40 Autumn Leaves 24. Ashley Moyer, 25, PA 9:01:53 TNF – Bear Mtn 25. Rory Bosio, 28, CA 8:08:37 Lake Sonoma

ULTRA RUNNING

1.000 0.979 0.947 0.947 0.946 0.939 0.933 0.932 0.931 0.928 0.928 0.926 0.912 0.907 0.904 0.903 0.902 0.902 0.902 0.901 0.900 0.899 0.899 0.895 0.893

43 ULTRARUNNING.COM

43. Melanie Peters, 29, MI 44. Magdalena Boulet, 40, CA 45. Susan Ochoa, 39, IL 46. Melanie Fryar, 32, TX 47. Tracy Bowling, 33, CA 48. April Calaway, 34, KS 49. Larisa Dannis, 26, NH 50. Alyssa Godesky, 28, MD 51. Pam Smith, 38, OR 52. Stephanie Finelli, 44, CA 53. Daniele Cherniak, 51, NY 54. Shannon McGinn, 37, NJ 55. Danielle Widenmann, 30, CA 56. Jacqueline Kehoe, 25, OH 57. Connie Gardner, 49, OH 58. Megan Rieger, 23, 59. Roxanne Woodhouse, 50, CA 60. Rachael Blair, 35, TX 61. April Cole, 28, WI 62. Maggie Beach, 41, CA 63. Roxanne Woodhouse, 50, CA 64. Darla Askew, 40, OR 65. Megan McGrath, 29, NJ 66. Emily Halnon, 29, DC 67. Emelie Forsberg, 26, NOR 68. J Richard, 43, UT 69. Aliza Lapierre, 33, VT 70. Sada Crawford, 46, CA 71. Alissa St Laurent, 28, AB 72. Cassie Scallon, 31, WI 73. Nicole Studer, 31, TX 74. Erin Sutton, 26, GA 75. Michelle Barton, 24, KY 76. Tracy Dimino, 41, CA 77. Traci Falbo, 41, IN 78. Michelle Gross, 31, NY 79. Cassie Scallon, 31, CO 80. Nicole Studer, 31, TX 81. Molly Culver, 23, IL 82. Sara Maltby, 34, GA 83. Lindsay Simpson, 36, VT 84. Rachel Burke, 29, IL 85. Jennifer McElroy, 37, FL 86. Leigh Jackson, 25, NC 87. Sydney Pitt, 26, TX 88. Denise Bourassa, 43, OR 89. Christina Clark, 37, ON 90. Amy Rusiecki, 33, MA 91. Angela Shartel, 39, CA 92. Joelle Vaught, 39, ID 93. Anna Piskorska, 41, PA 94. Polly Campbell, 45, AZ 95. Amy Rusiecki, 34, MA 96. Emily Harrison, 27, AZ 97. Jill Weisman, 56, CA 98. Dana Tschannen, 38, MI 99. Jennifer Aradi, 38, IL 100. Jenny Capel, 40, NV

THE YEAR IN REVIEW – 2013

MEN’S 50 KM 86. Yassine Diboun, 34, OR 87. Chris Lundstrom, 37, MN 88. Joe Marinaccio, 42, NY 89. Todd Reynolds, 44, TX 90. Jason Leman, 26, OR 91. Vladimir Banas, 43, NC 92. Ryan Phillips, 44, SD 93. Joshua Finger, 40, PA 94. Vladimir Banas, 44, NC 95. Michael Fetro, 29, IL 96. Scott Traer, 32, MA 97. David Workman, 42, NC 98. Ryne Melcher, 34, BC 99. Alex Varner, 28, CA 100. Bond Almand, 40, TN

3:40:19 Gorge Waterfalls 3:40:20 Afton Trail 3:40:41 Caumsett 3:40:48 Cowtown 3:40:53 Hagg Lake 3:40:55 Salem Lakeshore Frosty 50 3:41:00 Lean Horse 3:41:02 Green Lakes 3:41:16 New River Trail 3:41:16 Chicago Lakefront Fall 3:41:17 Pisgah Mountain 3:41:36 Tsali Frosty Foot 3:41:48 Mt Si 3:41:49 Tamalpa Headlands 3:41:50 Pistol Ultra

2013 TOP GRADED PERFORMANCES 50 KM – MEN 1. Max King, 33, OR 3:08:50 2. Sage Canaday, 27, CO 5:08:07 3. Anton Krupicka, 29, CO 5:09:36 4. Chris Vargo, 31, CO 4:19:29 5. Jason Schlarb, 35, MT 5:19:34 6. Paul Hamilton, 27, CO 4:23:38 7. Chris Vargo, 31, CO 3:18:44 8. David Laney, 24, OR 3:40:17 9. Leor Pantilat, 28, CA 3:21:51 10. Max King, 33, OR 5:29:02 11. Max King, 33, OR 3:43:06 12. Jacob Puzey, 30, OR 3:24:22 13. Galen Burrell, 33, CA 3:25:59 14. Maxwell Ferguson, 27, WA 3:47:41 15. Michael Aish, 36, CO 4:41:21 16. Justin Yates, 30, MT 5:42:24 17. Daniel Kraft, 24, CO 3:52:11 18. Peter Ellis, 28, WA 3:52:47 19. Ian Sharman, 32, CA 4:15:12 20. Luke Nelson, 32, ID 5:47:09 21. Timothy Olson, 29, OR 5:47:10 22. Ed McCarthy, 28, BC 3:55:14 23. Jim Rebenack, 28, CO 3:55:44 24. Jason Louttit, 39, BC 5:49:35 25. Joseph Gray, 29, WA 2:55:19

Way Too Cool Speedgoat Speedgoat Golden Gate Speedgoat Golden Gate Way Too Cool Chuckanut Way Too Cool Speedgoat Chuckanut Hagg Lake Way Too Cool Chuckanut Golden Gate Speedgoat Chuckanut Chuckanut Diablo Trails Speedgoat Speedgoat Chuckanut Chuckanut Speedgoat Caumsett

1.000 0.992 0.987 0.970 0.957 0.955 0.950 0.939 0.936 0.929 0.927 0.924 0.917 0.908 0.895 0.893 0.891 0.888 0.881 0.881 0.881 0.879 0.877 0.875 0.872

6th Annual

R BE M VE ST 4 1 1 20

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

2:55:19 Caumsett 2:57:09 Caumsett 3:00:11 Salem Lakeshore Frosty 50 3:08:49 Caumsett 3:08:50 Way Too Cool 3:10:37 Jed Smith 3:10:40 Cowtown 3:12:13 Grant-Pierce Indoor 3:14:11 Caumsett 3:14:24 Mad City 3:15:37 New River Trail 3:17:42 Pistol Ultra 3:18:44 Way Too Cool 3:19:03 Chicago Lakefront Fall 3:21:11 Greenland Trail 3:21:51 Way Too Cool 3:22:08 Pemberton Trail 3:22:24 Gorge Waterfall 3:23:41 Mad City 3:24:22 Hagg Lake 3:24:59 Lt JC Stone 3:24:59 Pemberton Trail 3:25:09 Greenland Trail 3:25:40 Lt JC Stone 3:25:59 Way Too Cool 3:27:06 Cowtown 3:27:23 Ruth Anderson 3:27:54 Mad City 3:28:27 Green Lakes 3:28:30 Trail Rail Run 3:28:44 Caumsett 3:29:29 Bizz Johnson 3:30:12 Mid-Maryland 3:30:21 Playing Possum 3:30:42 Dahlgren Heritage 3:31:19 Green Jewel 3:31:43 Great Cranberry Isle 3:31:44 Hashawha Hills 3:31:54 Tsali Frosty Foot 3:32:06 Charlotte 3:32:14 Savannah Rails to Trails 3:32:26 Dahlgren Heritage 3:32:40 Rosaryville Veterans Day 3:32:43 Lake Chabot 3:32:51 Mad City 3:32:56 Fort Ord 3:33:00 Pineland Trail 3:33:10 Tsali Frosty Foot 3:33:12 Sybil Ludington 3:33:18 Bootlegger 3:33:30 Way Too Cool 3:33:57 Pemberton Trail 3:34:42 Great Cranberry Isle 3:35:00 Mormon FA 3:35:31 Gorge Waterfall 3:35:49 Salem Lakeshore Frosty 50 3:36:41 Tehama Wildflowers 3:36:51 Way Too Cool 3:36:52 Mountain Mist 3:36:52 Pemberton Trail 3:36:58 Mad City 3:37:15 Gorge Waterfall 3:37:20 Way Too Cool 3:37:26 Green Lakes 3:37:55 Caumsett 3:38:00 Caumsett 3:38:00 Gorge Waterfalls 3:38:05 Lt JC Stone 3:38:06 Lt JC Stone 3:38:07 Green Jewel 3:38:11 Bootlegger 3:38:27 Antelope Island Buffalo Run 3:38:27 Cowtown 3:38:29 Chicago Lakefront Fall 50 3:38:30 Caumsett 3:38:38 Rosaryville Veterans Day 3:38:40 Spokane River 3:38:59 Salem Lakeshore Frosty 50 3:39:05 Bizz Johnson 3:39:19 Caumsett 3:39:38 Yankee Springs Trail 3:39:41 Pemberton Trail 3:40:00 Big Bend 3:40:09 Skyline 3:40:17 Chuckanut

2013 TOP 50 KM TIMES – MEN 1. Joseph Gray, 29, WA 2. Verrelle Wyatt, 26, OH 3. Ethan Coffey, 29, NC 4. Scott Leslie, 31, MA 5. Max King, 33, OR 6. Chikara Omine, 30, CA 7. Logan Sherman, 26, TX 8. Michael Wardian, 39, VA 9. Michael Wardian, 38, VA 10. Eric Senseman, 24, WI 11. Scott Williams, 35, VA 12. Bradley Adams, 34, TN 13. Chris Vargo, 31, CO 14. Rich Heffron, 30, IL 15. Peter Maksimow, 34, CO 16. Leor Pantilat, 28, CA 17. Josh Brimhall, 37, NV 18. Christopher Kollar, 27, MT 19. Mark Thompson, 35, IA 20. Jacob Puzey, 30, OR 21. Evan Cestari, 33, PA 22. Catlow Shipek, 34, AZ 23. Brad Seng, 43, CO 24. Benjamin English, 28, PA 25. Galen Burrell, 33, CA 26. Jason Razo, 28, TX 27. Enrique Henriquez, 34, CA 28. Kevin Grabowski, 44, WI 29. Michael Daigeaun, 33, PA 30. Christopher Kollar, 28, MT 31. Boyd Carrington, 40, NY 32. Robert Landauer, 29, CA 33. Matthew Barresi, 30, VA 34. Jay Smithberger, 43, OH 35. Alexander Hetherington, 46, VA 36. Matthew Hammersmith, 25, OH 37. Brian McNeiece, 41, RI 38. Michael Daigeaun, 33, PA 39. Brad Seng, 43, CO 40. Mark Carbone, 39, NC 41. Chris Ramsey, 32, GA 42. David Hryvniak, 28, VA 43. Christopher Beck, 37, MD 44. Marc Laveson, 29, CA 45. Gordon Freeman, 28, WI 46. Leor Pantilat, 28, CA 47. Scott Traer, 32, MA 48. Scott Williams, 34, NC 49. Aaron Heath, 38, NY 50. Alex Varner, 28, CA 51. Chris Ekman, 35, CA 52. Michael Carson, 26, AZ 53. Jason Bui, 33, MA 54. Eric Bohn, 31, AZ 55. James Bonnett, 26, AZ 56. William Bouldin, 31, NC 57. Rod Bien, 40, OR 58. Gary Gellin, 44, CA 59. David Riddle, 31, OH 60. Paul Terranova, 39, TX 61. Matthew Krall, 35, WI 62. Zach Violett, 30, OR 63. Rod Bien, 40, OR 64. Jason Mintz, 33, NY 65. Aaron Heath, 38, NY 66. Stephen Uresk, 44, NY 67. Ian Sharman, 32, OR 68. Andrew Bartle, 36, PA 69. Douglas Basinski, 42, PA 70. Stephen Zeidner, 30, OH 71. Mario Mendoza, 27, OR 72. Ryan Ghelfi, 24, OR 73. Nicholas Beers, 34, TX 74. Aaron German, 33, IL 75. Jerry Pannullo, 43, NY 76. Alexander Hetherington, 46, VA 77. Jeremy Wolf, 33, MT 78. Bradley Belfiore, 24, NC 79. Christopher Peterson, 25, CA 80. George Worth, 50, NY 81. Jonathan Clinthorne, 26, CO 82. Nate Polaske, 30, AZ 83. David Brown, 33, TX 84. Chikara Omine, 30, CA 85. David Laney, 24, OR

OZARK TRAIL 100 MILE ENDURANCE RUN Point-to-Point on the Ozark Trail in the

Mark Twain National Forest Registration at: www.RunRace.net

Website: www.OzarkTrail100.com

WOMEN’S 50 KM 2013 TOP 50 KM TIMES – WOMEN 1. Shanna Ailes Istnick, 34, OH 2. Christy Nielsen, 37, NE 3. Kaci Lickteig, 27, NE 4. Tracy Meder, 33, OH 5. Lindsay Willard, 34, MA 6. Meredith Reshoft, 35, IL 7. Angie Zinkus, 36, TN 8. Kaci Lickteig, 27, NE 9. Leah Thorvilson, 34, AR 10. Sera Mathewes, 35, OR 11. Megan Hovis, 30, NC 12. Jacquelyn Jackman, 34, RI 13. Stephanie Howe, 29, OR 14. Sarah Green, 38, VA 15. Tina Senft-Batoh, 29, CT 16. Kaci Lickteig, 27, NE 17. Annie Thiessen, 42, WA 18. Lise Wessels, 39, BC 19. Shelaine Dolce, 32, WA 20. Tina-Marie Poulin, 40, NY 21. Maddy Hribar, 29, MA 22. Danielle Widenmann, 30, CA 23. Michelle Mitchell, 38, RUS 24. Cate Airoldi, 25, OR 25. Becka Kem, 32, OR 26. Issy Nielson, 30, RI 27. Jodee Adams-Moore, 30, WA 28. Stacy Kopchak, 49, PA 29. Christine Forrest, 34, PA 30. Danielle Andolina, 31, NC 31. Meredith Hale, 26, OH 32. Shannon McGinn, 37, NJ 33. Jeanne-Clair White, 24, VA 34. Brooke Williams, 37, IL 35. Jessica Kennedy, 29, NJ 36. Allyson Weimer, 25, OK 37. Meghan Arbogast, 52, OR 38. Connie Gardner, 49, OH 39. Catrin Jones, 33, BC 40. Christine Torres, 44, NJ 41. Meghan Arbogast, 51, OR 42. Allison Pastorek, 36, TN

3:33:04 Caumsett 3:36:02 Caumsett 3:38:02 Market to Market 3:39:51 Caumsett 3:40:36 Great Cranberry Isle 3:42:26 Chicago Lakefront Fall 50 3:43:09 Great Cranberry Isle 3:43:50 Lean Horse 3:45:01 Great Cranberry Isle 3:46:36 Bizz Johnson 3:47:41 Charlotte 3:48:55 Caumsett 3:49:34 Gorge Waterfalls 3:52:18 New River Trail 3:53:43 Lake Waramaug 3:54:17 GOATZ Trail Run 3:54:53 Mt Si 3:55:41 Harriers Elk/Beaver 3:56:50 Lake Youngs 3:56:57 Caumsett 3:57:06 Great Cranberry Isle 3:58:12 Jed Smith 3:59:01 Chicago Lakefront Fall 50 4:00:06 Bizz Johnson 4:00:15 McKenzie River Run 4:01:21 Caumsett 4:01:23 Chuckanut 4:02:22 Lt JC Stone 4:02:44 Lt JC Stone 4:02:45 Salem Lakeshore Frosty 50 4:02:49 Green Jewel 4:03:28 Caumsett 4:03:34 New River Trail 4:03:45 Chicago Lakefront Fall 50 4:04:10 Caumsett 4:04:23 Go Very Long 4:04:29 Ice Age 4:05:15 Lt JC Stone 4:05:40 Gorge Waterfalls 4:05:59 That Dam Hill 4:06:45 Way Too Cool 4:06:56 New River Trail

May 17-18, 2014

Savage, MN

Brought to you by the race directors of Surf the Murph.

THE COURSE INCLUDES 60 MILES OF ROLLING HILLS AND 40 MILES OF RELATIVELY FLAT TERRAIN. LIMIT125 ENTRIES 36-HOUR TIME LIMIT

Located only 30 miles south of Minneapolis/St. Paul at the beautiful Murphy Hanrehan Park. These events are to be competitive and fun.

REGISTRATION DEADLINE APRIL 30, 2014 REGISTER ONLINE OR BY MAIL. www.surfthemurph.org

Difficulty Rating: 3 Terrain Rating: 3

4:07:09 Dirty German 4:07:10 Hagg Lake 4:07:26 Greenland Trail 4:07:31 Cowtown 4:07:38 Way Too Cool 4:08:37 Ruth Anderson 4:09:05 Pemberton Trail 4:09:12 Frisco Railroad 4:09:29 Autumn Leaves 4:09:40 Antelope Island 4:10:12 Croom Trail 4:10:31 Hagg Lake 4:10:52 Hagg Lake 4:10:57 Great Cranberry Isle 4:11:29 Fast Trax 4:11:57 Siskiyou Outback 4:12:27 Salem Lakeshore Frosty 50 4:12:28 Cowtown 4:12:39 Red Mountain 4:12:43 Savannah Rails to Trails 4:14:10 Way Too Cool 4:14:17 Folsom Lake Spring 4:14:50 Harriers Elk/Beaver 4:15:53 Savannah Rails to Trails 4:16:03 Dirty German 4:16:34 New River Trail 4:17:01 Salem Lakeshore Frosty 50 4:17:40 Way Too Cool 4:17:46 Trail Rail Run 4:18:20 Flagline Trailfest 4:18:29 Market to Market 4:18:44 Can Lakes 4:19:35 Psycho Psummer 4:19:36Chicago Lakefront Spring 50 4:19:50 Bootlegger 4:20:02 Lake Waramaug 4:20:04 Pemberton Trail 4:20:04 Whoos in El Moro 4:20:23 Pemberton Trail 4:20:51 Cowtown 4:20:58 Caumsett 4:21:39 NJ Ultra Festival 4:21:54 TNF - Wisconsin 4:22:02 Chuckanut 4:22:03 Headwaters 4:22:17 Great Cranberry Isle 4:22:27Chicago Lakefront Spring 50 4:22:49 Bootlegger 4:23:00 Lake Youngs 4:23:05 Chicago Lakefront Fall 50 4:23:11 Charlotte 4:23:21 Spokane River 4:23:23 Bear Chase 4:23:32 Bizz Johnson 4:23:33 Cowtown 4:23:42 Pemberton Trail 4:23:49 OBX 4:24:00 Lake Youngs

2013 TOP GRADED PERFORMANCES 50 KM – WOMEN 1. Kaci Lickteig, 26, NE 4:19:35 Psycho Psummer 2. Jodee Adams-Moore, 30, WA 4:01:23 Chuckanut 3. Stephanie Howe, 29, OR 6:17:02 Speedgoat 6:18:06 Speedgoat 4. Jodee Adams-Moore, 30, WA 5. Devon Yanko, 30, CA 4:22:02 Chuckanut 6. Alicia Shay, 30, AZ 4:24:01 Chuckanut 7. Cassie Scallon, 30, WI 4:25:28 Chuckanut 8. Becka Kem, 32, OR 4:18:20 Flagline Trailfest 9. Meghan Arbogast, 51, OR 4:06:45 Way Too Cool 10. Andrea Jarzombek, 38, OR 4:07:10 Hagg Lake 11. Kaci Lickteig, 27, NE 3:38:02 Market to Market 12. Kristin Moehl, 35, CO 6:43:54 Speedgoat 13. Kerrie Bruxvoort, 36, CO 4:33:19 Chuckanut 14. Jenn Maley, 32, ID 4:09:40 Antelope Island 15. Melanie Bos, 40, BC 4:33:50 Chuckanut 16. Joelle Vaught, 38, ID 4:10:31 Hagg Lake 17. Ashley Nordell, 33, OR 4:10:52 Hagg Lake 18. Amanda Hicks, 27, CA 4:46:57 Ray Miller 19. Becka Kem, 32, OR 4:11:57 Siskiyou Outback 20. Becka Kem, 32, OR 4:00:15McKenzie River Run 21. Tina Lewis, 39, CO 4:36:24 Chuckanut 22. Becky Wheeler, 38, WY 6:48:43 Speedgoat 23. Joelle Vaught, 38, ID 4:36:59 Foothills Frenzy 24. Stacie Carrigan, 30, BC 4:37:16 Chuckanut 25. Stephanie Howe, 29, OR 3:49:34 Gorge Waterfall

1.000 0.989 0.936 0.934 0.911 0.905 0.900 0.884 0.884 0.882 0.881 0.874 0.874 0.873 0.872 0.870 0.869 0.868 0.865 0.864 0.864 0.864 0.862 0.861 0.859

45 ULTRARUNNING.COM

THE FIRST 100-MILE TRAIL RUN IN THE MINNESOTA METRO AREA

43. Jacqueline Palmer, 25, DE 44. Andrea Jarzombek, 38, OR 45. Elizabeth Gold, 41, CO 46. Kelley Aviles, 45, TX 47. Rory Bosio, 28, CA 48. Amy Burton, 39, CA 49. Marie Repec, 37, AZ 50. Becky Lowrance, 55, CO 51. Emily Halnon, 28, OR 52. Jenn Maley, 32, ID 53. Katalin Nagy, 33, FL 54. Joelle Vaught, 38, ID 55. Ashley Nordell, 33, OR 56. Brigid Smith-Franey, 32, ME 57. Alissa St Laurent, 28, AB 58. Becka Kem, 32, OR 59. Rebecca-Ayme Hughes, 32, NC 60. Meghan Hennessey, 30, TX 61. J Richard, 43, UT 62. Kathryn Schubert, 28, FL 63. Jennifer Pfeifer, 41, CA 64. Jennifer Pfeifer, 41, CA 65. Danielle Mennie, 28, BC 66. Emily Ernst, 34, GA 67. Keila Merino, 32, NY 68. Kimberly Mahoney, 45, IL 69. Jessica Witter, 33, NC 70. Danielle Widenmann, 30, CA 71. Alyssa Shaw, 35, ID 72. Becka Kem, 32, OR 73. Jennifer Freeman, 32, NE 74. Neela D’Souza, 35, ON 75. Kaci Lickteig, 26, NE 76. Katie Rodgers, 23, IL 77. Michele Yates, 31, CO 78. Linda Malarkey, 43, CT 79. Jane Larkindale, 37, AZ 80. Margaret Nelsen, 31, CA 81. Susan Kramer, 47, AZ 82. Linda Truong, 30, TX 83. Jodi Kartes-Heino, 42, NY 84. Keila Merino, 31, NY 85. Lorena Campos, 33, WI 86. Devon Yanko, 30, CA 87. Kimberly O’Donnell, 23, CA 88. Sarah Mulcahy, 27, ME 89. Stephanie Giggetts, 47, IL 90. Emily Harrison, 27, AZ 91. Christel Elliott, 34, WA 92. Kelli VanOoteghem, 30, MI 93. Harriet May, 26, NC 94. Abi Moore, 33, BC 95. Jen Byrne, 37, CO 96. Elizabeth Drake, 49, NV 97. Laura Nelson, 47, TX 98. Meredith Terranova, 38, TX 99. Jessica Witter, 33, NC 100. Maria Aiello, 42, WA

THE YEAR IN REVIEW – 2013

24 HOUR 2013 TOP 24-HOUR PERFORMANCES – MEN 1. Jon Olsen, 39, CA 2. John Dennis, 32, MD 3. Joe Fejes, 47, GA 4. Serge Arbona, 48, MD 5. Harvey Lewis, 37, OH 6. Joe Fejes, 47, GA 7. John Cash, 40, MO 8. Brian Teason, 52, VT 9. Nelson Armstrong, 39, TN 10. Dave Carver, 51, ON 11. David Ploskonka, 31, MD 12. Joe Fejes, 47, GA 13. Gregory Trapp, 50, OH 14. John Cash, 39, MO 15. Doug Kleemeier, 47, MN 16. Nelson Armstrong, 39, TN 17. Chris Roman, 44, FL Steve Speirs, 47, VA 19. Rich Riopel, 39, NJ 20. Scott Hoberg, 35, MN 21. Chris Mocko, 26, CA 22. Paul Chenery, 56, ON 23. Serge Arbona, 48, MD 24. Garth Peterson, 50, GA 25. Dave Carver, 51, ON

167.568 163.255 154.189 151 150.586 141.36 140.41 139 138.48 134.65 134.3 134 131.338 130.656 130.1 130 128.87 128.87 127.97 127.55 127.3 126.086 126 125.05 124.375

IAU - Steenbergen IAU - Steenbergen IAU - Steenbergen 3 Days at the Fair North Coast Fall Hinson Lake 24 the Hard Way 3 Days at the Fair 24 the Hard Way Freedom Park 24 the Hard Way Destin Beach North Coast Fall North Coast - Spring FANS Run Around the World 24 the Hard Way 24 the Hard Way Hinson Lake FANS SF New Years Eve IAU - Steenbergen 20in24 Lone Ranger Delirium Ultra Operation Endurance

2013 TOP 24-HOUR PERFORMANCES – WOMEN 1. Sabrina Little, 26, TX 152.03 2. Suzanna Bon, 49, CA 146.785 3. Traci Falbo, 41, IN 142.73 4. Traci Falbo, 41, IN 137.98 5. Connie Gardner, 49, OH 135.879 6. Connie Gardner, 49, OH 132.71 7. Katalin Nagy, 34, FL 124.06 8. Jill Peters, 48, OH 122.663 9. Lisa Van Wolde, 39, ON 122.618 10. Marylou Corino, 35, ON 122.41 11. Charlotte Vasarhelyi, 37, ON 119.935 12. Debra Horn, 54, OH 119.785 13. Connie Gardner, 49, OH 116 14. Cheryl Yanek, 34, NY 115.59 15. Carilyn Johnson, 45, TX 115.545 16. Andrea Stewart, 49, SC 114.1 17. Laurie Dymond, 47, PA 113.087 18. Stacey Costa, 44, CA 111.4 19. Vikena Yutz, 24, GA 110.28 20. Lan Nguyen, 39, NY 109.69 21. Cheryl Yanek, 34, NY 109.69 22. Kiriam Thompson, 35, ON 109.24 23. Alicja Barahona, 58, NY 107.35 24. Lecia Holley, 44, OH 106.677 25. Debbie Leftwich, 58, AZ 106.556

IAU - Steenbergen IAU - Steenbergen IAU - Steenbergen Freedom Park IAU - Steenbergen 24 the Hard Way 24 the Hard Way North Coast Fall IAU - Steenbergen Self Transcendence IAU - Steenbergen IAU - Steenbergen Destin Beach 24 the Hard Way IAU - Steenbergen Hinson Lake Sole Challenge SF New Years Eve Hinson Lake Ted Corbitt Ted Corbitt Self Transcendence Ted Corbitt North Coast Fall Across the Years 2012/13

HISTORICAL DATA – NUMBER OF FINISHES

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2013 – 69,573

2012 – 63,530

2011 – 52,027

2010 – 46,280

2009 – 36,106

2008 – 30,789

2007 – 25,842

1998 – 15,500

1990 – 9,300

1985 – 5,800

1980 – 2,890

Ultrarunning participation is still growing by leaps and bounds

2013 BREAKDOWN OF ULTRAS BY GENDER

Female – 29.8%

BY AGE

70+ – 0.6%

60-69 – 4.0%

Male – 70.2%

<20 – 0.7% 20-29 – 12.5%

50-59 – 16.7%

30-39 – 33.4%

40-49 – 32.2%

BY DISTANCE Other – 7.1%

Fixed time – 6.8% 100 Miles – 8.6%

100 km – 2.9%

50 km – 51.5%

50 Miles – 23.1%

MOUNTAIN MASOCHIST

48 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

It’s worth getting up early for a beautiful race: runners circling the lake at the start of Mountain Masochist MICAH CARROLL/MYKKAH PHOTOGRAPHY

49 ULTRARUNNING.COM

INTERNATIONAL ADVENTURES

HIGH IN THE HIMALAYAS by Jacqueline Windh

STAGE 2: 20-MILE OUT-AND-BACK ROUTE ALONG THE RIDGELINE BETWEEN SANDAKPHU AND BORDER OUTPOST MOLLE, ELEVATIONS RANGING FROM 10,500’ TO 11,815’. The fog-wind raged through the night, blowing right through our huts. Morning dawned much colder than anything most of us had expected (apparently a cyclone in the Bay of Bengal was feeding bad weather up to the mountains), so many of us showed up at the start line dressed not just in our running gear, but in nearly everything we had brought with us. We soon found out that “rolling terrain” in the Himalaya is understatement: the ups and downs both steeper and longer. We were running the ridgeline that is the Nepal-India border again. This was supposed to be the section where we would get views of four of the five highest peaks in the world: Everest, Kanchenjunga, Lhotse, and Makalu, but the fog didn’t even allow us to see the next switchback below us. Even so, it was an enjoyable and interesting route - but strange, running in terrain you don’t know and where you can’t see around. Martin and Marit took first and second again, in 3:15 and 3:20. A couple of the racers who had had a tough time yesterday sat out today’s route, but for most this was an easier day, compared to yesterday’s big uphill and tomorrow’s marathon.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

STAGE 3: THE MT. EVEREST CHALLENGE MARATHON, 26+ MILES, WITH THE FINAL EIGHT MILES A STEEP DESCENT FROM MOLLE, AT 11,665’, TO THE VILLAGE OF RIMBIK AT 6,350’. Miracle of miracles - five minutes before the 6:30 a.m. race start, the skies cleared. I was frantically packing my race bag when there was an urgent knock on the door of our hut, and Assistant RD Mansi Pandey’s voice called out, “Come quick! Kanchenjunga is clear!” Our grey-toned world had erupted into color with the giant mountain looming over the start line, and all of the racers

ALL PHOTOS BY JACQUELINE WINDH

ranging from fist-size to boulder, inlaid together. I had debated long and hard over which shoes to bring with me, and was very happy that I had finally chosen a pair with a solid protective sole. Many other runners suffered from sore feet after a day or two of the cobblestone. The previous night, there had been some discussion over dinner about strategies for dealing with the altitude, and also about being careful not to go out too hard on this first big day. The big question was how much to try to run the uphill (which was pretty much the entire route today) or whether to walk. The UK’s Martin Cox placed a bet that he would finish today’s route in under four hours. I’m not sure if anyone believed him, but when we hit the start of that uphill he and several others accelerated ahead and out of sight, while many of us played it more conservatively, settling into a walk-run routine that we would stick with for the next six to eight hours. While in previous years racers have had to deal with heat and sun on this first day, this year the weather got progressively worse: from a cool drizzly overcast as we started, to colder and windier and threatening rain. As we gained elevation, the forest opened up to scrubbier open land, but the fog gradually thickened and obscured our views. I made it to the top at Sandakphu in 7:30, about three-quarters of the way down the pack, and quickly changed into dry clothes and hoed into the hot soup that was waiting. Just after I arrived, as darkness was desending (at 5:00 p.m.) STAGE 1: 24 MILES, FROM the skies opened and an icy cloudburst drenched MANEYBHANJANG VILLAGE AT 6,600’ TO the runners who were still out on the trail; a few SANDAKPHU MOUNTAIN AT 11,815’ The first 400 yards of the 24-mile route were flat. made it in, and the stragglers were collected and Then the switchbacks started, and we never saw brought up the hill by Jeep. Martin missed winning his bet by a meager flat again. Other than one long 1,700’ descent mid-route, the entire day was an uphill journey, 39 seconds - an impressive performance for such the first two miles paved, and the remainder of a challenging route. Norway’s Marit Holm also the course on an extremely rough cobblestone impressed, finishing as first female and second road. These are not cobblestones in the European overall in 4:55. Dan Dosedel, from Minnesota, sense. The road, constructed in 1948 and barely took third for the day in 5:08. traversable by Jeep, is made of irregular stones

An international collection of racers gathered in the small village of Mirik, in the Darjeeling region of northern India, this past October 26th, before embarking on the HImalayan 100 Mile Stage Race. Most racers hailed from the U.S., the UK, and Spain, with others coming from Sweden, Norway, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, South Africa, and Canada (me!). The pre-race activities in Mirilk (5,500’ elevation), including tours of monasteries and a tea factory, allowed us 36 hours or so of minor altitude acclimatization - nowhere near as high as we would be going by the end of Day One. but better than nothing. Most of the five-day race would have us at altitudes ranging from 6,600’ to just shy of 12,000’. The first three days would be in the mountains, mostly following a very rough cobblestone road along the ridgeline that forms the border between India and Nepal. If you tripped and fell to the left, you would be in Nepal. “Do not go to the Nepal,” Race Director C. S. Pandey warned us repeatedly. He told us the story of an Australian racer some years back who had gone left, and was missing in Nepal for eight hours before his team somehow located her, “If you go to the Nepal, I cannot help you.” The final two days were road runs at lower elevations around 6,000’ - shorter and faster routes, but still with substantial elevation gain and loss.

clustered around frantically snapping pictures. Then we were off. The clouds closed over within minutes, and for the first hour I was back in the familiar fog, our first 10 miles today repeating the out-and-back section from yesterday. Then I rounded a hill into sunshine, and there in front of me was a skyline of snowy peaks, with one towering high above the rest: Everest! There are times when it is great being a backof-the-pack racer, and this was one of them. While some of the fast runners weren’t even sure if they had seen Everest, for me and the runners around me, the race stopped. We dropped our packs and pulled out our cameras. This might be the only moment in our lives to see Everest. The sky could cloud over at any moment. But it didn’t. The remainder of our ridgeline run was just view after view, with the blue sky overhead, and the sun on us, and the forested slopes below, covered in Himalayan blue pine and wild rhododendrons. And more mountain views around every bend. I was here as a journalist but I finally had to stash my camera in my pack, or I would never get off the ridge. The descent was, as expected, relentless. We were now on a narrow stone path inaccessible to vehicles. In many places the stones were washed out, and we ran along ruts carved several feet into dried mud, barely wide enough for your two feet to pass. We were soon down into uninhabited jungle, on a steep slope high above a rushing river, eventually passing through col-

STAGE FIVE: FINAL 17 MILES ON PAVEMENT, GAINING AND THEN LOSING 2,000’ We started at yesterday’s finish line by continuing the climb above the Lodoma River, six miles along more switchbacks to the crest of the ridge at 8,555’. There followed an 11-mile descent, skirting the ridge-flank (just in case anyone had working quads muscles left). We finished where we had started the race five days earlier, in the village of Maneybhanjang, with rows of uniformed school children flanking the final run into the finish line, clapSTAGE FOUR: 13 MILES ON PAVEMENT, ping and cheering for each finisher. The AssisDOWN 1,400’ THEN UP 1,600’ Now the road runners were smiling. We started tant RD was on hand, offering a high-five to with a steep descent from Rimbik village, along each of us as we broke the finish tape (which tight switchbacks winding down towards the was set up for every single runner). Final standings were no surprise. Although Lodoma River. After three days above 10,000’, we definitely felt more energized down here, start- the Spanish men had started more conservaing at 6,350’, then descending to 4,975’ where tively, and had finished strong on the final we crossed the river, then rising back up along two days, they did not make up enough time for podium placements in the overall rankings. more switchbacks to the finish line at 6,560’. Rankings didn’t change much in the men’s Martin Cox came close to setting a new course division. Martin again won the stage, finishing record, with a cumulative time of 15:07 for the this half-marathon length route in 1:26. There 100-mile route. A total of 31 racers finished were some changes in the women’s race, though, all five stages, with the last ones finishing in with the UK’s Fiona Bugler, who had suffered around 30 hours. Special distinction goes to the in previous days from the altitude, making top UK’s Rex Whittle, who was running the course three for the first time, finishing in 1:51, just four for his seventh time. Although he didn’t finish all of the stages this year, at age 73 he impressed minutes behind Marit. us all with his can-do attitude (especially seeing him push to finish the marathon by headlamp in 12:55), and was an inspiration to us all.

orful villages with smiling friendly people and brightly painted homes with flowers planted around. The final four miles was flat, alongside the Siri Khola River, to the village of Rimbik, where we would stay in a basic but comfortable hotel for the next two nights. Martin and Marit again took first and second, Martin fnishing this tough marathon route seemingly effortlessly in 4:17, and Dan from Minnesota taking third.

51 ULTRARUNNING.COM

MOUNTAIN MASOCHIST

PAST PRESENT FUTURE by Clark Zealand, RD

…you must train hard for this race; you must train yourself physically, mentally,

MICAH CARROLL/MYKKAH PHOTOGRAPHY

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

Second place woman Kathleen Cusick early in the race

about change number two: adding a rough onemile round trip to the East Summit of Mt. Pleasant, thereby also offering gorgeous views of the surrounding area. In short, the sum of these changes added a small amount of elevation gain and technical footing but shortened the overall distance of the MMTR course from 52-plus Horton miles to 50.3 Zealand miles. As nice as all this looks and sounds in theory, we needed to see how it would play out on race day with some real data. Well, that data collection would have to wait until this year due to the unusual weather that came just over a week before last year’s race putting large sections on the second half of the course under 18 inches of snow. THE 2013 RACE The weather for the 31st MMTR was perfect; perhaps a little warm for some of the runners but, overall, we had one of the most colorful foliage MMTR races in November that I can remember. We started over 300 runners for the first time ever and congratulated 252 finishers (78%) within the 12-hour cutoff. Brian and Amy Rusiecki cruised into town after a 10-hour drive from Massachusetts the day before and each left with trophies in hand after demonstrating strategic running to win the men’s and women’s races. For the first time since 2006 the top 10 men were all under eight hours; something that is notable given the course changes. As a result of sifting through plenty of data from this year’s race and taking the changes into consideration, I believe the current course is only slightly more difficult than the previous course. In other words, even though the current course is approximately two miles shorter than the old course I believe it is not as fast of a course. Therefore, it’s reasonable to suggest the new course might add five to seven minutes for front-runners, eight to 12 minutes for mid-pack runners, and 12 to 15 minutes for back-of-thepack runners. This does not mean the overall 12-hour cutoff will be extended (Does Barkley change its cutoffs with each course change?).

I further believe that through making some minor adjustments in some aid station cutoff times along with runners training harder for a tough 50-mile race, we will continue to see the familiar 83% finish rate that has come to be the norm at the MMTR. TO ALL FUTURE MMTR RUNNERS Started in 1983, the MMTR has earned its reputation for being one of the “best trail races in the East.” The 50-mile course itself is a physically challenging combination of roads, jeep trails, and singletrack that can cause even the most experienced runner to breathe a sigh of relief at the finish line in Montebello, Virginia. Ample aid stations and tried-and-true organization make the race a perfect first 50-miler. However, you must train hard for this race; you must train yourself physically, mentally, and maybe even spiritually if you want to accomplish something truly remarkable.

MICAH CARROLL/MYKKAH PHOTOGRAPHY

Picking up from last year... Last year’s MMTR 50-miler ushered in a few course changes. The impetus for the changes was National Park Service (NPS) policy. As I was told by the NPS, “moving forward, no special use permits for events on the Blue Ridge Parkway may start or finish on the Parkway but can still go down or cross the road.” With the start of the MMTR being on the Blue Ridge Parkway, this policy change effectively kicked us out of our starting line home of 29 years and we began to look elsewhere. Not far away we found a new home for the race start at the local KOA Campground; however this change precipitated two other course changes. The first change replaced several miles of paved road for a beautiful new section of USFS road no longer open to vehicular traffic. This new section, while picturesque, also includes some technical footing which slightly slows the pace but the length is shorter than the old paved road section. Hence, this brought

Champion Brian Rusiecki at mile 33.08

RE and maybe even spiritually if you want to accomplish something truly remarkable. MOUNTAIN MASOCHIST TRAIL RUN | LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA | NOVEMBER 2 | 50 MILES

7:09:18 7:19:47 7:26:35 7:26:49 7:29:59 7:39:11 7:45:53 7:46:32 7:47:13 7:58:46 8:04:08 8:07:20 8:07:20 8:08:01 8:10:39 8:18:05 8:18:43 8:20:43 8:26:25 8:31:21 8:35:23 8:35:47 8:38:15 8:38:43 8:39:01 8:43:24 8:52:34 8:52:51 8:55:05 8:56:18 8:57:48 8:58:43 8:59:41 9:00:37 9:01:56 9:02:44 9:03:23 9:08:40 9:09:03 9:09:15 9:10:01 9:10:45 9:13:24 9:14:38 9:15:39 9:21:02 9:21:44 9:22:35 9:23:23 9:23:33 9:24:17 9:26:20 9:26:58 9:27:38 9:31:19 9:31:49 9:32:38 9:33:01 9:33:41 9:34:45 9:35:08 9:36:25

9:36:45 9:36:47 9:37:13 9:38:45 9:40:56 9:43:24 9:44:14 9:44:25 9:44:56 9:45:02 9:46:18 9:46:50 9:49:31 9:50:10 9:51:08 9:51:08 9:51:43 9:52:54 9:53:10 9:54:14 9:55:40 9:59:54 10:00:51 10:01:51 10:02:22 10:02:48 10:06:29 10:08:50 10:09:49 10:09:49 10:12:18 10:12:58 10:13:08 10:14:30 10:15:25 10:16:29 10:18:12 10:19:16 10:20:14 10:20:36 10:23:44 10:25:01 10:26:03 10:28:06 10:28:06 10:30:29 10:31:54 10:32:44 10:37:43 10:38:12 10:38:26 10:39:10 10:39:11 10:43:10 10:43:12 10:44:21 10:44:38 10:44:58 10:49:22 10:49:48 10:51:22 10:51:48 10:53:26

4,3

126. Thomas Pluim, 36 127. Stanley Beckwith, 29 128. Jimmy Mauger, 34 129. Eduardo Ugarte, 45 130. Justin Blessing, 27 131. Jason Balko, 38, WV 132. Gray Weaver, 30 133. Dave Zwiebel, 46, NC 134. Jim Ashworth, 51 135. Elliott Hellmann, 29, TN 136. Mike Sutherland, 37 Ryan Fulwider, 38 138. Thomas McNulty, 36, DC 139. Ernesto Casarez, 57, MD 140. Sheryl Mawn, 49, CO 141. Jeff Smucker, 47, PA 142. Sonya Weber-Peters, 42, PA 143. Heather Azuaje, 25, CO 144. Scott Carlson, 50 145. Tom Hendell, 38 146. Elisa Rollins, 32 Andy Rollins, 29 Joshua Talley, 34 Bethany Williams, 24 Clifton Williams, 25 151. Tim Shealer, 40, PA 152. Norman Speicher, 46 153. Jason Barrows, 38, TX 154. Rebecca Phalen, 41 Chris McCartney, 43 156. Chantal Rose, 38 157. Fabrice Beaulieu, 32 158. Tony Bennett, 54, NC 159. Jeffrey Puuri, 50 160. Daniel Bergin, 35 161. Melissa Lipari, 34, PA 162. Mike Donahue, 40, NC 163. Juston Wickham, 38, OH 164. Justus Stull, 35 165. James Decker, 38 166. Michael Dunlop, 44 167. Rebekah Trittipoe, 56 168. Rob Colenso, 39 169. Jeff Martin, 35 170. Gilles Barbeau, 58, QC 171. Craig Gaver, 30, DC 172. Dylan Vining, 21, ME 173. Doug Camann, 46, NJ 174. Ingrid Mercer, 38 175. Amy Evans, 35, WV 176. Daniel Duggan, 34, PA 177. Elliott Carbaugh, 21 178. Jim Harrison, 55 179. Gordon Thomson, 55 180. Todd Hacker, 34 181. Harry Landers, 61 182. Ryan Liska, 27, NC 183. Jaime Azuaje, 26, CO 184. John Garneski, 36 185. John Cooper, 58 186. Christopher Ballou, 42, NY 187. Justin Peake, 33, MD 188. Wade Stout, 36

10:53:56 10:54:01 10:54:11 10:55:12 10:56:11 10:57:02 10:58:51 10:59:02 11:00:22 11:02:25 11:03:01 11:03:01 11:04:27 11:05:20 11:05:28 11:05:42 11:05:43 11:06:09 11:08:33 11:09:40 11:10:03 11:10:03 11:10:03 11:10:03 11:10:03 11:12:51 11:14:50 11:15:06 11:15:30 11:15:30 11:15:31 11:15:43 11:16:33 11:17:09 11:17:33 11:18:50 11:18:59 11:19:43 11:19:56 11:21:00 11:21:29 11:21:44 11:22:13 11:22:20 11:22:49 11:23:46 11:24:00 11:24:05 11:24:22 11:24:36 11:24:40 11:24:46 11:24:56 11:24:58 11:25:40 11:25:42 11:26:02 11:26:15 11:26:20 11:26:23 11:27:07 11:27:55 11:28:34

189. Brian Trinkle, 51, GA 11:29:45 190. Max Alvarado, 29 11:30:21 191. Jonathan Doda, 37 11:30:33 192. Amy Burgess, 38 11:30:37 193. Ken Burgess, 38 11:30:46 194. Dorothy Hunter, 40, NC 11:30:48 195. Rebecca Weast, 26 11:31:25 196. Gregg Holst, 55, PA 11:31:49 197. Katie Keier, 43 11:32:30 198. Jon Westmoreland, 48, NC 11:32:31 Michael Rogers, 37 11:32:31 200. Darrel White, 40, NC 11:33:14 Curtis Tait, 42 11:33:14 202. Joshua Belin, 22 11:34:16 203. Mark Iscool, 57 11:34:31 204. Carolyn Wilson, 53 11:34:58 205. Jill Devereux, 47 11:35:39 206. Caleb Steedley, 36, NC 11:36:00 207. Darin Dunham, 44 11:36:35 208. Cheyenne Craig, 35 11:37:24 209. Kathie Colling, 36 11:37:28 210. Jonathan Basham, 36 11:37:41 Travis Wildeboer, 34, CO 11:37:41 Andrew Thompson, 36, NH 11:37:41 Bethany Charron, 35, NH 11:37:41 214. Stacin Martin, 44 11:37:55 215. Bob Clouston, 51 11:37:58 216. Philip Niess, 27, PA 11:39:39 217. Leah Klaproth, 26, NC 11:40:06 218. Chuck Stone, 58, PA 11:40:07 219. Randy Blevins, 53 11:40:20 220. Stephanie Wilson, 48 11:40:25 221. Denise Pangborn, 45, PA 11:41:21 222. Chris Redman, 46, AL 11:43:15 223. Christopher Holt, 36, MD 11:44:00 224. Kenneth Laird, 39 11:44:14 225. Billy Flint, 53 11:45:01 226. Jenny Primm, 41, CO 11:45:10 227. Todd Barbour, 44, NC 11:45:21 228. Mike Price, 63, UT 11:45:27 229. Dave Hurley, 41 11:45:30 230. Ben Mansur, 41, AR 11:45:42 231. Elizabeth Martin, 31 11:45:45 Christian Zazzali, 49, MD 11:45:45 233. Mitzi Lesher-Thomas, 40, NC 11:45:49 234. Lisa Moyer, 41 11:46:05 235. Tim Miller, 44 11:46:07 236. Lauren Brown, 33 11:46:15 237. Laurel Bell, 51, MD 11:46:43 238. Martha Wright, 52 11:48:03 239. Jonathan Mackanic, 17, NC 11:50:01 240. Elaine Estes, 48, NC 11:50:35 241. Peter Josendale, 40 11:50:36 Jason Bock, 37 11:50:36 Daren Marceau, 52, NC 11:50:36 244. Kimberly Weatherford, 32 11:53:30 245. Mark Romagosa, 40, FL 11:53:40 246. Jeff McGonnell, 53, NC 11:54:27 247. Thomas Green, 63, MD 11:55:43 248. Diane Behm, 36 11:55:57 249. Mary Kitzig, 56, OH 11:57:11 250. Sam Price, 35 11:58:32 251. Alan Needle, 28, NC 12:00:22

53 ULTRARUNNING.COM

1. Brian Rusiecki, 35, MA 2. Ryan Smith, 34, CO 3. Paul Terranova, 39, TX 4. Eric Grossman, 45 5. Thomas Crawford, 33, CA 6. Guy Love, 22 7. Sean Andrish, 44 8. Frank Gonzalez, 37 9. Sam Dangc, 25 10. Jordan Whitlock, 26 11. Troy Shellhamer, 33, KY 12. Darren Thomas, 20, CO Steven Sloan, 19 14. Brad Hinton, 37 15. Jack Kurisky, 46 16. Michael Jones, 22 17. Skyler Lyon, 29 18. Benjamin Nilsestuen, 31, NY 19. Ryan Paavola, 29 20. Charlie Peele, 27 21. Duran Pardue, 26, NC 22. Joel Meredith, 39, TN 23. Dan Spearin, 41 24. Austin Burling, 20, PA 25. Amy Rusiecki, 34, MA 26. Brian Kistner, 43, SC 27. Matthew Bugin, 32 28. Kathleen Cusick, 38, FL 29. Jonas Williams, 29, NC 30. Billy Evans, 38 31. Gaby Gorman, 38 32. Joseph Jameson, 54, MO 33. David Emch, 31, OH 34. Ryan Quinnelly, 31 35. Matt Banning, 34 36. Michael Davi, 40 37. John Andersen, 37 38. Rob French, 55, NC 39. Ken Niemimaa, 42, ON 40. Jeremy Alsop, 30, NC 41. David Mackanic, 20 42. Jennie Belt, 28 43. Derek Bird, 38 44. Silke Koester, 30, CO 45. Michael Kisiel, 37 46. Jack Anderson, 30, MD 47. David Myhren, 21, NY 48. Megan Stegemiller, 25 49. Matthew Bigman, 21 50. Phil Layman, 26 51. Alexis Thomas, 31 52. Ryan Nebel, 30 53. Tom Griffen, 41, NC 54. Scott Newcomer, 43, PA 55. John Robinson, 55 56. Alyssa Wildeboer, 34, CO 57. Brook Holley, 51 58. Brenton Swyers, 26 59. Meredith Terranova, 38, TX 60. Ann Stanley, 37 61. Jarrod Call, 30 62. Marc Griffin, 37

63. Emily Warner, 29 64. Greg Borzick, 44, MI 65. Danny Mowers, 36, PA 66. Stephan Dobson, 52, MD 67. Sam Lynch, 26 68. Troy Siemers, 42 69. Todd Thomas, 38 70. Kevin Townsend, 40 71. Kevin Corell, 38 72. Robert Childress, 27 73. Mark Manny, 34 74. Donald Smith, 55 75. Sophie Speidel, 50 76. Kip Pierson, 35, DC 77. Jordan Chang, 26 Kristen Chang, 26 79. David Dirito, 33, NC 80. David Gray, 51 81. Gregory Loomis, 39 82. Peter Jetton, 42 83. Matthew Smith, 34 84. Michael Myers, 27, DC 85. Scott Bell, 32, TN 86. Donna Utakis, 45, MA 87. Beth Frye, 44, NC 88. Matthew Prineas, 48, MD 89. Tyler Smith, 32, NC 90. Will Robens, 34, VT 91. Jim Daniels, 40 Alisa Springman, 39 93. Brett Coapland, 37, NH 94. Elizabeth Minnick, 33 95. William Warner, 60, WV 96. Anthony Sweitzer, 41 97. Leigh Jackson, 26, NC 98. Jarett Tighe, 46 99. Jason Farr, 36 100. Danny Rogers, 38 101. Tim Spaulding, 34 102. Harris Brenner, 40, PA 103. Amy Albu, 37 104. Donnie Chapman, 52, MD 105. Louie Sullins, 38, TX 106. James Vogltanz, 42 Jeffrey Lysiak, 49 108. Michael Dehaye, 43, AL 109. Michael Hannon, 49, MD 110. Bethany Weber, 23 111. Lyle Parker, 56, TX 112. Brian Radgowski, 34, WA 113. Laura Duffy, 37, TN 114. Rick Gray, 52, TN 115. Matt Christovich, 34 116. Thomas Peterson, 53, PA 117. Jim Smucker, 52, PA 118. Brian Dibeler, 40, PA 119. John Crabtree, 47 120. Brian Kelleher, 46 121. Elizabeth Nickle, 29, DC 122. Scott Myers, 47 123. Ruthann Helfrick, 46, PA 124. Jesse Power, 33, FL 125. Doug Schuch, 45

JFK 50

AMERICA’S ULTRAMARATHON: THE JFK 50 BY GEORGE BANKER

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

“I’ve been involved with the JFK 50 Mile for 43 years, since I was 12 years old. For the first 20 years of my running life all I wanted to do was try to run as fast as possible over the Appalachian Trail, up the C&O Canal Towpath and on into Williamsport and hopefully someday win ‘America’s Ultramarathon’ - a dream that eventually came true in 1982 (5:53:05) 54 and 1983 (6:12:12). But by my mid-30s my focus had turned to helping produce North America’s oldest, largest --and arguably the most prestigious-ultramarathon footrace. At 55, I still feel pretty ‘young’ (for a race director) but I realize every building will eventually fall. Like Buzz Sawyer, who gave life to this event and then maintained it for 30 years, I feel great pride in my association with the JFK 50 Mile and feel confident it will stand long after my tenure as director comes to an end,” stated Mike Spinnler, Race Director. On November 23, 2013 the 51st running of the John F. Kennedy 50-Mile was hosted by the Cumberland Valley Athletic Club. The event was an ultramarathoner’s dream, with no vehicular traffic and a return to nature. The first 5.5 miles of the course gains 1,172 feet in elevation and all but two miles of the first 15 are on the Appalachian Trail. This part of the AT is very rocky in sections as it rolls across a mountain ridge. At approximately 14.5 miles the course drops over 1,000 feet in a series of steep switchbacks and then connects with the C&O Canal towpath. The Canal section of the JFK 50 is 26.3 miles (from 15.5 to 41.8 miles) of almost totally flat, unpaved dirt/gravel surface that is

free of all automotive traffic. The route leaves the C&O Canal towpath at Dam #4 and proceeds to follow gently rolling, paved country roads the last 8.4 miles to the finish. The Boonsboro start is at an elevation of 570 feet. The Williamsport finish is at 452 feet above sea level. In 1963 Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy did a 50-mile hike along the C&O and completed it less than 18 hours. Buzz Sawyer and a group of friends completed the first event in 1963 and the tradition started. There was no prediction as to what the future would hold. The caretakers of the race, Sawyer and Spinnler, have kept the life in the event; their passion and the desire were contagious. In 2003 Sawyer ran his last JFK in a time of 13:34:52 at the age of 75. Spinnler noted, “Most races die with their race directors. When I was 25 I told Buzz I’d keep it going when he no longer could and he passed it on to me when I was 35. I’ve got young guys involved with management of the event now that will carry on when I’m out of the organizational picture.” He adds, “[To keep the life into the race] we don’t look more than one year down the road. We focus on one lap at a time. We --the race management team-- critique ourselves closely and, much like an athlete, look for ways to constantly improve and become more efficient. Hopefully we can continue to put on a world class event that the elites of the sport dream of winning and the work-a-day runners can aspire to qualify for and then conquer.” Runners are attracted for a variety of reasons, “JFK first caught my eye several years

ago when the idea of running 50 miles was still preposterous to me! Seeing the fall colors and falling leaves of friends’ photos of the race sparked a yearning for a return to the East. The Southwest is amazing and it’s where I call home now, but having grown up in southern Ontario I’ll always miss what the fall season provides closer to my roots. JFK has a storied history and I’m excited for the opportunity to experience it for myself,” stated 2013 entrant Robert Krar. Matt Flaherty of Bloomington, Indiana, comments, “JFK is intriguing to me, because it is the oldest and largest ultra marathon in the United States. Many top competitors have raced the JFK 50 Mile over the last 50 years, and it is fun to line up with these ghosts on the trail. The race draws a top level of competition, which fuels me in training and racing. I race to test the limits of my potential, and good competition helps to push me to my best. This will be my first JFK 50 Mile race, though hopefully not my last.” In the early morning chill on Main Street in downtown Boonsboro, while the town was asleep, the 5:00 a.m. runners were assembled to experience a 50-mile journey. There were many conversations taking place and the burning internal question was, will I make the cutoff? Nerve ends were tingling even among the veteran athletes. Photographers caught the pictures of the runners but no one could capture the emotions. The main attraction assembled at 7:00 a.m., for those runners who would be chasing history to go down in the books.

GEOFFREY BAKER

Relative newcomer Zach Miller runs one of the fastest times in race history

master was Jon Lawler with a time of 17:40. Flaherty was close on their heels with 17:47. The chase was on through the AT as the leaders made the journey over the rocks. “The leaves and rocks along the Appalachian Trail will present the greatest challenge for me. I’ve made a solid improvement in my technical training the past year but still have a ways to go to find the comfort I’d like,” stated Krar. After negotiating the rocks the final test of the AT was the series of switchbacks down the mountainside. It was a welcome relief to have the technical part of the course out of the way. Josh Arthur took the lead entering the C&O Canal at 1:57:52, followed by Ridgeway, Miller and Flaherty. “I really just started to push as soon as I could run comfortably and that happened to mean that I moved up as others started to struggle. I love to run to my limit and I did that. I always have my sights set on the top spot,” noted Wardian. Flaherty commented pre-race that, “The AT portion will be fun, but one needs to be careful not to waste too much energy on technical terrain or the steep switchback descent to the tow path. The long, flat section on the towpath allows for fast running, but that presents its own challenges – the need to sustain a hard pace with no real respite. And I’m sure the lightly rolling last 8.4 miles on roads will be very difficult at that point in the race.” The mission continued as the last leg began at the end of the C&O Canal, mile 42.4. Zach Miller was the first to hit the road with an

elapsed time of 4:43:39. Trying to close down the gap was Flaherty with 4:47:12. Wardian was holding down third with 4:58:02 and fourth was Ridgeway with 4:58:50. Miller maintained the steady pace to capture the top prize with the second fastest winning time in the history of the race: 5:38:53 (6:47 pace). Flaherty stayed the course for runner-up with 5:44:37 and Wardian was third with 5:55:37. “I picked JFK mostly because my high school track coach, Jeff Bradley, thought I should do it. Plus, it was a high profile race and that’s what I was looking for...a race in which I had the chance to make a big splash. Lastly, it was pretty close to home. That made it easier to get to. I really wasn’t sure what I could do in a 50-miler. I was pretty sure I could finish it; I just wasn’t sure how fast I could do it,” Miller said. Miller was moving into unchartered waters with caution, “I didn’t have an overly detailed strategy. I wanted to go into the race with a relaxed attitude, as if I were just going for a 50-mile run with some buddies. I did want to go out towards the front though, take the AT at a reasonable pace, and be within striking distance of the top guys. My high school track coach thought I could win, so it’s not like the thought didn’t cross my mind, but I didn’t know it would actually happen. And I probably would have been especially doubtful of my chances had I known that Rob Krar was in the race... the level of competition was good. Rob Krar and Matt Flaherty are studs. Wardian, Ridgeway, Jason Wolfe, and Emily Harrison are

55 ULTRARUNNING.COM

The start line included the 2012 runner-up (6:17:16) Emily Harrison of Flagstaff, Arizona. Harrison was an All-American at the University of Virginia. She keeps performance in perspective, “There’s quite a bit of self-analysis that goes on after the race. Sometimes you can pinpoint exactly what happened, learn from it and apply it to upcoming races. Other times, there’s no clear-cut explanation and it can take a little longer to move on from these races. Always look forward!” The line included the 2007 winner, 2010 sixth place, and 2011 runner-up, Michael Wardian. His first foot in the JFK was in 1998 at the age of 24. Wardian comments, “I think if you race enough there will always be disappointments but that doesn’t mean the race was a failure. If you learn from the experience then it was worthwhile no matter what the clock says.” Wardian continues, “I have seen JFK grow and flourish and I am so glad, as Mike and his team does an excellent job. JFK is really like three races, the trail, the tow-path, and the road, they all have their challenges and that is what makes it so cool.” The dawn had lifted and the race was on. Making his way to the trail was Zach Miller of Columbia, Pennsylvania. Miller is a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology with a PR of 31:23 for 10K. At the Bootlegger 50K at the USATF 50K National Championship, Miller placed sixth with 3:58:29. Miller passed the 3.3-mile mark in 17:39 accompanied by Iain Ridgeway. The leading

Harrison had first placed locked down over the closing miles and finished with 6:35:05 for the fifth fastest winning time. Norton was second with in a time of 7:14:03. And the third position was captured by Henry in a time of 7:17:37. “My mom has run this race twice and I have done quite a bit of running on other sections of the Canal. It seems like a suitable course for me considering I am coming from road marathons. Plus it’s the oldest ultra in North America! Lots of history behind this race,” stated Harrison. “I planned to stay conservative on the AT then lock into a reasonable pace on the C&O. Most important, I wanted to run my own race and really pay attention to fueling properly. Over 50 miles it can be anybody’s day, but I was never focused on any one runner.”

GEOFFREY BAKER

expending an unnecessary amount of energy. You’ll have plenty of miles after the AT to try and make up some time.” The women’s race was a runaway as Emily Harrison hit the start of the AT near mile 3.3 with a time of 19:32. Kara Henry crossed in 19:54. Trailing in third was Erin Sutton with a 20:02. Coming off the AT, Harrison crossed in 2:12:54 with Alyssa Godesky moving up to second at that point, in 2:24:47. Norton moved into third place with a time of 2:27:54. At the end of C&O Canal, Harrison was in sole control and crossed in 5:30:50. “Being patient on the Canal is one of my greatest challenges. It’s easy to want to open up and run fast. The last eight miles on the road is where I had to be mentally tough,” she said.

GEOFFREY BAKER

also strong runners. Josh Arthur also seemed strong. Around mile 18, Rob Krar really threw down the hammer! Rob, Josh, and I were flying so fast that I was afraid I might blow up around mile 25 if we kept running like that. For some reason I stayed with them and it ended up paying off.” He sums up the feelings of winning, “Awesome, incredible, and shocking!” “If you practice running trails, which I do, you can get through it all right. But don’t feel like you have to force it. You can really just let it flow. Pay attention to the terrain and try to let your stride follow the natural rhythm of the trail. Don’t fight the terrain, read it, and use it to your advantage. Stay light on your feet and keep your head up. The number one thing is to get through it without injury and without

A moment alone along the Appalachian Trail

Emily Harrison cruises to the women’s victory in 6:35:05 56 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

JFK | BOONSBORO, MARYLAND | NOVEMBER 23 | 50 MILES

1. Zach Miller, 25, PA 2. Matthew Flaherty, 28, IN 3. Michael Wardian, 39, VA 4. Iain Ridgeway, 33 5. Ryan Aschbrenner, 36, NH 6. Mike Bialick, 32, MN 7. Kenneth Janosko, 22, OH 8. Daven Oskvig, 36, NY 9. Jon Lawler, 50, TN 10. Emily Harrison, 27, AZ 11. William Kuper, 33, VA 12. Chris Sallade, 41, NJ 13. Bryan Bhark, 29, MA 14. Ryan Paavola, 29, VA 15. Ian Torrence, 41, AZ 16. Chris Schulten, 41, CT 17. Ryan Jones, 34, PA 18. Christopher Martin, 37, NJ 19. Jordan Whitlock, 26, VA 20. Jeffrey Dean, 34, NC 21. Justin Feil, 40, PA 22. Jeffrey Lammers, 38, OH 23. Sean Keefe, 35, VA 24. Nicholas Brown, 31, VA 25. Seth Charles, 23, PA 26. Sage Norton, 33, VA 27. Pierre Rousseau, 50, QC 28. Kara Henry, 28, CO 29. Josh Arthur, 27, CO

5:38:53 5:44:37 5:55:37 5:57:26 6:13:25 6:14:45 6:16:58 6:19:26 6:21:19 6:35:05 6:35:27 6:36:10 6:37:10 6:42:03 6:44:54 6:45:32 6:47:20 6:52:33 6:56:10 7:04:33 7:05:03 7:09:30 7:10:44 7:12:38 7:13:49 7:14:03 7:17:27 7:17:37 7:20:45

1,2

Lara Shegoski, 21 31. Kaisorn Chaichana, 32 32. Michael Niles, 41, VA 33. Josh Dawson, 28 34. John Anderson, 51, VA 35. Kevin Shelton-Smith, 53, NY 36. Victor Ornelas, 28, NC 37. Will Cooper, 50, CA 38. Steve Mentzer, 48, PA 39. Andrew Simpson, 43, VA 40. Jan-Erick Olson, 48, PA 41. Shanna Ailes-Istnick, 35, OH 42. Henry Peck, 56 43. Lyle Ressler, 23, PA 44. Jason Jones, 38, IN 45. Joseph Crawford, 28, VA 46. Dana Munari, 49, TX 47. Alyssa Godesky, 28 48. Christopher Dempsey, 36, VA 49. Jesse Tubb, 37 50. Myles Fennon, 35, NY 51. Jesse Parrish, 21, VA 52. Yuichiro Hidaka, 34, VA 53. Steven Waldon, 32, NY 54. Ned White, 48, VA 55. James Whiteside, 41, DC 56. Lucas Tamagna-Darr, 28, CA 57. Robert Gannett, 35, NC 58. Benjamin Waite, 33 Jeffrey Spencer, 39

7:20:45 7:22:37 7:23:07 7:23:50 7:24:17 7:26:36 7:26:47 7:28:42 7:28:45 7:29:23 7:29:32 7:30:02 7:33:20 7:33:30 7:33:37 7:36:22 7:36:33 7:38:20 7:38:32 7:40:00 7:40:09 7:41:04 7:41:28 7:42:09 7:42:22 7:44:39 7:45:16 7:45:38 7:46:28 7:46:28

60. Emily Halnon, 29, DC 7:46:33 61. Joe Hoelscher, 31, PA 7:46:55 62. Fabrice Guillaume, 36, VA 7:47:37 63. William Schnurr, 51, ON 7:48:14 64. Thomas Waldron, 35, NC 7:49:08 Richard Turgeon, 47, QU 7:49:08 66. Erin Sutton, 26, GA 7:49:38 67. Matt Zuchetto, 38, WA 7:51:06 68. Trevor Baine, 31, DC 7:51:33 69. Todd Baum, 55, NY 7:52:02 70. Lindsay Simpson, 36, VT 7:52:07 71. Patrick Bell, 44, VA 7:54:05 72. David Holder, 38, NS 7:54:35 73. Martin Schumacher Jr., 42, IL 7:55:04 74. Charles Bowles, 31, VA 7:56:12 75. Ryan Cooper, 39 7:56:27 76. Scott McCraw, 44, NY 7:57:02 77. Eric Deshaies, 40, QC 7:58:04 78. Dennis Fitzgerald, 26, CT 7:58:32 79. Kurt Lindboom-Broberg, 27, CT 7:59:31 80. Phyllis Tsang, 31, NC 8:00:29 81. Dink Taylor, 47, AL 8:02:17 82. Lou Donofrio, 35, PA 8:04:51 83. David Phipps, 49 8:05:56 84. Jeanne Bennett, 39, OK 8:06:00 85. John Fitz, 39 8:06:34 86. Rick Grab, 39, PA 8:06:39 87. Laurie Dymond, 47, PA 8:06:45 88. Tim Miller, 48, IN 8:06:49 89. Kathleen Luzier, 45 8:07:13

90. Dave Caldwell, 35, IL 91. Nick Schnabel, 37, NJ 92. Joel Baker, 39 93. Charles Spelina, 29, CT 94. Cale Genenbacher, 26, TN 95. Erik Price, 30, VA 96. Steve Maliszewski, 41, TX 97. Ann Stanley, 38, VA 98. Robert Cawood, 45 99. Bryan Seifarth, 29 100. Daryl Flacks, 42, ON Denis Chenard, 55, ON 102. Ben Apfelbaum, 36, VA 103. Thomas Somers, 43, NJ 104. Bruce Caswell, 47 105. David Weeda, 40 106. Duane Williamson, 50, VA 107. Jill Perry, 42, NY 108. Paul Jacobs, 35, DC 109. Stephen Itano, 54, CA 110. Wendy Miller, 31, IN 111. Daniel De Souza, 19 112. Normand Blais, 46, QU 113. Kathy Youngren, 39, AL 114. Dana Overton, 39, AL 115. Jean-Charles Daoust, 36, QC 116. John Seabreeze, 43 117. Greg Snyders, 32, DC 118. Conrado Bermudez, 40, NJ 119. Laura Straub, 32, PA

8:08:38 8:08:47 8:08:49 8:08:55 8:09:50 8:10:31 8:11:16 8:11:29 8:13:04 8:14:29 8:14:50 8:14:50 8:15:49 8:16:07 8:16:50 8:16:51 8:18:37 8:18:52 8:18:57 8:19:05 8:19:28 8:21:18 8:21:27 8:21:29 8:21:31 8:22:38 8:22:54 8:23:06 8:23:28 8:25:09

GEOFFREY BAKER

Runners pass the War Correspondents Arch at the Gathland aid station at mile 9.3

Matt Flaherty takes a breather after his speedy second place finish

Harrison adds, “I was very into the countdown on the road. I was ready to see the finish line, but there were a couple of men ahead of me that gave me something to key off of. The record is always on my mind, but it wasn’t the focus this year. Going for the win was the number one goal.” “I ran the race in 2012 and ran a pretty smart race then so I stuck with relatively the same plan. I started out very conservative; the goal was to make it through the AT without falling, without getting injured and having enough left in the tank to make it the next 34 miles. Once on the Canal I wanted to hit in the high-7s/low8s and hang on for as long as I could. Once on

the road I would just give it whatever I had left”, stated Norton. “I came off the AT in fourth. I stopped at the Aid Station at mile 19 to change my shoes and quickly went from fourth to sixth. At mile 19.5 I linked up with Kara Henry and we slowly caught up and passed the other woman ahead of us. Lara Shegoski and I ran together through mile 30. At that point Lara fell back a bit and Kara and I remained together through 45. It wasn’t until I made the turn into Downsville that I broke away from Kara. I never really knew how far back she was because the road elevation kept changing or turning so I just charged

ahead towards the finish,” adds Norton. Norton continues, “I must say I attribute my success on Saturday to Kara and Pierre Rousseau of Montreal; without them, those last 10 miles on the Canal would have been far worse. For 25 miles I enjoyed Kara’s company and for 20 miles I enjoyed Pierre’s. I felt like I was running with friends I had known for years. The group dynamics were tremendous; we just kind of worked. This little story is probably what I like best about the ‘ultra culture.’ Complete strangers can become friends through the miles.”

8:25:12 8:25:42 8:26:04 8:26:23 8:27:33 8:28:24 8:28:38 8:28:48 8:28:56 8:29:31 8:29:42 8:32:04 8:32:40 8:32:44 8:33:19 8:34:18 8:35:59 8:36:28 8:36:55 8:37:19 8:37:19 8:38:04 8:38:16 8:38:32 8:38:51 8:39:10 8:39:47 8:39:48 8:40:29 8:41:38

150. Philip Solt, 25 151. Howard Shelanski, 49, DC 152. Ronald Prabucki, 51, NY 153. Matthew Brubaker, 40, PA 154. Jessica Hanlin, 27, NC 155. Claudio Verzilli, 52, TN 156. Bradley Hall, 47, NC 157. John Lynch, 35 158. Bruno Cloutier, 47, QC 159. Robert Wilkins, 32, IL 160. Mark Tichinel, 53, OH 161. Lai Sun, 49, CT 162. Robert Hellgren, 34, PA 163. Ronnie Wong, 67 164. Chris Walker, 38, ND 165. Mike Dellert, 40 166. Ana-Maria Ehrler, 35, NC 167. Jason Walters, 40, VA 168. Jason Perez, 38, FL 169. Harry Ballard, 49, FL 170. Julian Addison, 40, NY 171. Edward Sandor, 31, MN 172. Casey Thivierge, 39, ON 173. James Mastrianni, 51, NJ 174. Kenneth Sholes, 29, VA 175. James Uzel, 54, VA 176. Christopher Trimmer, 41 177. Alla Danilkovitch, 50 178. Brian Kane, 46 179. Sarah Dean, 28, IL

8:41:55 8:42:18 8:43:34 8:43:38 8:43:46 8:44:01 8:45:03 8:47:07 8:48:24 8:48:52 8:48:57 8:48:59 8:49:05 8:50:05 8:50:30 8:50:33 8:50:46 8:50:48 8:51:33 8:51:44 8:52:15 8:52:36 8:52:41 8:53:10 8:53:31 8:53:36 8:53:43 8:54:05 8:54:10 8:54:30

180. David Porterfield, 45 181. Kevin Ball, 54, OH 182. Kelly Donahue, 44, PA 183. Peter French, 36, VA 184. Randall Woods, 42, NC Brian Compagnone, 40, VA 186. Clifford Bilbrey, 33, TX 187. Kaustubh Radkar, 31 188. John Schaller, 36, VA 189. Stephanie Dupal-Demartin, VA 190. Scott Muffly, 21, KY 191. Todd Ellick, 30, VA 192. Mark Beals, 51, IN 193. Michael Pease, 38, PA 194. Brad Whited, 34, WV 195. Jodee Aubol, 41, ND 196. Ricky Moody, 55, OH 197. Jeremy Davidson, 44, VA 198. Duane Rosenberg, 60 199. Scott Slater, 35, CT 200. Christian Falyar, 45, VA 201. Jason Crowe, 40, IL 202. Rebecca Sanders, 48, ON 203. Edwin Churchill Ii, 41, OH 204. Reagan White, 29, NC 205. Eric Sydor, 34, CT 206. Jonathan Ferrell, 31, PA 207. Amy Meyer, 28, VA 208. Ray Baldwin, 50 209. Bryan Belice, 28, MA

8:54:35 8:54:38 8:54:40 8:55:03 8:55:47 8:55:47 8:56:00 8:56:15 8:56:23 8:57:08 8:58:02 8:58:48 8:59:09 8:59:22 8:59:26 9:00:02 9:00:56 9:01:05 9:01:54 9:01:56 9:02:03 9:02:04 9:03:35 9:04:22 9:04:50 9:05:17 9:07:22 9:07:56 9:08:10 9:08:35

210. Alan Wiederhold, 44 211. Kathy Zeiler, 44, DC 212. Euihwa Lee, 54, PA 213. Jill Danley, 46, PA 214. Mark Ellis, 51, VA 215. Lindsay Majno, 25, DC 216. Sonia Rye, , VA 217. Bruce Smith, 50, NC 218. Vanessa Oseroff, 33, VA 219. Anthony Rubino, 39 220. Scott Bray, 41, VA 221. Thomas Mulford, 52, NC 222. Henry Youngbar, 62 223. Samuel Zeller, 55 224. Christy Scott, 40, AL 225. Rick Meyers, 47, PA 226. Stefan Shirley, 38, VA 227. Kelly Bruno, 29, NC 228. John Zimmermann, 41, VA 229. Donald Johnson, 52, FL 230. Adam Baker, 34 231. Ladd Clifford, 45, OH 232. Troy Byers, 40, VA 233. Greg Horning, 234. Shunhe Wang, 16, MI Yuqing Wang, 48, MI 236. Tatyana Petrova, 37, NC 237. Frank Healey, 46, PA 238. Paul Davies, 46, MA 239. Michael Varieur, 54, NY

9:09:06 9:09:32 9:09:42 9:10:05 9:10:22 9:10:27 9:10:39 9:10:45 9:10:55 9:11:09 9:11:16 9:11:29 9:11:33 9:12:49 9:13:27 9:13:44 9:13:47 9:14:05 9:14:15 9:14:30 9:14:39 9:14:54 9:15:04 9:15:05 9:15:18 9:15:18 9:15:32 9:16:01 9:16:12 9:17:56

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120. Matthew Wieczorek, 26, DC 121. Paul Jacobs, 53, DC 122. Michael Young, 57, MI 123. Blaine Lewis, 52, VA 124. Daniel Jacobs, 21 125. Erin Valocsik, 33, VA 126. Fabrice Suplisson, 51, OH 127. Jim Allott, 54, NY 128. Joseph Orville, 28, VA 129. Murray Clark, 48, VT 130. Donna Smyth, 54, VT 131. Leon Vandenhoven, 50, ON 132. Aaron Hastings, 42 133. Taylor Smith, 27, NY 134. Rob Netherton, 45 135. Lauren Dorsky, 18, NY 136. Jim Cook, 48, PA 137. Justin Villere, 29, PA 138. Matthew Jaskot, 27, NC 139. Terry Jarrell, 53, ON William Mcgill, 44, OH 141. Jonathan Welch, 31, VA 142. John McCabe, 41, CT 143. Angela Russell, 37 144. Antonio Cillo, 27, VA 145. Nathan Dewall, 34, MI 146. Ed Byus, 34, TN 147. Kevin Sayers, 54 148. Loid Saillard, 39 149. Aaron Mangold, 28, AZ

58 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

240. Peter Tegroen, 59, VA 9:18:18 241. Scott Smiciklas, 42, ON 9:18:20 242. Chesley Thigpen, 43, KY 9:18:21 243. Jim Bradford, 51, VA 9:18:26 244. Mary Klaff, 47, VA 9:18:36 245. Larry Waldron, 59, ON 9:19:52 246. Andrew Krogman, 36, VA 9:20:11 247. Shannon Helberg, 37, NC 9:20:16 248. David Stretanski, 47, NJ 9:20:36 249. Thomas Tolman, 37, NC 9:20:37 250. David Mikesell, 55, OH 9:20:53 Bobby Jones, 39, VA 9:20:53 252. Jeffrey Sengebusch, 35 9:20:59 253. Rick Whitford, 39, ON 9:21:21 254. Joshua Goetz, 20 9:21:33 255. Christopher Cwiklinski, 39, VA 9:21:35 256. Erin Cartaya, 29, MO 9:21:51 257. Dennis Sheehan, 30, PA 9:21:52 258. Darin Soler, 42, NY 9:21:57 259. Daniel O’Keefe, 48, NJ 9:22:02 260. Heather Ichord, 30, NC 9:22:19 261. Katie Eshleman, 39, PA 9:22:56 Kelaine Conochan, 31, DC 9:22:56 263. Dennis Noskin, 55, CT 9:23:10 264. Joel Schumacher, 39, WA 9:23:42 265. Jeffrey Smith, 42, NM 9:23:54 266. Jonathan Smolin, 39, NH 9:24:15 267. Marc Haseltine, 39 9:25:10 268. Mark Barton, 57, OH 9:25:14 269. Jared Costable, 32, ME 9:25:22 Brian Hay, 32, RI 9:25:22 271. Mark Dickson, 49, VA 9:25:40 272. Kim Simon, 57, WV 9:25:56 273. Kerri Driscoll, 32, NY 9:26:00 274. Douglas Buchanan, 42, OH 9:26:35 275. Chad Althiser, 37, VA 9:26:53 276. Jeff Le, 30, VA 9:27:23 277. Kevin Cunningham, 55, ON 9:27:53 278. Amy Hoffmann, 27, VA 9:28:01 279. Kyle Gillam, 35, NC 9:28:50 280. William McKinney, 40, TX 9:29:10 281. Manjunath Srinivasaiah, 32, NY 9:29:22 282. Matthew Izzo, 27, DC 9:29:45 283. Brian Rice, 27 9:29:46 284. Andrea Cameron, 53, ON 9:29:50 285. Kelly Fletcher, 33, DC 9:30:00 286. Terry Artz, 48 9:30:01 287. Edward Jimenez, 46 9:30:05 288. Wai Law, 47, NY 9:30:18 289. Robert Bauer, 41, NY 9:30:34 290. Un Ruschell, 43, KY 9:30:55 291. Matt Barker, 38, NJ 9:31:01 292. Tara Kilcullen, 34, FL 9:31:05 293. Alfred Smith, 46, PA 9:31:23 294. Adam Seybert, 29, TN 9:31:26 295. Rodney Elliott, 36 9:32:16 296. Gregory Seidl, 52 9:33:24 297. Ryan Dietrich, 35 9:34:07 298. Benjamin Keller, 30, VA 9:34:41 299. T.J. Grady, 40, FL 9:34:44 300. Darrin Denny, 48, VA 9:34:52 Kyle Ellison, 42, VA 9:34:52 302. Christopher Hume, 32, AL 9:34:56 303. Eric Lazerson, 38, VA 9:35:42 Ian Kraynah, 31, PA 9:35:42 305. Douglas Kelly, 48, VA 9:35:58 306. Jeannine Nicholson, 35, OH 9:36:07 307. Richard Joswick, 55, NJ 9:36:23 308. Michael Campbell, 63, VA 9:36:32 309. Daniel Guralnick, 37, NY 9:36:53 310. Dana Beyeler, 62, PA 9:37:12 311. Bill Haber, 51, OH 9:37:43 312. Dan Homan, 51, OH 9:37:44 313. Bridgette Beeny, 28, MA 9:38:09 314. Stephanie Defeo, 28, NC 9:38:10 315. Michael Yoder, 42, PA 9:38:41 9:39:15 316. Katherine Spies, 32, CA 317. Becky Walter, 33 9:39:27 318. Erica Price, 33, PA 9:39:31 319. David Bernard, 43, NC 9:40:03 320. Anna Maria Nordin, 44 9:40:08 321. Crystal Barton, 38, OH 9:40:11 322. Richard Barton, 60, OH 9:40:12 323. Andrew Schaaf, 45, VA 9:40:19 Frank Zachar, 48, VA 9:40:19 Norris Cochran, 43, VA 9:40:19 326. Eric Schneider, 28, CO 9:40:47 327. Kev Hawn, 55, PA 9:40:48 328. Jenna Koenigshofer, 31, NC 9:40:56 329. Michael Castilleja, 49, VA 9:41:03 330. Andreas Hoppe, 49, QC 9:41:12 331. Sarah Scozzaro, 35, OH 9:41:34 332. Gary Nario, 43, NC 9:41:43 Amado Casuga Jr., 40, CT 9:41:43 334. Laura Nichols, 29, CO 9:41:57

335. Erica Ferrell, 35 336. Bryan Hart, 33, LA 337. Amanda Wilson, 30, NC 338. Bill Burgess, 34 339. Joe Corderman, 52, FL 340. Kristen Corderman, 43, FL 341. Anthony Russo, 36, NJ Gretchen Whitesell, 20 343. Dennis Moynihan, 50, VA 344. Laura Beachy, 23, NY 345. Stacy Chestnut, 42, NS 346. Joshua Poremba, 41, VA 347. Douglas McCobb, 44, VA 348. Jan Smilek, 47, VA 349. Joseph Wren, 32, VA 350. Kali Price, 27, OH 351. Aaron Shapiro, 30 John Aiken, 31, VA 353. Rory Finneren, 31, DC 354. Jeffrey Padilla, 64, CA 355. Bruce Bevard Jr., 37 356. Leon Chichester, 48, VA 357. James Sandor, 47, NJ 358. Jayne Zampelli, 37, NC 359. Mark Monahan, 40, PA 360. Bryce Livingston, 26, VA Blaine O’Reilly, 25, VA Egan O’Reilly, 30, VA 363. Megan Deverin, 32, CA 364. David Johns, 55, VA 365. Leigh Adams, 39, NC 366. Daryl Davis, 40, PA 367. Joseph Koessler, 30, SC Yoshiko Jo, 48, PA 369. William Osborne, 36, ND 370. Chad Peters, 39, NC 371. Greg Burch, 41, DE 372. Heidi Hogan, 40, CT Amy Johnson, 37, CT 374. Jeremy Kasper, 34, RI 375. Robert Wright, 42, VA 376. Scott Millar, 45 377. Jim Sprecher, 39 378. Jason Zeruto, 37 379. Michael Perrin, 52, NY 380. Joseph Miller, 32, ME 381. Joel Dillon, 49, PA 382. Brian Lipski, 30 Nicholas Rivera, 29 Gary Walenda, 41, VA 385. Benjamin Ficke, 20, TX James Ficke, 52, TX 387. Joshua Thompson, 39, TX 388. Reiko Cyr, 46, NY 389. Blayne Smith, 34, FL 390. Ralph Pisle, 39, PA 391. Seth Lacrone, 29, TX 392. Matthew Ingold, 29, VA 393. Drew Kline, 42 394. Rick Fisher, 40 395. Andy Wooten, 45, CO 396. Trevor Cessna, 29, OH 397. Claudia Ducker, 45 398. Brian Kraje, 43, CA 399. Dean Mulherin, 47, PA 400. Joanna Graham, 32, VA 401. Yvonne Leippert, 46, NY 402. Ron McKechnie, 41, VA 403. Frank Wang, 51, MA 404. Michael Dehaye, 43, AL 405. David Zambo, 57, MI 406. Stephanie Ayala, 36, VA 407. Shaun Miller, 35, MA

9:42:01 9:42:02 9:42:07 9:42:10 9:42:16 9:42:17 9:42:37 9:42:37 9:42:48 9:43:53 9:44:06 9:44:29 9:44:58 9:45:09 9:45:14 9:45:26 9:45:30 9:45:30 9:45:48 9:46:25 9:46:27 9:46:36 9:46:37 9:46:57 9:47:17 9:47:19 9:47:19 9:47:19 9:47:21 9:47:33 9:47:40 9:48:06 9:48:30 9:48:30 9:48:51 9:48:53 9:49:16 9:49:25 9:49:25 9:49:41 9:50:11 9:50:12 9:50:15 9:50:28 9:50:31 9:50:32 9:50:36 9:51:03 9:51:03 9:51:03 9:51:11 9:51:11 9:51:12 9:51:14 9:51:38 9:51:41 9:52:00 9:52:07 9:52:43 9:52:51 9:52:58 9:53:04 9:53:17 9:53:20 9:53:26 9:53:47 9:54:12 9:54:14 9:54:26 9:54:40 9:55:15 9:55:28 9:55:38

408. Andrew Covert, 46, VA 9:55:54 409. Maria Tanaka-Raycrow, 55, NY 9:56:18 410. Richard Snyder, 50 9:56:24 Mike Erwin, 33, NY 9:56:24 412. Lou Nemec, 34, NY 9:56:25 Jerrod Adams, 33, NY 9:56:25 Michael Tilton, 35, NY 9:56:25 415. Leslie Moran, 43, PA 9:56:47 416. Karen Faber, 46 9:56:55 417. Jeffrey Hart, 49, WI 9:57:23 418. Eric Fairbanks, 50 9:58:15 419. Joseph Schnurbusch, 53, VA 9:58:50 420. Linda Dunbar, 52, PA 9:59:09 421. Sherman Criner, 47, NC 9:59:15 422. Pat Nolen, 49, PA 10:00:11 423. Lucien Rowe, 52, NC 10:02:23 424. John Hackbarth, 31, IA 10:02:49 425. Alan Keefer, 29, TX 10:04:31 426. Andrew Kearns, 40, NJ 10:05:26 427. Kristie Brady, 40, VA 10:05:57 Patrick Schneble, 36, WV 10:05:57 429. Melinda Whitney, 41, VA 10:06:04 430. Benjamin Wells, 33 10:06:09 431. Todd Peters, 51, MO 10:07:57 432. Ian Christian, 33, GA 10:08:06 433. Iveta Zakovic, 46, NY 10:08:56 434. Stacy Ferner, 45, FL 10:09:09 435. Michael Brest, 27 10:09:34 436. Patty Edleblute, 40 10:09:41 437. Barbara Sudduth, 43 10:09:46 438. Richard Ervais, 53, CA 10:10:17 Zander Ross, 54, NY 10:10:17 440. Matt Metzger, 23, PA 10:10:45 441. Ravi Chedalavada, 52 10:10:52 442. Amy Kraje, 43, CA 10:11:22 443. Timothy Lambert, 54 10:11:41 444. Douglas Wagner, 50, PA 10:11:53 445. William D’Agostino, 64, VA 10:12:01 446. Mark Neubauer, 38 10:13:00 447. Matthew Cillo, 29, NC 10:13:01 448. Frank Probst, 70, VA 10:13:09 449. Darryl Ayers, 39, VA 10:13:13 450. Mike Hickey, 54, NJ 10:13:44 451. Helen Garen, 48, OH 10:13:49 452. David Wade, 60 10:14:02 453. Jay Hendy, 50 10:14:28 454. Johanna Knoch, 37, VA 10:15:23 455. Bin Mu, 45, VA 10:15:38 456. Erik Jacobson, 36, VA 10:15:56 457. William Turrentine, 65, VA 10:16:09 458. Lisa Taylor, 26, NC 10:17:34 459. John Benjamin, 45 10:17:39 Timothy Jardeleza, 37 10:17:39 461. Donald Halke II, 54, PA 10:18:12 462. Amy Johnston-Redden, 46, OH 10:18:15 Susan Purks, 46, OH 10:18:15 464. James Callihan, 31, VA 10:18:22 465. Jody Herzog, 33, OH 10:19:05 466. Bronson Armstrong, 51, VA 10:19:21 467. Ronald Tomechko, 52, VA 10:20:12 Jeffrey Green, 51, VA 10:20:12 469. Helene Strutko, 35, PA 10:20:13 John Jones, 51, GA 10:20:13 471. Christoper Calimano, 32, NY 10:20:15 472. Jason Moore, 36, NC 10:20:18 473. Shana Keeler, 31, PA 10:20:27 474. David Bouchard, 30, VA 10:20:55 475. Dave Bryan, 50 10:21:13 476. Chad Davis, 29, IN 10:21:24 477. William Distad, 37, CA 10:21:25 478. Monique Weaver, 43, PA 10:21:30 479. Joan Mercier, 50, AE 10:22:12 480. Kevin Mietticki, 46, NY 10:22:28

481. Tom Gozora, 51 482. Pete Shafer, 57, OH 483. Sarah Stafford, 30, NY 484. Tim Peters, 52, PA 485. Emily Malloy, 42, NY 486. Christopher Juliam, 36, VA 487. Jon Jester, 54, VA 488. Eric Thorne, 42, PA 489. Gerald Tabios, 44, NY 490. Forrest Browne, 48, VA 491. Sarah Smith, 41 492. Brian Curtiss, 38, VA 493. Mackenzie Riford, 19 Scott Moffet, 46 495. Ellen Sarantos, 49, VA 496. Kevin Coulter, 54, WV 497. James Rodak, 56 498. Nancy Ferris, 57, VA 499. Stephen Eckberg, 53, VA 500. Ronald Johnston, 61, NH 501. Kim Oldham, 42 502. Dominic Quattrocchi, 46 503. Craig Thompson, 41 504. Colleen Weber, 50 505. Michael Kay, 32, NJ 506. Garret Christensen, 34, PA 507. Jeffrey Froude, 34 508. Peter Bruun, 50 509. Krispian McCullar, 40, VA 510. Jason Wood, 39, VA 511. Andrea Henson, 32 512. Roger Brown, 48, TX 513. Mark Doll, 46, VA 514. Tammy Huck, 49, VA 515. Craig Capella, 46 Arash Robinson, 36 517. Dave Paul, 43, VA Julia Coxen, 37, VA 519. Christopher Carrier, 34, PA Jerry Jenkins, 38, VA 521. Morgan Barnes, 27 522. Tara Rasch, 33, MA Dave Strassburg, 43, MA 524. Stephen Izzo, 31, FL 525. Morgan Lerette, 33, MA Kevin Creighton, 27, MA Brennan Mullaney, 30, MA 528. Catharine Speights, 49, CO 529. Andy Deak, 33, OH 530. Elliott Wireman, 30 531. Joseph Kairys, 51, VA 532. Tom Kubicz, 35 533. Katie Christy, 30, NY Josh Christy, 32, NY 535. Margaret Seymour, 27, VA 536. Benjamin Karek, 26, NY 537. Mark Rutherford, 54, VA 538. Michael Juenger, 44, VA 539. Stephen Smith, 44, VA 540. Julie Caswell, 50, ME 541. Thomas Kubelus, 54, PA Alex Douglas, 31, PA Kirsten Pieper, 43, IL 544. Jonathan Lee, 29, VA 545. Daniel Taylor, 38, VA 546. Tommy Sowers, 37, DC 547. Brett Shankle, 38, VA 548. Keith Whited, 61, VA 549. Emmy Stocker, 55, CT 550. Sarah Rodis, 28, NC 551. Hilary Lorenz, 49, NY 552. Neil Billings, 50, VA 553. Matthew Wells, 29, DC

2014 ALASKA MOUNTAIN ULTRARUNNING CAMP JUNEAU, ALASKA

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JUNE 15-21 | JULY 14-20 | AUGUST 9-15 WWW.AKULTRACAMP.BLOGSPOT.COM

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Nicola Piggott, 32, CA Barton Kimball Byron of Owings 769. Sharon Andrews, 58, GA 770. Gary Trombley, 51, CT 771. Robert Kolb, 52, RI

Susan Garfield, 62 Mill, Maryland is a JFK legend – the 772. 773. Mike Schroyer, 51, WV 774. Beverly Kornides, 56

person with the most finishes: 45. At the age of 12, on March 30, 1969, Byron finished the JFK 50 in 15:22:25. His fastest finish was on November 19, 1988 with a time of 8:29:59. This year’s finish time was 13:05:55. 646. Michael Sullivan, 59, MA 11:07:44 647. Steve Burrows, 62, ON 11:07:53 648. Gilbert Gray, 51 11:08:42 649. Vernon Redding, 52, DE 11:08:46 650. Kirsten Dickerson, 32, OH 11:08:55 651. Adam Moore, 33 11:10:37 652. Suzanne Erickson, 48, AL 11:13:36 653. Carrie Wilson, 34, AL 11:13:37 Jeff Pour, 52, IL 11:13:37 Jay Hawkins, 47, AL 11:13:37 656. John Powers, 22, NY 11:14:19 657. David Lohr, 34, VA 11:14:30 658. Rodney Whited, 54, PA 11:15:18 659. Steve King, 53, NY 11:15:24 660. Jeremiah Downie, 41 11:16:00 661. Kathryn Tillman, 44, VA 11:16:09 662. Melanie Swain, 41, VA 11:16:31 663. Bill Mims, 56, VA 11:16:32 664. Beau Riley, 33, VA 11:16:35 665. Richard Heiland, 52 11:17:43 666. Tony Cerminaro, 77, PA 11:17:49 Edward Gavin Jr., 55, PA 11:17:49 668. Chris Scalese, 46, PA 11:17:50 669. Vincent Balsone, 50, PA 11:17:54 670. David Powell, 30, SC 11:18:28 Sara Gysbers, 27, KY 11:18:28 672. Jody Pinkelman, 34, NC 11:19:40 673. Charles Brenker Ii, 61, CT 11:19:45 674. Dave Cockman, 56, NC 11:20:32 675. Justin Harris, 37 11:20:39 676. Melinda Rivera, 40 11:20:43 677. Dave Janosko, 55, OH 11:21:13 678. William Scott, 30, NC 11:21:38 679. Joe Bowling, 35, VA 11:21:42 680. Matt Tracy, 40, CO 11:21:56 681. Jacob Johnson, 30, NC 11:22:02 682. Sarah Whitten, 29, NC 11:22:18 683. Christopher Murrer, 30, DC 11:23:10 Stevie Smith, 25, DC 11:23:10 685. Marie-Andree Leblanc, 31, QC 11:23:33 686. Eva Casale, 48, NY 11:23:57 687. Larry Lewis, 56, NY 11:24:24 688. Joan D’Alonzo, 54, WV 11:25:01 689. Vivian Adkins, 44 11:25:13 690. Aaron Stanley, 31, PA 11:25:20 691. Thomas Whitesell, 59 11:25:32 692. Cheryl Crain, 50 11:27:23 693. Phillip Orndorff, 39, WV 11:27:32 694. Pamela Clemmer, 44 11:27:45 695. Terry Griffith, 58 11:30:20 696. Lowell Showalter, 56, MI 11:33:36 697. Ilene Fortin, 42, FL 11:33:48 698. Todd Bowman, 51 11:33:51 699. Emily Hoar, 29, NC 11:34:11 700. Susana Padilla, 36 11:34:24 701. Charles Page, 38, NY 11:34:56 702. Nancy Coakley, 56, BC 11:34:58 703. Sandy Musson, 48, ON 11:35:02 704. Jill Kimber, 32, ON 11:35:16 705. Hernan Daffara, 39, NC 11:35:43 706. John Edleman, 62, PA 11:35:50

707. Kris Duke, 40, VA 11:36:00 708. Patrick Delaney, 50, NJ 11:36:06 709. Andrew Short, 49, GA 11:36:32 710. Rita Rice, 46, NC 11:36:39 711. Paula McWhorter, 57 11:37:17 712. Michael Jacobson, 41 11:38:00 713. Josephine Podlasek, 29, VA 11:38:06 714. Michael House, 53 11:38:52 Ed House, 63 11:38:52 716. Brittany Churchey, 25 11:39:22 717. Von George, 52, PA 11:39:57 718. Daniel Orrvick, 34, VA 11:40:21 719. Chad Boone, 30, VA 11:40:45 720. Anne Marie Kinney, 35, CO 11:41:08 721. Mark Parkhurst, 60 11:42:26 722. Angie Fuss, 35, PA 11:43:03 723. Jami Maxwell, 40, FL 11:43:36 Maria Andrews, 57, FL 11:43:36 725. Michael Vanmeter, 47, VA 11:43:43 726. Luther Reynolds, 47 11:43:58 Laura Lanham, 45 11:43:58 728. Mark Plazinski, 45 11:43:59 729. Eugene Gormley, 47, VA 11:44:36 730. Curt Brandt, 53, FL 11:44:42 731. Chris Gellene, 51, VA 11:45:17 732. Kyle Moses, 43, CA 11:45:21 733. Frank Powers, 53, IL 11:45:23 734. Tom Hosner, 63, CA 11:45:40 735. Sandy Vazquez, 33, VA 11:45:48 736. Patrick Monkelban, 39, WV 11:45:56 737. Tom Cowley, 76 11:46:01 738. Patrick Meyers, 32 11:47:25 739. Adriane Frehner, 39, UT 11:47:54 Jeremy Frehner, 40, UT 11:47:54 741. Ethan Matyas, 37, IL 11:48:43 742. James Riford, 17 11:49:22 743. David Oveissi, 59, VA 11:49:47 744. Jason Winter, 27, WI 11:49:50 745. Sonya Bingham, 33, VA 11:50:32 746. Mike Johnshoy, 58, VA 11:50:42 747. Rebecca Jussila, 45, PA 11:50:50 748. Jonathan Kerns, 33 11:51:04 Christopher Haigh, 48 11:51:04 750. Anthony Chan, 39, NY 11:51:27 751. William Macnamara, 50, NY 11:53:29 752. Nathaniel Osborne, 33, VA 11:55:21 753. Sabrina Zeger, 23 11:55:40 754. Shalisa Davis, 44, VA 11:55:59 755. Anne Marie Cassidy, 49, VA 11:57:02 756. Gregory Tomas, 45, NJ 11:57:50 757. Randy Ward, 60, PA 11:57:55 758. Edward Poling, 66 11:58:03 759. John Louderback, 57 12:00:14 Sarah Louderback, 23 12:00:14 761. Michael Yoder, 48 12:05:04 762. Jeanne Homan, 46, OH 12:06:01 Kathy Barton, 57, OH 12:06:01 764. Shawn Johnson, 36, OH 12:10:01 765. Daniel Huffman, 51, VA 12:12:02 Dennis Bane, 63, VA 12:12:02 767. Vic Culp, 57, VA 12:12:03

775. Paul Cohen, 60, DC 776. Douglas Bittinger, 45 777. Dale Rhoderick, 53 778. Jason Deutsch, 41, VA 779. Erin Wirtanen, 40, VA 780. Jim Becker, 71, PA Ryan Whitesell, 21 782. Peter Suomela, 64, ON 783. Kathy Watern, 54, OH 784. Anna Bradford, 50, VA 785. Paul Mingo, 64, MI 786. Susan Lynch, 47 787. Cheryl Smith, 50, PA 788. Zainab Othman, 58, WV 789. Scott Horning, 44 David Brewster, 48, VA 791. Jessica Kurti, 41, FL 792. Rosaria Angry, 40, FL 793. Alan Gowen, 64 794. Jason Abernathy, 39, AK Justin Abernathy, 39, DC 796. Ronnie Ward, 66, PA 797. Paul Betker, 68 798. Liz Wood, 33, NH 799. Laszlo Madaras, 52, PA 800. Charles Banks, 53, VA Theresa Derr, 50, VA 802. Jeremy Pinkelman, 39, NC 803. Mark Oelkuct, 51 804. Ray Kitchen, 68, WV 805. Barney Derr, 54, VA 806. Teri Matters, 55 Don Meyers, 66, AZ 808. Susan Delatorre, 49, VA 809. Kimball Byron, 58 810. Marilyn Ludwick, 62 811. Ingrid Pierce, 35, NC Elia Reynolds, 35, NV 813. Reece O’Connell, 22 Luke Dubois, 26 815. Faye Hawn, 59, PA 816. Vicki Ellis, 43, PA 817. Jen Knickerbocker, 42, TN 818. Robbin Jordan, 44, NJ Maureen Koops, 49, TX 820. Roberta Ficke, 51, TX 821. Marlin Meyers, 35 822. John Oszustowicz, 61, PA 823. Tom Gerhardt, 62, VA 824. Christian Grosh, 19 825. Eric Katkow, 69 826. John Wheatland, 64 827. Paul Grassie, 55, NJ 828. Bill Draper, 62, VA 829. Rebecca Webster, 45, VA 830. John Burke, 47, VA 831. Cameron Campbell, 52, PA 832. Jennifer Hatcher, 45, OH 833. Mel Quecan, 74 834. Joe Cleary, 73, ON 835. Alan Zwart, 43, DC 836. George Longley, 70, VA 837. Greg Gerdy, 62, NJ 838. Thom Abrams, 58, CT 839. Robert Klinger, 72 840. Philip Schmidt, 50, VA Tom Davis, 57, VA 842. Esperanza Espinosa, 32, VA 843. King Jordan, 70 844. George Banker, 63 845. Ford Jones, 52, VA Peter McClellan, 62, VA 847. Amy Fitzgerald, 43, VA 848. Lucia Davidson, 68, VA 849. Katie Hershey, 54 850. Robbie Grosh, 54 851. Peter Lefferts, 57, FL 852. Philip Hargis, 42, VA 853. John Curley, 65 854. Charlie Smith, 49 855. David Fox, 44 856. Peter Riebling, 48, VA 857. Natalie Ehrlich, 56, OK

12:12:03 12:12:05 12:13:01 12:13:04 12:14:00 12:15:02 12:17:03 12:18:01 12:19:05 12:23:39 12:26:04 12:27:01 12:29:03 12:29:03 12:32:04 12:33:01 12:33:02 12:34:02 12:34:04 12:37:02 12:38:00 12:39:01 12:39:01 12:39:02 12:39:57 12:46:01 12:46:04 12:46:04 12:48:02 12:49:03 12:51:00 12:53:02 12:54:01 12:54:01 12:54:05 12:57:03 12:57:05 12:58:53 13:05:05 13:05:05 13:05:19 13:05:55 13:06:16 13:08:01 13:08:01 13:11:01 13:11:01 13:14:23 13:15:02 13:18:27 13:18:47 13:18:47 13:19:01 13:19:05 13:19:12 13:19:53 13:20:11 13:20:56 13:20:57 13:21:01 13:23:03 13:23:34 13:23:54 13:24:00 13:26:15 13:26:48 13:27:43 13:28:55 13:29:27 13:30:16 13:30:33 13:31:17 13:31:38 13:31:38 13:32:30 13:33:48 13:35:53 13:38:36 13:38:36 13:39:19 13:40:57 13:41:24 13:43:08 13:43:31 13:46:13 13:46:32 13:49:25 13:52:48 13:55:06 13:55:33

59 ULTRARUNNING.COM

554. Tanya Amos, 41, VA 10:46:12 555. Vamsi Valleri, 43, VA 10:46:16 556. Lesley McPhatter, 50, VA 10:46:24 557. Chanwol Park, 43, OH 10:46:36 558. Melanie Baden, 45, AR 10:46:47 559. Paul Encarnacion, 53 10:47:04 560. Sandra Marker, 50, OH 10:47:16 561. Shannon Worthan, 32, CA 10:47:51 Kevin Clarke, 32, KS 10:47:51 563. Hamilton Costa, 40, VA 10:47:55 564. Michael Altomare, 43, NJ 10:48:07 565. Andrew Singer, 48 10:48:21 566. Joel Morris, 42, KY 10:48:32 567. Ulysses Otero, 46, NC 10:48:58 568. Veronica Carreon-Johnson, NC 10:49:05 569. Bill Yesnick, 47 10:49:10 570. Lindsey Barrus, 32, VA 10:49:53 571. Jeffrey Kerr, 45, VA 10:50:00 572. Patrick Coleman, 27, MA 10:50:06 573. Todd Wait, 49, VA 10:50:08 574. Keith Carter, 40, MS 10:50:56 575. Shelly Haber, 50, OH 10:50:59 576. Monica Williams, 33, RI 10:51:05 577. Steven Pipal, 34, VA 10:51:21 578. Albert Willner, 53, VA 10:51:24 579. David Poirier, 48, MA 10:51:26 580. Andrew Bragg, 44, MA 10:51:34 Pete Timmins, 52, NC 10:51:34 582. Jordan Applebaum, 37, VA 10:51:39 583. Adam Stacy, 35, NC 10:51:49 584. Zane Holscher, 35, NC 10:51:52 585. Joslyn Hemler, 31, VA 10:52:02 586. David Kriegbaum, 33, CA 10:52:03 587. Eric Hovey, 26 10:52:24 588. Andy Bertagnoli, 38, CA 10:52:37 589. Neal Hospelhorn, 62, PA 10:52:58 590. Chadwick Zeger, 38, WV 10:53:06 591. Kim Sheridan, 50 10:53:09 592. Eddy Mentzer, 43, VA 10:53:37 593. Adam Maldonado, 36, VA 10:53:53 594. Stephen Cheng, 44 10:53:54 595. Michael Greer, 54, VA 10:53:56 596. Karen Quinn, 43, VA 10:53:57 597. Laura Zubieta, 43, DF 10:54:17 598. Christopher Shepherd, 37, VA 10:54:19 Michael Rodriguez, 51, VA 10:54:19 600. Stephen Wirick, 61, OH 10:54:25 601. Gregory Keeney, 44, VA 10:55:21 602. Jackie Ebert, 49 10:55:29 603. Michael O’Grady, 60 10:55:38 604. Floyd Skeans, 43, KY 10:55:59 605. Bryan Davis, 42, NJ 10:56:20 606. William Marker, 52, OH 10:56:21 Michael Mackert, 58, VA 10:56:21 608. Aaron Kilner, 21, NY 10:56:40 609. Harry Meyers, 54 10:56:47 610. Shannon Snigg, 34, NC 10:57:25 Kelly Mckay, 46, NC 10:57:25 612. Shane Eversfield, 56, NY 10:57:34 613. Elaine Stypula, 48, MI 10:57:41 614. Paul Fillmore, 44, NC 10:57:57 615. Brendan Ellis, 40, AL 10:58:27 616. David Huck, 65, MI 10:58:35 617. Chris Whitesell, 53 10:58:36 618. James Nemec, 31, NY 10:58:37 619. Darrell Lytle, 27, SC 10:58:58 620. Rhee Anna Walters, 37 10:59:34 621. David Williams, 38, VA 10:59:58 622. Jason Pawling, 47, NJ 11:00:27 623. Daniel Sundberg, 32, VA 11:00:51 624. David Leach, 44, NC 11:01:34 625. Valeria Hantke, 28 11:02:08 626. Mark Clarke, 66, IL 11:02:41 627. Kenneth Klein, 44, PA 11:02:45 628. Seamus Hodgkinson, 64, NY 11:02:55 629. Ben Louderback, 20 11:03:27 Thomas Louderback, 25 11:03:27 631. John Southard, 65, MO 11:03:37 11:03:39 632. Brent Lamb, 36, NE 633. Suzanne Hotson, 55, ON 11:04:04 634. Bethany Crandall, 25, UT 11:04:14 635. Bryan Fooshee, 37, VA 11:04:22 Pete Contardo, 34, VA 11:04:22 637. Richard Plummer, 36, NC 11:04:42 638. William Speck, 37, NC 11:05:10 639. Ross Coniglio, 35, NC 11:05:11 640. Wade Gaasch, 59 11:05:32 641. Annamarie Mccormick-Howe 11:06:07 642. Richard Mangold, 59, IL 11:06:36 643. Kristopher Pabotoy, 38, VA 11:06:49 644. Kimmie Adams, 23 11:07:00 645. Nicolas Panebianco, 50 11:07:10

RACE REPORTS

MYSTERY RANCH ULTRA MARATHONS

MONTANA’S NEWEST ULTRA by Joel Jenkins appreciated the dedication it takes to run, let alone train for, a race of this magnitude. Unexpected cheerleaders along the course carried backpacks, rode horseback, and sat on ATVs, surprised by the runners but admiring of their efforts. Seth Swanson set the bar high, winning the Ghosts of Yellowstone 100-mile in 19:40. Fran Zelenitz, the female winner, and seventh overall, finished in 30:03. Chris Mottola claimed victory in the Fools Gold 50, coming in at 10 hours, followed closely by Kristina Pattison, the women’s winner, and second overall, in 10:07. The prize money for the top three finishers in each race sweetened the pot with $1,000, $750, and $500 respectively. There were participants from 17 states and four countries, not bad for a race still in its infancy. Race Director Alex Papadopoulos has done a fantastic job building a team of volunteers who understand the rigors of ultrarunning and what is truly needed to put on a great event. I’m looking forward to next year.

JOHN H. LEWIS

There is a new kid in town, well two actually. The inaugural Ghosts of Yellowstone 100 and Fools Gold 50 lined up runners in Pony, Montana back in August. Sponsored by Mystery Ranch of Bozeman, the runners challenged themselves in the Tobacco Root Mountains, climbing more than 25,500 feet over the Ghosts of Yellowstone course and 11,500 feet in the Fools Gold 50. The course is run almost entirely on wellmaintained backcountry trails, definitely tough enough to challenge any runner. Climbs, shale, rocks, and livestock all play their part to make sure you get your money’s worth. With that much climbing in such remote landscape you would think the aid stations would be barebones but that was not the case. With themes ranging from pirates to Hawaii, one aid station captain even carried (as in Mystery-Ranch-backpack kind of carry) his ENTIRE aid station, including the water, and spent the night just to make sure he was there for the runners. The race ended at the only park in Pony, a small but welcoming community of people that

Benajmin Bucklin at the Rock Creek Aid Station, mile 53

MYSTERY RANCH ULTRA MARATHONS | PONY, MONTANA | AUGUST 23 | 100 MILES

1. Seth Swanson, 34 2. Zachariah Miller, 37 3. Benjamin Bucklin, 35, WA 4. Tyler Bucklin, 37 5. Bruce Grant, 47, BC 6. John Hallsten, 56 7. Fran Zelenitz, 40

19:40:00 23:01:00 24:32:00 28:10:00 28:48:00 29:10:00 30:03:00

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8. Adam Behrendt, 26 9. Denis Cook, 30, WA 10. Thomas Jackson, 53, WA 11. Wendy Weaver, 40 12. Tim Marchant, 55

30:29:00 31:20:00 33:36:00 36:48:00 39:27:00

4,3

50 MILES

1. Chris Mottola, 24 2. Kristina Pattison, 32 3. Jack Tinucci, 24, MN 4. Tim Hoffelt, 30, ND 5. Johannah Jackson, 23, NZL 6. Clemente Izurieta, 46 7. Carrie Gaffney, 49

10:00:00 10:07:00 11:14:00 11:50:00 11:53:00 11:56:00 12:01:00

8. Wade Jarvis, 51, AB 9. Patrick Lupton, 40 10. Alexander Jinks, 27 11. Jon Ferry, 28, ENG 12. Casey Richter, 30, AK 13. Jeffrey Berman, 29, NY 14. S S, 33 15. Jim Whelan, 32

12:15:00 12:22:00 12:23:00 12:44:00 13:00:00 13:28:00 13:41:00 13:53:00

LOS PINOS

THE BEAST

...it wasn’t just the difficulty of the trail runners feared, it’s what the trail revealed about them that they feared. Los Pinos will define you as an ultrarunner and a person, whether you like it or not.

by Steve Peterson, RD place runner, Brian Peterson, go by looking like hell, all pride if there had been any, was gone, stripped bare by The Beast’s talons. As I stood on the rocks just feet above the trail watching the front runners go by, there was not an ounce of victory in the eyes of any of them, no smiles and no response when I’d say “good job,” just mumbles. The usual look of peaceful accomplishment a runner has at this point in a 50K had been replaced by glassy-eyed, thousand-mile stares of defeat. This was what it was all about, watching the runners emerge baptized by the fiery forge that is Los Pinos. As I stood on the rocks looking down at the twists and turns of The Beast, I could see with binoculars tiny runners emerging from the EZUp at Blackhole on their way to finish the second half of Los Pinos trail or get finished by her. Down the trail a mile from Los Pinos peak, runners would crest other peaks then disappear into small valleys only to repeat the same thing again and again, inching their way ultimately to the top, praying the end of climbing would

The speedsters blast off the starting line

LOS PINOS | LAKE ELSINORE, CALIFORNIA | SEPTEMBER 14 | 50 KM

1. Brian Peterson, 31 2. Dominic Grossman, 26 3. Michele Graglia, 30 4. Jon Clark, 39 5. Fabrice Hardel, 39 6. Igor Campos, 29 7. Jonathan Landis, 43 8. Tracy Bowling, 34 9. Jack Cheng, 42 10. Michelle Barton, 42 11. Cameron Rentch, 40 12. Kevin Patterson, 29 13. Robert Schipsi, 52 14. Jaime Castaneda, 46, MD 15. Oswaldo Lopez, 41 16. Griffin Labonte, 31

4:58:01 5:06:26 5:19:47 5:21:12 5:28:18 5:48:29 5:52:08 6:34:04 6:49:12 6:51:45 6:56:32 6:56:33 7:03:13 7:10:20 7:23:40 7:28:57

5,4

17. Armando Figueroa, 57 18. Steve Livingston, 45 19. Blaise Brochard, 47, NY 20. Todd Kranke, 38 21. Brian Celaya, 32 22. John Vanderpot, 50 23. Balmore Flores, 42 24. David Santiago, 27 25. Reyes Ulises, 38 26. Gabriel Ramirez, 39 27. Erin Chavin, 41 28. Jay Moore, 37 29. Darren Quigley, 36 John Pitt, 53 31. Allison Potrekus, 37 32. David Moore, 42 33. Wilson Liu, 55

7:38:23 7:39:40 7:39:47 7:44:37 7:46:18 7:55:08 7:57:20 7:58:39 8:07:05 8:07:54 8:13:44 8:21:23 8:22:27 8:22:27 8:23:55 8:30:12 8:32:09

34. Stuart Fingerhut, 36 35. Edward Enberg, 25 36. Lindsey Wiggins, 28 37. John Morey, 32 38. John Birle, 46 39. Kristin Petersen Baldrica, 38 40. Cyndi Wyatt, 48 41. Charles Armijo, 46 42. Jason Atkins, 33 43. Melanie Weir, 48 44. Ryan Tye, 20 45. Jose Giron, 33 46. Donna Reed, 47 47. Mark Moromisato, 45 Brian Lhee, 41 49. John Goss, 31 50. Anne Fleming, 38

8:35:09 8:35:24 8:36:19 8:39:13 8:43:28 8:44:31 8:55:42 8:55:45 9:01:29 9:04:21 9:06:40 9:12:30 9:13:45 9:20:08 9:20:08 9:36:59 9:43:14

51. Birgitt Walpus, 53 52. Leonard Van Zanten, 46 53. Larry Letts, 59 Cathy Harris, 54 55. Rodney Faulk, 29 Sergio Galarza, 23 57. Deysi Osegueda, 31 58. Gary Fitzgerald, 53 59. Steve Harvey, 69 60. Teyana Viscarra, 51 61. Ezequiel Cuitino, 38 62. Julie Santillan, 31 63. Kim Elliott, 46 64. Willie Alvarado, 50 65. Theophania Tingley, 36 66. Bodee Maxwell, 52

9:48:34 9:49:28 9:52:50 9:52:50 10:23:13 10:23:13 10:26:55 10:29:40 10:42:31 10:42:33 10:51:09 10:58:36 11:04:42 11:35:09 11:38:57 11:41:49

61 ULTRARUNNING.COM

come. As I watched, I caught site of another runner I wanted to see before I headed back. First female. I could barely see the fluorescent green shirt she had made special with the Los Pinos logo on it, as she’d taken it off and tucked it behind her neck under her hydration pack. Like a superhero that sweeps aside their cape to take care of business with a bad guy, so was she taking care of business with The Bitch. She wound her way up the second to last hill before Los Pinos peak. Appeared at the top, then ran down, passing another runner and disappeared. It took a minute but finally I could hear her footsteps climbing, feet grinding on the hot loose rock, then she appeared, running by a few feet below me. “Good job, Trace, I’m proud of you,” and she put up her hand in response, the only response she could muster. I hopped off the rocks to head back to Trabuco and I heard someone heaving uncontrollably behind me as they were about to crest the peak. I turned to see Oswaldo Lopez dry heaving as he inched his way forward the last couple of feet to the top. I thought he was doing it on purpose, to cleanse himself of some evil that had possessed him on the trail; after all this was the guy who’s come in first place at Badwater, a badass himself not unacquainted with suffering. He got within arm’s reach and grabbed my shoulder, collapsing to the ground off the trail in the shade and pointed to his head, barely mouthing the word “water.” A HAM operator gave me a liter of water to pour on Oswaldo’s head and body, and a minute later he popped up on his feet like nothing happened, said thank you and disappeared, running toward Trabuco aid station; one more runner now baptized by the fire and water of Los Pinos. IVAN BUZIK

Los Pinos 50K. The Beast. Not every runner’s heard of it, but to those who have, the name Los Pinos inspires a feeling that ranges from passive dread to sheer terror. It has a reputation unlike any 50K I’ve heard of. But it’s not the whole 50K. It’s that eight-mile stretch in the middle of the race called Los Pinos trail that strikes fear in the soul of the most intrepid ultrarunner. Like a massive wave, it’s an immovable force of nature that takes you where it’s going and you either accept that, and accept the difficulty of the ride, or wipe out because once you’re a couple miles into that trail, it’s nearly just as bad to turn back as it is to move forward. Los Pinos peak is about seven miles into the eight-mile stretch of Los Pinos trail and about 19 miles into the race. After the race started I headed up to Los Pinos peak from the Trabuco aid station to take a look at my pride and joy and the bane of my existence as RD - Blackhole Aid Station, four miles into and halfway across Los Pinos trail, visible three miles down from the peak. I arrived just in time to see the first

RACE REPORTS

MARK TWAIN 100

A ROCKY START

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

“5…4…3…2…1…” That’s what I heard off in the distance at the start line of the 2013 Mark Twain Endurance Run. Unfortunately, I heard it from the relative comfort of my car. Inexplicably, I thought the race started at 6:30 a.m., not 6:00 a.m. After a few choice expletives, some of which were colorful and creative, I ran down the gravel road toward the Berryman Campground parking lot. I still had to shed warm-ups, tie my shoes (not the ones I wanted to wear), grab a water bottle, and ask directions to the trailhead for the start of my 50-mile journey. Needless to say, stopping at the port-a-john was out of the question. It would have to wait. Using a headlamp I borrowed from RD Tommy Doias, I plunged into the singletrack dead last behind the mass of participants running the 50-mile and 100-mile events. In some spots, calling this singletrack is being generous. It is rooty, rocky, twisty, technical, and flanked on both sides by burr-laden weeds with tenacious grip. Velcro has nothing on these little bastards. I began collecting my share of the sock-loving foliage right away, nervous that my four-minute faux pas would turn into a big deficit as the front runners pulled away without giving me a chance to see the competition and decide how to pace the first few miles. So I did exactly what you shouldn’t do in an ultra. I ran like hell to the first aid station. I charged up every hill, convinced that a few guys had gone out hard enough that I couldn’t even see their lights anywhere down the trail. I was, however, kept in check by the quickly dimming light of the headlamp. Even at full power, I could barely make out the trail in front of me. Sun-up couldn’t come soon enough. I pulled into the first aid station and asked, “What’s the damage? How many people up 62 there, and how far?” Probably too frantic for 10 percent into an ultra. Eric Buckley informed me that only John Cash and another 100-miler were in front of me, about four minutes up. I was shocked and surprised, and a host of other emotions, about this news. I had no intention of leading this race. Too late for that, I thought, so I fueled up and headed back out, only knowing that I was being hunted. I tried to keep the focus in front of me, rather than behind, though. I had

no desire to race John, but I kept thinking about how great it would be to have the company of a good friend and training partner to work with through the course. But I didn’t press too hard because I reminded myself that I’d better be careful to cruise easy and take care of calories and feeling good. Any distance further than 25 miles would be beyond my longest training run. The next few checkpoints came and went with relative ease. I tapered nicely for this event and felt very strong and healthy. I had shaken off the silly start and settled in nicely. Add to that the exceptionally cool weather, and things were pretty comfortable for the first 15-20 miles. At each aid station, I would ask about John, and his lead would be about the same throughout the first (25-mile) loop. I just couldn’t convince myself that I should expend any more effort than I was already putting forth, despite how much I would have enjoyed a buddy out there. The stretch from 34-40 miles is the longest between aid stations, and definitely felt like it. I was working hard to stay on the pace I had set for myself. I decided not to use a GPS for this race, and instead just go by feel. About halfway to Tom’s Canteen (the mid-loop drop bag location), I forced myself to make a change. Something had to give. I could feel myself starting to fall into the “ultra shuffle” now and then, walking little uphill pitches that I was running earlier in the morning. I took out my secret weapon, smashed some earbuds in my ears and fired up the playlist I had made the night before. All of a sudden I was coming around – a true second wind. I came trotting into the next aid station anxious to finish this race in good form and feeling much better about prospects for doing so. When I left the Canteen at mile 40, I was 13 minutes behind John. Little did he know, he was pulling me forward with urgency. I really wanted to catch him and wish him well on the rest of his race. This part of the course has some wonderfully runnable miles that let you get into a rhythm so I pushed pretty hard out of the aid station and set an aggressive goal to get to the last aid station. I started taking some risks with speed and recklessness on the trail at this point with

MARK TWAIN 100 | BERRYMAN, MISSOURI | SEPTEMBER 14 | 100 MILES

1. John Cash, 40 2. Chris Wright, 41, CO 3. Jeffrey Jones, 33 4. Mike Christensen, 55, NE 5. Andy Applegate, 47, NC 6. David Walch, 35 7. John Loucks, 36 8. Casey Ulman, 42 9. Steve Pollihan, 36 10. Nicholas Kopp, 21, OH 11. Travis Redden, 29, IL 12. Gregory Murdick, 37 13. Mike Bull, 38, IL 14. Phil Nimmo, 50, TX 15. Joshua Hyatt, 27, KS 16. Lee Dougherty, 63, IL

18:21:38 21:36:00 21:45:00 22:40:16 23:19:43 23:40:10 26:12:13 26:29:56 26:37:26 26:43:07 26:48:00 27:05:25 27:14:03 27:46:54 28:00:15 28:27:19

17. Dennis Wilson, 55, NE 18. Tim Vickers, 35 19. Richelle Hall, 29, IA 20. Michael Gallagher, 54, IL 21. Michael Linkogel, 42 22. Richard Simon, 39, NY 23. Rosemary Smith, 33 24. Todd Kapeller, 50 25. Jarod Reisin, 33 26. Mark Franke, 55, GA

50 MILES

1. Brandon Janosky, 32 2. Sara Crippen, 24, NC 3. Andy Pele, 46 Rodney Adkison, 51 5. Casey Elsten, 31

SHANNONDROHAN

by Brandon Janosky

Brandon Janosky wins the 50-mile in 8:15:50

the intention of emptying the tank completely. I came into the final pit stop a full 10 minutes faster than I imagined I would. Since I didn’t want to overthink it, I kept my effort level really high because I was encouraged when the volunteers mentioned that I was back only nine minutes now. I turned up the volume and pace a few more clicks and started thinking about the finish line. I lamented missing the official start and wanted to make up for it with the finish. I was in plenty of pain, but rather than dwell on it, I owned it - if I was going to hurt, I may as well go fast. I ran the last five miles like it was the first five. The race had long since stopped being about my fitness level, or splits, or sore hip flexors. It was about driving up my heart rate as high as I could for as long as I could stand it. I wanted to see how much I could put up with. Running hard through the finish line to be greeted by cheers and a cowbell with low-fives (it’s the cool new thing) from race directors

3,3 28:30:15 29:08:02 29:14:36 29:21:36 30:16:00 30:39:57 30:50:05 31:00:21 31:01:35 31:32:04 8:15:50 9:25:12 9:26:31 9:26:31 9:45:18

6. Ted Gruener, 44 7. Nicholas Cox, 23, IL 8. Tim Storck, 38 9. Trevor James, 37 10. Tracyjo Pasieka, 37 11. Blake Butler, 22 12. Rik Denicke, 41 13. George Phillips, 35 14. Rachel Speer, 31, AR 15. Tom Wagner, 40 16. Anne Sievers, 38 17. Joe Cox, 25 18. Sung Ho Choi, 37 19. Damian Krebsbach, 28, MT 20. Ron Ayers, 54 21. Jordan Derose, 36 Dawn Castagno-Dysart, 36

10:30:24 11:00:51 11:09:03 11:09:55 11:19:48 11:31:35 11:35:42 11:51:07 11:54:04 11:56:28 11:57:18 11:58:57 11:59:39 12:01:56 12:02:22 12:06:41 12:06:41

Haley Schwarz, 33 24. Allison Sutphin, 40, IL Matt Crain, 47, IL 26. Cody Cunningham, 27 27. Daniel Dalton, 46 28. Sam Severson, 38, WI 29. Tony Kramer, 67 30. Jeffrey Nuemann, 50 31. Jenny Stinson, 53, ID 32. Zach Miller, 37, TN 33. Jared Bremer, 32 Holly Klein, 37, NC 35. Brandi Zakrzewski, 34, FL Michele Elbertson, 26, NJ 37. Tom Gladfelter, 62, IL 38. Oneal Summers, 22, IL 39. Joan Filipowski, 59, IN

12:06:41 12:20:59 12:20:59 12:21:30 12:54:40 12:58:01 13:09:59 13:27:40 13:44:00 13:47:08 14:06:00 14:06:00 14:11:01 14:11:01 14:40:08 15:18:00 15:19:05

SHANNONDROHAN

TOMMY DOIAS, CO-RD ADDS: “There are basically two types of people. People who accomplish things and people who claim to accomplish things. The first group is less crowded.” –Mark Twain Perfect weather made for a memorable weekend of running, camping and spending time with friends, old and new, in the Mark Twain National Forest. The 2013 edition of the Mark Twain Endurance Runs saw the addition of a 50-mile race and more than twice the number of participants. With great trail conditions, excellent volunteers and well-stocked aid stations, runners’ spirits were high and their smiles showed it. Despite getting a late start, local favorite Brandon Janosky won the inaugural 50-mile race. Sara Crippen was the first female and second overall 50-mile finisher. In the 100-mile race, John Cash won again, lowering his 2012 record by over an hour and finishing in an impressive time of 100-mile finisher Rosemary Smith 18:21:38. Another Missouri runner, Casey Ulman, was the women’s winner in the 100-mile. Many thanks go out to our fellow SLUGs (St. Travis Liles and Tommy Doias is unquestionLouis Ultrarunners Group) and all of the volably a highlight of my running career.

SHANNONDROHAN

It was such a pleasure to anticipate how wonderful each aid station would be. Every single one was friendly, encouraging, and practically professional.

Oldest 100-mile finisher Lee Dougherty held together by duct tape and smiling all the way

unteers, runners, crews, family and friends that make this event possible.

RACE REPORTS

VERMONT 50

IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES, IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES by Zeke Zucker (My apologies to Charles Dickens for bending his Tale of Two Cities opening line) At the 20th anniversary running of the Vermont 50 it just couldn’t be better described in any other way. For the first time in several years the weather was incredibly cooperative and the trail conditions were superb. The elaborate finish line footprint was redesigned and better than ever, while many of the course trail sections were enhanced through the tireless efforts of STAB (Sport Trails of the Ascutney Basin) volunteers. Among the many amenities on race weekend were kids runs, dual elapsed-time clocks for the 50K and 50-mile, awesome S-turns down the finishing hill, a haypile kids’ treasure hunt, awesome raffle prizes, amphitheatre seating for spectators and the awards ceremony AND NO RAIN! An added Vermont perk was an ongoing wedding at the 23- and 42-mile point of the races, with a huge party tent on one side and the ceremony on the other, allowing the runners and bikers to pass smoothly through. When we offered to re-

route the course the bride-to-be would have no part of it. She loves the race and wanted those attending to witness one of Vermont’s finest events. With everything else in place and in order, the runners certainly did not disappoint. Richard Thompson, out of Burlington, was the first to cross the finish line, posting a blazing 4:10:01 on a challenging, hilly course. Tom Bleakney of Scituate, Massachusetts grabbed the second spot, some 21 minutes later. He, among many, made note of the weather, calling it truly glorious and an added bonus. “I was so happy to see the last aid station… I knew at that point I’d be seeing the signs counting down to the finish. I remembered the ‘Can you hear the music?’ and ‘The beer is cold’ signs. As I passed each one of those it brought a smile to my face.” Elizabeth Gleason, also of Burlington, was absolutely the class of the 50K women, blitzing the course in 4:31:44, finishing third overall, and only thirty seconds behind the second place male, Tom (above). She also broke the

VERMONT 50 | BROWNSVILLE, VERMONT | SEPTEMBER 29 | 50 MILES

64 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

1. David Le Porho, 36, QC 6:09:31 2. Brian Rusiecki, 34, MA 6:33:43 3. Jan Wellford, 31, NY 6:40:29 4. Aliza Lapierre, 33 7:01:08 5. Adam Michael Hill, 37, ON 7:06:13 6. Jason Lantz, 32, PA 7:06:40 7. Eric Ahern, 36, MA 7:10:59 8. Paul Jason Monaco, 38, NY 7:14:14 9. Thomas Houghton, 22, NY 7:30:32 10. Joe Holland, 51, NH 7:33:41 Ben King, 30 7:33:41 12. Andre-Nicolas Cojocaru, 49, QC 7:45:36 13. Jeffery Hayes, 54, PA 7:49:38 14. Gregory Esbitt, 39, MA 7:49:49 15. John Wolfe, 42, NH 7:51:39 16. Brian Vanderheiden, 43, CT 7:53:20 17. Amy Rusiecki, 34, MA 7:55:52 18. Eloy Gonzalez, 38, TX 7:58:30 19. Mike Weigand, 39 7:58:40 20. Tom Dmukauskas, 38, MA 8:06:05 21. Joe Grabicki, 37, CT 8:06:26 22. James Gurry, 15, CT 8:07:03 23. Will Swenson, 41, MA 8:07:54 24. David Mitchell, 31 8:14:33 25. Paul Crockett, 40, MA 8:15:47 26. Ben Chase, 21, NH 8:16:37 27. Colton Gale, 22, CT 8:17:05 28. Timothy Connelly, 30, MA 8:19:31 29. Kenny Shardlow, 54, RI 8:24:40 30. Bertram Johnson, 41 8:26:14 31. Thomas Ben Thompson, 22, MA 8:28:11 32. Daniel Grimard, 30, QC 8:28:23 33. Shane Clarke, 33, NY 8:29:17 34. Mike Kirk, 41, MA 8:29:32 35. Matthew James, 27, CT 8:31:40 36. James Nelson, 49, CT 8:36:38 37. Justin Gurry, 16, CT 8:40:28 38. Timothy David Zessin, 31, MA 8:43:50 39. Curt Pandiscio, 52, CT 8:44:01 40. Jim Eckert, 43, NH 8:44:28 41. Michael King, 24, ME 8:44:39 42. Matthew Grymek, 34, MA 8:44:58 43. Andrew Robertson, 40, MA 8:46:59 44. Ernest Brake, 52, NH 8:48:08 45. Rocco Della Serra, 52, NJ 8:48:34 46. Bertil Lind, 59, MA 8:49:13 47. Ian Rea, 37, MA 8:51:55 Cristian Popa, 43, MA 8:51:55 49. Melissa Gymrek, 24, MA 8:51:59 50. Sean Greaney, 32, CT 8:52:44 51. Kimberly Battipaglia, 41, CT 8:53:07

2004 course record by almost six minutes. “The race was so much fun, conditions were great and I love how the course has a mix of beautiful, very winding single-track and fairly flat roads that you can really open up on.” Liz said she went into the race hoping to PR by 10 minutes under her 5:05 from last year. Don’t look now, but she slashed it by more than a half-hour. Here’s her progression: 2010 – 12th woman in 5:32; 2011 – third woman in 5:22; 2012 – third woman in 5:05; 2013 - first woman and third overall in 4:31:44. In the main event 50-mile, Aliza LaPierre set a new course record, finishing in fourth overall, handily beating all of the three-person relay teams. Aliza had nothing but praise for the race and for the day. “From start to finish I was fueled by the views, volunteers, spectators and participants. I can’t thank everyone enough for helping me run my fastest time on the Vermont course. A huge shout-out to the landowners who let us run on their private properties.”

3,3

52. Bryan Stapleton, 24, RI 8:53:17 53. Alex Wirth-Cauchon, 53, MA 8:55:43 54. Mark Kalloz, 34 8:57:58 55. Jodi Christophe Isenor, 38, NS 8:59:52 56. Steven Labranche, 40, CT 9:00:37 57. Tom Page, 46, ME 9:02:37 58. Jugant Laurent, 43, QC 9:04:56 59. Rachel Paquette, 25, QC 9:04:59 60. Andrew Brown, 27, PA 9:05:29 61. Michael Michaud, 31, CT 9:06:09 62. Marcus Wilhelm, 44, MA 9:07:06 63. Matthew Becker, 38 9:08:00 64. Jennifer Blastow, 41, ME 9:08:19 65. Jessica Racusin, 38 9:08:41 66. Cameron Chalmers, 47 9:15:27 67. Christopher Gross, 31, DC 9:17:17 68. Susan Collins-Pulick, 45, MA 9:17:36 69. Paul Jules Camire, 54, NH 9:17:47 70. Dan Brostek, 38, CT 9:18:49 71. Todd Barker, 45 9:19:29 72. Joshua Stockdale, 47, CT 9:20:25 73. Cliff Chase, 49, NH 9:20:31 74. Heather Furman, 43 9:21:10 75. Matthew Drury, 40, MA 9:21:15 76. Jojo Boyle, 42, QC 9:21:31 77. Matthew Greenberg, 44, DE 9:23:03 78. Chrystal Buchanan, 32, MD 9:23:37 79. Melissa Lynne Woods, 31, NY 9:23:47 80. Keely Henderson, 42 9:24:07 81. Scott Nickerson, 32 9:26:49 82. Matthew Joseph Smith, 26, MA 9:28:12 83. Steve Hertford, 53 9:29:38 84. Shaun Daylor, 34, MA 9:31:24 85. Francis Xavier Bock, 38, MA 9:32:54 86. David Dye, 39, TN 9:33:17 87. Teresa Lust, 49, NH 9:33:33 88. Matthew Kryman, 33 9:33:58 Lauren Peach, 30 9:33:58 90. Oren Guttmann, 27 9:34:35 91. Shari Lynn Bashaw, 52 9:36:08 92. Michel Bonnell, 47, QC 9:36:39 93. Suzanna Smith-Horn, 46 9:39:06 94. Peter Clark, 50 9:40:11 95. Stuart Thorne, 53, NH 9:41:04 96. Mark Belanger, 42, MA 9:41:24 97. Bill Kellner, 49 9:43:33 98. Jim Roche, 44, VA 9:43:38 99. Tony Bargardo, 41, NH 9:43:58 100. Hugh Tower-Pierce, 39 9:46:52 101. Nicholas McLaren, 53, NY 9:47:04 102. David Diriwachter, 44, MA 9:47:08 103. Claude Mailloux, 32 9:47:18

104. Carsten Braun, 44, MA 9:48:11 105. Martin Guthrie, 46, TX 9:48:23 106. Keith Lascelles, 52, ON 9:49:55 107. Kristina Burns, 39, MA 9:52:35 108. Douglas Hardy, 56 9:53:22 109. Tracyn Thayer, 44, ME 9:54:59 110. Gabriel Letourneau, 34, QC 9:55:44 111. Stephane Scaglione, 39, QC 9:57:13 112. Brianna Tidd, 23, NH 9:57:16 113. Peter Angus, 44, NH 9:57:19 114. Carolyn Shreck, 41, NH 9:57:25 William Tidd, 50, NH 9:57:25 116. Howard Tansey, 49, MA 9:57:30 117. Mark Brown, 38, MA 10:01:30 118. Anthony Tieuli, 40, MA 10:01:32 119. Jeff Thompson, 33, CT 10:02:30 120. Christopher Scarpitti, 41, DE 10:03:21 121. Paul Hennick, 62, AB 10:04:56 122. Stephen Taylor, 44, MA 10:06:12 123. Julia Plourde, 42, MA 10:08:58 124. Kim Marie Goff, 52, NH 10:09:43 125. Zsuzsanna Carlson, 40, NJ 10:09:51 126. Howard Pine, 44, NJ 10:11:28 127. Kate Herzberg, 44, QC 10:12:43 128. Gary Bennington, 53, QC 10:12:45 129. Steve Murray, 50, MA 10:14:50 130. Glen Cooper, 46, MA 10:14:53 131. Jason Paganelli, 30, MA 10:16:05 132. Emmanuelle Dudon, 44, QC 10:16:16 133. Paul Fortin, 43, MA 10:16:40 134. Christopher Pulick, 43, MA 10:16:42 135. Karen Macdonald, 41, MA 10:17:03 136. Oliver Truog, 40, MA 10:17:06 137. Thomas Nuovo, 50 10:19:50 138. Shaun Miller, 35, MA 10:20:09 139. Russell Longuemare, 45, MA 10:21:13 140. Gregory Michael Soares, 47, RI 10:26:17 141. Jeffrey Eades, 39, NJ 10:27:13 142. Gilles Barbeau, 58, QC 10:27:23 143. George Braun, 59, MA 10:27:34 144. Jeremy Busey, 33, MA 10:28:40 145. Alexandra Ambros, 25 10:29:58 146. Jeffrey David Stauch, 29 10:31:01 147. Erin Vancellette, 38, CA 10:31:07 148. Wayne Ball, 39, MA 10:32:24 149. James Lehneman, 50 10:32:52 150. Renae Tuffy, 34, MA 10:33:07 151. Bob Falconi, 62, MA 10:33:11 152. Jennifer Aradi, 38, IL 10:34:33 153. Mario Vargas, 62, OH 10:34:56 154. Joe Laskey, 49, CT 10:36:34 155. Tracy Vroeginday, 40, CT 10:36:40

156. Patrick Houde, 46, QC 10:36:45 157. Britt Hulbert, 43, ME 10:37:46 158. Raymond Long, 45, CT 10:41:32 159. Lindsey Healy, 23, NY 10:41:35 160. David Dobrindt, 42, MA 10:41:41 161. Jennifer Ketchell, 33, NY 10:43:07 162. Joy Anne Peterson, 53 10:45:43 163. Douglas Gray, 38, MA 10:45:50 164. Jason Eldridge, 40, MA 10:51:56 165. Tom Rigley, 48, NY 10:52:02 166. Eric Esser, 39 10:52:18 167. Jim Peckingham, 56, CT 10:52:49 168. Kevin Demster, 36, FL 10:53:34 169. Brian James Pauling, 41, NH 10:53:39 170. Jeremy Berger, 29, NY 10:55:08 171. Jacob Dorland, 35, NY 10:57:17 172. Ben Cole Pasquino, 31 10:57:22 Joshua Robert, 32, NH 10:57:22 174. Elin Mattfeld, 42, NY 10:57:38 175. Bernadette Kennedy, 54, ON 10:58:02 176. Guy Alderdice Jr, 39 11:02:36 177. Steve Jacobson, 51, FL 11:04:04 178. Andre Gagnon, 36, QC 11:04:59 179. Kathy Braga, 40, CT 11:05:20 180. Michael Christo Kendig, 33, CT 11:05:46 181. Bambi Jasmin, 42, NY 11:06:10 182. Justin Brooks Dew, 39, NY 11:06:21 183. Howard Kalfus, 44 11:06:47 184. Christopher Bordeau, 37, NH 11:07:17 185. Jonathan Miller, 40, NY 11:09:01 186. Craig Whipple, 61 11:09:39 187. Tim Russell, 57, NY 11:09:44 188. Jasen Robert Boyd, 42 11:10:00 189. Jess Dockendorff, 32, MA 11:10:19 190. Jon Hoyt, 46 11:12:02 191. Drew Anderson, 45, NY 11:12:44 192. Andrea Lee Ambros, 50 11:13:03 193. Quyen Truong, 30, CT 11:17:30 194. Lucas Marxen, 34, NJ 11:19:03 195. David Pezzulo, 29 11:19:23 196. Jack Cary, 38 11:20:12 197. Valerie Lydon, 44, MA 11:23:36 198. Jennifer Mellen, 48, MA 11:23:39 199. Steve Graff, 40, NJ 11:24:43 200. Andrew Meisler, 49, CT 11:25:15 201. Robin Carpenter, 56, MA 11:27:45 202. Peter Dietz, 50, NY 11:30:09 203. Humberto Silva, 32, MA 11:30:18 204. Mark Crone, 48, CT 11:30:20 205. Joachim Mertens, 51 11:30:34 206. Suann Lundsberg, 38, TX 11:31:20 207. Pat Barbeau, 49, ON 11:32:06

208. Michelle Smith, 42, MA 11:32:55 209. Gene Soboleski, 44 11:33:32 210. Carly Stroich-Eisley, 33, CT 11:35:31 211. Robert Wood, 56, NY 11:36:10 212. Sophia Webb, 15 11:38:16 213. Clement Choy, 66 11:43:05 214. Ben Leber, 50, OR 11:43:34 215. Celia Leber, 49, OR 11:43:37 216. Dennis Stadelman, 52, NY 11:44:49 217. Charles Dwyer Joyal, 43, MA 11:45:16 218. Ryan Kerr, 40, NH 11:46:41 219. Loni Allen, 33, NH 11:48:51 220. Roy Van Buren, 51, MA 11:49:05 221. Jane Patterson, 43, CT 11:49:28 222. Keith Gordon Kelley, 52, NH 11:49:32 223. Gregory Sharp, 61 11:51:36 224. Thomas Dyer, 42, CT 11:57:54 225. Charlotte Clews, 38, ME 12:03:19 226. Gillian Amanda Barbato, 25, NJ 12:07:06 227. Colin Gulley, 34, ME 16:38:00

50 KM

1. Richard Joseph Thompson, 30 4:10:01 2. Thomas Bleakney, 43, MA 4:31:12 3. Liz Gleason, 28 4:31:44 4. Nathan Sanel, 45, NH 4:38:45 5. Katie Kardashian, 38 4:44:23 6. Nat Coughlin, 37, MA 4:55:10 7. Robijn Hage, 42, MA 4:56:37 8. Lindsay Simpson, 36 4:59:55 9. Liam Scott, 32, MA 5:01:01 10. Ruthie Elizabet Ireland, 45, MA 5:01:39 11. Brett Coapland, 37, NH 5:04:17 12. William Roach, 38, NH 5:04:48 13. Barry Lass, 50, NJ 5:10:44 14. Ben Motley, 26, MA 5:12:14 15. Justin Whittet, 28, NH 5:14:33 16. Brad Minor, 35 5:15:45 17. James Keller, 42, NV 5:16:09 18. Adam Groff, 37, NH 5:16:45 19. Tricia Groff, 33, NH 5:16:47 20. Danya Rumore, 28, MA 5:17:10 21. George Lapierre, 34 5:20:27 22. Aaron Keene, 33, MA 5:21:12 23. Blaise Lucey, 25, MA 5:22:06 24. John Murphy, 51 5:22:20 25. Travis Paul Gervais, 38 5:23:58 26. Christopher Bauernfeind, 43, MA 5:26:07 27. Edward Merrens, 48 5:27:02 28. James Zschau, 48, MA 5:27:50 29. Margaret Merrens, 48 5:28:33 30. Mark Tosques, 30, QC 5:28:55

Richard Thompson wins the 50K distance

31. Donald Dwight, 51, MA 5:31:42 32. Julia Rebecca Gartner, 36, NH 5:32:47 33. Kristina Vontrapp, 43 5:35:13 34. Audrey Nelson, 42, OR 5:37:07 35. Debbie Livingston, 38, CT 5:38:46 36. John Mcelroy, 38, CT 5:39:03

37. Jeffrey Kauffman, 43 38. Amos Esty, 37, NH 39. Alan Connell, 43, NJ 40. Dave Goldberg, 40, NY 41. Michael Irons, 29, CT 42. Tara Deeble, 42, MA

SKIPIX.COM, LLC

Women’s champion Aliza Lapierre takes fourth overall

First place in the 50-mile, David LePorho

5:39:32 5:40:19 5:41:08 5:42:07 5:42:59 5:44:26

43. Gretchen Gandini, 35, NH 44. Justin Beaudry, 32, NH 45. Taylor Lucey, 23, MA 46. Kody Spencer, 21, ME 47. Sarah Schlaack, 40, NH 48. Rosalie Lipfert, 22, NH

5:45:22 5:49:31 5:49:41 5:50:10 5:50:25 5:50:33

RACE REPORTS

Her 7:01:08, established a new course record, wherein she bested her own 2010 time of 7:22:19. Runner-up Amy Rusiecki had this to say, “Aliza completely blew the race out of the water. I was pleased to run strong, take advantage of the dry course, and break eight hours, which had been a long time goal of mine.” (Note: Amy’s 7:55:52 was an impressive improvement over her previous best time on the course, which was 8:18:30 last year.) Canadian David LePorho, a newcomer to the event, ran away with the 50-mile, setting a new course record in the process. His 6:09:31 took just over eight minutes off of Mike Dixon’s 2011 time of 6:17:33. David is well known on the snowshoe racing circuit, having twice won the World Invitational Snowshoe Championships, in Japan and Canada. David flatly stated that his purpose in running the Vermont 50 was to be able to participate in the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run Lottery, to be held in December. In the past, when this race was part of the Montrail Ultra Cup Series, he would have earned an automatic entry for his victory. David is in luck because his seriously-sub-11-hour 50-mile time qualifies him for the 2014 WSER lottery. For the 2015 race, runners must qualify at either a 100-mile or 100K race from the Qualifying Races List. In David’s words, “I knew that Brian (Rusiecki) would be a good reference to follow, which I did until mid-race. Then I set my own pace and finished hard, with the help of my pacer Tom, for the last eight miles.

66 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

49. David Poirot, 47, CT 5:54:30 50. Andrew Gilbert, 51 5:54:32 51. Jen Coapland, 36, NH 5:55:10 52. Jeffrey Barriss, 44, MA 5:55:17 53. Matthew Youmell, 40, MA 5:55:46 54. Virginia Kittell, 46 5:57:14 55. Dan Kellett Rose, 46, TX 5:58:46 56. Badia Eskandar, 36, MA 5:59:17 Rebecca Spencer, 38, MA 5:59:17 58. Richard Webber, 49, MA 6:00:37 59. Anim Susan Swart, 48, QC 6:00:45 60. Chris Eaton, 30 6:01:06 61. Tracey Mancini, 40 6:03:16 62. Emily Merriam, 38, CT 6:03:20 63. Sarah Chapin, 40, RI 6:03:30 64. Kristen Elechko, 38, MA 6:03:40 65. Kathy McCarthy, 55, MA 6:04:26 66. Tom Hancock, 50, MA 6:06:30 67. Joe Hamilton Wallace, 41, MA 6:07:58 68. Randy Letourneau, 36, ME 6:09:28 69. Jenny Darrow, 47, NH 6:11:08 70. Don Darwin, 55, MA 6:12:18 71. Kelly Richards, 44, TX 6:13:16 72. Andrew David Hall, 38, MA 6:16:31 Alicia Hall, 41, MA 6:16:31 74. Jennifer Stevens, 41 6:16:33 Nicole Gorman, 44 6:16:33 76. Roderick Wilson Sr., 43, CT 6:17:50 77. Julie Kelly, 41 6:19:18 78. Terry Shearer, 42 6:19:26 79. Nathan Fernandez, 43, VA 6:20:07 80. Charlotte Johnson, 32, MA 6:23:43 81. Kimberly Dwight, 43, MA 6:26:18 82. Aaron Laurich, 33, NH 6:27:06 83. Andree Boily, 52, QC 6:27:38 Suzie Carrier, 54, NH 6:27:38 85. Jim Newin, 60, QC 6:29:25 86. Luke Maccormick, 17 6:30:21 87. Patrick Flaherty, 53, MA 6:31:46 88. Steve Collopy, 56, MA 6:33:20 89. John Torrone, 37, MA 6:34:03 90. Daniel Mcginley-Smith, 40 6:34:17 91. Thomas Golembeski, 40, CT 6:34:46 Sarah Greer, 30, CT 6:34:46 93. Chris Brown, 50 6:35:40 94. Carolina Villarreal, 31, MA 6:37:38 95. Nathan Bigengin Strong, 39, MA 6:38:25 96. Nate Brown, 45, MA 6:38:46 97. Scott Berkley, 19, MA 6:40:15 98. Noemi Follain, 25, QC 6:41:41

Brian, a three-time winner and former course record holder, placed second in the 50mile in 6:33:43, which was his second best time on the course. Third place finisher Jan Wellford, of Keene, New York, participating in his fifth event (fourth 50-mile and one 50K), said that every time, he’s reminded that it’s his favorite race and loves the fact that it’s a fundraiser for a great cause (Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports - VASS). “The bikes make for an added challenge and also a nice feeling of camaraderie as opposed to the loneliness of most ultras.” The award for most inspirational runner has to go to 15-year-old Sophia Webb of Hinesburg. Two years ago she made it to mile 42, last year to mile 47 and this year she finished the whole 50 miles in 11:38:16.

Race Director Mike Silverman is a man of vision, never resting on his laurels. He does a truly magnificent job of planning, organizing and overseeing the complexities of the Vermont 50 Mountain Bike or Ultra Run, and has done so for many years. He continues to add to the fun and excitement of the event, constantly seeking ways to make it even better. Many of this year’s runners have declared that the Vermont 50 is a must-run for any Northeast endurance athlete. I think it’s safe to say that the participants in this year’s Vermont 50 Ultra Run, whether runner, worker, or spectator, had the best of times, and with the setting of several course records, the winners certainly had the best of times.

The

mOUnTaiNBACK 50 A scenic single loop on mostly unpaved forest roads

Just for the hill of it.

2013 USA 50 Mile Road Champion Cassie Scallon wins the October 2013 race in a CR 6:24:01

10.19.14 Registration opens 1.1.14

The Mountainback 814.238.5918

tusseymountainback.com

Photo: fongstudio2.com

99. Peter Macewen, 49, MA 6:41:45 100. Adam Goldstein, 40 6:41:58 Jessi Frances Goldstein, 43, CA 6:41:58 102. Gwen Logan, 43, NH 6:43:23 103. Stacey Ann Ries, 44, NY 6:43:47 104. Nils Roland Gyllenhammer, 50, NJ 6:50:35 105. Ellie Madden Bouffard, 52 6:50:38 106. Katya Divari, 52, LA 6:51:46 107. Elaine Bissonho, 41, MA 6:52:30 108. Eric Roth, 31, CT 6:52:41 109. Melissa Quinn, 23, CT 6:52:42 110. Allison Maccormick, 48 6:53:01 111. Eric Randall, 54, NH 6:55:57 112. Krista Marie Alderdice, 37 6:56:22 113. Bethany Charron, 36, NH 6:57:50 Eric Bauernschmidt, 31 6:57:50 115. Kristin Mattocks, 43, MA 6:59:12 116. Gina Ancona, 37, CT 7:00:52 117. Pam Eaton, 28 7:01:45 118. Lauren Holt, 51, MA 7:01:50 119. Sara Palmbush, 39 7:01:53 120. Stacie Fey, 35, TX 7:01:55 121. Dee McWilliams, 49, LA 7:02:00 122. Amy Kemper, 46, MA 7:02:47

123. Michael Sullivan, 59, MA 124. Brent Paul Krizo, 39, ME 125. Jill Smith, 35 126. Carin Zinter, 40, MA 127. Nathan Lanier, 30, MA Lauren Mislak, 29, MA 129. Danielle Murtha, 26, PA 130. Lindsy Providenti, 38, MA 131. Brad Laporte, 51, ME 132. Michael Cushing, 42, ME 133. Katree Fenster, 45 134. Arman Haidari, 29, CT 135. Angela Kueck, 40, CT 136. Susan Kirincich, 44 137. Martin Philip, 44 138. Kari Henry, 49, TX 139. Jarrod Neeley, 40, CT 140. Gary Richards, 58, CT 141. Amy Roberts, 49 142. Daniel Patnaude, 40, MA 143. Megan Morey, 46, MA 144. Jennifer O’Connell, 46, QC 145. Javier Suarez, 45, MD 146. Jason Stanley, 38

7:05:36 7:07:53 7:08:46 7:09:47 7:10:24 7:10:24 7:10:32 7:12:29 7:15:08 7:15:10 7:15:49 7:17:02 7:17:07 7:17:31 7:17:34 7:18:14 7:20:39 7:21:22 7:23:43 7:26:14 7:26:34 7:27:11 7:27:23 7:27:57

147. Meghan Lynch, 33, MA 7:28:14 148. Dolly Courtemanche, 50, NH 7:28:55 149. Jeff Still, 46, MA 7:29:49 150. Una Cronin, 42, NH 7:30:59 Sarah Sartory, 36, NH 7:30:59 152. Linda-Jean Ruth Sanders, 48, QC 7:31:39 153. Jennifer Taylor, 38, DC 7:31:47 154. Jill Barbour, 38, NH 7:34:49 155. J.J. James Dawson, 39, MI 7:36:09 156. Jessica Boyea, 32 7:38:31 157. Simon Nip, 48, MA 7:39:34 158. Patricia Dobrindt, 41, MA 7:40:23 159. Terri Murray, 45, MA 7:40:25 160. Kevin Philip, 41, NY 7:41:32 161. Lisa Lewis, 51, NY 7:43:31 162. Daniel Grenter, 27, MA 7:44:35 Jennifer Grenter, 28, MA 7:44:35 164. Amy Spalding, 48 7:48:40 Ryan Henry, 37 7:48:40 166. Doug Desalvo, 61, VA 7:51:23 167. Lia Kueck, 32, CA 7:56:36 168. Astrid Hoyt, 40 7:59:15 169. Tanya Richert, 43, CT 8:02:07 170. Christy Chase, 42, CT 8:02:11

Lisa Messerer “UMTR Trail Person of The Year • 2013”

171. Curtis Rising, 47, MA 172. Mindy Randall, 54, NH 173. Mary Foster, 43 174. Chris Williams, 46, MA 175. Kate Wexler, 32, RI 176. Michael Taricani, 60, CT 177. Richard Fijalkowski, 46, MA 178. Joe Moscariello, 26, MA 179. Tammy Massie, 41, MD 180. Tara Mayo, 38 181. Paul Masi, 45, CT 182. Stephanie Morris, 30, MI Kendra Kneer, 33, MI Lori Lynn Mccoll, 35, MI Leigh Ann Knaus, 33, MI Sarah Ann Sosnowski, 31, MI 187. Caitlin Gould, 29, ME Stephen Gould, 63, ME 189. Libby Lass, 59, MA 190. Joseph Widner, 56, MA 191. Jim Lisius, 58, ME 192. Bj Tomlinson, 54, MA 193. April Stein, 61, MA 194. Christine Warren, 61, MA 195. Hector Gomez, 33, NY 196. David Follansbee, 38, NH

8:04:58 8:12:29 8:12:59 8:14:56 8:15:16 8:20:53 8:22:13 8:25:50 8:29:19 8:29:21 8:30:39 8:36:38 8:36:38 8:36:38 8:36:38 8:36:38 8:43:18 8:43:18 8:49:47 8:52:56 8:53:45 8:54:05 8:58:49 8:58:51 9:20:17 9:38:15

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WEST VIRGINIA TRILOGY

CELEBRATION OF RUNNING, NATURE, AND FRIENDSHIP by Adam Casseday and Dan Lehmann, co-RDs

Make no mistake, the Trilogy is a competitive race. It is also far more than a race. The Trilogy is a celebration of running, nature, and friendship. The mountains are a place of solitude, choice, and challenge – a place where nature prevails and where we must adapt. Those who grasped this simple truth took home with them a priceless gem. out much contest. The battle for second was full of tension, though, as Brian Menzies was forced to use a strong finish on day three to surpass Steve Miles by a mere four minutes. The women’s race was also won in a dominating fashion. Chelsea Ward-Waller overcame oversleeping on the first race morning – which happened to be her first ultra – to ultimately put together an impressive triptych of races for the victory. Another battle for the second podium spot ensued between Amie Murphy and Rhonda Stricklett. In the end, Murphy was able to narrowly holdoff Stricklett in a cumulative time, even though Stricklett surpassed her in placing the final two days. Make no mistake, the Trilogy is a competitive race. It is also far more than a race. The Trilogy

WEST VIRGINIA TRILOGY | CIRCLEVILLE, WEST VIRGINIA | OCTOBER 11-13 | 68

CUMULATIVE TIME

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

1. Nathan Schiller, 29 2. John Logar, 38 3. Tom Rhine, 45 4. Eva Pastalkova, 37 5. Brian Menzies, 39 6. Tim Toogood, 44 7. Steve Miles, 50 8. John Baldwin, 33 9. Bob Luther, 37 10. Ryan Lassen, 25 11. Rich Riopel, 39 12. Brian Buddemeyer, 36 13. Kenneth Eiszler, 54 14. Andy Peterson, 57 15. Joe Clapper, 54 16. Ellen Womeldorf, 42 17. Stephen Mang, 32 18. Michele Harmon, 47 19. Jennifer Lipscomb, 39 20. Laura Matz, 27 21. Megan Lacey, 30 22. Justin Andrews, 37 23. Irawan Balcet, 37

50 MILES

1. Nathan Schiller, 29 2. John Logar, 38 3. Brian Menzies, 39 4. Rich Riopel, 39 5. Eva Pastalkova, 37 6. Tom Rhine, 45

16:15:05 17:20:01 17:22:45 17:28:09 17:37:43 18:13:51 18:18:32 18:26:15 18:44:07 18:46:17 19:40:20 19:49:28 21:25:39 21:28:39 22:10:27 22:16:28 22:19:25 22:45:16 23:02:46 23:08:09 23:08:10 23:32:57 23:42:52 9:28:53 9:57:20 9:59:19 10:06:48 10:08:34 10:11:07

7. John Baldwin, 33 8. Mark Frey, 33 9. Tim Toogood, 44 10. Steve Miles, 50 11. Bob Luther, 37 12. Ryan Lassen, 25 13. Matthew Young, 39 14. Brian Buddemeyer, 36 15. Tara Langdon, 31 16. Andy Peterson, 57 17. Kenneth Eiszler, 54 18. Stephen Mang, 32 19. Dan Long, 34 20. Joe Clapper, 54 21. Jeff Wales, 42 22. Ellen Womeldorf, 42 23. Irawan Balcet, 37 24. Daniel O’Keefe, 47 25. Fred Fialco, 40 26. Megan Lacey, 30 Laura Matz, 27 28. Joe Miller, 45 29. Jennifer Lipscomb, 39 30. Michele Harmon, 47 31. Justin Andrews, 37 32. Lance Babb, 26 33. Bion Kim, 39

50 KM

1. Lucas Warner, 24 2. Nathan Schiller, 29 3. Michael Bee, 36

10:39:29 10:40:20 10:41:46 10:50:50 10:52:20 11:02:54 11:18:43 11:49:59 11:52:58 11:56:08 12:17:30 12:18:57 12:37:56 12:42:05 12:42:34 12:48:10 12:55:55 12:57:47 13:07:05 13:09:08 13:09:08 13:16:28 13:16:29 13:20:53 13:38:56 13:38:57 13:44:12 4:44:57 5:07:25 5:19:22

MASHA UDENSIVA

When Dan Lehmann and I started the Trilogy four years ago, we must have been out of our minds. Who decides to start a three-day race in the remote highlands of West Virginia? I can assure you, we are not gluttons for punishment; well, maybe a little. The secret of the Trilogy is that it is a very special race. Set in the shadows of our state’s highest mountain, Spruce Knob (elevation 4,863 feet), each day starts and finishes upon the idyllic campus of The Mountain Institute – a 400-acre outdoor educational facility with yurts dotting the pastoral landscape. Although the Trilogy requires more directional work than your typical one-day ultra, the race certainly returns more than its share of the investment for us as race directors as well as for the runners. The race format is 50K on Friday, 50 miles on Saturday, followed by a half-marathon on Sunday. Each day the runners are rewarded with spectacular views of waterfalls, beautiful fall foliage, and breathtaking vistas that will be forever etched upon their hearts (and possibly a few of those soul-searching moments of insanity which they might like to forget). 2013 was the first year that we were not graced with three days of gorgeous weather for the event. Temperatures were cool, but a three-day mist enveloped Spruce Mountain. Although the weather was disheartening, the competition was anything but. It was enjoyable to watch the Trilogy runners battle it out on the racecourse. Rich Riopel essentially ran away with men’s race and captured the top spot with-

Nathan Schiller wins the top prize for the threeday celebration

is a celebration of running, nature, and friendship. The mountains are a place of solitude, choice, and challenge – a place where nature prevails and where we must adapt. Those who grasped this simple truth took home with them a priceless gem.

3,3 4. Tom Rhine, 45 5. Eva Pastalkova, 37 6. Ryan Lassen, 25 7. John Logar, 38 8. Steve Miles, 50 9. Tim Toogood, 44 10. Brian Menzies, 39 11. Kevin Kauffman, 38 12. Bob Luther, 37 13. John Baldwin, 33 14. Brian Buddemeyer, 36 15. Rich Riopel, 39 16. Nick Laboffe, 32 17. David Guay, 34 18. Kenneth Eiszler, 54 19. Joe Clapper, 54 20. Jennifer Lipscomb, 39 21. Roger Wolff, 37 22. Michele Harmon, 47 23. Ellen Womeldorf, 42 24. Alan Griffes, 57 25. Jordan Vaughn, 24 26. Llew Williams, 56 John Garneski, 36 28. Lorraine Moore, 50 29. Russell Gray, 46 30. Casey Gregory, 36 Rocky Mason, 33 32. Andy Peterson, 57 33. Laura Matz, 27 34. Megan Lacey, 30 Brian Duncan, 44

5:20:59 5:24:30 5:29:12 5:36:47 5:38:08 5:41:02 5:48:39 5:50:37 6:03:09 6:03:19 6:05:55 6:27:23 6:39:40 6:50:59 6:55:24 7:00:45 7:01:31 7:01:32 7:02:51 7:07:32 7:07:55 7:10:28 7:11:36 7:11:36 7:16:18 7:16:59 7:20:08 7:20:08 7:20:30 7:22:39 7:22:40 7:22:40

36. Aaron Yocum, 48 37. Luke Barger, 36 38. Stephen Mang, 32 39. Mark Thorne, 56 40. Justin Andrews, 37 41. Sophie Roblin, 27 42. Ray Wachter, 46 43. Nick Billock, 40 44. Christian Kubik, 50 45. Mark McKennett, 35 Irawan Balcet, 37 47. Cortney Bloomer, 30 48. Tim Daly, 50 49. Pete Daly, 46 50. Michelle Price, 46 51. Mark Long, 54 52. Keith Sullivan, 38 53. Linnea Anderson, 27 54. Sandy Yocum, 52 55. Mark Persinger, 40 56. Amanda Williams, 40 57. Julie Balsley, 40 58. Richard Britton, 58 59. Robert Pulcini, 28 60. Mary Ann Yarborough, 61 61. Calvin Burns, 58 62. Terri Gray, 44 63. Sarah Jarvis, 31 64. Debra Allen, 58 65. Vanessa Blevins, 41 Jennifer Ralston, 32 67. Miriam Cutelis, 40

7:32:13 7:35:04 7:36:05 7:37:15 7:37:44 7:50:02 7:51:50 7:55:06 7:57:05 7:58:46 7:58:46 8:07:00 8:13:28 8:13:29 8:13:30 8:49:29 8:49:30 8:49:31 8:52:29 8:53:28 8:54:03 8:54:04 9:07:13 9:07:14 9:12:30 9:16:02 9:24:35 9:29:12 9:49:15 9:56:47 9:56:47 10:29:45

CAN LAKE 50 ULTRAS

ACHIEVABLE CHALLENGE IN BEAUTIFUL SCENERY Since our modest start with 11 finishers in 2003, we have now seen a total of 774 finishes by 610 runners. For the first time in 11 years the race sold out. Entries reached the combined field limit of 175 a full five months before the race. At one point there were over 40 on the wait list but eventually everyone who still wanted to run made it into the race. The Can Lake 50 Ultras are road races of 50 miles and 50 kilometers around Canandaigua Lake, considered by many to be the most beautiful of New York’s Finger Lakes. The 50-mile follows lightly traveled roads for one big loop completely around the lake, starting and finishing on the campus of Finger Lakes Community College. Runners in the 50K are bused 19 miles around the course for a 10:00 a.m. start, which merges them into the 50-mile field for the final 31 miles of the big loop. Both races are do-able challenges with generous time limits to allow for walking up several major climbs. On race day, 158 runners checked in at the Student Center Building. It was 42 degrees and clear at 7:00 a.m. when 93 runners started their 50-mile run around Canandaigua Lake. By the time a record 65 runners boarded school buses to the 50K start at Woodville, the temperature was already up into the 60s. The rest of the day was great for the volunteers at the 11 aid stations on the course and uncomfortably warm (mid70s) for the runners. The top two men delivered stellar performances despite the challenging conditions. Twenty-fouryear-old Cole Crosby and last year’s winner, Daven Oskvig, shared the lead until they started up locally infamous Bopple Hill. Crosby ran the 20-percent grade and broke away when Oskvig power-walked the steep sections. Crosby kept pushing like a man who thought he might be caught and finished 50 miles in 5:47:33, breaking Oskvig’s record from last

NATALIE WERNER

by Tom Perry, RD

Runners descending into Bristol Springs after Bopple Hill, almost 16 miles into the 50-mile

year by over 30 minutes. Oskvig hung on to finish second in 6:33:35 for the third fastest run around the lake in the 11 years the race has been contested. How good is Crosby’s record? His 5:47:33 is the fastest 50-mile in Western and Central New York since 1985. Crosby’s Can Lake course record is just one of three he set this fall. He also broke course records at two trail runs: the Virgil Crest 50-mile and the Mendon Trail Runs 50K. Christine Torres led the women from the 50mile start and finished fifth overall in 7:21:26 for the third best women’s time in Can Lake history. This was Torres’ second win; her first was

50 MILES

1. Cole Crosby, 24, NJ 2. Daven Oskvig, 36 3. Adam Goldberg, 30 4. Tim Unrath, 32, MD 5. Christine Torres, 45, ON 6. John Thornell, 48, CT 7. Drayton Heard, 44, NH 8. Travis Lockwood, 32 9. Antoine Fournier, 49, QC 10. Paul Vangrossi, 30, PA 11. Chris McMahon, 31, OH 12. Jason Griffith, 42, CA 13. Shaun Evans, 35 14. Brian Walsh, 30, DC 15. Marcus Wilhelm, 44, MA 16. Vicki Mechling, 48, TX 17. William McGovern, 54 18. Liz Pfleghardt, 27 19. Michael Guy, 35 20. Philip Downs, 34 21. Andrew Davis, 27 22. Dave Gathmann, 55 Marty Larch, 53 24. Scott Cameron, 43, PA 25. Katherine Riceporter, 35 26. Michael Stone, 47 27. Sylvia Gleason, 54, OH

5:47:33 6:33:35 7:18:46 7:20:47 7:21:26 7:32:51 7:48:02 7:58:55 7:58:58 7:59:29 8:03:22 8:05:03 8:13:06 8:13:17 8:21:17 8:28:04 8:35:42 8:36:48 8:46:47 8:50:44 8:51:21 8:51:54 8:51:54 8:58:09 9:03:30 9:06:31 9:12:43

28. Matthew Malloy, 26 29. Karen Fennie, 54 30. Corrine Haynes, 45 31. John Adams, 40, IL 32. Jesse Wolfgang, 32, NJ 33. Christopher Washburn, 51 34. Clint Homer, 42 35. David Farrands, 40 36. Jim Costello, 45 37. Kelly Nash, 42 38. Michael D’Aulerio, 26, PA 39. Robert Walford, 46 40. Matthew Kofahl, 33 41. Charles Leonard, 58 42. Emilio Mammolito, 21 43. Cary Fuller, 28 44. Tim Clark, 35 45. Kristin Woodard, 46, OH 46. Vincent Moran, 44, QC 47. Melissa Woodruff, 41 48. Mark Valites, 34 49. Brian Kirk, 36 50. Stacey Arnold, 32 51. Tom Nichols, 47, PA 52. Mark Ladenheim, 61 53. Heather Burger, 34 54. Justin Ririe, 38, GA 55. Brandon Stafford, 30

3,1

9:13:32 9:14:44 9:14:53 9:15:23 9:15:50 9:17:40 9:17:51 9:28:57 9:30:40 9:32:28 9:34:34 9:35:40 9:36:26 9:36:42 9:40:10 9:41:42 9:41:51 9:41:58 9:43:45 9:44:35 9:45:18 9:45:29 9:46:55 9:49:46 9:52:18 10:02:28 10:09:23 10:10:22

56. Michael Gleghorn, 34 57. Joanna Grossman, 45 58. Tim Voloshen, 40, PA 59. Joe Smith, 48, ON 60. Lisa Bernardi, 47, PA 61. Garrett Blondell, 23 62. Jerry Adams, 45 63. Tim Hardy, 52 64. John Leighton, 52, OH 65. Gregory Mattacola, 41 66. Patrick McHenry, 52 67. David Yancey, 49, FL 68. Elizabeth Novogratz, 41 69. Brenda May, 48 70. Craig Baisley, 43 71. Christine Lahaye, 33 72. Stewart Parsons, 41, AL 73. Jeff Edwards, 42 74. Michelle Stevens, 37 75. Leonardo Medina, 50 76. Leigh Mason, 33 David Mason, 38 78. Beth Savoy, 43 79. Lauren Darienzo, 37 80. Christine Schwind, 35 81. Erin Klinkman, 30, ME James Lampman, 30 83. Alex Tong, 36

10:10:47 10:12:34 10:14:49 10:18:53 10:20:38 10:27:56 10:29:21 10:34:12 10:37:01 10:37:27 10:39:05 10:40:03 10:44:59 10:45:53 10:51:03 10:58:00 10:58:50 11:11:06 11:11:46 11:20:23 11:25:02 11:25:02 11:29:37 11:39:04 11:40:13 11:43:25 11:43:25 11:46:12

84. Emily O’Shea, 35 85. Jacob Chafik, 23 86. Matthew Hess, 24, IN 87. Deanna Clements, 28 88. Mike Johnston, 37, OH 89. Thomas Butler, 48 90. Sally Kidd, 51, MD

50 KM

1. Scott McCraw, 44 2. Jason Juszczak, 33 3. Neela D’Souza, 35, ON 4. Matthew Warta, 32 5. Ryan Pardey, 36 6. Scott Mcilvennie, 51 7. David Swingle, 48, NC 8. Vernon Ballesteros, 36, NJ 9. Steven Gentz, 36 10. Dawn Whitaker, 28 11. Kenneth Dawley, 47 12. Christopher Warner, 40 13. James Miner, 65 14. Silvio Panettieri, 25 15. Kayleigh Plumeau, 28 16. Julio Vazquez, 54 17. Tatyana Petrova, 37, NC 18. Ronald Richards, 50 19. Art Bohnke, 44

11:51:05 11:53:48 11:57:10 12:19:04 12:33:10 12:52:58 14:18:27 4:13:03 4:15:52 4:18:44 4:30:31 4:32:24 4:50:11 5:04:41 5:05:57 5:13:11 5:18:50 5:21:16 5:22:08 5:23:11 5:23:51 5:27:33 5:28:27 5:29:27 5:38:51 5:41:02

69 ULTRARUNNING.COM

CAN LAKE 50 ULTRAS | CANANDAIGUA, NEW YORK | OCTOBER 12 |

in 2011 on an even hotter day. In the 50K, Scott McCraw won in 4:13:03 for our fifth best men’s time in the seven years we have had a 50K race. Neela D’Souza led the women from the start and finished at 4:18:44 for the second best women’s time ever, just over three minutes off Daniele Cherniak’s record set on a cold day last year. Since 2006, the Can Lake 50 Race Committee has made it our mission to make the event supportive of first-time ultrarunners. This year we had our best overall finish percentage for the 50-mile with 90 of 93 starters finishing (97

RACE REPORTS

percent). Among those making the 50-mile their first race longer than the standard 26.2-mile marathon, we had 29 of 30 finish. In the 50K, 63 of 65 starters crossed the finish line. All 45 of our first-time ultrarunners finished. It has also long been a goal of the race committee to make the Can Lake 50 a major destination race, drawing a significant number of new visitors to the Finger Lakes region. While the race primarily draws from the nearby states, we had runners from 18 states (including California, Texas and Florida), the District of Columbia and two Canadian provinces. Within the small world of ultrarunning, the Can Lake 50 Ultras are building a reputation as an achievable challenge in a beautiful place that is also friendly to novice ultrarunners. DAVEN OSKVIG ADDS: My journey into the world of ultras began around this lake. Annually I hear a siren’s call to return to where it all began. Each year is unique by way of the colors on the trees, the weather, and the wildlife. No snakes on the road this year, and the caterpillars didn’t appear until late in the race when the sun had heated things up a bit. Their

70 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

20. Anita Taylor, 45, ON 21. Charles Anderson, 39 22. Lisa Blake, 44, PA 23. Keith Pedzich, 41 24. Kevin Brisson, 55 25. Julie Gennarino, 50, CA 26. Colleen Reggio, 28 27. Robert Veeder, 42 28. David Micklo, 44, PA 29. Sarah Micklo, 36, PA 30. Kevin Kehoe, 38 31. Andre Dion, 51, ON 32. Kathleen Reardon, 52 John Muoio, 36 34. Dave Weiss, 64 35. David Riter, 40 36. Erica Sabatino, 27, ON 37. Val Ballesteros, 39 38. David Viggiani, 47 39. Sandra Faubert, 49, ON 40. Jennifer Bosco, 38 41. Margaret Wright, 42 42. Jennie Peck, 41 43. Todd Baisley, 44, PA 44. Patrick Wilson, 57 45. Don Kelly, 50 46. Sean Hendrick, 51 47. Mary Hayden-Cook, 50 48. Kim Rosdahl, 38 49. Pamela Coleman, 57, DC 50. Karen Condello, 48 51. John Kinnear, 46 52. Janelle Bosco, 33 53. Lindsay Ryder, 33, ON 54. Chris Cooper, 26 55. Chuck Traub, 54 Courtney Abeln, 38 57. Sarah Goler, 28 58. Cheryl Paine-O’Connor, 50 59. Michael Doughty, 38 60. Gina Welc, 49, VA Carol Shuford, 46, VA 62. Jason Clark, 33 63. Tina Pellegrin, 39

5:47:44 5:55:13 5:55:42 5:56:06 6:00:35 6:01:08 6:02:20 6:03:48 6:04:22 6:04:23 6:05:57 6:06:54 6:09:26 6:09:26 6:10:44 6:15:21 6:21:55 6:27:01 6:28:24 6:39:06 6:41:21 6:41:55 6:42:12 6:51:23 6:53:13 6:53:37 6:57:06 6:57:15 7:00:14 7:05:42 7:08:23 7:11:58 7:15:48 7:18:33 7:21:17 7:22:49 7:22:49 7:24:09 7:24:38 7:36:17 7:53:05 7:53:05 8:33:29 9:11:43

trek across the road must be like running an ultra around the lake; at least I have speculated that each year. Colors were muted, but the views still impressive with the ever-so-appropriate cemetery atop legendary Bopple Hill. Who would have ever thought that a road ultra would be rare and rewarding compared to its trail counterparts? Can Lake is a wonderful entry for many with nearly unlimited access for crews and family to support runners and a surface which all can specifically train on and prepare for. This year would see the course record not just fall, but be obliterated with a sub-six-hour finish. The real excitement, though, lay within those who were achieving this distance for a first time. Many of us who have plunged into this world of ultras constantly bother our running companions with the encouragement to give it a try. After my own finish with a little food and a tiny bit of rest, I was delighted to go back out and run a good friend in for his final six miles. We enjoyed conversation and supporting fellow runners including some wonderful backand-forth flirting with a trio of 50K runners

NATALIE WERNER

“Who would have ever thought that a road ultra would be rare and rewarding compared to its trail counterparts?” – Daven Oskvig, Can Lake 50

Phillip Downs from New York takes in the beautiful fall colors

in skorts. The final comment that carried him in was, “It’s going to hurt whether you run or walk.” This gave that extra incentive to run it in and to finally be able to stop. I was more proud of his finish than my own, humbled by the effort put forth by so many.

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october 2014 Led by Simon Mtuy

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CANYON DE CHELLY ULTRA

RUNNING IN BEAUTY alleled experience he had created. In fact, this report would be incomplete if I failed to say that Shaun himself was a big reason why many of us were there. He exudes kindness, a sincere passion for trail running, and a reverence for the Earth that is comforting and empowering. Next, Navajo Park Ranger Ravis Henry provided some education on the anthropological history of the area. We would be running through 4,500 years of Native American history. Lastly, we learned about the Navajo tradition of running, and its intricate link to the story of Navajo creation, from Shaun’s father-in-law, William Yazzie. Running is vital to life, he explained – and the race through the Canyon the next day was viewed no differently. The next morning we rose before the sun, the night’s chill still firmly within the dawning day’s grip. At the mouth of the Canyon, the runners gathered around a bonfire. We were offered Navajo tea, coffee and toascii (blue corn mush) for breakfast. William Yazzie sang a Navajo song of blessing as we looked to the East – where the sun would soon peak over the rim of the Canyon. We moved towards the start. Shaun reminded us to yell and shout whenever we felt it; such is the Navajo way to let the spirits know of one’s presence. He counted down from five, and we ran. We ran as the early sun leaked rays of fire onto the massive canyon walls. We ran past petroglyphs, wild horses, and ancient dwellings in distant alcoves. We ran with friends old and new, and ran in solitude. We ran through sand, mud, and frigid water. Once past the base of Spider Rock, a sacred monolith, we began the ascent of Bat Canyon – 1,200 feet of gain in one mile of toothy trail – to the mesa-top turn-around. Shaun greeted us with a smile, and a reminder to contemplate the path we had traveled. I turned, and for a moment was lost; I was looking back into my valley, my canyon, my home. Back down the gnarly trail we pushed, mov-

CANYON DE CHELLY ULTRA | NAVAJO RESERVATION, ARIZONA | OCTOBER 12 | 55 KM

1. Brendan Trimboli, 25, CO 2. Trent Taylor, 32 3. Boone Ebel, 32 4. Daniel Scarberry, 29, CA 5. Sean Meissner, 40 6. Simon Rutherford, 32 7. Benjamin Smith, 30, CO 8. Eric Lee, 31, CO 9. Ken Gordon, 48, NM 10. Lorenzo Sanchez, 35, TX 11. Bryon Powell, 35, UT 12. Chris McElveny, 41, NM 13. Susie Stephen, 34, HI 14. Jorge Rufat-Latre, 51, CO 15. Ian Golden, 36, NY 16. Rene Hoover, 32, NY 17. Stephanie Lynn, 32, NM 18. Geoffrey Kamau, 33 19. Ryan Dodson, 28 20. Jeffery Hart, 45

4:17:00 4:28:00 4:32:10 4:38:20 4:44:50 4:46:30 4:57:10 5:19:30 5:20:30 5:20:50 5:26:50 5:28:50 5:32:20 5:34:30 5:36:50 5:42:10 5:43:30 5:47:10 5:48:50 5:50:30

21. Drew Gunn, 39, CO 22. Kendra Versendaal, 33, GA 23. Matt Kalina, 49 24. Roger Squires, 52, NM 25. Richard Knapp, 61, NM 26. Eva Stuart, 22, CA 27. Glen Delman, 47, CO 28. Eric White, 46, TX 29. James Breyfogle, 31, NM 30. Cindy Stonesmith, 49, CO Megan Hicks, 35 32. Paige Kobernick, 33 33. Lori Enlow, 40, OK 34. Christopher Hall, 32, NM 35. Richard Iverson, 53, NM 36. Larry Kundrik, 57 37. Robert Tsinijiinie, 39 38. Brian Pilgrim, 47, NM 39. Michelle Ottmers, 33, TX 40. Dan Blankenship, 57 41. Gregg Lemkau, 41

5:51:00 5:51:50 5:52:50 5:54:10 5:54:50 5:56:30 5:59:08 6:04:13 6:09:30 6:14:00 6:14:00 6:16:57 6:25:07 6:26:05 6:26:06 6:35:04 6:43:24 6:44:22 6:46:39 6:52:44 6:53:44

Female winner, Susie Stephen, near the turnaround on Bat Canyon Trail

ing nimbly from boulder to stone. In the Canyon, the water crossings became a welcome respite from the warming trail. Hours drifted by as we ran beside glowing walls of red rock, under cottonwood sentinels, and past smiling aid volunteers. Everything felt right. At the finish, Shaun was there to congratulate us and award each runner a family-made turquoise necklace. Each in turn thanked him. We refueled with veggie or mutton stew and Navajo fry bread. Traditional jewelry, blankets, and moccasins were chosen by the top finishers. The fulfilling experience was quickly over, and friends began to pack for their journey home. Fortunately Navajos don’t really say goodbye – it is too final. See you in the Canyon next year.

2,3

42. Bruce Davis, 29, CO 43. Benedict Dugger, 43, WA 44. Steven Grossman, 53, NM 45. Melody Fairchild, 46. Jerome Yazzie, 38 47. Dan Brenden, 62 48. Julia Vogt, 48, CO 49. Margaret Dehesse, 57 50. Chris Russell, 47, TX 51. Jim Dees, 49, NC 52. Bob Manthy, 50, CO 53. Todd Enlow, 42, OK 54. Raymond Danks, 37, CO Megan Dell, 41, NM 56. Chip Tilden, 44, NY 57. William Yazzie, 26 58. Samantha Waggett, 48, CO 59. Thoer Peterman, 34, NM 60. Francois Bourdeau, 41, QC 61. Jennifer Lamboy, 36, CO Jeff Pettett, 53

7:04:25 7:09:11 7:09:34 7:13:14 7:18:23 7:21:55 7:26:24 7:29:53 7:31:16 7:37:45 7:39:26 8:03:16 8:04:27 8:04:27 8:07:53 8:08:09 8:13:20 8:16:41 8:24:12 8:27:42 8:27:42

63. Wendy Drake, 45, CO 64. Trevor Williams, 35, CO 65. Stan Nowakowski, 57, OR Maura Schwartz, 54, OR 67. Jason McGinnis, 32, OK Lisa McGinnis, 37, OK 69. Jane Cudney, 44, NM 70. Margaret Ochs, 38, NM 71. Lynn Alford, 61, NM 72. Elizabeth Goodrich, 55, CO 73. Tom Alford, 75, NM 74. James Wert, 40 Mike Wilke, 49 76. Amy White, 35, TX 77. Melody Hazi, 32, CA 78. Shannon Mitchel, 45, OR 79. Andrea Telmo, 38, NM 80. Moraima Bailey, 43 81. Misty Pilgrim, 48, NM 82. Maria Walton, 51 Jennifer Cline, 46, CO

8:45:38 8:49:03 8:52:26 8:52:26 8:53:05 8:53:05 8:54:31 8:54:32 8:59:42 9:11:55 9:12:58 9:25:13 9:25:13 9:30:55 9:56:47 9:57:06 9:57:54 10:02:00 10:08:25 10:58:16 10:58:16

71 ULTRARUNNING.COM

There was a palpable excitement in the air at the inaugural Canyon de Chelly Ultra. One hundred lucky souls had registered before it sold out in about 36 hours. Among those gathered were ultra winners, people who had been in magazines and films, and those destined to become part of ultrarunning lore, but we had all come for a different reason. We were drawn by a rare chance to run through a sacred canyon rich with history, culture, and tradition. Canyon de Chelly, on the Navajo Reservation, has been home to many different native peoples over the last 4,000-plus years. Each culture has left its mark – some visible, some hidden throughout the Canyon. Many local families still call it their home, having practiced traditional ways of life for over 300 years. Self-guided exploration of Canyon de Chelly is limited to mesa-top viewpoints and one trail into the Canyon. This run would offer us a glimpse of what most nonnative people never get to see; we would travel past ancient ruins, spy petroglyphs and pictographs, see wild horses, and run on the same ground that has been traveled by indigenous peoples for thousands of years. At check-in, it was as if old friends were meeting for a surprise party – one planned to celebrate a pure love of running, life-changing experiences, and the existence of the Navajo people. Whether we knew each other or not, the rarity of such an event immediately bound us together. We joined pieces of hushed conversation to predict what excitement the next day would hold. The first runners to arrive were offered a bundle of Navajo tea, and on the back of the T-shirts was a Navajo saying which translates to “May You Run In Beauty.” We were in for something special. Later that evening, Race Director Shaun Martin spoke about course conditions and told the story of his emotional running experience that led to the creation of the event. Shaun’s words left us with no doubt as to the unpar-

FOURTH WORLD IMAGES

by Gregg Lemkau

RACE REPORTS

CUYAMACA 100K

BATTLE TO THE FINISH by Scott Crellin, RD the way up the final big climb of the day to the Sunrise aid station (51 miles), but upon reaching Sunrise he was forced to drop. Seeing this, Igor did not let up, but pushed the pace all the way to the end, finishing in a record-setting time of 9:12:16, over 30 minutes faster than Fabrice’s winning time from last year. As luck would have it, Igor’s father was just finishing his second loop when his son won the race overall. Pride and joy in his son’s accomplishment was apparent on Edgar Campos’s face as he congratulated Igor, posed for a few pictures, and headed off to complete his own race in a very respectable 14:13:31. On the women’s side, Sally McRae took off from the beginning, leaving her competition far behind for almost the entire race. Renee Roberds, running her comeback race after a threeyear hiatus from ultras, had been steadily closing the gap, and at the final aid station, Sally and pacer, Maggie Nelson, caught a glimpse of her approaching. The resulting battle over the final 6.8 miles ended with Sally taking the win with three minutes to spare. The San Diego Ultra Slam is a series of four Sally McRae showing her sunny disposition as races of varying distances in our local mounshe races to the women’s win tains. There were nine new finishers of our petition that left everyone guessing who would slam at Cuyamaca this year, including Neil throw down the fastest time of the day. Igor Feerick, whose cumulative time set a new reCampos took the early lead, followed closely by cord of 41:00:53. Victoria Rochat, 22, and Denis last year’s winner, Fabrice Hardel, and Neil Feer- Trafecanty, 70, finished the 100K to become the ick, who just a few weeks earlier had smashed oldest and youngest finishers of the San Diego the course record at the Noble Canyon 50K. By Ultra Slam. Finally, thanks to all of the amazing volunthe end of the first loop (31.5 miles) Igor still held a narrow margin, with only Fabrice keep- teers who come out and selflessly give their time ing it close. On the way into the start/finish for to help other athletes accomplish their goals. the second time, Fabrice took over and led all We truly couldn’t do this without you. MILAN KOVACEVIC

After the resounding success of last year’s inaugural running of the Cuyamaca 100K, one of the big worries on my mind leading up to October 12th was meeting the high expectations of the runners this time around. Fortunately, the core group that helped make the first race such a success returned to help again and, combined with some new volunteers, worked seamlessly to put on another great event. Likewise, Mother Nature contributed in a positive way, providing great race day conditions. The Wednesday before, San Diego’s local mountains had an unseasonably early dusting of snow from a storm that blew through quickly. This made marking the course interesting; by race day the snow had melted and the moisture on the trail kept dust to a minimum. Race day dawned frosty and cold, but the sun quickly brought temps up to the 60s, where they stayed most of the day. A cool day is definitely what you want in Cuyamaca because, while the many open, exposed meadows and rocky single-track trails supply amazing vistas, they certainly have the potential to get toasty on a hot day. One hundred and eighteen runners started the course through Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. They traversed a three-loop route in which each distinct loop took them to a different section of the park, but brought them back through Camp Cuyamaca to start and finish. The course includes plenty of great single track, wide-open meadows, and beautiful views, particularly from the roughly nine-mile climb to Cuyamaca Peak at 6,520 feet. Five of the top 10 runners from last year returned to test themselves against the course and each other. These were joined by some new com72 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

CUYAMACA 100K | JULIAN, CALIFORNIA | OCTOBER 12 | 100 KM

1. Igor Campos, 29 2. Neil Feerick, 39 3. Jeremiah Galyon, 32 4. Jonathan Landis, 43 5. Guillaume Calmettes, 29 6. Ryan Healey, 37 7. Tom Nielsen, 54 8. Chris Zurbuch, 40 9. George Katsikaris, 31 10. Craig Bronstein, 57 11. Pete Riley, 46 12. Sally McRae, 34 13. Renee Roberds, 47 14. Greg Ottinger, 35 15. Matthew Edell, 32 16. Derek Blaylock, 44, UT 17. Tarrah Harnden, 31 18. Edward Wang, 49 19. Mike Tamoush, 34 20. Devin Corcoran, 56 21. Steve Livingston, 45 22. Jeff Martin, 47

9:12:16 9:46:28 10:01:01 10:14:33 10:33:44 10:35:15 11:00:22 11:04:59 11:57:03 11:57:15 11:59:05 12:09:34 12:12:38 12:33:15 12:33:43 12:35:35 12:39:45 12:43:10 12:47:35 12:54:52 12:58:18 13:17:58

3,3

23. Mark Tanaka, 46 Jack Cheng, 42 Sylvere Valentin, 36 26. Carolyn Goluza, 44, BC 27. Eli Ellefsen, 42 28. Billy Yang, 36 29. Luis Alberto Reyes, 40 30. Julie Canales, 42 31. Dave Milsom, 43, RI 32. April Thorp, 31 33. Andrew Beauchamp, 52 34. Bryce Williams, 34 Paul Todd, 41 36. Patrick Meskell, 49 37. Griffin Labonte, 31 Steve Yamamoto, 52 39. Steven Peterson, 45 40. Alfredo Zepeda, 40 41. Ignacio Anaya, 45 42. Edgar Campos, 60 43. Gretchen Evaul, 36 44. Ethan Newberry, 32 45. Tin Tse, 45

13:20:30 13:20:30 13:20:30 13:23:38 13:30:45 13:33:40 13:40:18 13:48:17 13:50:42 13:54:24 13:55:09 13:56:15 13:56:15 13:56:39 13:57:56 13:57:56 14:05:40 14:08:25 14:10:26 14:13:31 14:16:08 14:21:42 14:25:42

46. Jennifer Henderson, 54 47. Michele Pauley, 32 48. Ashley Andersen, 30 49. Cory Schmelzer, 39 50. Henk Overdevest, 49 51. Cyndi Wyatt, 48 52. Dean Dobberteen, 38 Victoria Rochat, 22 54. John Ngai, 41 55. Juliet Morgan, 47 56. Lorie Alexander, 54, BC 57. Cosme Gomez, 28 58. Eric Miersma, 43 59. Brian Tomita, 39 Wilson Liu, 55 61. Zachary Johnston, 45 62. Brent Jackson, 35 63. Pam Everett, 53 64. Rodney Faulk, 29 65. Joshua Floyd, 36 66. Jeff Hooker, 47 67. Bret Jones, 38 68. Keith Swiatkowski, 41

14:29:45 14:30:15 14:36:06 14:36:36 14:53:44 14:59:25 15:07:12 15:07:12 15:07:48 15:10:22 15:26:13 15:26:33 15:32:59 15:41:02 15:41:02 15:42:58 15:43:52 15:50:08 15:55:02 15:58:29 16:11:30 16:19:13 16:27:00

69. Denis Trafecanty, 70 John Vanderpot, 50 71. Roisin Mac Mahon, 54 Anne Fleming, 38 Donna Reed, 47 74. Paul Escola, 44 75. Thomas Zaide, 36 76. Bradley Barrick, 33 77. Andrew Moreau, 40 Jeanne Sloan, 42 79. Debbie Botten, 44 80. Marissa Walker, 46 Laurie Sovich, 34 82. Jennifer Luoma, 25 83. Andrew Moulis, 41 Nancy Moulis, 36 85. Rob Distante, 48 86. Jack Fierstadt, 53 87. Mary Lou Lackey, 61 88. Brittany Parker, 28 89. Teyana Viscarra, 51

16:32:05 16:32:05 16:44:50 16:44:50 16:44:50 16:57:15 17:01:07 17:06:15 17:09:36 17:09:36 17:18:20 17:32:10 17:32:10 17:38:12 17:52:25 17:52:25 17:55:18 17:56:50 18:12:34 18:17:02 19:05:09

DICK COLLINS FIRETRAILS 50

PERFECT FALL DAY by Allyson Conwell Marathon. As one of NorCalUltras’ Fall Classics, this two-in-one race offers something for all trail runners. The out-and-back 50-mile course is ideal for first-timers and veterans who enjoy the trail camaraderie, while the point-to-point marathon course is a great beginning distance for “newbie” trail runners. Joseph Czabaranek must have wanted a good dose of autumn trail running, as he came all the way from Florida to run the race. He won in a time of 6:27:30, the fourth-fastest time in the race’s 31-year history, while being chased by local Bay Area runners Chikara Omine of San

Francisco (6:35) and Bob Shebest of Santa Rosa (6:54). The perfect racing conditions made for fast times on the women’s side too. Roxanne Woodhouse, who recently turned 50, showed everyone she’s not slowing down by winning with an impressive time of 7:43:43. Roxanne was followed by Shawn Chapler of Oakland (8:10) and with Amy Burton of San Jose rounding out the top three (8:17).

MICHIGANBLUFFPHOTOGRAPHY

After the long dog days of summer and training in the heat, there’s something about running in the autumn that seems almost magical. The trails feel a bit more relaxed, a tad more enjoyable (sans heat), and undoubtedly more beautiful with all of the spectacular colors. It’s easy to fall in love with fall trail running – the crunching of crisp leaves underfoot, the golden yellows and oranges of changing tree colors, and the brisk, chilly air that sets in as the sun goes down. On October 12, nearly 500 runners came out to experience the trails in their fall glory at the Dick Collins Firetrails 50 and Golden Hills

CHARLES SAVAGE ADDS: The course traverses five regional parks, from the picnic grounds at Lake Chabot through low chaparral, forests of eucalyptus, live oak, buckeye, scented bay laurel, and cool redwoods along Redwood Creek, to stellar views from the Seaview Trail to Mt. Diablo in the east and to the Golden Gate Bridge and Mt. Tamalpais in the west. Red-tailed hawks take advantage of thermals to soar above the ridges and gave us their signature rasping whistled cry. Noisy ospreys enjoying the bounty of Lake Chabot greeted us on our return. There were no stinging yellow jackets this year. Volunteers at aid stations with Halloween themes met us dressed up as pirates, devils, and superheroes. The treats were plentiful and excellent. Runners frequently stop at vista points along the trail to snap photos of themselves and friends, and then post them on Facebook. I am impressed with the younger runners who have enthusiastically taken on running ultras with sophisticated running packs, Garmins and iPhones. Firetrails also gives me the opportunity to remember former running companions like Dick Collins and to reflect on how memories of these runners keeps them alive in spirit.

Jesse Jimenez and fellow runner on the four-mile ascent out of Lone Oak, the 50-mile turnaround

50 MILES

1. Joseph Czabaranek, 28, FL 2. Chikara Omine, 31 3. Bob Shebest, 39 4. Thomas Sanchez, 24 5. Travis Gaylord, 29 6. Byron Pittam, 30 7. Karl Schnaitter, 31 8. Ron Gutierrez, 46 9. Jonathan Gunderson, 36 10. Lance Doherty, 37 11. Stephen Wassather, 23 12. Roxanne Woodhouse, 50 13. Aaron Summerhays, 41 14. Jay Thomson, 34 15. Erich Wegscheider, 27 16. Matthew Schmidt, 39 17. Eric Wilson, 48 18. Adam Dell, 31 19. Andy Szeto, 40, NV 20. Dominick Layfield, 41, UT 21. Yasushi Saito, 46 22. Shawn Chapler, 43 23. Ray Sanchez, 46 24. Amy Burton, 39 25. Nathaniel Moore, 30 26. Mike Topper, 54 27. Amy Phillips, 40

6:27:30 6:35:40 6:54:18 6:55:35 7:10:59 7:24:29 7:25:13 7:29:33 7:37:24 7:38:15 7:42:27 7:43:43 7:44:27 7:47:24 7:48:43 7:50:51 7:54:16 8:04:31 8:04:42 8:06:16 8:09:32 8:10:37 8:14:42 8:17:30 8:24:58 8:26:19 8:27:09

28. Bree Lambert, 45 29. Aaron Steele, 36 30. Rea Kolbl, 22 31. Joe Kelso, 37 32. Frederic Garderes, 44 33. Chris Randall, 42 34. Jonathan Artz, 46 35. Jadd Martinez, 31 36. Lucas Baxter, 21 37. Stuart Taylor, 38 38. Steven Hofmeyr, 45 39. Nakia Baird, 38 40. Bradley Fenner, 49 41. Jeremy Johnson, 32 42. Ryan Rollins, 27 43. Gary Lindberg, 45 44. Erika Lindland, 31 45. Kenley Gaffke, 35 46. Aaron Phillips, 34 47. Karl Hoagland, 48 48. Charles Hofacker, 48 49. David Smith, 47 50. Brian Purcell, 57 51. Eric Giovanola, 34 52. Devin Martin, 35 53. Clare Abram, 42 54. John Diana, 44 55. Ranbir Lally, 27

8:32:12 8:36:46 8:37:04 8:37:27 8:37:47 8:42:27 8:43:14 8:43:49 8:45:04 8:45:37 8:46:01 8:46:51 8:47:51 8:48:02 8:48:21 8:50:12 8:51:07 8:53:52 8:56:05 8:56:16 8:57:11 8:58:08 8:59:06 8:59:57 9:00:48 9:00:52 9:02:35 9:03:51

4,3

56. Eric Davies, 40 57. Yishaiya Abosch, 47 58. Lance Hooper, 43 59. Shawn Sullivan, 36 60. Michael Stricklan, 30 61. Jim McCaffrey, 36 62. Meredith Terranova, 38, TX 63. Kent Dozier, 38 64. John Zerbe, 45 65. Bernard Sheridan, 33 66. Jeff Landauer, 46 67. John Gieng, 34 68. Lisa Oyen, 51 69. Roland Burgmann, 50 70. Rich Deborba, 38 71. Timothy Quinn, 51 72. Chris O’Connor, 47 73. John McKune, 38 74. Dave Husted, 44 75. Molly Knox, 39 76. Chris Jones, 41 77. Harris Mason, 31 78. Scott Laberge, 56 79. Mark Dorman, 41 80. Charles Blakeney, 51 81. Todd Boese, 30 82. Rod Chiasson, 44, AB 83. Chris Bassett, 45

9:04:05 9:05:49 9:07:08 9:07:09 9:07:11 9:07:35 9:09:23 9:10:16 9:14:35 9:16:11 9:21:52 9:22:30 9:24:00 9:25:19 9:25:48 9:26:30 9:27:48 9:30:02 9:30:39 9:30:54 9:32:40 9:34:30 9:35:47 9:36:56 9:38:07 9:39:57 9:40:21 9:40:49

84. Chris Eide, 37 85. Erica Jennison, 28 86. Dawson Montoya, 23 87. Stephanie Fronk, 25 88. Stephen Mader, 47 89. Holly Miller, 39, AZ 90. Sachin Sawant, 28 91. Alla Kisileva, 42 92. Kevin Thayer, 47 93. Michael Peoples, 50 94. Matt Anderson, 55 95. Christopher Bannister, 32 96. Keather Kehoe, 41 97. Stephen Ingalls, 41 98. Jill Cole, 42 99. Jochen Horn, 46 100. Pete Dickson, 39 101. Ismael Macias, 46 102. Lisa Hughey, 33 103. Paul McDonald, 32 104. Kyria Wilson, 35 105. Elizabeth Esponnette, 25 106. Guf Gufler, 41 107. Tiffany Gummow, 23 108. Mike Cloward, 50 109. Lisa Decker, 43 110. David Li, 29 111. Tony Leung, 45

9:42:29 9:42:56 9:43:35 9:43:37 9:43:48 9:44:05 9:44:13 9:46:00 9:47:04 9:49:19 9:50:11 9:51:12 9:51:33 9:52:05 9:52:45 9:52:57 9:53:31 9:53:36 9:53:51 9:54:31 9:54:58 9:56:35 9:56:43 9:56:59 9:58:35 10:00:08 10:00:42 10:01:23

ULTRARUNNING.COM

DICK COLLINS FIRETRAILS 50 | CASTRO VALLEY, CALIFORNIA | OCTOBER 12 |

RACE REPORTS

MICHIGANBLUFFPHOTOGRAPHY

I dedicated this Firetrails to my friend Alan Cherrigan, who unexpectedly passed away at his Inverness, California home in August. This would have been Alan’s fourth Firetrails and he was looking forward to a good run. Last year Alan and I had driven together to Firetrails and talked about successful strategies and pacing through the difficult sections. We finished second and third in the 60-plus age group. Alan and I were closely paced at many races but I always kidded him about spending too much time in the aid stations eating the food and talking to the volunteers. At the 2013 Miwok 60K, we passed each other several times and when I caught up with him at Cardiac with less than three miles to go, he was sitting down eating and chatting. He claimed that he was feeling ill and needed to calm his stomach but I really think Alan was just enjoying the beauty of the moment, looking out over the rolling hills to Pacific and talking with friends. It is a fitting lasting memory of him.

Sachin Sawant having a happy moment on his way to a sub-10-hour finish

74 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

112. Joshua Mehlman, 38 10:02:09 113. Rachael Woods, 39 10:03:36 114. Alberto Trujillo, 33 10:03:45 115. Bryan Banks, 36 10:04:07 116. Jesse Jimenez, 40 10:04:48 117. Mark Pepper, 33 10:06:47 118. Emmit Hancock, 35 10:07:19 119. Jeffrey Dodd, 50 10:07:33 120. Cesare Rotundo, 48 10:08:00 121. Denise Fleming-Williams, 51 10:08:11 122. Charles Savage, 65 10:08:59 123. Chris Gaggia, 43 10:09:10 124. Lori Solem, 10:09:11 125. Garreth Miller, 41 10:09:17 126. Lina McCain, 47 10:10:04 127. Louis Arquie, 59 10:10:06 128. Noah Suttmann, 27 10:11:18 129. Jeffrey Egolf, 41 10:11:36 130. Emily Buysse, 27 10:11:53 131. Loren Lewis, 41 10:12:33 132. Catherine Sohn, 37 10:13:37 133. Jennifer O’Connor, 44 10:14:27 134. Claire Lears, 31, AZ 10:14:32 135. Andrew Ewing, 36 10:14:42 136. Jay Ingalls, 59 10:15:03 137. Alim Valiev, 43 10:16:58 138. George Rehmet, 46 10:17:09 139. Greg Durbin, 56 10:17:11 140. Lavy Sin, 32 10:17:59 141. Monica Carrigg, 53 10:18:13 142. Lora Zagnoli, 51 10:19:32 143. J. Wilkerson, 47, NV 10:19:50 144. Mariano Pontillas, 40 10:20:54 145. Rebecca Scalfaro, 49 10:21:19 146. Michaela Burgess, 33 10:22:02 147. Lance Gilbert, 57 10:23:23 148. Blake Suzuki, 51 10:24:02 149. Marco Denson, 48 10:25:41 150. Michael Parker, 50, VA 10:29:03 151. David Thull, 36 10:29:13 152. Michael Garrison, 43, HI 10:29:34 153. Benjamin Maxwell, 42 10:30:06 154. Scott Yates, 38 10:30:25 155. Walter Robinson, 54 10:31:16 156. Jose Macias, 36 10:31:38

157. Joseph Sellner, 40 158. Robert Klein, 49 159. Leith Franklin, 38 160. Paul Ng, 48 161. Bryan Bodas, 45 162. Todd Miller, 40 163. Linda Claire Willits, 41, NV 164. Tina Bowers, 57 165. Katie Wallace, 31 166. Eric Sass, 39 167. Jim Boswell, 50, WA 168. Jennifer Hamburg, 42 169. Steve Osborne, 39 170. Mike Bohi, 42 171. Roy Harju, 45 172. Corina Rahmig, 33 Troy Rahmig, 37 174. Marcie Cathey, 41 175. Scott Salisberry, 53, NV 176. Megan Deverin, 32 177. Gregory Holmes, 51 178. Chloe Romero, 22 179. Jeff Takahashi, 38 180. Meredith Johnson, 32 181. Dean Schorno, 50 182. Gabriel Marcelo, 17 183. Colleen Shoop, 39 184. Sean Grove, 40 185. Helen Fong, 33 186. Paul Oropallo, 48 187. Lucy Kryuchkova, 40 188. Daniel Prevett, 44, NM 189. Kevin Luu, 37 190. Thomas Kuerten, 47 191. Jeff Collins, 59 192. Janeth Badaracco, 43 193. Jessi Goldstein, 42 194. Jeanne Kysar-Carey, 48 195. Leigh Moser, 45 196. Alexis Chettiar, 35 197. Bem Jones-Bey, 33 198. Robert Lambrechts, 35 199. Jason Chan, 37 200. Domingo De Guzman, 53 201. Brien Crothers, 54

10:32:10 10:32:24 10:32:36 10:32:42 10:34:37 10:34:38 10:35:33 10:36:34 10:36:38 10:39:24 10:40:02 10:40:14 10:40:34 10:43:03 10:43:13 10:43:27 10:43:27 10:44:44 10:46:27 10:47:39 10:49:27 10:49:44 10:49:57 10:50:21 10:52:56 10:53:53 10:55:33 10:55:38 10:55:40 10:56:18 10:56:44 10:57:10 10:58:25 10:58:43 11:00:58 11:04:34 11:05:29 11:05:33 11:05:44 11:06:48 11:08:32 11:09:51 11:11:03 11:11:11 11:12:33

202. Chris Ocker, 29, NV 203. Jennifer Block, 50, WA 204. Brandon Grundy, 36 205. David Dreyfuss, 58 206. Ron Nageotte, 64, NV 207. Joel Carson, 43 208. Joanne Chiasson, 48, AB 209. Bill Rundle, 52 210. Meganne Kanatani, 50 211. Patricia Osorio-O’Dea, 43 212. Brian Mickelson, 40 213. Kirt Moret, 58 214. Craig Haraga, 40, AZ 215. Patty Shijo, 54 216. Cheryl Lloyd, 54, NV 217. Sabrina Okada, 49 218. Naresh Bhagavatha, 35 219. Bill Carr, 39 220. Jim Magill, 67 221. David Wittman, 44 222. Michael Salsbury, 55 223. Sara Lamarch, 30 224. Miki Higuchi, 42 225. James Godfrey, 56 226. Sandra Sanger, 43 227. Kristen Farley, 51 228. William Fong, 49 229. Geoff Quick, 50 230. Marina James-Galvin, 42 231. Zac Terrones, 24 232. Bob Navarro, 43 233. Samantha Pruitt, 44 234. Kenneth Clews, 52 235. Sara Lewis, 37 236. Maile Thompson, 27 237. Franco Soriano, 42 238. Sky Baucom-Pro, 32 239. Carl Jacob, 60 240. Christy Bentivoglio, 42 241. Jamie Tajii, 33 242. Jim Ruppert, 51 243. Keith Bradburn, 36 244. Norb Lyle, 56, WY 245. Cecelia Chagoya, 33 246. Dwight Brown, 53

11:16:54 11:17:44 11:20:10 11:20:11 11:20:16 11:20:42 11:22:31 11:26:34 11:26:59 11:28:05 11:28:24 11:29:23 11:29:26 11:29:34 11:30:00 11:32:07 11:32:38 11:32:40 11:34:21 11:34:45 11:35:00 11:35:21 11:39:57 11:40:26 11:40:47 11:42:11 11:42:12 11:43:01 11:43:52 11:44:55 11:45:52 11:46:33 11:46:58 11:47:04 11:48:04 11:49:01 11:52:19 11:52:35 11:53:44 11:56:18 11:56:26 11:57:58 11:59:43 12:00:54 12:01:28

247. Jason Woo, 33 12:04:55 248. David Lehman, 60 12:05:19 249. Tehani Thompson, 28 12:06:23 250. Tina Frizner, 35 12:07:11 251. Dan Maguire, 63 12:08:59 252. Sandy Baker, 52 12:09:07 253. Jennifer Lopez-Bonilla, 38 12:11:23 254. Richard Watson, 54 12:13:44 255. Jim Austreng, 58 12:14:02 256. Nate Dunn, 34 12:17:05 257. Jacqueline Folkert, 43 12:19:21 Darrel Folkert, 43 12:19:21 259. Gary Fitzgerald, 53 12:20:54 260. Ellen Fletcher, 46 12:21:51 261. Loree Bruckmann-Harmon, 50 12:24:28 262. Brian Ladrillono, 38 12:25:20 263. Doanh Nguyen, 47 12:25:38 264. Ethan Dreyfuss, 27 12:25:46 Alissa Bell, 27 12:25:46 266. Keith Lubliner, 52 12:26:54 267. Karen Avilla, 50 12:27:09 268. Sanborn Hodgkins, 59 12:31:45 269. Jennifer Zakroff, 39 12:33:11 270. Tom Counts, 52 12:40:15 271. Yvonne Gallegos, 33 12:41:00 272. Jean Suyenaga, 46 12:46:00 273. Kelsey Farabee, 24 12:46:35 274. Kate Panepinto, 37 12:46:57 275. Bill Dodson, 78 12:47:14 276. Norman Armstrong, 56 12:59:06 277. Angela Narvasa, 52 13:10:32 278. Sonny Marcelo, 36 13:18:44 279. Alejandra Mijares, 33 13:19:02 280. Louis Kwan, 35 13:20:07 281. Lisa Barry, 52 13:23:08 282. John Painting, 52 13:23:09 283. Stacey Thornburg, 45 13:25:16 Kim Moyano, 48 13:25:16 285. Donna Louie, 52 13:38:27 286. Rommel Suratos, 40 13:45:32 287. Janine Penney, 44 13:51:26 288. Jennifer Dicus, 37, NV 13:58:07

THE GREEN MONSTER TRAIL CHALLENGE

CLASSIC ROCKSYLVANIA Runners in the inaugural Green Monster 50K Trail Challenge were treated to perfect running weather: slightly cool, low 50s for the start, and a high in the upper 60s and partly sunny. The forest was alive with color at the peak of leaf season in North Central Pennsylvania. The 50K was new this year, but it was the second year for the Green Monster 25K. The course runs through the Asaph area of the Tioga State Forest just north of Wellsboro and is put on by the Tyoga Running Club, Inc., a nonprofit band of local trail runners. At 7:30 a.m. the hardy folks who had signed up for the 50K toed the imaginary line across Straight Run Road, marked by a pumpkin on either side. The bluegrass music was interrupted long enough for some last minute instructions from Race Director Travis Twoey. Countdown to the start began right after the National Anthem and 64 runners of a maxed-out 75 registered headed up the road toward the trail. The course is classic Rocksylvania – very runnable in places, insanely steep in others, with a few technical rocky sections thrown in for good measure. The steepest climbs come in the first half – Bark Slide and Stinger, as well as the infamous descent aptly named Frankenstein’s Forehead. The bottom of Frankenstein’s Forehead marks the split of the two different distances, with the 50K course using an additional loop not seen by those doing the shorter distance. The second half is more scenic with a mix of long grueling drags up the hills, along with

delicious runnable singletrack through mountain laurel, an old orchard, and even an ancient millstone quarry named for the proprietor, James Hesselgessel. It is also punctuated by crossing a bog in Asaph Wild Area and multiple stream crossings of Asaph Run before the last long grind up Scotch Pine Trail that begins at the 27-mile mark. The champions of last year’s 25K race dominated the 50K race this year. Adam Russell finished first in 5:01:20, followed by Ian Grettenberger in 5:25:54 and John Johnson in 5:29:49. First woman was Doreen Fanton, who finished 17th overall in 6:35:22. The top finishers were recognized at an awards ceremony where they mounted a podium of hay bales for a photo op. “The race was a huge success, but we had some unexpected challenges to overcome,” RD Twoey said. “We had a permit to use land adjacent to the USGS laboratory for our parking and start/finish line and one week prior to race date we were informed we could not use the land due to the federal government shutdown.” Through some quick action and negotiations with local landowners, Twoey and other volunteers cleared a half-acre overgrown lot for race headquarters and a couple more acres for parking. This also necessitated hiring a shuttle to transport runners between the parking area and the start/finsh area. The race itself is held on State Forest land that was not affected by the federal shutdown.

TYOGA RUNNING CLUB

by Denny Colegrove

Enoch Cincotta bounds over the rocks in sandals

One participant summed up the experience with a big thanks for the “amazingly challenging but super well maintained and marked course – and LEAF BLOWN! That was just amazing – 32 leaf blown miles! Totally recommend this race!”

THE GREEN MONSTER TRAIL CHALLENGE | WELLSBORO, PENNSYLVANIA | OCTOBER 13 | 50 KM

5:01:20 5:25:54 5:29:49 5:42:30 5:45:08 5:49:41 6:00:22 6:02:18 6:05:19 6:12:12 6:14:12 6:19:19 6:21:09 6:27:33 6:30:11

16. Dave Gantz, 31 17. Doreen Fanton, 38, NY 18. Thomas Peterson, 53 19. Larry Creveling, 61 20. David Eck, 44 21. Joel McFarland, 37, NY 22. Henry Trigg, 32, TX 23. Dennis Vankerhove, 53, NY 24. Robert Renninger, 60 25. Greg Hodgson, 33 26. Helene Strutko, 34 27. Brian Brass, 33, NY 28. Brian Kunkle, 31 29. Jody Shatzer, 55 30. James Cramer, 50 31. Andy Snyder, 47

6:30:55 6:35:22 6:49:49 6:54:27 6:56:11 7:00:53 7:10:35 7:10:48 7:18:15 7:25:13 7:25:58 7:31:36 7:31:54 7:34:03 7:34:06 7:37:24

32. David Strangarity, 40 33. Carolyn Shreck, 41, NH 34. Alexander Shrader, 32, NY 35. Elias Wetzel, 38 36. Josh Nowell, 30 37. Brian Brown, 39 38. Stephen Cooper, 59, MD 39. Michael Mutchie, 31, ME 40. John Rose, 35, NC 41. Chris Blanchard, 48, MI 42. Ken Monks, 55 43. Gregg Holst, 55 44. Kurt Lauer, 52, WA 45. Rick Anthony, 23 46. Katie Davis, 34 47. Christopher Pabian, 37

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7:39:05 7:39:08 7:46:12 7:55:50 8:04:03 8:15:37 8:17:31 8:18:15 8:18:21 8:20:43 8:23:16 8:26:28 8:31:17 8:35:08 8:38:21 8:38:45

48. Kwatee Stamm, 42 49. Elliot Mercer, 36 50. Carol Shirk, 50 51. Eric Ondrasik, 36 52. Matt Geer, 36 53. David Demko, 50 54. Deirdre Amos, 30 55. Gina Monks, 52 56. Richard Mogavero, 30 57. Ronald Sandroni, 54, NY 58. Alan Burgess, 32, NY 59. Michael Ciccone, 33 60. Heather Adams, 35 61. Mike Flynh, 49

8:41:00 8:41:05 8:53:33 9:11:26 9:23:46 9:34:10 9:37:13 9:43:51 10:00:00 10:08:27 10:08:29 10:28:37 10:56:16 11:11:17

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1. Adam Russell, 34 2. Ian Grettenberger, 26 3. John Johnson, 41 4. Stuart Short, 27 5. David Cipoletti, 30 6. Jim Wenger, 43 7. Jason Friedman, 32, NJ 8. Jeffrey Shanks, 28 9. Jason Rigatti, 24 10. Jan-Erick Olson, 48 11. Enoch Cincotta, 18 12. Josh Macak, 38, CO 13. William Hollely, 39, NY 14. Marvin Russell, 40, NY 15. Christopher Palladino, 42

RACE REPORTS

PONY EXPRESS TRAIL RUN

QUEST FOR THE PONY TROPHY by Matthew Van Horn The Pony Express Trail 100 is fast if you want it to be. There are no obstacles on the course, only miles of well-graded dirt road in the west desert of Utah on this historic Pony Express route, over a small pass, past ancient geode beds, several Pony Express station sites, and to the turnaround at Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge. The race starts at the top of a hill, so runners almost cannot help themselves from starting fast. And that is perfect for a quick warm-up on a freezing cold October desert morning. I have been running for two years. The 2011 Pony Express Trail 50 was my first ultra-distance race. I finished in a respectable 8:30. Two years later I came back to run the 100 as a test of how far I had come as a runner. Inspired by the legendary time of 15:06 by Jay Aldous at the 2011 race, I wanted to see how fast I could cover 100 miles on foot. For most of the year I had been running up and down mountains for training, culminating in my second Wasatch 100 finish. After Wasatch I changed my training to flat, long runs close to home. Early Friday morning my father drove me to the Lookout Campground where the race begins.

Race Director Davy Crockett sends runners for both the 50- and 100-mile races out in waves according to their predicted pace. I was to leave with the last group of runners at 8:00 a.m. At the check-in tent Davy handed me my number and shirt, while the winners’ trophies displayed on the table caught my attention. I turned away quickly, not wanting to get attached. Although I was confident, there was no doubt I had competition in a handful of experienced and fast runners, and nothing was guaranteed. The format of this race requires a crew to provide support, and my dad came out to do this duty. A few minutes before countdown, Davy had the group of runners gather for a briefing then I jogged over to the van for last-minute preparations when I heard my dad shout from the start line, “Matt, they are starting...Three! Two! One!...” So, yeah, I missed the “gun.” It wasn’t the first time. When I finally was ready, everybody was gone down the road. I ran past my dad, instructing him to meet me in five miles. It was very nice to start with no hydration pack or hand-held bottle. I felt light and springy. I caught up to

CDH CREATIVE

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

and chatted with Jen Richards, who was seeking to bring her previous year’s 50-mile course record down under eight hours. Of course she would do it by 20 minutes (7:46). I ran with Kendall Wimmer for a few minutes, and we discussed our strategies. He was going for the 50-mile win and boy did he bring it. He had a close call with his nearest competition later in the day, even offering aid to him in the last 10 miles, then leaving everyone in the dust for his first ultra win in 7:23. My dad met me at five miles and had my hydration pack ready to slip on without breaking stride, then I instructed him to go 20 miles and wait for me. That was the best 20-mile run of my life. The morning was perfect. My plan was to get to Simpson Springs, at mile 16.4, in two hours, then keep a steady sub-8:00-minute pace for as long my body would allow. I reached Simpson Springs in first place, at 2:02. When I got to the top of an eight-mile downhill stretch leading to the ancient riverbed at mile 24, a bunch of endorphins must have kicked in because I was loving every moment and I just wanted to run fast. Also drawing me down the road was the excitement of seeing Aaron Williams, who started an hour before me, with his crew of pirates working to get his first 50-mile finish. Dugway Pass is the only hill in the Pony Express. Davy was at the top by himself and I could barely understand him. He had lost his voice. But I did understand when he said the next downhill will be a nice recovery run into Blackrock. He was right. I picked up the pace again after a lull in energy leading up to the pass, and ran well, but not terribly fast, toward the halfway point. I reached 50 miles in 7:01. I needed a break so I walked the next half-mile to settle my stomach. The run out to Fish Springs and the turnaround at mile 58 was slow. Heat had finally worn me down and my stomach was hurting. I turned around without any fanfare. When I returned back at Black Rock (mile 68), I could smell the delicious Argentine barbeque on the grill but my tummy would have none of it. My wife and boys had taken over crew duty and had hot noodle soup ready for me as I walked out. The sun went down and the full moon had taken its place as I made the run back to Dugway

50-mile runner Jim Peacock and 100-mile runner Launi Evans set the pace for their four-legged friend

PONY EXPRESS TRAIL RUN | LOOKOUT CAMPGROUND, UTAH | OCTOBER 18 | 100 MILES

1. Matthew Van Horn, 42 2. Kelly Agnew, 40 3. Ben Blessing, 29, ID 4. Cherri Marcinko, 43 5. Phillip Lowry, 47 6. Juan Caballero, 49 7. Luis Leon, 44, AZ 8. Robert Crockett, 58, CA 9. Emmanuelle Dudon, 44, QC 10. Zachary Case, 38 11. Bronson Kelly, 41 12. Launi Evans, 40 13. Michael Rose, 48, CO

16:52:55 18:02:57 19:42:09 19:59:59 20:37:37 22:23:45 24:24:07 24:26:56 24:55:14 24:56:05 25:16:04 25:56:40 26:15:58

14. Darren Ames, 37 15. Ross Pieper, 37, WY 16. Paul Grimm, 44, CO 17. David Angelson, 35 18. Shalise Morgan, 38

50 MILES

1. Kendall Wimmer, 49 2. Chris Pope, 34 3. J Richard, 43 4. Rob Cook, 43 5. Kelly Olsen, 27 6. Aaron Williams, 34 7. Shane Smith, 40

26:50:57 26:58:34 27:57:02 28:08:23 29:12:29 7:23:15 7:42:50 7:46:58 8:15:48 8:22:10 8:44:50 9:03:27

1,2

8. Andrew Jensen, 39 9. Chelsea Hathaway, 30 10. Courtney Foley, 37 11. Joseph Sindad, 26 12. Kim Brown, 43 13. Jim Peacock, 49 14. Alex Nelson, 24 15. Colin Farris, 29 16. Judy Farris, 59 17. Bridger Harrison, 27 18. Jeremy Anderson, 39 19. Sierra Debenham, 23 20. Francesco Perri, 33 21. Joanna Brooks, 42, CA

9:08:27 9:33:47 9:49:30 9:51:44 10:29:13 10:38:33 10:42:33 10:43:17 10:53:08 11:17:44 11:42:57 11:44:21 11:45:55 11:47:34

Marybeth Brooks Garrett, 39 11:47:34 23. Travis Atwood, 31 12:08:31 24. Jarom Thurston, 39 12:10:12 Jedediah Jensen, 29 12:10:12 26. Valerie Hewitt, 49, NV 12:19:36 27. Michael Dalebout, 43 12:41:45 28. Steve Kissell, 52 12:50:09 29. Liz Polad, 35 12:56:21 30. Ken Maughan, 50 13:08:12 Jolene Maughan, 52 13:08:12 32. Kalita Ford, 57 13:51:06 33. Dave Quist, 72 17:50:00

CDH CREATIVE

“...The descent seemed much longer now than when I had run out earlier in the morning. No matter. I was there and there was nothing to stop me.”

Alex Nelson from Salt Lake City, Utah runs the 50-mile

Pass, much slower this time. My aggressive goal of finishing in less than 16 hours was slipping away. I remained optimistic and thought that with the sun down I could make up lost time. From the pass I did get to run fast. For the final 17 miles I got into a run, walk, run pattern. On that long, straight road I fell prey to the illusion that a runner was stalking me just a mile or two behind. A vehicle’s headlights seven miles away looked like a headlamp approaching fast. I wondered who was behind me. On his way to the finish at Simpson Springs, Davy stopped and let me know that I had a five-mile lead. Up one final long hill, I was relieved to see glowsticks marking the turnoff to Simpson Springs Corral. The descent seemed much longer now than when I had run out earlier in the morning. No matter, I was there and there was nothing to stop me. My finish time was 16:52:55. I have never won any race, that I can remember. It was sweet. But what I am really happy about was covering 50 miles in seven hours and feeling rather well doing it. That opens up a lot of possibilities for me. I know how far I have come in two years, and that makes me happy. Davy brought out the pony trophy and I could then look at it, hold it, and savor it. The Pony Express Trail 100, Davy Crockett, and those associated with them will always occupy a place among my finest memories of this life.

RACE REPORTS

LAKE PERRY ROCKS! TRAIL RUN

DIRTY LITTLE SECRET

KRISTI MAYO / MILE 90 PHOTOGRAPHY

From the start, local Kansan Trevor Johannsen For the past three Octobers, the Trail Nerds have been hosting a fun little 50K on the Lake Perry led the race unchallenged. His splits at the aid MTB trails, near Topeka, Kansas. This course is a stations were even on the two-loop course, and he finished in a very respectable time of 4:01:12. real gem and our own dirty little secret. The wooded course shows off its autumn awe- “Hanging” Chad Wooderson rocked a great secsomeness with a cornucopia of colors. While the ond place finish in 4:39:55, despite saying he name may suggest a Rock and Roll theme, it is was using the race as a training run for his upactually an apt description of the course. Rocks - coming Ozark Trail 100-miler. Keith Wurm took lots of them. As well as lake vistas and great single home a third place award to enhance his fivetrack. The course has its share of hills, with 8,300 year-old son (Triston’s) collection of Trail Nerd feet of elevation change, but most of the hills are race awards. Amy Kerrigan of Downers Grove, Illinois took gradual and the course “flows,” so you can actufirst female in 5:40:29. This was her third sub-sixally run every bit of it. As I said, a real gem. Prior to this year’s event, we had a little bit hour 50K finish this year. Lovely Richelle Hall of rain. The ground wasn’t muddy on race day of Council Bluffs, Iowa also finished sub-six to but it was slightly tacky, with not much leaf-fall take second place honors. Regina Casner was in to hide the rocks and roots. The temperature a slight state of disbelief when she was awarded hovered between 50 and 60 degrees. Perfect con- third place; the trail training has really paid off for her this past year. ditions for a fast Fall 50K. Eric Viera said, “The volunteers throughout the race played a huge part in getting me to finish the race. Every time I left an aid sta- James Baca enjoys the single-track trail with tion, I had renewed views of the lake determination and a little energy boost.”

78 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

Fourth place finisher, Darvish Shadravan, moments after finishing

LAKE PERRY ROCKS! TRAIL RUN MERIDEN, KANSAS | OCTOBER 19 | 50 KM

1. Trevor Johannsen, 25 2. Chad Wooderson, 38 3. Keith Wurm, 33 4. Darvish Shadravan, 45 5. Aaron Jarnagin, 41 6. Andrew Stanek, 40 7. David O’Bryan, 50 8. Kevin Obrien, 37 9. Shawn Walters, 33 10. Amy Kerrigan, 41 11. Erik Patterson, 34 12. Richelle Hall, 30 13. Sam Severson, 38 14. Robert Castillo, 30 15. Jonathan Shelley, 26 16. Matt Wilson, 31 17. Eric Viera, 41 18. Cliff Miles, 39

4,4

4:01:12 4:39:55 4:48:52 5:03:53 5:11:53 5:13:39 5:28:28 5:30:12 5:39:10 5:40:29 5:45:42 5:55:16 5:59:15 5:59:31 5:59:35 6:03:11 6:07:19 6:08:18

19. Matt Hulliung, 40 20. James Baca, 42 21. Ed Caraccilo, 44 22. Bill Smith, 44 23. Kurt McClellan, 50 24. Corey Lutters, 38 25. Eric Rath, 46 26. Regina Casner, 39 27. Kiyomi Rath, 44 28. Casey Mannell, 30 29. Mark Boucher, 54 30. Michael Tiongco, 30 31. Allen Butts, 65 32. Jeffrey Alger, 42 33. Kevin Anderson, 48 34. Jenn Anderson, 42 35. Diana Liska, 38 36. Jessica Soper, 31

6:13:44 6:13:45 6:20:41 6:20:42 6:36:17 6:39:13 6:44:48 6:45:54 6:59:20 7:11:46 7:12:59 7:13:43 7:31:49 7:43:11 7:55:13 7:55:14 8:04:50 8:25:31

RICK MAYO / MILE 90 PHOTOGRAPHY

by Ben Holmes, RD

STAGECOACH 100

HISTORIC ROUTE

KRISTIN WILSON

Emily Judd and Fran Zelenitz run through the Hart Prairie Preserve

Here, aspen, pine, and high altitude meadows await runners at The Hart Prairie Preserve and Bismarck Lake. The middle portion of the course

crosses the vast 440-square-mile Babbitt Ranch. Horse, cattle, antelope herds, piñon and juniper, and sweeping grasslands welcome runners. The final miles of the event send the runners close to the South Rim, among the mighty ponderosa pine, and along the Coconino Rim, from which the Painted Desert and the Grand Canyon are visible. The race ends in the small, welcoming gateway community of Tusayan, only a mile from the national park boundary. This year’s event saw 26 100-mile starters. They shared the trail with 12 four- and six-person relay teams. The runners passed through 12 aid stations under a clear, full moon sky. In the end, 17 solo runners finished the event. Michael Versteeg from Prescott outran second place finisher Bret Sarnquist, and third place Jonathan Clinthorne. Versteeg’s winning time of 17:41 sets the benchmark for future races. Suzanna Bon out-distanced Maggie Beach in the women’s race. The Californian finished 44 minutes in front of Beach in 21:01. A handful of 100-mile newbies used Stagecoach as their introduction to the distance and found the event to their liking. Runners under the 30-hour cutoff walked away with buckles in hand and winners sported newly created Pendleton saddle blankets donated by Babbitt Ranch.

Chris Westerman, Brian Tinder, and eventual 100-mile winner Michael Versteeg enjoying some miles together

STAGECOACH 100 | FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA | OCTOBER 19 | 100 MILES

1. Michael Versteeg, 28 17:41:00 2. Bret Sarnquist, 35 18:11:00 3. Jonathan Clinthorne, 26, CO 19:30:00 4. Suzanna Bon, 49, CA 21:01:00

3,3

5. Stewart Kelly, 35 Maggie Beach, 42, CA 7. Tamara Johnson, 49, CA 8. Emily Judd, 32, MT Fran Zelenitz, 40, MT

21:45:00 21:45:00 24:19:00 25:06:00 25:06:00

10. Jay Dobrowalski, 34, CA 25:23:00 11. David Martin, 49, CO 25:33:00 12. Carey Martin, 38, CO 25:52:00 13. Andrea Feucht, 39, NM 26:14:00 14. Christopher Westerman, 33, CO 27:39:00

15. Sarah Johnson, 34 16. Ann Trason, 53, CA 17. Mary Scudder, 32, CA

28:18:00 29:42:00 29:56:00

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Flagstaff’s Mark Thurston with the snowcovered San Francisco Peaks in the background

KRISTIN WILSON

One hundred and twenty years ago, the Grand Canyon was as isolated as it was majestic. Travel to the deep gorge carved by the Colorado River was nearly impossible. Only the intrepid dared invest the time and energy necessary to arrive at its precipitous rims. In 1892 the railroad reached Flagstaff. From 1892 to 1900 Flagstaff earned its name, “Gateway to the Grand Canyon,” by offering tourists a one- or two-day stagecoach trip to the Canyon. Along the muddy, rugged, and dusty route they’d stop at various waystations (still in existence today) north of Flagstaff and south of the South Rim to rest, water, and exchange horses. The well-established route came to an end in 1901, when the railroad finally completed a track to the Canyon from Williams, Arizona. The Stagecoach 100 Mile breathes life once again to this historic path. The race follows this route, uses the old watering holes as aid stations, and follows, for much of its 100-mile course, the Arizona Trail. The more than 800mile long, Mexico-to-Utah Arizona Trail was finally completed two years ago and ties the route between Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon together perfectly. The course provides an excellent cross-section of northern Arizona ecology. The first third of the course crisscrosses below the 9,000-foot shoulder of Arizona’s highest summit, Humphrey’s Peak.

KRISTIN WILSON

by Ian Torrence, RD

RACE REPORTS

PRAIRIE SPIRIT TRAIL FALL CLASSIC

FAST FINISHES After all of the epic weather we had experienced at our other three events, it was truly a spectacular fall day for our inaugural Prairie Spirit race, with highs in the mid 60s, a cool afternoon breeze, and minimal clouds in the sky. Runners were treated to a plethora of incredible fall foliage and Epic Ultra Brigade Hospitality on the trail throughout the day. Our new venue at Celebration Hall happened to work out even better than we originally thought it would. Over the course of the day, the abundant smiles on the runners’ faces as they came into the chute, under the arch, and across the finish line were quite simply magnificent to behold and spoke volumes about the ultrarunning experiences of a lifetime being created by everyone involved. Hometown boy, David Cox, blew up the 50mile course in an absolutely astonishing time of

5:56:18. Though this is not a certified course (it is actually about .25 longer), I am unaware of any faster 50-mile time in the state of Kansas right now. Hats off to David on a truly great performance. Megan Swett earned female champion honors in a time of 9:51:15. Her time on the PST 50-mile course was faster then her time on the FlatRock 50K course four weeks earlier, by nearly an hour. This, of course, speaks volumes about the difference (difficulty level) between these two courses. The men’s victory in the 50K went to Dann Fisher in a very respectable time of 4:21:11 and the 50K women’s winner was Sandra Scott, who ran an equally respectable time of 5:07:36. Honorable mention goes to all of the firsttime ultrarunners, 21 individuals in the 50-mile and 50K events combined, nearly half of our total number of finishers from both events. Dann Fisher running through the trees to the 50K win in 4:21:11

PRAIRIE SPIRIT TRAIL FALL CLASSIC OTTAWA, KANSAS | OCTOBER 26 | 50 MILES

1. David Cox, 28 2. Scott McCreight, 49 3. Jimmy Brown, 43, NE 4. Randy Phelps, 52 5. Dave Meeth, 50 6. Robert Hall, 56 7. Megan Swett, 32 8. Barry Smith, 46 9. Trevor Woods, 31 10. Mark Berry, 54, NE 11. Eric Kimlinger, 36, MO 12. Clay Zapletal, 52 13. Steve Lower, 62 14. John Schneider, 49 15. Reina Probert, 50, MO 16. Sean Hamlin, 39 17. Jim Sheldon, 52 18. Jana Phillips, 49, MO 19. Melissa Bruce, 34 20. Jared McCloe, 39 21. Erik Meyer, 39, MO

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

50 KM

1. Dann Fisher, 50 2. Dan Kuhlman, 59 3. Kevin Otoole, 34, MO 4. Dave Everhart, 36 5. John Skretta, 44, NE 6. Sandra Scott, 53, CO 7. Jenna Willbrand, 36, MO 8. Josh Mcclane, 39, MO 9. Michael Belt, 50, MO 10. Michael Pfannenstiel, 48 11. Douglas Hines, 46 12. Danny Cox, 26 13. Lee Cordell, 41, NE 14. Keven Stone, 43, OK 15. Casey Woolfolk, 28 16. Allen Levine, 47 17. Joell Chockley, 44 18. Amanda Zook, 33, MO 19. Patrick Allen, 58 20. Kelly Pfannenstiel, 50 21. Katrina Jones, 41, MO 22. Gene Dixon, 42 23. Larry Kelley, 47, IA 24. Robert- Dewar, 68, MO 25. Traci Votaw, 40 26. Vincent Ma, 44, CA 27. Mary Desch, 48 28. Brian Wing, 38, MO

1,2

5:56:18 8:32:55 8:48:07 8:55:22 9:17:22 9:34:09 9:51:15 9:51:29 10:09:12 10:14:07 10:35:40 10:42:55 11:04:31 11:06:07 11:07:01 11:33:08 11:33:10 11:37:49 11:48:58 12:39:18 12:45:36 4:21:11 4:38:47 4:53:27 4:53:28 4:53:52 5:07:36 5:11:07 5:16:55 5:17:44 5:20:45 5:51:53 5:58:15 6:00:58 6:04:02 6:07:21 6:19:51 6:22:55 6:34:21 6:34:25 6:38:51 6:38:53 6:44:03 6:45:01 7:24:34 7:26:01 7:35:35 8:02:18 8:05:38

Explore Kentucky! LBL Trail Run Land Between The Lakes

- One of the largest trail runs in the U.S. -

www.wkrc.org SATURDAY MARCH 8, 2014

See what has attracted over 4500 runners from 45 states

50-mile – Fast, rolling terrain 60K - Custom belt buckles for all ultra finishers Marathon – Great for 50 staters and those needing extra time 23K – Slightly over a half-marathon Aid stations every 2-3 miles. Chip Timing/Instant Updates Gorgeous runner-friendly course, perfect for first-timers and veterans alike. Proceeds benefit Land Between the Lakes through LBLA.

RICK MAYO / MILE 90 PHOTOGRAPHY

by Eric Steele, RD

SURF THE MURPH

50K VIRGIN VS BEE 50 TOO! On the pre-dawn morning of the last Saturday before Halloween, the Surf the Murph racers’ first challenge was attempting to recognize each other. Normally dressed up as ultrarunners, all racers usually feel relatively equally costumed. But on this day, superheroes, skeletons, flying insects, condiments and edible treats alike greeted each other without suspicion before commencing their parade of the trails at Murphy-Hanrehan Park. Surf the Murph experienced its largest field to date, including volunteer participation. The race being somewhat of a season finale in this colder climate region, the Upper Midwest trail running community continued to show their support by the record number of racers toeing the line for one last go at the trails before the snow flies. Even when the 25K reached full capacity early, many runners elected to give the 50K a go, and for some, race day would be the farthest run of their lives (e.g. Brian Durand, 50K finisher). Again this year, the volunteers were held in high esteem; even the Cat-in-the-Hat (aka Todd Rowe) seemed to be on his best behavior. All ultrarunners know that volunteers can make or break an ultra race, and for Surf the Murph, the volunteers have the reputation for far exceeding expectations. As one park policewoman impressively remarked, “Each aid station seemed

to have its own character and specialty. Some boasted loud, dance-like music and others a calmer atmosphere. And the food at some was like small hors d’oeuvres – delicious.” It was rumored that at one aid station, the two pounds of bacon one volunteer had provided only lasted for the first hour of the race. Surf the Murph has the honor of esteeming the best costumed more than the quick-footed. Several that normally dress up as trail runners at other races adjusted their costume for this showing. Some of the most notable costumes were Bee 50 Too!, Where’s Waldo?, the veiled 50K virgin dressed completely in white, and of course, a fun-lovin’ Smurf. Not to be left behind, some talented frontrunners also went home with some loot, others with bragging rights, and a few racers even left knowing they had the best time yet on the course. Eric Senseman raced to a 4:04:51 in the 50K to better that mark by almost four minutes. Meanwhile, Michael Borst topped the 50-mile in 6:46:44, breaking Eric Senseman’s 2012 record by nearly 11 minutes. However, the most impressive running of the day goes to April Cole who dominated the female division of the 50-mile to finish in 7:44:10, lowering the women’s course record by over an hour. Like previous years, runners branded their own

SURF THE MURPH | SAVAGE, MINNESOTA | OCTOBER 26 | 50 MILES

6:46:45 7:19:18 7:39:06 7:44:10 7:52:15 7:56:32 8:02:54 8:11:54 8:24:23 8:28:57 8:34:43 8:35:25 8:45:19 8:46:16 8:53:44 9:02:29 9:06:02 9:09:44 9:18:10 9:20:19 9:21:34 9:27:08 9:28:41 9:35:06 9:38:48 9:49:43 9:59:43 10:13:21 10:20:14 10:23:42 10:24:44 10:33:49 10:39:55 10:42:39 10:44:16 10:44:35 10:46:18 10:47:47 11:00:58 11:01:09 11:01:09 11:09:14 11:23:04 11:24:25

finisher awards with the distance they finished. Whether they branded a 25K, 50K, 50-mile, or DNF on their award, it was well-deserved, as this course is unforgiving in many places. Who says it’s easy running on freshly chopped marsh fields or a 45-degree incline on game trails? Oh, you’ll have time to recover on some sections of relatively flat double-track trails. How tough can it be?

3,3

45. Meredith O’Neill, 27 Erich Russell, 60 47. Kathy Weix, 64, WI 48. Stephen Manning, 45, IA 49. Mark Martinsen, 50 50. Timothy Risdal, 54 51. Ken Zylstra, 51 52. John Mordal, 44 53. Todd Reemtsma, 46 54. Timothy Bowers, 49 55. Chad Walstrom, 39 Kevin Chem, 15 57. Erik Raivo, 29 58. Maudie Jordan-Hegman, 59. Elizabeth Palmer, 29 60. Steve Hegedorn, 55 61. Randy Zellmer, 58 62. Dan Kimmel, 61

50 KM

Waldo (aka Chris Robbins) bounding up a hill on a section of the course fondly known as Smurf Village

1. Eric Senseman, 24, WI 2. Jason Bond, 38, WI 3. Eric Nordgren, 29 4. Jim Ramacier, 50 5. Chad Millner, 37 6. Stephen Tapajna, 38 7. Christopher Lofgren, 30 8. Arley Anderson, 49 9. David Hansen, 28 10. Brent Giebink, 42 11. Wendy Tseng, 35 12. Douglas Johnson, 32 13. John Hopkins, 47 14. Eric Porte, 48 15. Todd Doyle, 44 16. Grant Braasch, 39 17. Alan Eastlund, 42 18. Brian Christopherson, 37 19. Matthew Wilson, 38 20. Brian Durand, 47 21. Cosette Taylor, 39 22. Casper Hill, 47 23. Alison Fraser, 35 24. Jonathan Stacke, 33 25. Rich Tauer, 48

11:26:04 11:26:04 11:31:08 11:43:25 11:43:32 11:47:02 12:24:49 12:32:30 12:33:06 12:38:35 12:39:17 12:39:17 12:41:16 12:44:25 13:15:56 13:25:28 13:31:49 13:56:26 4:04:51 4:08:10 4:37:10 4:48:19 4:55:57 4:57:07 4:58:15 4:58:58 5:06:07 5:11:21 5:12:29 5:16:04 5:16:38 5:17:24 5:17:27 5:22:07 5:22:08 5:27:54 5:27:56 5:29:32 5:31:56 5:39:04 5:39:43 5:49:24 5:50:29

26. Paula Vicker, 48 27. Paul Hanusa, 56, SD 28. Julia Lyng, 47 29. Randal Cler, 33, ND 30. Jacob Wernersbach, 24 31. Roy Weber, 37, SD 32. James Paul Nelson III, 30 33. Erika Lohn, 41 34. Andy Lohn, 40 35. Griffin Geisler, 36 36. Darrell Landry, 37 37. Heather Schlagel, 33, ND 38. John Focke, 33 39. Mitch Ernst, 33 40. Mark Yungbauer, 46 41. Thomas Peterson, 49 42. Matt Milburn, 30 43. John Hiltner, 47 44. Mike Joseph, 29 45. Jennifer Schrandt, 37 Jennifer St.Amand, 39 Jessica Wilson, 41 48. Tyler Whitehead, 26 49. Steven Schneider, 30 Kamber Schneider, 31 51. Mike Schmitt, 36 52. Joshua Larsen, 39 53. Herb Byun, 69 54. Denise Hefferin, 31, IL 55. Ben Schwarz, 28 56. Tobin Johnson, 41 57. Faye Lopez, 31 58. Teresa Alrick, 38 59. Brianne Hamann, 25 60. Katie Wold, 25 61. Gina Lecy, 43 62. Jessica Kraker, 36, WI 63. Ray Johnson, 34, WI 64. Kent Gordon, 32 65. Michael Cowger, 24 Alex French, 24 Andrew Healy, 24 68. Wes Bradshaw, 34 69. Caroline Nusser, 44, IL 70. Linda Kobilarcsik, 50

5:54:15 5:55:19 5:57:07 5:59:02 6:05:44 6:14:06 6:18:41 6:19:24 6:19:25 6:20:22 6:21:20 6:22:26 6:23:08 6:23:09 6:23:19 6:23:43 6:23:50 6:24:36 6:25:54 6:26:26 6:26:26 6:26:26 6:27:00 6:27:58 6:27:58 6:29:18 6:32:48 6:35:21 6:35:28 6:36:10 6:36:30 6:41:47 6:44:21 6:44:22 6:44:28 6:47:26 6:47:56 6:49:10 6:49:47 6:49:50 6:49:50 6:49:50 6:56:25 6:56:37 6:57:22

71. Dan Blake, 53 6:57:23 72. Dan Salay, 25 7:00:00 73. Greg Quale, 41 7:00:56 74. Mark Bukowski, 46 7:02:33 75. Holly Dannewitz, 32, ND 7:02:53 76. Kelli Swenson, 25, WI 7:06:24 77. Tom Rowe, 65 7:09:37 78. Bart Roskoski, 42 7:12:33 79. Bill Corcoran, 40 7:12:34 80. Rachel Goeden, 29, WI 7:15:20 81. Nicole Johnson, 28, CO 7:17:31 82. Andrew Fraser, 37 7:17:52 83. Tod Bellrichard, 52 7:21:36 84. Chris Ramsey, 49 7:21:37 85. Rob Weixeldorfer, 47 7:22:29 86. Steve Gasser, 25 7:23:45 87. Anthony Kelly, 37 7:24:11 88. Kathy Lein, 49, ND 7:27:30 89. Harriet Greenlee-Herndon, 42 7:30:33 90. Paulette Odenthal, 57 7:32:08 91. Jessica Zeaske, 40 7:33:44 92. Mike Madden, 57 7:34:49 93. Chris Poferl, 53 7:35:17 94. Don Henderson, 31, ND 7:39:15 95. Sarah Peterson, 35 7:41:37 96. Wynter Anderson, 23 7:44:12 97. Robert Victorin-Vangerud, 53 7:44:39 98. Kimberly Haines, 55, IA 7:46:26 99. Ryan Yearley, 36 7:54:31 100. Darcy Stanley-Nord, 43 8:02:05 101. Dawn Montag, 31 8:08:56 102. Denise Piotrowski, 46 8:09:12 103. John York, 45 8:10:45 104. Gary Wernersbach, 55 8:28:09 105. Dennis Bauer, 49 8:34:52 106. Rick Bothwell, 52 9:05:04 107. Lisa Nicholls, 37, CO 9:13:47 108. Sally Hulbert, 56 9:13:48 109. Mary Mahoney, 47 9:18:56 110. Melissa Swanson, 33 9:18:57 111. Bryann Schlough, 41 9:25:58 112. Les Martisko, 69 9:29:23 113. Cathy Troisi, 67, NY 13:59:00

81 ULTRARUNNING.COM

1. Michael Borst, 20, WI 2. Brian Peterson, 29 3. Steven Bailey, 34 4. April Cole, 28, WI 5. Steve Nusser, 44, IL 6. Antonio Sanchez DiAz, 29 7. Martin Short, 44, ND 8. Dave Schmitz, 49, WI 9. Dominique Lasalle, 26 10. Bob Wolter, 28 11. Jeff Lanners, 30 12. Jeff Miller, 48 13. Steph Whitmore, 34, IA 14. Chuck Kriska, 44 15. Trevor Distad, 46 16. Dave Just, 53 17. Corey Jurowski, 35, WI 18. Dan Strain, 43 19. Chris Robbins, 28 20. Jason Boon, 39 21. Tom Stukel, 34 22. Aaron Buffington, 40 23. Sadie Briggs, 38 24. Jonathan Biermann, 28 25. Paul Schlagel, 43 26. Peter Konrad, 31, IA 27. Erin Warshaw, 48 28. Dave Bon, 43 29. Jimmy Beltz, 38 30. Josh Harke, 27, WI 31. Scott Folland, 43 32. Scott Burton, 34 33. Peter Hulbert, 34 34. Alex Kretchmer, 36 35. Tim Altmann, 42 36. Lawrence Wock, 40 37. David Petrich, 58 38. Jack Prentice, 42 39. Maureen Montello, 35 40. Maranda Lorraine, 28 Edward Thomas, 54, SD 42. Todd Millenacker, 35 43. Jordan Schmidt, 19 44. James Payette, 29

BRYAN COCHRAN

by Molly Cochran, co-RD

RACE REPORTS

BIG’S BACKYARD ULTRA

LAST MAN STANDING by Gary Cantrell, RD How many times in a row could you run 4.16667 miles in an hour? That was the question facing the entrants of the fourth annual Backyard Ultra. Runners from 21 states and Canada came to the starting line, and were sent on their way with the clanging of a cowbell, precisely at sunrise. In ideal weather conditions, and on a trail featuring plenty of scenery, but no extreme climbs or descents, completing the course in under an hour presented little challenge for most of the field. The catch was that the bell would ring again in exactly one hour, and anyone not there to answer the bell would be eliminated. Then it would happen again in another hour, and again, and again; hour after hour without a break, until only one runner was left. As the day wore on, the number of runners lining up each hour was noticeably dwindling. By the time the 12th round started, only 14 runners remained. Night fell during the 12th hour, and the race moved to a road out-and-back course for the next 12 hours of darkness. All night long the bell continued to ring every hour. The survivors fought hard, but one by one runners fell by the wayside. The lineup at the starting line shrank, while the number of casualties partying around the campfire grew. Only seven runners reached sunrise, and 100 miles, at the end of the 24th hour. With the return of daylight, the race moved back onto the trails. And the bell continued to ring every hour. Despite the best efforts of the remaining runners to appear unfazed, more than

BIG’S BACKYARD ULTRA BUCKLE, TENNESSEE | OCTOBER 19 | 82

37 HOURS

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

1. Tim Englund, 47 2. Keith Knipling, 37 3. Marcy Beard, 44 4. Sheryl Wheeler, 50 Jim Ball, 56 6. Mark Williams, 48 7. Tim Dines, 34 8. Henry Speir, 48 9. Mark Laveson, 29 10. Doug Seaver, 33 11. Sue Scholl, 40 12. Bill Lovett, 39 Gregory Burger, 47 14. John Beard, 49 15. Liz Bauer, 54 16. Sal Coll, 52 Case Cantrell, 31 Buddy Teaster, 49 Ben Yancy, 40 Ray Krolewicz, 58 21. Charlie Taylor, 54 Wayne McComb, 49 Thomas Skinner, 67 24. Justine Hardman, 45 Paul Braun, 42 Ed Kirk, 58

3,3

145.845 141.678 120.843 112.509 112.509 108.342 100.008 79.173 75.006 70.839 66.672 54.171 54.171 50.004 45.837 41.67 41.67 41.67 41.67 41.67 33.336 33.336 33.336 29.169 29.169 29.169

a day of hourly bells was taking a toll. By the noontime lap, only Keith Knipling of Virginia and Tim Englund of Washington were there to toe the line. With only one man left to beat, neither was willing to surrender, and the bell sounded seven more times. As they set out for the 35th hour, the question on everyone’s mind was what would happen if neither was able to make the time limit when the sun set on the 36th lap. The answer was easy. The race can only be won by the last man or woman standing. If

there were to be a tie for the most laps, there would be no winner. The question turned out to be moot, as Englund completed his lap with a few minutes to spare, and then began the wait for Knipling. Excitement grew as the hour ticked away into the final minute. When 35 hours came with no Keith, the race was over. For the second time in the last three years, this time after running 145.8 miles in 35 hours, Tim Englund was the last man standing at Big’s Backyard Ultra.

WHISTLER 50

MIYASHITA TAKES WOMEN’S WIN by Ron Adams, RD A full moon and clear night sky lit the way for runners at the start of the third annual Whistler 50 ultra. Early frosty conditions gave way to sunshine, summer-like temperatures and perfect running weather. The 2013 Whistler 50 was the host race for the ACU (Association of Canadian Ultramarathoners) 50-Mile Trail Championship. Barry Young, of Vancouver, came to race, leading right from the start. In close pursuit was veteran North Vancouver runner, Hassan LotfiPour. Young managed to maintain his lead and

win recognition as the Canadian men’s 50-Mile champion in 6:11:05. Lotfi-Pour was just seven minutes behind, bettering his personal best on the course by several minutes. In his first ultra, Whistler resident, Peter Armistead, rounded out the top three. In the women’s race, Liz Miyashita ran close to even splits to take the victory in 8:08:45. Miyashita reported that the last few kilometers were very emotional as she realized that she was about to finish her first 50-miler, only to

WHISTLER 50 | WHISTLER, BRITISH COLUMBIA | OCTOBER 19 | 50 MILES

1. Barry Young, 38 2. Hassan Lotfi-Pour, 45 3. Peter Armistead, 41 4. Dean Kettner, 48 5. Masaru Horie, 47 6. Rob Thompson, 46 7. Liz Miyashita, 29

6:11:05 6:18:48 7:34:12 7:40:26 7:49:47 7:59:39 8:08:45

8. George Thucydides, 49 9. Christopher Wilson, 50 10. Erik Johnson, 43 11. Mel Dick, 50 12. Clayton Ayres, 39 13. Vicki Mann, 46 14. Jennifer Ruland, 31, SK 15. Gary Bowden, 48, AUS

be completely overwhelmed at the finish line when she found that not only had she won the women’s race, but also the Canadian championships. Second place overall and first in the Master’s division went to Vicki Mann, of Vancouver, with Jennifer Ruland, from Saskatchewan, taking third. Whistler, British Columbia hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics. The Whistler 50 is an IAU Bronze Label 50-mile trail race held in conjunction with the Whistler 50 Relay.

2,1 8:40:34 8:44:52 8:45:21 8:46:05 8:55:34 8:57:27 8:58:45 9:18:12

16. Sabina Shana Tolean, 48 17. Shawn Aebi, 51, WA 18. Michael Barth, 23 19. Peter Schofield, 52 20. Courtenay Norton, 28, ON Ninja Cowan, 33, ON 22. Peter Roussy, 53 23. Gary Hartung, 41

9:26:35 9:28:41 9:31:59 9:36:38 9:46:13 9:46:13 9:55:12 9:55:34

24. Denise Whyte, 56, UK 25. Jon Whyte, 57, UK 26. Tracy Niemier, 51 27. Robin Levant, 43 28. Jozsef Solymosi, 53 29. Steve Dion, 52 30. Sasha Granneman, 37 31. Ron Lai, 33

10:15:16 10:15:17 10:20:08 10:20:29 10:36:44 11:07:48 11:16:14 11:45:59

RACE REPORTS

RUN WITH SCISSORS

SCISSORS AREN’T SO SCARY by Sue Angell “Be careful—don’t run with those scissors in your hand!” It’s sage advice, and something we’ve probably all heard from our mothers more than once. But for long-time ultrarunner/race director Roy Heger, it was the inspiration for one of Northeast Ohio’s most unique trail events. “Ultrarunning has nothing to do with common sense,” Heger says. “So, you run with scissors because I say so!” For its sixth year, Run With Scissors (RWS) took place at Hinckley Reservation of Cleveland MetroParks. The course included 13.1 miles of singletrack and bridle trails, park roads, hills, rocks, water crossings, and mud. And although the event has a reputation for being held in adverse weather conditions, the day of the race promised nothing short of perfect running conditions for the 225 runners who lined up to tackle the half-, full, and double-marathon distances that were offered.

Yup—that’s right. RWS offers a half-, full, and double-marathon (which means runners complete one, two or four loops). In addition to admonishing participants to run with scissors (and cut a page from books strategically placed along the course to prove you didn’t take cut the route), Heger encourages them to tackle 52.4 miles. Columbus native Amanda Mowry took Heger’s challenge and, although she wasn’t feeling it at the start, credits a combination of excellent volunteer support and encouragement from the other runners on the trail for her strong finish. Mowry even finished ahead of her projected time, running her final loop faster than her first three loops and becoming one of 43 double marathon finishers (out of the 66 who started). “I thought about dropping after the first loop,” Mowry says, “but I decided I couldn’t NOT finish. RWS never has weather that nice. Conditions were perfect!”

In addition to challenging runners to complete a double trail marathon, RWS offers participants a chance to dress up and show off their Halloween best. The Halloween theme is the brainchild of Heger’s partner in ultrarunning crime (and co-race director), Shannon Miller Fisher, who admits to harboring an obsession with the holiday. The combination of costumes and eerie morning fog seemed like a natural pairing for the event, which includes awards for the runner wearing the best costume, at each distance. Heger and Miller Fisher would like to extend a special thanks to Hugh Patton, who helped them organize the event, created and maintained the RWS website, and kept time on race day. Net proceeds from the race will be donated to the Medina County Road Runners (MCRR) Scholarship Fund, the Cleveland MetroParks, and the Brooklyn Exchange Club.

JOHN MCCARROLL

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

JOHN MCCARROLL

Kaitlyn Hoover uses her ladybug wings to float along the course

RUN WITH SCISSORS | HINCKLEY, OHIO | OCTOBER 27 | 52.4 MILES

1. Jay Smithberger, 44 2. Kevin Motsch, 40 3. Eric Norton, 39 4. David Peterman, 51 5. Patrick Moran, 38, PA 6. James Van Orman, 44 7. Greg Kearney, 44 8. Andrew Vossler, 24 9. Zach Merrin, 28 10. Stephen Zeidner, 31

8:22:03 8:22:06 8:24:41 8:39:22 8:42:53 9:01:29 9:03:31 9:05:45 9:15:54 9:21:00

Costumed runners awaiting the start

2,2

11. Seth Chin-Parker, 43 12. George Themelis, 54 13. Jonathan Bolha, 32 14. Jeannine Nicholson, 34 15. Jeremey Followay, 34 16. Michelle Bichsel, 40 17. Rick Bechtel, 49 18. Darcy Lallathin, 43 19. Terri Lemke, 53 20. Rob Lisy, 42 21. Justin Bilderback, 29

9:29:21 9:30:50 9:37:19 9:37:25 9:57:19 10:02:47 10:14:41 10:14:45 10:15:40 10:27:08 10:42:20

22. Ronald Ross, 55 23. Zach Franklin, 30 24. Rick Webb, 54 25. Roger Walker, 43 26. Jonathon Borys, 33 27. Brian Daniska, 44 28. Joseph Kiggins, 51 29. John Jones, 44 30. Marilyn Hershberger, 41 31. Billy Volchko, 23 32. Eric Espinal, 45

10:44:10 10:52:03 10:57:42 11:02:10 11:02:52 11:10:01 11:32:32 11:45:04 11:45:42 11:51:18 12:17:07

33. Tami Rhoades, 43 34. Chad Heald, 37 35. Daniel Winkle, 31 36. Zachary Gillespie, 27 37. Mark Anson, 60 38. Eric Ford, 33 39. James Brockman, 52 40. John Holland, 48, PA 41. Michael Kazar, 49 42. Amanda Mowry, 35 43. Kaitlyn Hoover, 26

12:19:58 12:39:27 12:39:28 12:43:42 12:53:40 13:18:44 13:21:46 13:31:36 13:32:31 13:43:08 13:49:33

STONE STEPS

HISTORIC AIRY by David Corfman and Andy Jones, co-RDs

BILL MANUAL

4:15:33 4:18:29 4:29:34 4:44:26 4:44:27 4:48:56 4:51:08 4:52:12 4:54:24 5:06:36 5:21:16 5:26:19 5:27:53 5:28:07 5:28:07 5:32:48 5:34:08 5:38:35 5:40:26 5:42:05

A beautiful morning I arose Coffee a-brewing I wanted to doze One eye open Eek! The other eye too It’s time to go to the zoo The Mt. Airy zoo with runners galore Crazy runners who probably snore My camelback filled with water & fuel for my fire Too bad I cannot just hire A mule, a horse, a jib! But, then I would be a liar Up, up, up the monstrous Stone Steps Four times through Phew! Over the rocks & under tree trunks Thump! Bump! Bump! Bump! A fallen tree smacks my head Gummy Bear Hill can be such a dread “Don’t complain, you signed the waiver” I guess I might as well savor The beautiful fall leaves The wind in my hair Oh, Crap! A rock! Now, that was a scare Back on my feet I travel through With screaming toes all up in my shoe Ankle Breaker Alley almost got me Oh no! Where is Tommy Lee? He must have been swallowed By the Stone Steps monster Who was hungry for speed And thirsty for Heed!

Harvey Lewis races to the finish and takes the win with three minutes to spare

STONE STEPS | CINCINNATI, OHIO | OCTOBER 27 | 1. Harvey Lewis, 37 2. Court Lilly, 36 3. Matthieu Gancedo, 28 4. Marc Teismann, 31 5. Matthew Garrod, 39 6. Keith Harris, 31 7. Aaron Kramer, 42 8. Michael Rioux, 47 9. Yoda Jedimaster, 43 10. Patrick Toon, 39 11. David Aguiar, 30 12. Ari Joffe, 33 13. Julie Cousins, 34 14. Jonathan Seeds, 34 Nancy Muir, 31 16. Matt Paxton, 39 17. John Magill, 50 18. Fabrice Suplisson, 51 19. Dave Cordas, 44 20. Mandy Rupp, 26

LOCAL ULTRARUNNER, HEATHER POAST, PENNED THIS POEM AS AN ODE TO THE RACE.

3,4

21. Andrew Ulrey, 24 22. Tom Possert, 50 23. Keith Lascelles, 52 24. Gregory Trapp, 50 25. Bob Jasinski, 45 26. Danilo Palazzo, 51 27. Ryan Erb, 35 28. Bob Brashear, 54 29. Matt Strasser, 28 30. Patrick Farrell, 48 31. Malinda Honkus, 43 32. Adam Granlee, 26 33. Marcus Whisman, 35 34. Daniel Haight, 38 Chad Lockard, 35 36. Andrew Biernat, 50 37. Jenny Baker, 32 Franklin Baker, 34 39. Jean-Paul Fort, 54 40. Joe Corso, 46 41. Mark Lamping, 43

5:42:06 5:46:29 5:52:01 5:54:52 5:58:52 6:01:42 6:03:20 6:05:18 6:07:41 6:07:58 6:10:30 6:11:13 6:11:22 6:15:00 6:15:00 6:18:34 6:20:53 6:20:53 6:22:19 6:24:25 6:25:58

Sarah Heffron, 39 43. Karen Erba, 44 44. Ken Cowen, 46 Steven Hanks, 40 46. David Holliday, 51 47. Kristin Stackpole, 40 Chris Graham, 36 49. Thomas Mays, 40 50. Derek Tinnin, 46 51. Stephen Wirick, 61 52. John Heady, 29 53. John Corey, 45 54. Mark Ellis, 57 55. Mark Calcatera, 64 56. Kate Rewwer, 41 57. John Rewwer, 41 58. Chanwol Park, 43 59. Nick Siemer, 20 60. Ed Kirk, 58 61. Michael Montgomery, 66 62. Bill Gardner, 52

6:25:58 6:30:04 6:33:44 6:33:44 6:34:37 6:37:07 6:37:07 6:42:34 6:45:29 6:47:32 6:48:01 6:51:46 6:53:28 6:55:45 6:56:02 6:56:05 6:56:51 6:58:10 6:59:00 7:00:51 7:03:03

63. Jared McFaddin, 36 64. John Esson, 42 65. Al Eder, 61 66. Eric Yeiser, 42 67. Amy Johnston-Redden, 46 Susan Purks, 46 69. Heather Poast, 32 70. Sarah Starling, 43 71. Gina Gagliano, 50 72. Geoffrey Peterson, 34 73. Brenda Worrell, 53 74. Eddie Carrigg, 48 75. Kristina Dessauer, 40 76. Ashley Huffman, 26 77. Bryan Huffman, 59 78. Joe Roche, 57 79. Juli Aistars, 55 80. Ravi Sundara, 43 Chris Meyer, 20 82. Renee Eves, 34

7:04:53 7:06:09 7:11:42 7:13:19 7:17:02 7:17:02 7:20:05 7:24:44 7:30:54 7:32:09 7:42:15 7:53:01 7:56:56 7:57:49 7:57:52 8:03:54 8:08:09 8:12:59 8:12:59 8:38:08

85 ULTRARUNNING.COM

Up, up, up the famous Stone Steps

50 KM

Two finishers of the Midwest Grand Slam of Ultrarunning were present. Stone Steps 50K was proud to honor their accomplishment with complimentary race entries, and we plan to continue that incentive. Good luck, future Midwest slammers.

Runners returned the favor, treating the course with perfect kindness. No litter was found during the sweep of the course markings! Harvey Lewis, from Cincinnati, has finished Stone Steps 50K in 12th place, third place, and three times in second-place, in the past. He finally secured the win this year with his fastest SS50K time ever: 4:15:33. Harvey also came in fourth in the Badwater 135 Ultramarathon this year. Pushing Harvey to his fast time was another local speedster, Court Lilly, who garnered second place, three minutes behind. The woman’s race was the closest in race history. Newcomer Julie Cousins raced to her first 50K finish with a win in 5:27:53. Nancy Muir was runner-up for the second year in a row, only 14 seconds back.

The 11th annual Stone Steps 50K trail race was held in historic Mount Airy Forest in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mount Airy Forest Park was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2010, recognizing its history as the nation’s first urban reforestation project, performed by the Civilian Conservation Corp in the 1930s. Now, its 1,471 acres are covered in hardwoods, evergreens, an arboretum and a disc golf course, seemingly for our running pleasure. “Pleasure” is a strong word, after the fourth time up the stone steps portion of the race... The runners were treated to well-groomed and well-marked trails cleared of blowdowns, and even a new trail that rerouted around an alwaystreacherous section. The Cincinnati Park District rushed to cut this trail and even install trail steps in time for our race. The park district receives the net proceeds from this event, with our gratitude.

RACE REPORTS

DOOR COUNTY FALL 50

WINDY! by Sean Ryan, RD

Matt Long and his dog, crossing the finish line

DOOR COUNTY FALL 50 | STURGEON BAY, WISCONSIN | OCTOBER 28 | 50 MILES

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

1. Mark Thompson, 36, IA 2. Eric Tatge, 28 3. Mark Jasper, 35, MI 4. Igor Stevic, 38 5. Carolyn Smith, 48 6. Jacob Klaustermeier, 32, IL 7. Alisha Damrow, 29 8. Kevin Kohls, 47, IL 9. Bruce Udell, 47 10. Stuart Kolb, 51 11. Jason Penticoff, 34 12. Nicholas Mayer, 26, MN 13. Dan Johanski, 57 14. Michael Quesnell, 20 15. Craig Schenck, 26 16. Ryan Bartell, 27 17. Travis Pernsteiner, 24 18. Tomasz Wilmanski, 25, IN 19. Brady Sturm, 37 20. Dean Gruber, 39 21. Mark Garrigan, 35 22. Dana Tschannen, 38, MI 23. John Phanthavong, 40, IL 24. Aaron Schneider, 35 25. David Tuttle, 36, TN 26. Jessica Lemere, 38 27. Brian Carter, 46, MI 28. Mary Gorski, 50 29. Dene Schiefer, 36, MN 30. Daphne Donald, 49, IA 31. Amy Sanborn, 49 32. John Vanrossum, 43 33. Roberto Munoz, 47, FL

5:55:44 6:07:57 6:21:41 6:25:43 6:29:36 6:33:31 6:40:44 6:42:04 6:58:12 6:59:19 7:00:21 7:06:04 7:14:32 7:18:22 7:20:22 7:21:14 7:22:00 7:27:57 7:29:18 7:49:25 7:56:56 7:58:24 8:02:59 8:04:03 8:04:19 8:10:38 8:21:08 8:21:59 8:22:55 8:25:43 8:29:12 8:30:35 8:32:13

race saying, “It’s a perfect 50 for both new and experienced ultrarunners, offering enough of a challenge to keep you honest, with great community support and a route that lives up to its billing as ‘the most scenic distance run in the Midwest.’”

34. Brian Gruender, 38 35. Eric Denn, 26, MN 36. Christine Crawford, 44 37. Lisa Matenaer, 47 38. Thao Hoang, 48 39. David Mentjes, 44 40. Phillip Falck, 50 41. Jim Hansen, 49 42. Timothy Hinze, 50, MN 43. Tamara Johnson, 49, CA 44. Paul Westmark, 26 45. Caroline Klug, 47, OR 46. Kelly Koller, 38 47. Jason Beck, 34, IL 48. Nora Morrey, 29 49. Warren Kerola, 57 50. Mark Johnsrud, 54 51. Drew Bandusky, 52, IL 52. Jackson Parr, 21, IL 53. Bill Hansel, 42 54. Andrew Steele, 25 55. Brian Peterson, 40 56. A.J. Hawley, 44, TX 57. Cesar Nava, 39, TX Erika Prieto, 36, TX Leesy McCorgary, 34, TX 60. Lenny Kersten, 48 61. Rachel Ercanbrack, 32, MN 62. Chris Lopez, 46 63. Nick Wolfe, 29 64. Joe Mcelroy, 25 65. Dustin Vande Zande, 52 66. Michelle Tanem, 45 67. Kelly Luther, 44

8:32:26 8:33:20 8:36:00 8:38:18 8:39:03 8:40:05 8:42:06 8:42:47 8:44:11 8:44:27 8:46:28 8:47:50 8:52:10 8:52:53 8:55:20 8:56:20 8:56:36 8:56:49 8:57:06 9:00:01 9:01:25 9:02:05 9:03:00 9:03:01 9:03:01 9:03:01 9:04:30 9:10:23 9:10:45 9:12:52 9:13:21 9:13:40 9:14:38 9:14:39

JON JAROSH

only person to have done so. He completed this eight-year streak in dramatic fashion by coming in sub-seven hours and winning the Supermasters (50+) division. Carolyn Smith, who has won the race three times since 2009, summarized the charm of the

JON JAROSH

Unseasonably cold, windy conditions greeted a record crowd of runners in Gills Rock for the eighth annual Door County Fall 50 on October 26th. The Fall 50 is Wisconsin’s only 50-mile road race and offers a scenic journey down the western shoreline of the Door County peninsula. Like many ultramarathons, the event has shown significant growth in recent years. Over 150 runners lined up for the race this year, a dramatic increase from the small group of 25 who participated in the inaugural run back in 2006. Two veteran champions—Mark Thompson of Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Carolyn Smith of Fox Point, Wisconsin—won the men’s and women’s races once again this year. Thompson described the conditions as “fantastic, cool weather with a strong sidewind that never really affected us except in the small coastal towns.” Thompson ran with other runners until mile 40. At that point, a new section of the certified course sends runners up a bluff, climbing almost two hundred feet in just under half a mile. Thompson took full advantage of the hill to drop the last runner who was with him and never looked back. He knocked out some fast miles toward the end and even clocked a 6:00/ mile pace during the final mile. Notably, Stuart Kolb maintained his streak of having finished every Fall 50 and is now the

Runners southbound in Wisconsin’s only 50-mile road race

3,1 68. Ariel Lafleur, 32, MI 69. Justin Roethle, 26 70. Jodi Jalowitz, 37 71. Terry Coffey, 52, MN 72. Nelson Soken, 49, MN 73. Lauren Schmidt, 32 74. Kurt Neumann, 39 75. Dave Taylor, 37 76. Paul Kile, 44, MN 77. Sergei Klimov, 28 78. Adam Lofquist, 27 Aaron Hunnel, 28 80. Brian Disterhaft, 31 81. Christopher McVey, 30 82. Colin Miller, 45, CO 83. Alison Mcdole, 30 84. Mike Seiler, 43 85. Chad Meyerhoff, 39, IA Kimberly Sparks, 36, IA 87. Mark Kohls, 53 88. Hollie Joanis, 40, CO Steven Joanis, 46, CO 90. Mathew Dabson, 38 91. Kirk Wiley, 48, MI 92. Kevin Croninger, 29 93. Tait Waege, 40 94. Scott Pearson, 46 95. Tracy Bigari, 41 96. Amy Ross, 44 97. Eileen Howe, 50, IL 98. Paul Garcia, 39, IL 99. Heather Brown, 28, MN 100. Courtney Shipman, 27, IN 101. Cean Elliott, 40, OH

9:17:51 9:21:53 9:21:59 9:25:09 9:26:43 9:27:25 9:36:46 9:37:21 9:37:41 9:38:05 9:38:45 9:38:45 9:39:18 9:41:05 9:43:40 9:44:41 9:45:18 9:45:59 9:45:59 9:47:18 9:48:14 9:48:14 9:49:04 9:51:45 9:52:05 9:52:57 9:52:59 9:54:19 9:54:20 9:54:35 9:54:38 9:58:21 9:59:28 10:05:05

102. Steve Nesmith, 54 103. Suzette Schermacher, 45 104. Chris Rowley, 51, TX 105. Kim Franzen, 36 106. Lee Leeser, 37, IA Alex Montz, 42, IA 108. Renee Montz, 42, IA 109. Larry Czarnecki, 46 110. Jeremy Knaus, 40 111. Chuck Ploof, 56, MI 112. George Nelsen, 58, VA 113. Rebecca Nelsen, 27, VA 114. Michael Dejong, 43 115. Brian Maneikis, 30 116. William Losch, 41 117. Randy Timmerman, 53, IA 118. David Yonda, 55, IA 119. Phil Gillett, 48 120. Neil Kuhn, 35, DC 121. Dan Otte, 56 122. Tracey Gessner, 35 Rochelle Van Hart, 35 124. Clem George, 45, MN 125. Amy Eckert, 50, MI Larry Erlandson, 64, MI 127. Sam Zeller, 63, IL 128. Megan De Lena, 51, PA 129. Jeremiah Johnson, 29, IL 130. Paul Johnson, 52 131. Gregory Perkins, 25, IL 132. Brett Foley, 26

10:12:21 10:12:49 10:20:18 10:21:32 10:21:58 10:21:58 10:22:00 10:22:23 10:22:26 10:23:01 10:24:59 10:25:00 10:26:19 10:27:59 10:30:58 10:31:06 10:31:07 10:35:58 10:36:14 10:36:32 10:37:17 10:37:17 10:37:55 10:38:48 10:38:48 10:39:53 10:40:12 10:50:19 10:51:12 10:54:16 10:56:53

STONE CAT

SUCK IT UP AND RUN The Stone Cat really didn’t need his Red Sox jersey this year, as 2013 turned out to be the warmest year ever with temps hitting the high 60s. It was a great day for spectators and volunteers but a bit warmer than many runners were expecting. Many recall the snowstorm year in 2004. Again we had a dark start at 6:15 a.m. and sent the runners off to the sound of bagpipes. The dark start and lots of leaves on the course hid the rocks and roots. A few people were wearing some blood and favoring turned ankles, as well as multiple bee stings, by the end of the day. That’s what makes a trail race fun - new ways to hurt oneself. Most obeyed my sympathetic exhortations to “Just suck it up and run.” Stone Cat 13 was a lucky number for Sebastien Roulier of Sherbrooke, Quebec. Sebastien finished second in 2011 and third in 2012. This year he led every loop to the win, while setting a new course record of 6:10:55. Josh Katzman finished second in 6:24:23, while Matthew McKenna finished third in 7:22:00. On the women’s side, Larisa Dannis, placed first in 7:37:04, Elena Makovskaya repeated her second place from the year before, this time in 8:34:17, and in third place was Patricia Carreiro, in a time of 8:56:22. Aliza Lapierre, who holds the women’s current 50-mile course record, elected to run the fun run distance (marathon) this year and now owns that women’s course record as well with a finishing time of 3:16:15. Barb Sorrell and Ken Gulliver are the only runners to have finished every Stone Cat and this year kept the streak alive. Barb has now completed 12 at the 50-mile distance, only dropping down to the marathon during the snow year. Ken has seven 50-mile finishes to go with six fun-run finishes. Rich Busa finished the marathon again at the age of 84. And the Washman himself, Jeff Washburn, returned again to walk

a loop of the race he founded. Two loops down. Two more years and he will get a finisher’s jacket. A special shout out goes to my fellow Nova Scotian, Jodi Isenor, for bringing a record crew of Maritimers down to race this year. However, some of my fellow Stone Catters are urging a ban on them next year if a large shipment of beer and bacon is not received in time for the holidays. The Stone Cat has become one of the most popular trail races in New Running on air - Lauren Desautels, Alison Cleary, and Jennifer Sorrell England and this may have been the best Stone Cat ever, with even more enthusias- and charming the runners all day at the finish, tic compliments from the runners for the well- Matt Drury for the best marked course ever, Ray marked course, the great aid stations, the musi- Mount and the Stone Cat Jug Band, my wife Nancy and neighbor Jay Stanbury for the bagcians, and the cool swag. But the biggest compliments were for the out- pipes, Norm Sheppard for the timing, Melanie standing volunteers. Stone Cat is built on the Haber for running registration, fielding all the strength of its many volunteers, all seasoned vet- emails, and handing out the finisher’s gear, Suerans of the trails. Thanks to our many friends san Fortin and Randy Wetzel for making sure the from Gil’s Athletic Club and around New Eng- aid stations were well supplied, Chris Pierce for land who gave their time to make this race hap- handling the parking, Jim (Gilly) Gilford for all of pen. Special thanks to Al Catalano and Fred his help and support, and last but not least my Messina for again running the aid stations in co-RD Chris Pulick for all of his hard work over the woods, Gary Alexander for flipping burgers the many months leading up to the race.

50 MILES

1. Sebastien Roulier, 39, QC 2. Josh Katzman, 33 3. Matthew McKenna, 28, NY 4. Brandon Baker, 26, NH 5. Jeff Ingalls, 42 6. David Herr, 48, VT 7. Paul Young, 48 8. Larisa Dannis, 26, NH 9. Jason Bui, 33 10. Jerimy Arnold, 32 11. Sean McDonough, 30 12. Daniel Gulas, 36 13. Dima Feinhaus, 50 14. Ryan O’Dell, 28, NY 15. Bernie Doucet, 46, NB 16. Rowly Brucken, 45, VT 17. Andy Novis, 50 18. Robijn Hage, 42 19. Elena Makovskaya, 33, NJ 20. Bruno Hache, 43, NB 21. Mark Brown, 38 22. Ernesto Burden, 43, NH 23. Patricia Carriero, 35 24. Bob Cattan, 43, ME 25. Douglas Donovan, 43, NV

6:10:55 6:24:23 7:22:00 7:24:46 7:31:16 7:32:14 7:35:47 7:37:04 7:41:55 7:52:45 8:01:21 8:07:30 8:08:55 8:10:46 8:14:47 8:25:51 8:26:19 8:27:19 8:34:17 8:47:48 8:52:17 8:52:55 8:56:22 8:57:11 8:57:45

26. Joe Fubel, 42 27. Sheila Boyle, 47 28. Colin Busby, 29, NS 29. Andrew Titus, 43, NB 30. Meghan Lytton, 45 31. Jennifer Sorrell, 50, VT 32. Steve Mitchell, 40, ME 33. Travis Gervais, 38, VT 34. Scott Jackson, 47 35. Sean Case, 44, ME 36. Lauren Desautels, 26 37. Michael McKechnie, 38 38. Charles Williams, 43 39. Wendy Andre, 43 40. Danielle Triffitt, 38, ME 41. Jillian Madison, 44 42. David Anastasi, 35 43. Richard Lally, 30 44. Andrew McLaughlin, 59 45. Michael Saitow, 41 46. Charles Leonard, 58, NY 47. Tim Horan, 40 48. Anthony Tieuli, 40 49. Kristin Lundy, 43, VT 50. Richard Loud, 48, NY 51. James Provenzano, 49

9:00:54 9:07:15 9:10:12 9:10:13 9:11:27 9:19:43 9:19:59 9:20:49 9:21:17 9:22:18 9:23:11 9:23:40 9:24:37 9:24:59 9:25:06 9:27:19 9:28:37 9:30:32 9:31:18 9:32:49 9:32:54 9:39:38 9:39:53 9:40:06 9:40:25 9:41:21

2,3 52. Marie Donovan, 35, NV 53. Robert Perednia, 30 54. Anthony Portera, 42, NY 55. John Marino, 40 56. Kristy Burns, 39 57. Alison Cleary, 28, RI 58. Stephen Taylor, 44 59. Anthony Bell, 31, NS 60. Jenny Hoffman, 35 61. Jim Demeritt, 46 62. Richard Benoit, 45, NH 63. Marshall Lovelette, 34 64. Troy Johnston, 42, NB 65. Blair Mann, 39, NB 66. David Souza, 38 67. Steve Murray, 50 David Dobrindt, 42 69. Gary Hebert, 48, CT 70. Chris Risko, 44 71. Carolyn Shreck, 41, NH 72. Fred Peterson, 47, NH 73. Kent Wosepka, 43 74. Adam Allie, 33, SC 75. Jennifer Merriam, 44, NH 76. Adena Schutzberg, 49 77. David Smydra, 34

9:41:27 9:43:18 9:43:19 9:44:38 9:45:55 9:48:43 9:50:06 9:50:39 9:54:54 9:57:24 10:04:14 10:07:31 10:09:56 10:11:16 10:15:58 10:18:37 10:18:37 10:19:27 10:21:38 10:22:00 10:24:49 10:27:05 10:28:39 10:28:54 10:29:11 10:29:26

78. Will Danecki, 63, CT 79. Jason Como, 38 80. Nate McBride, 40 81. James Russo, 57, NY 82. Christopher Agbay, 36 83. Jason Bacon, 43, RI Kristen Kercher, 43, NH 85. Yancy Lent, 41 86. Joe Lane, 48 87. Tim Dunham, 45 88. Glen Cooper, 47 89. Craig Murray, 39 90. John Peabody, 58, RI 91. Thomas Ellis, 47, NH 92. Mark Siegmund, 49, ME 93. Dietmar Bago, 45 94. Bob Warren, 53 95. Kenny Rogers, 59 96. Philip Markovich, 51, CT 97. Ryan Couto, 28 98. Jennifer Shultis, 45, OR 99. Christine Reynolds, 43, NY 100. David Moser, 45, IA 101. Mike Soucy, 42 102. Andrew Macginnitie, 48 103. Tania McNamara, 41, NS

10:31:32 10:32:49 10:38:10 10:42:38 10:42:54 10:43:37 10:43:37 10:50:05 10:52:07 10:53:26 10:53:41 10:54:13 10:58:00 10:59:30 10:59:34 11:03:59 11:07:34 11:08:03 11:08:56 11:09:16 11:09:55 11:12:30 11:13:17 11:15:56 11:16:45 11:20:12

87 ULTRARUNNING.COM

STONE CAT TRAIL RACES | IPSWICH, MASSACHUSETTS | NOVEMBER 2 |

FARNORTHENDURANCE.COM

Marty Sullivan, co-RD

RACE REPORTS

104. Chad McNamara, 41, NS 105. Zona Sharfman, 36 Susan Bourque, 38 107. Katya Divari, 51 108. Mark Bilbe, 38 109. Michael Condella, 26 110. Josh Butler, 37 111. Scott Jamieson, 52 112. Jocelyn Falls, 42, NY 113. Lauren Reid, 53 114. Cesar Hernandez, 27 115. Nathan Cockrell, 31, NY 116. Robin Mancinelli, 52, PA 117. Jim Porter, 53, NY 118. Alena Stevens, 42, CT 119. Gail Martin, 48 120. David Martin, 53 121. Brian Roderick, 44, NH 122. Maria Chevalier, 38, RI 123. Peter Copelas, 53 124. Sam Smart, 50 125. Raymond Zirblis, 59, VT 126. Barbara Sorrell, 56, NY 127. Carin Zinter, 40 128. Christina Healey, 36 129. Robert Campbell, 41 130. Brenda Morris, 47 131. Ken Gulliver, 49 132. Deb Peak, 38 133. Steve Feeley, 58 134. James Girmindl, 57, NY

37.5 MILES

1. Chad Denning, 38, NH 2. Mike Kirk, 41 3. Kate Stone, 29, NH 4. John Lee, 60 5. David McDermott, 59, ME 6. Jim Lisius, 58, ME 7. Larry Hanson, 59 8. Kevin Zelechoski, 37, UT 9. Henry Sacco, 44 10. Mary Brundage, 39, NH 11. Crystal St Hilaire, 32, NH 12. Theresa Berna, 44, NH 13. Michael Casini, 32 14. Paul Fiori, 60, NH 15. Mary Lou White, 58, CT

11:20:13 11:20:54 11:20:54 11:21:54 11:23:58 11:25:08 11:27:56 11:28:44 11:29:53 11:32:21 11:39:17 11:39:50 11:45:22 11:50:41 11:56:33 11:56:39 11:56:41 11:57:52 11:59:43 12:02:07 12:02:25 12:02:42 12:02:43 12:03:55 12:11:15 12:19:26 12:21:52 12:25:15 12:42:02 12:42:04 12:43:07 5:12:54 6:30:33 7:52:46 8:05:26 8:14:44 8:21:14 8:51:56 8:58:37 9:03:01 9:03:45 9:07:36 9:23:03 9:45:58 9:59:00 10:07:11

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BILLS’ BAD ASS

THE BADDER THE BETTER

Mike Erhardt splashes through a cold stream during his second loop

Shirt Company, Playing with Knives and Fire, and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park help reduce expenses while still providing a great experience and fun for the runners. Maybe Jason Howland stated it best on his Facebook post, “What a great day to be on the trails, and it’s always so great to see so many friends, old and new! I’ll say it again, we have an amazing running community, so to the Bills I say, THANK YOU for allowing us to have such a great venue to meet, run fast, run slow, eat, drink, laugh, cry, and push our limits.” The overall winners were Jim Mann in 4:52 and Laurie Colon in 5:08. Laurie was third overall and the first woman. As long time ultra distance runner Dan Bellinger put it so eloquently on Facebook, “Tara Schweitzer and Brad Polman are the real deals!” They are the only runners to have com-

pleted all five BBA50K ultra runs. True Badasses.” It was very possible that the fifth annual Bills’ BadAss 50K could have been cancelled or rescheduled due to the government shutdown that closed our national park. As runners, we have to be thankful there was a time when vision and the good of the people were key aspects of our government. It was a time when John Frederick Seiberling, Jr. from Ohio was in Congress and helped establish what later became the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. That was 1974 and his vision allows us to run these trails today. We should never take his hard work for granted. Writer and historian Wallace Stegner called national parks “the best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst.” Even the Bills agree.

BILLS‘ BAD ASS | CUYAHOGA VALLEY, OHIO | NOVEMBER 9 | 50 KM

1. Jim Mann, 46 2. George Themelis, 54 3. Laurie Colon, 36 4. Brad Polman, 46 5. Michael Schaffer, 52 6. Jason Howland, 44 7. Vagn Steen, 57 Bill Daubner, 41 Jay Rasch, 24 10. Jamie Atkinson, 39 11. Adam Knabe, 31 12. Michael Moran, 44 13. Jeannine Nicholson, 34 Bob Pokorny, 50 15. Christina Pennington, 32 16. Joan Cottrill, 51 17. John Delcalzo, 26 18. Andrew Gordon, 44

4:52:00 5:02:00 5:08:00 5:18:00 5:37:00 5:40:00 5:45:00 5:45:00 5:45:00 5:48:00 5:51:00 5:54:00 5:55:00 5:55:00 5:56:00 6:00:00 6:07:00 6:08:00

MARK SHELTON

Suzanne Pokorny still smiling on her second of six loops

4,5

19. Adam Peterson, 31, PA 20. Ilona Westfall, 31 21. Katie Peterson, 31, PA Steve Pierce, 48 23. Chris Karpowicz, 44 24. Mark Humphrey, 50 Brian Turk, 28 26. Mac Mahaffee, 45 27. Kimberly Durst Wheeler, 30 28. Michael Bitecofer, 57 Bill Gillespie, 54 30. Erin Petit Lewis, 35 Fred Schneider, 32 Ted Betz, 46 33. Paul Lefelhocz, 44 34. Mark Pancake, 41 35. Renee Watson, 47 36. Allison Machnicki, 23, PA Elizabeth Kelley, 43

6:09:00 6:12:00 6:14:00 6:14:00 6:16:00 6:18:00 6:18:00 6:27:00 6:29:00 6:30:00 6:30:00 6:35:00 6:35:00 6:35:00 6:36:00 6:40:00 6:42:00 6:43:00 6:43:00

38. Chris Thomas, 42 39. Jim Brockman, 52 40. Laurie Rehbergar, 45 Laura Nusbaum, 39 42. Mike Erhardt, 53 43. Steve Berman, 46 44. Jason Stevens, 39 45. Diana Morris, 39 46. Michael Semick, 40 47. Dawn Drasner, 47 48. Joseph Kiggins, 51 Cathy Faye, 35 Ron Demyan, 58 51. Caitlyn Shaughnessy, 21 Michele Fortuna, 47 Mike Shaughnessy, 46 54. Doug Herrmann, 39 55. Bob Drake, 57 56. Christen McFarland, 32

6:44:00 6:45:00 6:46:00 6:46:00 6:48:00 6:52:00 6:55:00 6:58:00 7:02:00 7:08:00 7:27:00 7:27:00 7:27:00 7:32:00 7:32:00 7:32:00 7:37:00 7:43:00 7:47:00

John Warner, 32 58. Joseph Amberik, 38 59. Kristin Anderson, 68 60. Tara Schweitzer, 38 61. Thea Wheeling, 57, PA 62. Angie Wirick, 43 63. Kim Debenedictis, 47 64. Suzanne Pokorny, 47 Suzanne Stadford, 44 66. Margie Kost, 48 67. Mikaila Burns, 34 Daniel Bellinger, 66 69. Sue Angell, 39 70. Tap Knupke, 44 71. Zach McCardel, 32 72. Gale Connor, 54 73. Melissa Looney, 40

7:47:00 7:48:00 7:49:00 7:52:00 7:55:00 7:56:00 8:03:00 8:06:00 8:06:00 8:23:00 9:19:00 9:19:00 9:40:00 9:57:00 10:35:00 10:55:00 10:56:00

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Weather can be a variable at any race, and the Bills elevate it to a major issue at their Bills’ BadAss 50K. They spitefully and maliciously spend all year telling the running community they want very bad November weather for their race. “The badder the better.” Runners get a little nervous because early November weather in Northeast Ohio can be really mean. For the fifth annual Bills’ BadAss 50K, the weather was great. The sun came out, the temperature rose to 50 degrees and the trails were remarkably dry and mud-less. Local ultrarunners Chef Bill Bailey and Wild Bill Wagner (The Bills) apparently even brought in Reverend Gary Nave, the pastor from the nondenominational Church in the Valley, to help pray for rain and snow. Pastor Gary only offered the pre-race prayer for the safety and success of the runners. The Church in the Valley allows runners to use its parking lot for the race, and donations to the church were accepted graciously. The Bills use a bullhorn to make announcements, engage in conversations, think out loud and hassle the runners. The bullhorn is always on. It has become an integral part of the race, which starts near the Everett Covered Bridge in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The Bills selected two of the most challenging trail systems in the park. They asked runners to do six five-mile loops on the trails before running up a hugely nasty steep incline to secure a Bit-O-Honey candy bar. The runners run back down the hill to the finish line and Chef Bill continually yells through the bullhorn (which both Bills did quite often), “Show us your candy!” Each runner then presents the Bit-O-Honey to secure the coveted BILLS’ BADASS finisher’s shirt, a dog tags finisher’s medal and a BBA50K sticker. A total of 99 runners came to the starting line, 76 finished. The overall philosophy of the race directors, beyond their stated desire to inflict pain, do mischief and cause harm, is to keep the race free for the participants. Generous supporters like Girls with Sole, Cleveland West Road Runners Club, Pricing Empowerment, Sweet Little Things Cupcakes, The Church in the Valley, Wild Bill

MARK SHELTON

by Mark Shelton, with Celeste Wagner

RACE REPORTS

OLD GLORY TRAIL TROT

THE VETERAN AND THE PRODIGY by Zane Holscher, RD The morning of November 17 started out at 50 degrees and a heavy blanket of fog hung thick in the air. Taking place on the grounds of the Old Glory Legacy Foundation, a horse farm designed as a retreat for military families, the Foundation’s horses stood attentively at the start line as the 50-mile runners broke out at 5:00 a.m. into the dense air. From all accounts, the early running was fast and furious, so much so that the night, fog, pace, and an unfamiliar course, caused the pack to run the loop at the far end of the course twice before returning to what should have been the 10-mile aid station. The 50K runners departed in the dark at 6:00 a.m. but were soon greeted by the rising sun, which helped them navigate the pine forest course. Due to the extra running by the 50-milers and faster pace of the 50K runners, the lead 50mile runners and lead 50K runners came in from the second lap (20 miles) at nearly the same time.

The top nine 50-mile runners were within 11 minutes of each other and the top four 50K runners were within 10 minutes of each other. The 30mile check once again saw six 50-mile runners bunched within 10 minutes, many departing the aid station on each other’s heels. By this time it became clear that the “small” stream crossings had turned into one giant mudhole as runners were coming in covered with mud and scrapes from their encounters in the forest. In the final 50K lap, 17-year-old running prodigy Mitchell Dudley opened up an impressive 14-minute lead on the field and won the overall title. Gina Beasley brought home the massive wood and horseshoe trophy for the women. Longtime ultra-speedster Mark Godale not only took third place behind Joey Schrichte’s mohawk, but also notched his 100th ultra run. At the 40-mile point the 50-mile race was really heating up. Ultra legend Connie Gardner

OLD GLORY TRAIL TROT | ABERDEEN, NORTH CAROLINA | NOVEMBER 17 | 50 MILES

1. Connie Gardner, 50, OH 2. Craig Cooper, 48, SC 3. Gareth Ewing, 28 4. Fred Arnette, 44, SC 5. Genno Cline, 41 6. Seth Williams, 27 7. Cassandra Chouinard, 36

10:09:31 10:12:07 10:31:02 10:34:33 10:54:10 11:02:08 11:07:57

8. Bryan Staffey, 35 9. Neil Demarse, 38 10. Josh Robertson, 33 11. Rob Mitchell, 49 12. Airborne Shellback, 39 13. Howard Matthews, 39, VA 14. John Culver, 39

11:19:37 11:30:58 11:52:38 11:52:39 12:16:25 12:46:05 13:16:18

entered and left the aid station within seconds of the talented Craig Cooper. It was clear that Connie was shooting for the overall win and Craig was ready to battle. Just behind them, three more runners came and departed in a very tight group to make a challenge as well. Connie emerged from the forest first, flanked by her daughter Gwen, to cross the line in just over 10 hours. Craig followed three minutes later to claim the men’s title. Craig’s GPS told the story of the day well, showing over 57 miles logged. Connie’s words told the rest, “This was one the toughest races I have run this year. Due to the stream crossings, sand, the double loop at the beginning, and probably too much racing on my part. But the runners on the course, all the new people I met, the post-race party, and the atmosphere at the end more than made up for my struggles out on the course.”

2,3 50 KM

1. Mitchell Dudley, 17 2. Joey Schrichte, 26, GA 3. Mike Godale, 43 4. Francis Seiler, 28 5. Daniel Knoll, 27, PA 6. Graham Gulley, 39 7. Gina Beasley, 25

4:43:05 4:57:37 5:06:09 5:07:13 5:13:04 5:22:09 5:31:24

Jonathan Beasley, 25 9. Keenan Arodak, 26 10. Trevor Hall, 46 11. Josh Brady, 28 12. Tim Harris, 47 13. Peter Viola, 44 14. Kelly Buckner, 27 15. Alan Needle, 28

5:31:24 5:38:24 5:41:32 5:46:31 5:48:32 5:50:55 5:51:01 5:55:57

100 & 50 Mile Ultra Races Featuring Honorary Speaker Ultrarunning Legend

David Horton

• Custom Buckles to ALL Finishers of Either Event • Pre and Post Race Meals • Complimentary Photos • Limited to 200 Participants • Epic Finish Line EpicUltras.com

Saturday, March 29, 2014 Ottawa, Kansas PrairieSpirit100.com

First Leg of the Brand New for 2014

Kansas Grand Slam KansasGrandSlam.com

16. Charles Johnson, 44 17. Fred Dummar, 44 18. Steve West, 30 19. Nick Dew, 36 20. Tim Weiss, 55 21. Andrew Dougherty, 30 22. Matthew Cox, 34

6:04:18 6:05:51 6:18:44 6:25:57 6:28:39 6:29:13 6:29:54

Overall 50-mile winner, Connie Gardner, squishes through the mud

23. Derek Oliver, 38 24. Sean Deruntz, 46 25. Donald Dees, 51 26. Sarah Gadbois, 33 27. Jeff Hutchins, 43 28. Kelly McCall, 38 29. Nathaniel Titus, 31

DRTE 100

JACQUELINE HURD

CHAD RANDOLPH

JACQUELINE HURD

Eventual 50K winner, Mitchell Dudley, and Josh Brady in the heat of the battle

6:31:06 6:38:36 6:56:47 6:58:52 7:00:22 7:02:52 7:02:53

Andrew Dougherty and Charles Johnson enjoying the leaf-covered trail

Steve Dahl, 56 31. Stephen Lieberum, 40 32. Susan Dummar, 47 33. Susan Moschos, 41 34. Jeff Kane, 40, SC 35. Leland Young, 54 36. Thomas Miller, 47

7:02:53 7:08:42 7:10:47 7:13:03 7:22:23 7:23:54 7:23:57

37. Shane McKinnon, 51, GA 38. Joyce Ong, 63, VA 39. Michaela Koessler, 29, SC 40. Donnajean Pohlman, 63, ME 41. Ronald Paquette, 72, ME 42. Jacqueline Ong, 52, VA 43. Dee Jacobs, 53

Dirt Roads Trails Endurance

100 Mile and 100k Ultra-Marathons FRIDAY MAY 30th - SUNDAY JUNE 1st, 2014 SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA ...The course could not have been more awe inspiring, brutal, and humbling, all in one. It is an experience I will never forget. Simply great! –Christopher Wehan, 31, Santa Cruz CA 2013 DRTE 100 First Place Male - 22:55:30 ...The race was my first 100 mile ultra, and turned out to be one of the most grueling and yet most rewarding events that ever occurred in my life. It set a very high standard, by which I have since judged all events. –Tammy Adams, 29, Denver CO 2013 DRTE 100 First Place Female - 33:28:16

DRTE100.COM

8:05:06 8:21:56 8:38:40 8:51:00 8:51:04 9:06:31 9:07:26

THE ULTRA LIFE

THE ROCKET by Steve Tursi editor’s note: Steve Tursi sent this piece to me years ago after a particularly difficult Miwok 100K. I don’t have Steve’s current email, but The Rocket, aka Errol Jones, co-race director of The Bear 100, is going to be writing for UltraRunning magazine on a regular basis and I could not imagine a better introduction of Errol than Mr. Tursi’s.

I’ve heard of the Rocket. I heard of him the day I met him, the day he introduced himself to me. When I had the opportunity to run Miwok last year, I arrived at Highway 1 turnaround behind the cutoff and knew that meant taking a ride back. Problem was, none the volunteers there were heading south, so I had to wait for someone to come pick up the supplies. So they left (or maybe they didn’t; I don’t remember) and I waited. Meanwhile, two (maybe three) other runners showed up at that aid station. We were all in need of a ride back. Up comes this U-Haul truck and the fellow that jumped out looked at us. He was obliged to transport supplies, and not expecting to be giving rides to back-of-the-packers who fell behind cutoffs. He also was not going back to Rodeo Beach, but rather to the next aid station. Not only that, but the U-Haul had a bench seat designed for three people, and there we were - three people (maybe four), plus him - four (maybe five) in total. I didn’t envy the position we put him in, but he took it all in stride. We considered the various options we had before us: packing it into the cab, or putting a few of us into the back of the truck without restraints. It was a genuine puzzle, but because of this guy - this U-Haul-drivin’ volunteer, we found it fun rather than stressful. After we assisted with loading the truck, we all packed into the tiny cab and went on our way.

As we ascended the 40-minute, steep windy road up the mountain to the next aid station packed tightly in a truck probably not suitable for such a road even in ideal circumstances, a less confident driver might have made us occupants nervous. But this fellow, not only did he stay in complete control of the truck as we sped around the curves, he did so jokingly and kept us considerably entertained. Talked about how long he had been around, all the people he knew, all the races he had run, and whatever else he wanted to talk about. We laughed, we smiled, and we genuinely enjoyed ourselves. And that ride up to that next aid station went by far too quickly. You see, even by ultrarunner standards, I’m rather fat and slow. Fat and slow people probably don’t have any business running ultras, as we often time out. This was thus not the first time I’d timed out of an event. I am actually rather experienced with the art and science of timing out. I feel like I’ve done it enough to know the good, the bad and the ugly of it. I think the ugliest part about timing out is the ride back, and the ugliest part of the ride back is the disappointment of my fellow runners who also timed out. People sometimes take themselves very seriously. The ride back is often characterized by people who mope around, feeling sorry for themselves, acting as though they’ve just failed the exam that meant graduating university or dropping out. I was like that my first DNF, and probably my second. It’s not pretty, it’s not dignified, and it’s not nice to be around.

But the fellow who drove that U-Haul truck didn’t give the opportunity to let that attitude rise. After we solved the puzzle, we sat uncomfortably packed into that U-Haul cab but discomfort was not what we felt. We felt warm friendship and good times, as though we were having a beer around a bonfire in somebody’s back yard. He took three or four potentially depressed people, and lifted our spirits to the point that we had forgotten the circumstances that brought us together. He was genuinely the perfect person to pick us up, even though it wasn’t his job to do so. I don’t have to tell you that the person who picked us up was The Rocket. I don’t think he even ever gave us his real name. “I’m The Rocket. Everybody calls me that.” I haven’t seen, heard of, or talked about him since - until today. But I do vividly remember my time meeting The Rocket and often wonder how he’s doing.

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Trevor Johannsen blazing to victory at Lake Perry Rocks!

ULTRARUNNING.COM

TYSON HOFSOMMER

WESTERN N

STATES

100-MILE ENDURANC ENDURANCE RUN

41ST ANNUAL RUN: JUNE 28 - 29, 2014 • PRESENTED BY:

JOE MCCLADDIE PHOTO

1000 Volunteer Hours Logged in American Fire Burn Area

In over two weeks and through five full trail days we have accomplished an amazing amount of Western States Trail (WST) rehabilitation in the American Fire burn area. This has been done through the leadership of the United States Forest Service (USFS), Tahoe National Forest/American River District and with our partner, the Western States Trail Foundation (WSTF). 94 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

The primary goals were to provide erosion prevention on the trail and to provide long-lasting trail work features that not only stabilize the trail, but also keep its historic integrity. Additionally the USFS has received Burn Area Relief Fund dollars to be applied to sections of the WST that have been impacted. One item that needs rehabilitation is the Swinging Bridge, which has sustained structural damage (metal and wood). Funding for the bridge will come through a federal grant. The target for having the bridge back online is fall of 2014. The WSER foundation deeply thanks our trail volunteers, the USFS and the WSTF for their efforts.

www.WSER.org

Race Director: Craig Thornley, RD@WSER.org

Congratulations Zach Bitter for closing out 2013 with a new 12 hour World Record (101.66 miles) and a new North American 100 Mile Record (11H:47M:21S) at Desert Solstice along with the fastest 50 miler (5H:12M:36S) by a North American in 32 years at Chicago Lakefront 50 Mile!

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zachbitterrunning.blogspot.com

Photo: Michael Miller

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014