UltraRunning Magazine Jan/Feb 2016

Winter Legwear & Shoe Reviews / 2015 Ultra Stats / Early Season Training / Setting Goals

JAN/FEB 2016

A ULTR R E S

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Ellen Hatch grabbing a kiss at the 11,300 foot summit of Mt. Taylor before heading back down to finish off this classic 50k in New Mexico. [

Travis Hatcher]

this issue special section

ultracoach

ultrageek

ultraraces

26 Year in Review

by Tropical John Medinger

10 ASK ANN How to Approach Winter Months

by Ann Trason 11 ULTRA-LIFE BALANCE Run Faster to Run Further

by Ellie Greenwood 12 FROM THE COACH An Experiment of One

by Ian Sharman 14 NUTRITION Ultrarunner Fueling

by Sarah Koszyk 16 ULTRA FORM AND EFFICIENCY UROY Superheroes

by Joe Uhan

18 VIEW FROM THE OPEN ROAD Faster

by Gary Cantrell 19 RUNNING WISE Early Season Training

by Gary Dudney 20 THE VOICE OF THE SPORT Father and Son

by John Trent 23 ULTRARUNNING SCIENCE The Science of Ultrarunning

by Matt Laye 24 THE ULTRA MINDSET Get Better in 2016

by Travis Macy

59 Sierra Crest 50k

28 Interviews with the 2015 Ultrarunners of the Year 30 Performances of the Year 32 2015 Stats Roundup

features 45 UltraRunning Race Series Standings 46 Javelina Jundred 52 Canyon de Chelly 56 Tussey Mountainback 80 Shoe Review

by Stephen Wassather & Brett Rivers

ultralife

83 Running Legwear Review

by Donald Buraglio ON THE COVER: Men’s Ultrarunner of the Year David Laney of Ashland, Oregon, cruising to a win at the Chuckanut 50k in March. [

Glenn Tachiyama]

60 The Bear Chase 62 Blues Cruise 64 Door County Fall 50 66 Kansas Fall Ultra Extravaganza 68 Mt. Taylor 50k 70 Rockin’ Rockwoods Ultra Run 72 Surf the Murph 74 Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd 76 Rio Del Lago INTERNATIONAL SCENE

78 Ultrarunning News from Around the Globe

89 ONE STEP BEYOND What Makes a Champion?

by Dean Karnazes 90 REESE’S PIECES Solo Hundo

by Cory Reese 92 ROCKET RANTS Shelf Life

by Errol “Rocket” Jones

UltraRunning (ISSN 0744-3609), Volume 35, Issue 8. ©2016 by UltraRunning, all rights reserved. UltraRunning is a trademark of UltraRunning Media Group, LLC. © 2016 UltraRunning Media Group, LLC. UltraRunning is published 10 times a year, monthly except for combined Jan/Feb and May/June issues by UltraRunning, P.O. Box 9, Fairfax, CA, 94930. Periodicals postage paid at Portland, OR, and additional mailing offices. SUBSCRIPTION Rates for one year (10 issues): US $3999 per year; CAN/Mexico $7499 per year (US funds); outside North America $8999 per year (US funds). POSTMASTER Send address changes to UltraRunning, P.O. Box 9, Fairfax, CA 94930. Disclaimer: Although ultrarunning is a wonderful activity that we fully encourage as part of a vigorous and healthy lifestyle, the activities described in UltraRunning magazine can entail significant health risks, including significant injury or death. Do not engage in ultrarunning unless you are knowledgeable about all the risks and assume full responsibility for them. Use of and reliance upon the information contained in this magazine and on its website and other digital platforms, is at your own risk. The information, recommendations and opinions of our writers and advertisers reflects their views, and is not necessarily the opinion or view of the magazine or its ownership. UltraRunning Media Group makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained herein or in its other media, and further disclaims any responsibility for injuries or death incurred by any person engaging in ultrarunning or relying upon content contained herein.

THE LONG VIEW

Late last year, I was pacing the leader of a 100-mile race when we went off course at mile 75. I had joined her at mile 68 and she was naturally tired and feeling a lot of fatigue and pain, but she was still cruising in the twilight about 12 hours into the race. She was no longer focused on just securing the win – she was now after a PR and the course record of just under 19 hours, something she had trained extremely hard for in the prior months.

She was about 15 minutes ahead of these goals when she yelled back to me at the aid station where I was chatting with the volunteers, “Come on Karl, we gotta go.”

I caught up to her in the now pitch darkness. She was transitioning into the last phase of the race, with a long downhill ahead of her, and I could tell she was getting her first whiffs of the barn. She surged around a corner and accelerated into the downhill.

I scurried to catch up to her and remember saying something like, “Wow, that turn was not very well marked and there aren’t even confidence ribbons here.” It was an out-andback course, and she was certain that this was the way.

After another five minutes of fast downhill pavement, during which I coached her to run faster as the best way to protect her aching quads, she said: “This doesn’t seem right; it’s too steep and there are no marks on the road this time.” I saw old white arrows on the pavement, and used those to encourage her to keep going. I needed time to think and push back the waves of panic suddenly

coursing through my gut. She stopped abruptly and we went back about 500 yards, before I convinced her that surely this was the right way. And so back down into the darkness we plunged.

We got to the bottom, about a mile and a half off course, before I finally admitted that we were off course and turned around – with the steepest uphill of the race now facing us, and Erika’s PR and course record goals off the table. And probably first place, too.

I was devastated for her and so angry with myself for letting this happen. The rage was building inside me as we started hiking back up in dark silence. I was about to unleash a torrent of venom, when Erika said something like: “Oh well, these things happen, and I just need to learn from this. And heck, we get to spend more time together out here.” I was floored, and awed, by her attitude.

She was right, and I felt blessed to be there with her. As the uphill hiking continued on and on, Erika did get sad and shed a few tears, but she never went negative or blamed anyone else, not even me, her pacer, whose most essential duty and role is to keep his runner on the course.

When I wasn’t berating myself, I realized how fortunate I was to bear witness to her awesome show of character and strength. I realized then, in the clearest way ever, how truly fortunate I am to be in her life.

We got back onto the course and Erika took off down the real trail. She dug deep into those places that you only go when you are racing the last miles of a 100. She pushed

John Medinger

Attitude

her hardest for every step until crossing the finish line, first woman in 19:24.

Attitude is so powerful, and it is something that we all control. It drives us to work hard and train for big goals. It allows us to dig deep and overcome huge challenges and pain.

And it’s the best resource for overcoming the disappointments that inevitably come into all of our lives.

A strong and positive attitude is something that all ultrarunners have, especially Ultrarunners of the Year David Laney and Magdalena Boulet. Learn more about them, and the Performances of the Year, starting on page 26. Tropical John Medinger’s UROY column is the best ever this year.

Also in this issue, we introduce four wonderful new columnists – John Trent, Travis Macy, Cory Reese and Matt Laye.

Don’t miss our two great gear reviews – one to get you into the right pair of shoes and our running legwear review to keep you warm and comfortable through the winter and spring months.

This issue provides great winter-time reading as you make plans and commence your training for a great year ahead. May your every run be a great one.

Submissions Articles, race reports and results, humor and photos should be submitted via email to erikal@ultrarunning.com. Unsolicited material is welcome, and will be used as space permits. Photo submissions are very welcome. Photographs should be available in high-resolution files (at least 1Mb, over 3MB is better). Please label each photograph with: name of race/runners’ names/photographer’s name. Photos that depict effort, emotion, particularly unusual or difficult terrain, or scenic courses, are especially welcome. Of course, the runners are the most important feature of an ultra, so remember to include them in scenic pictures, too! See ultrarunning.com for more guidelines regarding race reports.

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Erika Lindland P. O. Box 9 Fairfax, CA 94930 ultrarunning.com SUBSCRIPTIONS subscriptions@ultrarunning.com UltraRunning Magazine P. O. Box 9 Fairfax, CA 94930 attn: Carol King ADVERTISING karlh@ultrarunning.com

DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL CONTENT AND OPERATIONS MANAGER Cory Smith ART DIRECTOR Lisa Smith SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER Carol King COPY EDITORS Ruby Arbogast, Susan Bush

PUBLISHER Karl Hoagland

EDITORS EMERITUS Peter Gagarin, Fred Pilon, Stan Wagon, Don Allison, Tia Bodington

EDITOR karlh@ultrarunning.com

DIRECTOR OF IT Ted Knudsen

COLUMNISTS Zach Adams, Donald Buraglio, Gary Cantrell, Gary Dudney, Ellie Greenwood, Errol Jones, Dean Karnazes, Sarah Koszyk, Matt Laye, Travis Macy, John Medinger, Cory Reese, Brett Rivers, Ian Sharman, Ann Trason, John Trent, Joe Uhan CONTRIBUTORS Jodi Weiss, Glen Redpath, Mike Casper, Ambrose Tuscano, Zach Violett, Chris Boyack, Michael Heimes, Sean Ryan, Kristi Mayo, Jake and Alisha Edmiston, Tim Storck, Molly Cochran, Judy Jennings

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Geoff Baker Photography, Enduro Photo, Keith Facchino, Tanner Johnson, Michigan Bluff Photography, Glenn Tachiyama, Matt Trappe, Mile 90 Photography PHOTOGRAPHERS Travis Hatcher, John Medinger, Ken Schuh, Ultra Race Photos, Alexis Berg/GrandTrail, Chad Riley, iRunFar.com/Bryon Powell, Katherine Hawkins, Ron Heerkens Jr. Photography, Criss Furman, Melissa Ruse, Ron French, Laura Bradley, Mark Nadell, RunningGuru.com, Jim Blandford, Ann Scholl, Travis Hatcher, Bryan Cochran, Gary Dudney, Keith Facchino, Judy Jennings, Keith Facchino

PRINTING AND CIRCULATION Journal Graphics, Portland, Oregon

T ICK TOCK I T ’S T I M E .

It’s time to put 50km or a couple of days on the calendar.

Time to run doubt into the ground.

Time to tear down your ego and build up your determination.

Time to go distances that would make a giant’s legs tremble.

It ’s time for the VANQUISH 2 – our lightest, max-cushioned shoe yet. hokaoneone.com

NEWS & NOTES

RECORDS FALL AT SOLSTICE

an age-group World Record for 50k, besting the longstanding mark by 36 seconds in 3:34:35, a pace of 6:55 per mile.

Unfortunately, Desert Solstice occurred one week later this year, missing the December 14th deadline to be included in 2015 UROY voting, but these great performances will surely be recognized in the 2016 voting.

California’s Caitlin Smith finished in sixth in 3:32, but the US women’s team was unable to post three finishers, which is required for team scoring.

NEW QUAD DIPSEA RECORD

IAU 50K WORLD CHAMPS

The Rut, Power of Four and Flagstaff round out the five ultras in the Skyrunning Series.

Director of the US Skyrunner Series, Ian Sharman, comments: “A lot of people work very hard to provide truly excellent Skyrunning events in a style that is rare in the US since most existing races are on easier trails without off-piste, high alpine running. We’re here to bridge that gap and offer something new and exciting for the running community.”

TNF 50 MILE CHAMPIONSHIP Zack Bitter enjoying some early miles on the track with Joe Fejes in tow. [

John Catts]

Tony Migliozzi breaks the tape at the 2015 IAU 50k World Championships.

Mark Richtman digging deep to set the World Record on a Track 50k for the 60-year-old age group. [ John Catts]

At the Desert Solstice on December 19, 29-year old Zach Bitter broke his own record for 100 miles on a track by running 11 hours and 40 minutes, roughly 8 minutes faster than his time at this event in 2013. Along the way, Bitter also broke the American Open Track record for 100k held by the legendary Bernd Heinrich since 1985, when he crossed the 100k barrier in 6 hours and 58 minutes, two minutes ahead of Heinrich's long-standing mark.

Fellow California resident and sixty-year-old Mark Richtman set

On December 4 in 80-degree heat in Doha, Qatar, Tony Migliozzi of Louisville, Ohio, won the 50k in a sizzling fast 2 hours and 52 minutes, the sixth fastest time in US history. In his debut ultramarathon, the 26-year-old Migliozzi took the lead at mile 26 and then surged to the win. Migliozzi, a former track and cross-country star at Malone University, averaged a 5 minute and 32 second pace for the 50k. Migliozzi holds a marathon PR of 2:17 and will be competing at the US Olympic Marathon Trials in Los Angeles on February 13, 2016.

The US team was rounded out with Jesse Davis in fifth at 2:59 and Geoff Burns in 10th with a time of 3:06, which earned the US men’s team a silver medal.

In the women’s 50k Camille Herron posted another big win on a large stage, winning in a time of 3:20. Herron was fourfor-four in Championship races in 2016, and is scheduled to compete in her first trail ultramarathon at the Lake Sonoma 50 miler on April 9, 2016. Oakland,

Alex Varner cruises at the Quad Dipsea. [

John Medinger]

On November 28th in Mill Valley, California, local resident Alex Varner broke Dave Mackey’s record in its 33rd running.

Mackey’s 3:48 in 2013 set the standard at this long-standing classic ultra, but the 29-year-old Varner trained vigorously on the course all fall and had a race for the ages, finishing in 3:41. At an average of nearly 55 minutes for each of the race’s four legs, Varner’s record appears safe for at least the next several years.

In a style that is becoming commonplace for him, Zach Miller set a fierce pace at the start of the grueling North Face 50 mile in the hilly Marin Headlands, north of San Francisco, and he never took his foot off the gas. The 27-year-old Colorado resident held off Dylan Bowman (6:20) and Ryan Bak (6:26), taking the win in 6:12. Fellow Coloradan Megan Kimmel, last year’s runner-up to Magdalena Boulet, took the women’s win in 7:13. Ellie Greenwood and Larisa Danis rounded out the women’s podium in 7:23 and 7:25, respectively.

Colorado’s Megan Kimmel celebrating a huge win at the North Face 50.

2016 US SKYRUNNER SERIES

The US Skyrunner Series and its $40,000 prize purse has added a new race to its 2016 schedule – the Broken Arrow 50k in the Lake Tahoe area at Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows ski areas. Broken Arrow is scheduled for June 18th, headlining a week of mountain activities leading up to the start of Western States 100 on June 25, 2016. Also new in 2016 is Franklin Mountains Trail Run in Texas, which along with

[

Ken Schuh, Ultra Race Photos]

NEW BOOK MOEHL

Ultrarunners have a great new resource – Running Your First Ultra, by long-time ultrarunner, coach and race director, Krissy Moehl. The winner of 55 ultras and ambassador of the sport, Krissy shares her experiences and gives tons of practical advice in this comprehensive guideline to running one’s first 50k, 50-mile, or 100-mile race.

SOUND OFF. WE WELCOME YOUR LETTERS—EMAIL KARLH@ULTRARUNNING.COM. IF WE PRINT YOURS, WE’LL SEND YOU AN ULTRARUNNING STICKER.

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JAN/FEB 2016

INTRODUCING

SPECIAL EDITION SOCKS

MADE IN USA

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SPEEDGOAT Sock Karl Meltzer TM

Karl Meltzer, aka Speedgoat, is the winner of 37 one hundred mile ultra races. The Speedgoat 50k Race is considered to be among the toughest in the world with an insane 11,800 feet of vertical climb tucked into 50 kilometers. For the first time, this coveted sock is available to those not participating in this epic event. Drymax and Karl worked together to develop the new Drymax Speedgoat Lite Trail Mini Crew sock for your own adventure.

ELLIE Sock Ellie Greenwood Ellie holds the course record for the Western States 100 Mile Endurance run shattering the previous mark in an incredible time of 16:47:18. Ellie went on to win the 2014 Comrades Marathon in South Africa and was named 2011, 2012 and 2014 North American Female Ultra Runner of the Year. Ellie worked with Drymax to engineer her perfect sock for most events, the ELLIE Lite Trail Mini Crew Running Sock.

SAGE Runner Sock Sage Canaday M.U.T. (Mountain Ultra Trail) Runner Sage Canaday burst on the ultra running scene dominating races such as the White River 50, Lake Sonoma 50, Speedgoat 50k, Tarawera 100k, and North Face 50. Drymax worked with Sage to create his ideal sock.

The new SAGE Runner sock incorporates the already amazing Drymax technology mated with targeted Friction Free PTFE fibers in just the impact points of the sock.

TEAM RWB Sock Drymax is proud to introduce the TEAM RWB Trail Running Sock. A portion of the proceeds of each sock sale will be used to sponsor the annual TEAM RWB Trail Running Camp. The camp helps veterans reintegrate and reconnect with civilian life. It’s a camp to showcase community, compassion and the connectivity of all of us.

Drymax is the Official Sock of: Speedgoat 50k . Hellgate 100k . Lake Sonoma 50 Squamish 50k . Cascade Crest 100 . Grand Mesa 100 Telluride Mountain Run . UD Dirty 30

TECHNOLOGIES

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ULTR ACOACH

Ask Ann

How to Approach Winter Months

BY ANN TRASON

DEAR ANN,

At this time of year, how did you go about planning your races and schedule for the upcoming year? Also, how did you approach these winter months? I’m getting stir-crazy and want to be out there, racing long out on the trails, right now. How do you approach and handle this?

—Luke DEAR LUKE,

Decide on your key goal for the upcoming year. For me, sometimes it was a race I loved like WS100, a combination of races like Comrades and WS100 or a challenging series of races like the Grand Slam. I based all of my training and other races on achieving my key goal.

I also always reviewed my previous year’s races. Ultras are all about learning from experiences. What did I do right? What did I do wrong? What did I need to work on?

I picked early races that worked on weaknesses – Way Too Cool was not the optimal course for me, but it was great for working on improving my ability to cruise at high speed on rolling terrain. Sometimes I ran a spring marathon like Napa or Big Sur. Marathons are a race of truth. Find that sustainable level of discomfort and hold it.

I would sign up for early-season 50 milers as part of my buildup. I knew I was not in optimum shape to run them fast, but that was not my goal. Sometimes I wanted to work on things I needed to improve: uphill walking. Aid station efficiency. Recovering from a bad stretch. Other times I wanted to try something new: How would my body (and mind) respond if I went out harder or slower? If I walked or ran more than usual on steep uphills? Still other times I just wanted a day where I could have no goals, just let myself run free.

“New Year, New Gear” was always my motto for the turn of the calendar.

Those dreary days in January and February were also the time for crosstraining. I developed core routines for myself that were as tough as any training run, and a lot more beneficial than another long, cold slog in the rain. I joined a gym so I could do spin classes. Lots of runners profit from focusing on other outdoor (or indoor!) activities in the winter months. If you live in snow country, try snowshoeing or cross-country skiing for a fun way to build aerobic capacity and strength. Even spending the weekend downhill skiing instead of running can have benefits: that burning feeling in your quads

can help build the muscle strength you’ll need for your downhill running. No snow?

Try some biking: road, mountain, gravel grinders, even cyclocross are off-season fun sports. For a really good workout, when was the last time you signed up for a yoga class?

Yes, guys, it’s not just for us women. Try it for a few months, and you’ll be surprised how much easier it is to float over the rocky trails this spring.

I liked to pick a destination race – someplace new that I’d never been to before. The races were at the optimum time of year for my best performance, but I didn’t care. My goal was to combine a vacation adventure with a good solid training run and a chance to meet new runners.

I also used the winter as the time to let my body heal. We all find ourselves nursing little aches and pains. Backing off on the intensity, distance, or number of days run each week can be difficult – especially for those of us whose bodies and minds crave exercise as much as food and sleep. But letting the body and mind refresh for a few weeks can pay off big time when fit and fresh the following summer.

So, Luke, do what I did: do some reflecting and goal setting, but then use the winter months to heal, build a strong foundation and refresh the mind with some new sports and new types of adventures. Let it be the other runners who go stir-crazy and overtrain and over-race all winter. Don’t worry, this summer you’ll find yourself crazy fast at your goal race!

And I’d love to hear from you and all my other readers what you’re doing for crosstraining.

Ann Trason is a 14-time women’s champion at Western States 100, and holds World Records at the 50-mile (5:40:18 in 1991), 100K (7:00:47, 1995), 12-Hour (91 miles 1312 yards, 1991) and 100-mile (13:47:42, 1991). Ann coaches middle school cross country and supports others’ ultrarunning achievements by race directing, coaching, volunteering, pacing and crewing at ultras throughout the Western US.

YOUR TURN. SEND YOUR QUESTION TO ASKANN@ULTRARUNNING.COM. IF WE PUBLISH YOUR QUESTION, WE’LL SEND YOU AN ULTRARUNNING MAGAZINE STICKER.

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JAN/FEB 2016

ULTR ACOACH

Ultra-Life Balance

Run Faster to Run Further

BY ELLIE GREENWOOD Ultrarunning is, by definition, running or racing for a distance further than 26.2 miles. There are a myriad of reasons why many of us gravitate towards a sport that celebrates endurance and being out on the trail for the long haul. Maybe you tried shorter races first and simply grew bored of them. Maybe you enjoy the mental challenge that comes with being out on the road or trail for so long. Or maybe you love ultrarunning for its ability to take you further into the back country, or higher up a mountain, than would be possible if you restricted yourself to running shorter distances.

However, I often find that many folks jump so wholeheartedly into the ethos of ultrarunning that they abandon shorter races and shorter, more intense workouts entirely. They become so wrapped up in long weekend adventures and which 100-mile race is next (or first) on their list, that they no longer even consider short, speedy run sessions. To me this is unfortunate, and in some ways a mistake.

After all, it is still possible to call yourself an ultrarunner and yet run fast interval workouts each week, or once in a while hop into a local 10k or cross country race.

The obvious reason to incorporate speed sessions or short races into your training is to get, and stay, fast – a motivating goal for many of us. You might not be bothered about trying to podium at a race, but maybe you hope to place in your age group. With ultras becoming increasingly competitive each year, you are only going to achieve that goal if you put in the fast work in training. Even if you have no time goals at all in an ultra and simply enter events in order to explore new trails, be part of the community and challenge yourself, there are always time cutoffs at races.

For this reason, even for my coaching clients whose only aim is to reach the finish line and have fun, I incorporate speed work into their training, as a race is far more enjoyable if you aren’t worried about missing cutoffs. The faster you are, the more relaxed you can be and the more you can enjoy your racing experience, as you can run well within your capabilities during a race, stop and enjoy the views and still finish with time to spare.

So what sort of training sessions would I suggest if you’re looking to get faster? First, there’s no obligation to go to a track and run in circles. If that appeals, then go for it, but so long as you find a traffic-free, uninterrupted area to do speed sessions, that’s fine. It can even be on a trail (though non-technical trail is better as you do not want your speed to be limited by the terrain). Importantly, every higher intensity run workout should start and end with at least a 10- to 15-minute easy paced jog.

There are endless speed workout options, but one of my favorite workouts is 6 x 1k with diminishing rest (5 minutes, then 4, 3, 2 and finally just 1 minute). This might seem like “just” 6k (4 miles) of running, but I can tell you, if you push yourself hard, that final 1k rep is very tough! Or I might try hill repeats – maybe a 2- to 4-minute hard effort up a moderate incline, repeated 6 to 8 times, with a very easy jog back to the base of the hill for recovery between each one.

You might also want to consider tempo style workouts. These are where you aim to run just below your aerobic threshold. Tempo runs can range in distance, but are generally in the 4- to 10-mile range.

Tempo runs provide a different challenge from shorter interval workouts, as the aim is to hold an even, yet challenging, pace for a sustained period. It is worth pointing out that a 10-mile tempo is not necessarily better than a 4-mile tempo. Start short and each week add a mile as you build fitness.

So whilst your enduring passion might remain heading off up a mountain trail for 30 to 100 miles (or more), it can be really beneficial to your enjoyment and speed over long distances if you put in a short, hard session at least once a week. And who knows, maybe you will find out, like I did last fall, that you really start to enjoy these sessions, and before you know it, find yourself on the starting line of a 10k road race. Whilst I’ll never be a 10k road convert, it’s fun to try a different challenge once in a while and get a good quick race that will help your ultrarunning speed.

Ellie Greenwood ran her first ever ultra on January 1, 2004, at a Fat Ass 50k event in Vancouver, BC. She was immediately hooked on trail and ultrarunning, and has managed to make it to the finish line of over 50 ultras and marathons to date. Supported by several sponsors including Salomon and Clif Bar, Ellie balances her own training and racing with coaching runners of all abilities online for Sharman Ultra. Ellie’s racing highlights include a course record win at Western States in 2012, a first place finish at South Africa’s Comrades 89k, winning the IAU World 100k Championships in 2014 and a victory at Les Templiers in 2015.

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ULTR ACOACH

From the Coach

An Experiment of One

BY IAN SHARMAN I wrote about mileage in my October 2015 UltraRunning article (“Piles of Miles”), and it got me thinking about how ultra training is particularly specific to the individual and the target event. This applies much more so than for shorter races that are more uniform in distance, terrain and other factors. It got me thinking about how all training is about taking advantage of existing knowledge and research, yet also each of us is an “experiment of one,” as running guru, Dr. George Sheehan, used to say. As we start a new year, it’s good to examine what changes each of us can make that could lead to a better season and more enjoyment, plus what we might want to test out in training.

I’ve been running for 10 years and have personally tested a lot

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of approaches regarding types of training, mileage, nutrition, hydration and many other elements of race preparation.

However, it’s impossible to duplicate more than a small fraction of that for another individual. I’m always increasing my knowledge with the latest research, but I know that the devil is in the details of the application of that information.

There’s no perfect quantity of mileage or any other element within running. There are many different paths to running success and satisfaction, however we choose to define that. Nobody will ever find a universal training plan that’s optimal for more than one person at one event, and even then it would need to be adjusted along the way depending on things that happen

JAN/FEB 2016

in that person’s life and how his or her body responds to workouts.

Also, what may have worked for an individual five years ago may not be appropriate anymore. So we’re constantly evaluating new concepts and information, checking what works best for us and what doesn’t.

A LONG-TERM EXPERIMENT This variation between individuals is one of the most fascinating aspects of running and exercise. It’s also why it’s so exciting to coach runners and to constantly experiment with new concepts on myself.

Many changes to training affect short-term targets like the next race, but what about what works for each of us in a more enduring context? I believe the most pressing issue amongst ultrarunners currently is the relatively short peak in performance, often falling off sharply, that seems to be an almost universal rule in the sport. Is some degree of overtraining to blame, possibly in the form of overtraining syndrome (“OTS”)?

Are we therefore causing longterm damage to our bodies and – here’s the part that makes us really care right now – will this hinder our future enjoyment of running?

Like most people, I intend to continue running for many decades and only to drop the level of that running by the minimum amount that aging will allow.

However, the odds are low unless I do something differently from the mainstream.

Perhaps that means fewer big races each year, a smaller overall running workload (a combination of volume and intensity), a more effective or longer off-season or something else. Perhaps it’s as simple as being more effective at listening to the body to avoid over-reaching.

I intend to continue my experiment of one

to see what’s possible, and so will use elements from each of the ideas mentioned in the last paragraph. Hopefully science and technology will help refine things over time to make it easier to judge, but ultimately I intend to do less so that I can do more.

Less exercise workload across a full year, less racing (but still quite frankly a lot!) and more nuanced adjustments to both, all with the aim of enjoying running for many decades. It doesn’t mean that I won’t take risks, just that I won’t feel the unbearable urge to train or race against what my body’s feedback suggests, based on continuing refinement from experience from my ongoing study.

So is there something you should change or refine with your running? Is something not working, are you regularly injured or have you plateaued?

It’s important to ask oneself these deeper questions from time to time to continue learning with each of our own experiments of one.

Ian Sharman is an ultrarunning coach with USATF and NASM certifications and is sponsored by Altra, Julbo, Clif Bar and others.

Some of his career highlights include setting the record for the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning, winning the Leadville Trail 100 and six consecutive top-10 finishes at Western States 100.

His 100-mile PR is the fastest trail time run in North America: 12:44.

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ULTR ACOACH

Nutrition

Ultrarunner Fueling

BY SARAH KOSZYK, MA, RDN You’re running 50k, 100k or even 100 a strategy that works and stick with it, espemiles. You definitely need a fueling plan cially before races. Most ultras begin at an to give your body the necessary energy to inappropriately early hour of the morning reach the finish line. Proper nutrition and and a large and/or heavy meal the night hydration are extremely important to an before may not have enough time to digest. ultrarunner’s success. Therefore, knowing Go for a larger lunch then a smaller and the basics of what type of fuel you need, how earlier dinner the day before races.” much, when to take it and what works for you During runs, there is no “one size fits all” is important in your overall triumph. equation. In the beginning of the run, you’ll need carbohydrates for fuel. After running Let’s get started with understanding the basics of fueling. Carbohydrates are our for about three to four hours, your body will primary energy source. They are essentially also need some protein in addition to the an ultrarunner’s best friend and are neces- carbs. This is when listening to what your sary in order to maintain energy levels and body is asking for is important. Krar notes, provide fuel during physical performance. “Fuel early and fuel often. While not imposProtein is important for muscle repair and sible, it’s so difficult to recover from a bonk recovery in addition to assisting with the mid-race and certainly allows for little to no uptake of carbohydrates, which are used to chance of running to your potential. Practice replenish depleted energy stores. in training what you plan to execute in a race.

Before an endurance run, which is consid- However, if things get desperate during a ered 90 minutes or more, consuming about race and you’re not able to follow your prede0.5 to 1 gram of carbohydrates per pound of termined plan, don’t be afraid to find your body weight about one to two hours pre-run calories from anything your stomach can is recommended by the American College of handle, like chips, Coke or M&Ms. Anything Sports Medicine. This is an optimal number is better than nothing at all.” and it doesn’t mean you should stuff your Blende also reminds us about the face with food to reach it. Just like you train importance of hydration during an ultra. your body to run, train your body with food. “Hydration is super important, but every Start off small and work your way up. You individual is different. Drink to your thirst. may never reach the maximum recommen- Drinking the same amount every hour may not be a good idea” since weather and dation, and that is OK. Sunny Blende, MS, Sports Nutritionist, temperature can change. You need to modify former UR nutrition columnist and fellow your liquid intake, reports Blende. ultrarunner, states, “One of the best tips Recovery time! You’ve completed your I like to share with ultrarunners is to eat ultra! Both Blende and Krar follow the your biggest meal two days before the race. guidelines of quickly refueling within 15 to This gives you a full day of rest to hydrate 30 minutes post-run to optimize your muscle and process all those calories. Pre-race, fill repair and replenish your lost glycogen stores. up with more liquid meals. Hearty soups, Blende informs us that “the best ratio is 1:3 smoothies and protein drinks can fit into or 4 servings of protein to carbohydrates.” this plan and they take less time to digest so Blende also reminds us that “you may feel as to be ‘fuel in your muscles’ instead of ‘gut like celebrating after a good effort or bombs in your stomach’ as the gun goes off.” race. But first, rehyRob Krar, 2014 and 2015 Western States drate, refuel and Champion and athlete for The North Face, then have that adds, “Find beer. Alcohol

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does not help our muscles refuel and sugar alcohol cannot be used for energy. If you are coming off an injury, or hurt yourself during the run, you may want to abstain altogether as alcohol will delay healing and add to swelling.”

The best course of action is to think about your fueling plan before your race and set up a tentative schedule. Decide what you will eat before, during and after. Include the timing of the meals and snacks, too. The plan may not work out 100% once you are on the run. Nevertheless, having an idea of what you’ll eat at what times can help you execute it as best as possible. Remember: never try anything new the day of the event!

Only stick to what you have been training with to prevent any unnecessary gut distress and discomfort. Practice what you know and go with that. Stay energized!

Sarah Koszyk, MA, RDN, is a Bay Areabased Registered Dietitian specializing in sports nutrition and weight management.

Sarah has helped hundreds of endurance athletes properly fuel for their events, including ultrarunning, Ironman, triathlons and more. Connect with her at SarahKoszyk.com.

* Just wear a jacket if it’s cold

Coconut Cardamom Overnight Oats

BY STEPHANIE HOWE 1 SERVING // PREP TIME: 2-3 MINUTES // RECIPE PROFILE: VEGAN, RAW

1 – 1 ½ cup coconut milk (not unsweetened) 2 – 3 tablespoons chia seeds ½ cup rolled oats 1 banana, cut into slices ¹/³ – ½ cup Greek yogurt ½ teaspoon ground cardamom ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon hemp hearts 1 tablespoon pepitas 1 tablespoon cashew nut butter, drizzled on top In a small bowl combine coconut milk, chia seeds, oats, banana, cardamom, and cinnamon. Stir together until well combined. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, mix in yogurt, and hemp hearts. Top with pepitas and drizzle with cashew nut butter. Sprinkle with a dash of cinnamon if desired.

—Find more of Stephanie’s recipes at her blog, stephaniemariehowe.blogspot.com.

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ULTR ACOACH

Ultra Form and Efficiency

UROY Superheroes

BY JOE UHAN ROB KRAR

Superpowers: strength, aerobic power, execution.

MAGDALENA BOULET

Superpowers: foot speed, turnover, aerobic power.

These are purely observations, not hard biomechanical or medical facts.

Rob Krar is strong. His strength-to-weight ratio is among the very best in ultrarunning, with small but explosive hips, and powerful-but-compact arms – obvious holdovers from his middle-distance track days, which continue to power him to otherworldly ultra finishes.

Moreover, he may have the biggest lungs in the sport, his barrel chest resembling the shape – and power – of a steam engine. Ultrarunning coach Ian Torrance, who lives and trains near Krar in Flagstaff, Arizona, calls Krar “a beast.” But to Torrance, that’s not his true strength. It’s his brain: “Rob runs with purpose. He’s very good at training for the specificity he’ll experience on race day. Every run has a reason and puts him one step closer to the winner’s circle.”

Kryptonite: foot strength.

It’s hard to pick on Rob, but if his arms and legs are Superman, his feet are Clark Kent. Strong, “elite feet” point straight ahead, land whole foot and push straight behind. And while his turnover is fantastic, Krar’s feet 16

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tend to point outward, and lack a full, max-powered extension.

A toe-out gait can be helpful on rugged trail, but a strong straight-back push-off is crucial to maximize hip drive and forward trunk lean. This may be why, on occasion, when fatigued, Krar tends to “stand up” in his stride. Recouping his fleet feet from his track days could make Krar’s climbing and closing speed even more deadly.

Myles Smythe/Michigan Bluff Photography

*

Posture tall-but-forward trunk, from head to tailbone.

Hips compact, up-and-down knee drive with a strong, straight push-off behind.

Arms compact forward and back, swinging equally from the hip to chest.

Footstrike a foot that lands nearly beneath the body, regardless of heel or toe.

Symmetry a stride where body segments are balanced, and moving and contacting the ground equally.

This provides a simple but instructive framework for stride efficiency.

Let’s now take a closer look at a few of the top runners, with help from some other expert coaches.*

GrandTrail

This year’s Ultrarunners of the Year (UROY) and Performances of the Year candidates are no different than in years past. They represent our fastest and toughest athletes in the sport: our superheroes. And like superheroes, what makes them intriguing is that, like the rest of us, they have weaknesses.

Their kryptonite.

Throughout 2016, we will break down the fundamentals of efficient running mechanics, and how the demands of the ultra distance impact how we run. But to kick things off, we will break down the strengths and weaknesses – the superpowers and kryptonite – of this year’s stars.

As a coach and clinician, when I evaluate running mechanics, I look at five primary areas:

Magdalena Boulet entered the sport in late 2013 with a nearly unsurpassed resume as an Olympic marathoner. Her 2:26 PR ranks among the best men in ultrarunning. Early wins at Marin’s North Face 50-mile in 2013 and the Cayuga Trails 50 in upstate New York in 2014 quelled some doubts about her ability to parlay her road talent to trails. Then, like many ultra converts, she was drawn to the granddaddy: Western States.

Boulet recruited the help of 100-mile ace Ian Sharman to be an advisor to her Western States preparations. Sharman, who shared several training runs this past spring with Boulet, wasn’t at a loss for words in describing

ELLIE GREENWOOD AND STEPHANIE HOWE

Glenn Tachiyama

Superpowers: foot speed, hip strength, aerobic power.

Stephanie Howe and Ellie Greenwood have a lot in common.

pain on that left side. Howe and Greenwood both have subtle but visible over-stride patterns on the left, which may be perpetuating injury stress. Stride imbalances can be pesky to treat because a unilateral leg injury often has its roots in the opposite leg.

Addressing right-sided foot and hip weakness may be the key to launching both Howe and Greenwood back to the top of the UROY ballots in 2016.

MAX KING

Superpowers: hip power, efficiency at all disciplines, strength-toweight ratio, core-driven running.

Tanner Johnson

Both are northern outdoorswomen (Greenwood, Scotland; Howe, Minnesota) who grew up as hikers and skiers, yet reluctant early runners that blossomed into phenomenal distance talents and Western States champions. As a two-time IAU World 100K and 2014 Comrades marathon champion, Greenwood’s strengths might be on the flats, while Howe has quickly become one of America’s best technical mountain runners. They both possess outstanding foot speed, hip power and relentless front-running speed that frequently places among the top men in major ultras. But that’s not all they share…

Kryptonite: stride imbalance: left-leg overload.

Stride imbalances are commonplace among runners, and both Howe and Greenwood share a similar issue: a rightlegged push-off deficit, creating a repetitive stress on the left.

Howe has struggled for over a year with left knee pain that has hampered her since her 2014 Western States victory, caused a DNF at the Run Rabbit Run 100 two months later, and recurred again in 2015, hampering her summer racing at Western States and UTMB and requiring prolonged time off. Greenwood’s story is similar: a slow-healing left shin fracture wiped out most of her 2013 season. She rebounded with a phenomenal Comrades victory in 2014, but continues to be dogged by shin

Glenn Tachiyama

her strengths. “Magda obviously has a huge amount of speed on the flat from her marathon background and her running form is very efficient. Uphill she’s extremely strong and can run easier gradients as well as I’ve seen any woman in the world run.”

Kryptonite: too upright.

A tall, arched trunk is integral for optimal hip extension: orienting the hips behind for maximum push-off power.

However, low back extension must be balanced by a forwardleaning trunk. Maintaining trunk forward momentum is a major challenge for all mountain ultrarunners: relentless up- and downhills make it easy to “fall back” away from the hill. This is particularly challenging for roadies, new to trails.

Boulet tends to get “too tall,” allowing her upper trunk to be straight up-and-down, rather than forward-oriented. This can insidiously sap away speed, cause over-stride stress (such as lower leg and foot stiffness, or “blown quads”). An enhanced trunk-forward focus, as well as specific core and lower leg strength work, can convert even more of that power to closing speed.

If there is an evil villain of ultrarunning, it is Max King.

Not because he isn’t nice, but because… he’s so damn good at everything. King, a multi-time Olympic Trials qualifier in both the marathon and steeplechase, brought tremendous strength and speed to ultrarunning in 2008. Like Krar, he has parlayed those strengths near-invincibility across all disciplines of ultra to a level of absurdity: from the rugged mountain trails to the granite-paved shopping malls of Dubai, winning 2014 IAU World 100K championship and setting an American Record.

He’s even notched consecutive victories at the Warrior Dash World Championships.

King has the stride of a sprinter: compact and strong hips, excellent trunk and arm strength, with sports car

handling, to boot. He maintains this sprint form across all terrains, where max-efficiency equates to Max-winning. A lot.

But his most unique strength is his ability to “run with his core” – using his trunk and pelvis to enhance leg power and turnover – a feat achieved only by the very best international-caliber runners.

Kryptonite: himself.

Like the classic antagonist villain, perhaps the only weakness Max may have is… himself!

He is his own biggest critic; at the rare times he underperforms – such as the 2014 Lake Sonoma, where he led early but faded to 7th – he tends to push too hard when seeking redemption. Four weeks after Sonoma, he obliterated an unbreakable Ice Age 50-mile course record, earning a Western States entry, but in the process taxing his body to the Max. Six weeks later, he surged to an early lead at Western States that he could not hold, fading to fourth.

If nothing else, King’s kryptonite is that he is, in fact, human!

For now it seems his appetite for 100-milers is satiated, but I would expect to see him return, perhaps a little wiser, and a little more patient with himself – double trouble for the competition!

Efficiency is free speed. The best in the sport best know that and use it to their advantage. But like the rest of us, they have their imperfections and untapped potential that we all chase after.

In the coming months, we will focus on specific areas of running mechanics, and how distance, topography and gear impact our ability to run fast and free.

Joe Uhan is a physical therapist, coach and ultrarunner who lives in Eugene, Oregon. Joe was the bronze medalist at the 2012 USATF 100K Trail Championships, and finished 9th overall at the 2012 Western States 100.

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ULTR AGEEK

View From the Open Road

Faster

BY GARY CANTRELL I had to give up keeping a running log years ago. I always loved my running logs; the columns of numbers were addictive. The problem was, running logs caused me to get injured. If I had a number in the box for yesterday, I had to put a number in the box for today. The running log made me an inadvertent streaker. One day I started counting back, and discovered that I was approaching 1,000 consecutive days. After that, I could not miss: not for illness, not for injury, not for family crises, not for anything. But the real damage was caused by the numbers themselves. I had to make them ever larger.

70-mile weeks became 90-mile weeks, and then 100-mile weeks. If I did 300 miles this month, I wanted 350 the next, and then 400.

This is just human nature. We have a drive to improve.

New runners, coming into the sport of ultrarunning, discover an entire world of numbers, and what seems like an unlimited opportunity to improve those numbers. Not only are there the opportunities for ever-expanding distances in the running log, there are ever-longer races and ever-faster times to record. Recording our improvement is one of the primary factors that drives us to continue in the sport. But there comes a day for every one of us when those improvements no longer come. We cannot always run farther.

We cannot always get faster.

When I came into ultrarunning, I followed a well-traveled route. Most of the ultrarunners of that day came from the running culture. I ran track and crosscountry as a youth. As I reached my limits in those sports, I moved on into road races, and gradually built up to running marathons.

By the time my 25 fastest marathon times all fell in a 4-minute span, the only area open to continue to see improvement was ultras.

However, even there, I eventually reached a ceiling. There came a day when I had to refocus my goals in the sport, or give it up altogether. There were no more PRs on the horizon.

Each of us, eventually, reaches that point in our ultrarunning career. Today, the lifelong runner is an anomaly in ultrarunning. Many participants haven’t even come from a background of competitive sports. Nonetheless, we all respond to the same, normal human incentive: the drive to improve.

For adult converts to ultrarunning, there seems to be a four- or five-year window for improvement. Whether we take up the sport 18

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A Race for the Ages RD and participant Gary Cantrell (aka Lazarus Lake, on the left) along with happy racers including Ann Trason (second from right).

at 35 or 55, the improvements we see from building our “base” from nothing, learning the tricks of the trade and developing the mindset necessary to succeed will bring us improvements in our results for four to five years. However, no matter how hard we try, there comes a day when there are no more PRs in our future.

We all respond to the same, normal human incentive: the drive to improve.

This is our crossroads as ultrarunners.

No matter the intrinsic joy that comes with running, or the health and life benefits of the regimen involved, it is difficult for each of us to continue putting in the effort required to be able to participate. If we want to have a more lasting tenure in the sport, we need to find other rewards than getting faster or going further. For me, the focus has turned to cumulative achievements. After 33 years of running 100 milers, getting a 100 in that 34th year is important, more important than the time it will take. I lay out new training courses, and run them for time (hint: always

run them easy the first time, and set a baseline that can be improved).

I seldom worry about how fast I might have once been able to do that same course.

It is enough to see my improvement as the runner I am now, over that particular course.

I look for new races to run. The parameters have changed. Rather than looking for races where I might be able to do well competitively, now I am just looking for a race where the time cutoffs won’t eliminate me. I do a lot more journey runs. Seeing new places, in the way that they can only be seen on foot, never gets old. The important thing is to find ways to keep the experience fresh. Ultrarunning is worth the doing. There is a lot of life to be lived during those hours on foot.

Life is all about having a bucket list: not completing the bucket list, but having one.

If the bucket list is completed, what else is there to live for? There is no reason for our bucket list of runs to ever be complete… even if we will never again run faster.

Gary Cantrell has logged more than 100,000 miles since running his first measured mile in 1966. He has done at least one run of 30 miles, or longer, in 38 consecutive calendar years, and has a span of completed 100s in more than 30 years. He is looking forward to adding to those numbers on the way to extending that running career into his 70s.

ULTR AGEEK

Running Wise

Pay It Forward

Early Season Training

BY GARY DUDNEY It’s January, and old man winter is clawing at the doors and windows. Serious running may not be happening for a while, but now is a great time to make plans and commit to some goals.

Are you dreaming of setting a PR or tackling a new distance in the coming year? Are you after new races and new locales, maybe a race in another part of the country or in terrain where you’ve never run before? Is your focus simply on the joy of running, the thrill of crossing more ultra finish lines? Or are you secretly nursing that urge that most ultrarunners feel sooner or later, the challenge of taking on the big dog, the 100-mile run?

Whatever your goals for the year, because it’s ultrarunning, you’re going to need lots of stamina, the ability to run on sore and tired legs and mental toughness. Here’s an idea for some early season training that will hit all three of these ultrarunning abilities hard.

It’s training that “pays it forward.” You take some punishment in the short term but later on your running reaps outsize benefits.

Pick a five- or six-week window as early in the year as the weather and race schedule in your area allows (in the mid-February to mid-April timeframe, for example), and schedule four or five long runs or races on consecutive weekends, leaving just one or two weekends free for rest and recovery. If there aren’t a lot of races in your area, you can substitute demanding trail runs for the races.

For example, two years ago my late winter “pay it forward” weekend training series looked like this: a 50k race (weekend 1), a six-hour trail run (weekend 2), rest (weekend 3), a 100k race (weekend 4), rest (weekend 5) and a difficult 50k fatass run (weekend 6). Last year it was: a 50-mile race, a six-hour trail run, rest, a 100k race, rest and the same difficult 50k fatass run. On the weekdays between the big weekend efforts, I keep to my standard running schedule, which is three or four one to one-and-a-half hour runs a week.

The key to the training is to focus on just enduring through the series of long runs, not on speed or on turning in a top performance at the races. Your goal is to build stamina so you’ll have a good base for any running and racing you do later in the year. You’re also getting used to running long even when you’re not fully recovered from the last big effort. And finally, facing those big efforts one after the other and getting through them is training your mind to deal with the adversity

Whatever your goals for the year, you’re going to need lots of stamina, the ability to run on sore and tired legs and mental toughness. that you’ll encounter in any tough ultrarunning situation.

If you’ve always treated races as go-all-out, kill-or-be-killed situations, then using a race as a training opportunity is going to be a treat. First, it’s great to run along knowing just finishing is good enough, that you don’t have to run yourself to death trying to set a PR. You can relax and enjoy the great support, the other runners, the well-marked course and the hoopla at the finish line. With an organized race, you just show up, all the logistics are

taken care of for you, and voila you get the training done.

The “pay it forward” series is going to significantly kick-start your training and running for the year. It gives you strengths that seem to persist for months. Of course you might need to scale the challenge up or down depending on your starting point at the beginning of the year. And if you should feel any injuries coming on, you’ll need to lay low until you’re back to 100%, although note that a certain amount of soreness and strain is normal.

Gary Dudney has completed well over one hundred ultras, including 28 100-milers. He’s published numerous articles on running in Runner’s World, Running Times, Trail Runner, American Fitness, Walkabout, and Marathon & Beyond. His UR column often serves as a guide for new ultrarunners and also explores the lore and legends of the sport.

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1 5 2

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FATHER

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AND 8

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SON

BY JOHN TRENT | PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE LIND FAMILY

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ULTR AGEEK

The Voice of the Sport

The father had always been old school and a bit old-fashioned. He was a man who could easily handle both a stethoscope and a shotgun, his life shaped by time tending patients in emergency rooms in Roseville, California, and in caring for horse riders, and then for runners, on the Western States Trail.

OPPOSITE: 1. An excited Dr. Bob Lind in Squaw Valley before the 1986 race.

2. The Lind family just before the start of the 2015 Western States 100.

3. Bob breaking it down and imparting Western States knowledge to his grandson Cody.

4. Paul and Cody at the track just after finishing the 2015 race in under 24 hours.

5. Bob with his two sons Paul and Kurt at the 2015 starting line in Squaw Valley.

6. Bob and Paul in Auburn after the 1986 race.

7. Bob presiding over the start of the 2003 Western States 100.

8. Paul Lind receiving advice and support from his father Bob in Foresthill, mile 62, of the 1986 race.

9. An emotional Paul Lind just after crossing the finish line in 2015 to earn a Silver Buckle.

10. Commemorative 20 gauge shell from the 2015 race.

He was considered to be a medical practitioner with a surprisingly mystical bent. It was said he could look into the eyes of Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run participants and tell instantly if they were destined to fail or finish.

“You look into their eyes,” he said on more than occasion, “and see if the soul is separating from the body.”

When the news came on December 6, 2014, that his son had been chosen in the lottery to run at Western States, the outlook for the father was not good.

A 16-year battle with metastatic prostate cancer had seen the cancer gain the upper hand. At 81, and having been a part of Western States since its inception in 1974, it wasn’t clear if Dr. Robert Lind, medical director emeritus for Western States, would see another rendition of the world’s oldest 100-mile trail run.

“We didn’t know if we could expect that my father would be there in June to see the start,” said Lind’s son, Paul. “He’s an old-school doctor. He knows how these things tend to go. But we knew if there was one thing that was going to motivate him to do all he could do to get to June, it was Western States.”

Even before he finished the race for the first time, at age 18 in 1986, Western States had gripped Paul Lind’s imagination. He was 7 in 1974 when his father, the medical director for the Tevis Cup, brought Paul to watch the annual 100-mile horse ride, held on the Western States Trail. A good friend of the Lind family, Gordy Ainsleigh, made history that day. Ainsleigh ran, rather than rode, the entire 100 miles in under 24 hours.

“I was probably more interested in the horses, to tell you the truth,” says Paul. He lives in Challis, ID, where he coaches high school cross country and track. “But you know … I loved what I saw and experienced. I loved being out on the Trail, being with my brother and my dad.”

Paul remembers being 10, and sleeping out with his family at White Oak Flat, one of the race’s

historic checkpoints. He can recall the family dinner table strewn with 20 blue and white t-shirts with the WS 100 logo printed on the front, and his father wondering if there were enough people in the world willing to buy t-shirts for an obscure 100-mile run.

And then there was the shotgun. Bob Lind had grown up on a farm in Iowa. He had taught his sons, Paul and Kurt, to safely handle the family’s single-shot, 20-gauge shotgun. Before every Western States, Bob Lind would take two shotgun shells. With the precision of a jeweler, he’d carefully stencil on the shell’s casing the inscription “WS 100” followed by the date of that year’s run.

When 5 a.m. and race morning would arrive, Bob Lind would discharge his shotgun into the chilled Squaw Valley air, sending the runners officially off.

“Starting a race like Western States with a whistle or a horn just wasn’t appropriate,” Paul says. “You need to start a race like Western States in a special way. It’s a very sacred thing.”

Bob Lind, as scores of runners discovered, was more than a smiling, hawk-nosed man whose white hair, no matter the circumstance, always seemed to neatly gather in a distinguished widow’s peak.

Lind’s medical work at Western States laid the groundwork for influential research studies that forever changed the sport.

“Bob Lind was incredibly generous in his support and encouragement of medical researchers from throughout the world,” said Dr. Walter Bortz of Stanford University, who did a seminal heart study of Western States runners in the early 1980s. “I think Bob understood what an amazing outdoor laboratory Western States provided us.”

As the race crept closer, Paul Lind traveled often from Idaho to train on weekends on the Western States Trail. Once training was over, he’d drive to nearby Roseville to visit his father. Bob would ask, “Did you stay ahead on your fluids? … What did you weigh before you ran? … What did you weigh after?”

Paul could tell his father was not just gathering data. Bob was gathering himself… for June.

“Dad fought harder and focused in on everything he needed to do, to get to Squaw,” Paul says. “This race is our family’s tradition.”

Paul slept in a motor home in the parking lot of Squaw and woke to a warm race morning. His son, Cody, 20, a student at Idaho State and a rising JAN/FEB 2016

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ULTR AGEEK

The Voice of the Sport

talent, would be Paul’s pacer. Kurt had woken Bob at 2 a.m.

The two had driven in darkness from Roseville to Squaw. Bob walked unevenly from the parking lot to the starting line. A couple of times he needed Kurt’s help.

On this morning, though, Bob wasn’t going to be deterred.

“I think you could’ve put that start five miles away, and my dad would’ve walked it,” Paul says. “He wasn’t going to miss the start.”

Nor was Paul going to miss Bob’s big moment.

“When my old man was standing there, with the shotgun, ready to start the race, I didn’t care what it looked like for me to be way up in front with the elite racers,” Paul says. “I was going to stand right with him for that sacred moment.”

TOP: Paul and his father at mile 30, Robinson Flat, in 1986.

BOTTOM: Bob Lind with his “old school” training and pacing charts for the Western States 100. This one breaks down weather and body temperature during the event. Red is bad.

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“My reasons for running were far different than most,” he adds. “It had been a long time since I’d run the race. I probably got emotional because it would more than likely be the last time we’d share the experience. There is no more magical ground than that trail.” Paul wanted to make his father proud.

He wanted a silver buckle.

The race itself unfolded as most races do: in its own way.

Paul ran methodically, monitoring his effort. He was mindful not to overexert in the early miles. He was careful not to panic, his soul remaining firmly planted in his body, even as he fell behind 24-hour pace. As his father advised, he kept the fuel and fluids coming regularly. Paul constantly doused himself with ice water.

“Each time I’d ice down, that was Dad, that was Dad telling me to manage the heat,” he says. But it was much hotter than usual in the high country, and the heat, mountains and challenging trail exacted a toll on Paul.

When Cody joined his father in Foresthill, 45 minutes off 24-hour pace, the race was just beginning. The miles passed, and Paul’s pace increased. He spied friends at aid stations and rekindled friendships, remembering ghosts and spirits of Western States past, the runs and rides he’d attended as a boy, crewed and paced as a man. They were all moving with him through the night.

By No Hands Bridge, with three miles to go, Paul was now one minute ahead of 24-hour pace.

“First time all day I was ahead of 24-hour pace,” he says.

Running with his son along the quiet, flat road below Robie Point, where the air often becomes heavy, and the trail can often sound fret-scratched and anxious, Paul slowed.

He asked Cody for his cell phone.

His father had been at home, receiving updates in the same calm, analytical way that he would receive reports while heading the emergency room at the community hospital in Roseville.

“Dad?” Paul called into the cell phone, worried about the spotty coverage.

“Son?” asked the 81-year-old voice on the other end, sounding surprisingly resilient.

“We’re cutting it close,” Paul said. “But I think we can do it.”

“One more hill,” said the voice on the other end, sharp and suddenly imperative. ”One more hill. And then you’re finished.”

Paul would finish in 23:52 and earn a silver buckle.

His father, a man who had looked into the souls of thousands of runners over the years at Western States and who knew who was destined to succeed, knew exactly what kind of race his son had run.

John Trent is past president and longtime board member of the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run. He is a 10-time WS 100 finisher and has been involved in the sport as a journalist, organizer, race director and volunteer since 1987.

A two-time Nevada Sportswriter of the Year, he lives in Reno, Nevada, with his ultrarunning family – wife Jill and daughters Annie and Katie.

ULTR AGEEK

Ultrarunning Science

The Science of Ultrarunning

BY MATT LAYE This is the first in a series of articles on what happens to your body during an ultra, focusing on the sparse but growing scientific literature that exists. However, physiology is extremely individual dependent, so please interpret this column with caution, as we are all different.

WHY STUDYING ULTRA ATHLETES IS DIFFICULT I love the science of exercise. My first real experience with this came as a college athlete looking for a competitive advantage to training at altitude. I took a class: Environmental Effects on Human Performance. I was hooked, and have been studying exercise in one form or another for the past 12 years. I am still trying to uncover links between science and performance to find the pot of gold – the most effective training and racing tactics.

If you look through the scientific literature on exercise, you will find study after study with the following subject profile: males 18 to 25 years old. In other words, college students, and not much ultra-specific data.

Fortunately, an ever-increasing amount of research is being performed on ultrarunners and ultra events, in large part thanks to races like Western States and people like Dr. Marty Hoffman who have created a research culture associated with specific races. Still, barriers remain to conducting definitive studies on what happens to our bodies during an ultra.

Before we can tackle this fascinating topic, it is useful to understand some of the challenges to sourcing good data.

In a laboratory setting we have easy access to equipment that allows us to immediately freeze tissue samples, spin down blood, evaluate urine samples and make measurements with pieces of equipment that take up entire rooms. In the field we are lucky if we can take blood samples, and even luckier if we can keep those on ice. Throw in elements such as weather, terrain and time commitments, all for science that is very much under-appreciated in our current scientific culture, and you start to understand why we lack answers to some of the most fundamental questions regarding the physiological impacts of ultrarunning.

THE REDUCTIVE NATURE OF THE SCIENTIFIC PROCESS In biology and medicine we are encouraged to eliminate variables so that we can identify the cause of the observations we measure. But can you imagine a study that only allowed people one type of gel, a fixed

amount of water or insisted that pace was unchanged for a 100k race?

So instead of manipulating only sodium intake, caloric intake or water consumption, we make measurements of all of those variables (and many more) in as many people as we can with the goal of trying to find relationships or correlations. If we are lucky we might find that one of the variables we measured may correlate with outcomes such as finish time or weight changes. However, we all know that correlation does not equal causation, and thus we can’t know for certain that caloric intake causes improved finishing times. Still, I promise some tangible and concrete takeaways that you will be able to use in your next race.

THE NON-REDUCTIVE NATURE OF ULTRAMARATHONS The diversity of ultras and ultra competitors makes the science of ultras even tougher.

Think about the finish of Western States in 2015 – the oldest and youngest female finishers in history finished within minutes of each other. They are certainly not having the same physiological responses to the event.

Or in terms of diverse courses, think about Hardrock. There is nearly 24 hours between the first and last finisher and there’s a cumulative elevation gain equivalent to climbing Mount Everest. Compare that experience to what someone experiences at a relatively flat 100 miler like Rocky Raccoon.

I helped perform a study that looked at the physiological responses of runners to completing 7 marathons in 7 days, which might not be an ultramarathon, but it certainly qualifies as an endurance event.

We found that the runners became faster over the course of the event with relatively low markers of muscle damage. But does that mean an ambitious ultrarunner looking for improvements should run seven consecutive 100 milers? (The answer for some of you out there possibly cogitating on this is a definitive “no!”)

Still, there are some common denominators when it comes to the cellular and wholebody physiology of running long distances.

In some ways stress is stress and the physiological responses to a 100 miler are more similar than the courses themselves.

In the next few issues I will address what we know happens to our bodies at a cellular level in response to extreme amounts of exercise – and offer some science that can actually guide improved training and racing at your next ultra.

A hint – terrain has huge impact on muscle cells.

Matt Laye of Boise, Idaho, has a PhD in Medical Physiology and is an Assistant Professor of Health and Human Performance at The College of Idaho. He enjoys competing on trails and on the roads in distances from the mile to 100 miles.

He has averaged under 8 min/mile for 100 miles and under 5:30/mile over a marathon.

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ULTR AGEEK

The Ultra Mindset

Get Better in 2016

BY TRAVIS MACY Podiums, prizes and PRs are nice, and I was fortunate enough to win some races in 2015. Looking back, however, the most impactful and lasting moments of the year occurred when I used well-planned goals, hard work, intentional training and fun in the mountains to improve as an ultrarunner – and when I used what I learned in running to get better as a husband, father and in my career. I remember spectating at the Leadville finish line with my young children, learning together about adversity, vulnerability, struggle and perseverance. I smile when I think about hammering out downhill speed reps to improve my descending pace and stamina. I’m proud that even though I didn’t win my focus race, Wasatch, I was able to remain positive in the face of adversity and improve as a runner and tactician.

Looking ahead to 2016, I’m now setting some new running, business and life goals, and I bet you are too. Goals are important, and research shows that setting and pursuing the right kind of goals makes a significant difference in enjoyment of the process and eventual outcomes. In Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals, Heidi Grant Halvorson, PhD, distinguishes between two kinds of goals. “Be good” goals aim to prove our existing worth and superiority to the world and ourselves. “Get better” goals recognize that we can always improve (think speed, strength, max running distance, business acumen, parenting skill, intelligence, etc.) and focus on growth and process.

A “be good” mindset in training encourages us to do things like running ourselves into injury by chasing an arbitrary mileage number or doing too much training with faster training partners to “prove” our worth as runners to ourselves and others. For

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racing, focusing heavily on being good can lead to foolish racing (usually going out too fast and running someone else’s race), judgment of self and jealousy of others, quitting races we could finish just because we think the slow time would look bad and, eventually, burnout from a great activity that should be fun. As a young athlete at CU-Boulder, my focus on being good instead of getting better generated poor performance and burnout.

As I approach racing and training now with an eye for improvement, the process is more fun – and much more effective in terms of results. Focusing simply on getting better removes some of the pressure many of us runners put on ourselves, and this ironically produces better finishes. A focus on getting better in running and life encourages us to take risks, accept and learn from failure and embrace vulnerability, all key elements of the inherent rawness experienced in ultras.

Halvorson, who argues that mental toughness and resilience can be trained just like our muscle fibers, also recommends that we imagine ourselves overcoming adversity in meeting our goals.

Instead of envisioning the perfect race or a year of training bereft of interruption, imagine yourself overcoming hardship to get to the finish line and complete your training. I can pretty much guarantee you’re not going to have a perfect race in your next ultra.

Improve your readiness and mental toughness by telling yourself stories about how you will overcome the stomach, foot, leg, heat/cold, navigation and other issues you will experience out there.

Like life, ultrarunning is not always smooth sailing, so make sure that your goal setting includes outlining of the work and challenge between where you are and your destination.

This winter, consider using the colder temps to get better in a specific area of fitness. Grow your aerobic engine with ski

mountaineering, snowshoeing and Nordic skiing, or put some fun back in the “dreadmill” by using it as a powerful tool for speed work, pace variation and power hiking. Some people try to just maintain in the winter; why not try to actually get better?

One of my many “get better” goals for 2016 is to continue improving as a writer, and I’m stoked to be working this year with my favorite magazine as a columnist focusing on the mental side of our sport.

How can we put a positive spin on suffering? What techniques can we use to learn from other runners? How about intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation? How do we avoid breakdown on race day? Why is comfort with uncertainty and vulnerability important? How can we make sure running is adding to life in general? How do we grapple with negative stories and fear? How can we apply what we learn from running to our work, relationships and parenting?

I’m keenly interested in questions like these, and I look forward to connecting with you each month as we work together with a “get better” mindset for running and life in 2016.

Travis Macy is a speaker, author, coach, and professional endurance athlete.

Author of The Ultra Mindset: An Endurance Champion’s 8 Core Principles for Success in Business, Sports, and Life, he holds the record for Leadman and has finished over 120 ultra distance events in 17 countries. Travis lives with his wife and two young children in the mountains around Evergreen, Colorado, and is sponsored

by HOKA ONE ONE, among others. He wants to use “get better” goals in 2016 to keep improving as a husband and father. Find him at travismacy. com.

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25

Glenn

Tach iy

ama

Alexis Berg/GrandTrail

Ken Sc h uh /Ult ra Rac e Photo s

Josh Arthur

It was fascinating to watch the voting unfold for the An exciting trend in ultrarunning is more and more North Ultrarunner of the Year. The men’s field was incredibly crowded – Americans traveling abroad to enrich their ultra experiences. no fewer than 11 men received a vote for first place, and it was This was certainly the case among the UROY contestants pretty easy to make a plausible argument for all 11 of them. too, with six of the top 10 men and eight of the top 10 women Virtually all of the top vote getters had a spectacular race running a race overseas. and, unusually, virtually all of them also had a bad race too.

In the end, David Laney of Ashland, Oregon, won the honor, THE YEAR OF FKTS based on the breadth of his year, which included wins at Perhaps the most notable “new thing” last Chuckanut 50K and Bandera 100K, and a third year was the prevalence of high-profile place finish at the über-competitive UTMB – FKTs. Scott Jurek, one of the greatest the best placing ever for an American ultrarunners in the history of our man at Europe’s top ultra. sport, set the new fastest known time for thru-hiking the Five other runners were close behind, with Ian Sharman Appalachian Trail, bettering Jennifer Pharr-Davis’ 2011 edging Seth Swanson for second by a mere three votes. mark by three hours.

Sharman’s year featured Jurek’s celebration at the wins at both the Leadville finish generated some and Rocky Raccoon 100s. controversy, but the Interestingly, Swanson 46-day effort captured the imagination of many, garnered six first place reaching well beyond the votes without winning a single race in 2015. He was ultra community. second at Western States Later in the summer and Sean O’Brien 100K, and Heather “Anish” Anderson

BY TROPICAL JOHN MEDINGER fourth at UTMB. Among the set the overall self-suptop vote getters, he was the sole ported thru-hike of the AT, runner without a bad race or DNF. perhaps even more impressive Rob Krar, the UROY in 2013 and than Jurek’s supported effort.

2014, was fourth based largely on a Other audacious FKTs included dominant win at Western States. Just two Andrew Hamilton’s speedy ascent of votes behind Krar was Dylan Bowman who all 58 14,000-foot peaks in Colorado, and posted two big international wins early in the year. some fast circumnavigations by Gary Robbins The women’s vote was much more clear-cut. Western (Wonderland Trail), Krissy Moehl (Tahoe Rim Trail) and Max States winner Magdalena Boulet was voted on top by a fairly King (Mount Hood). wide margin over World 100K champion Camille Herron, FKTs bring some complex issues to our sport, but if they with Stephanie Howe finishing a solid third. encourage the people who love our wild paces and the trails Boulet, of Oakland, California, won six races during the that access them, then they are a decidedly good thing. year, and finished second at CCC, the 101k sister race of UTMB. Herron won all four races she entered, including ULTRARUNNING CONTINUES TO GROW the World 100K and 50K road championships and the Door Although the rate of growth slowed, the number of ultra County 50 Mile, where she set a world-best time of 5:38:41. finishes in 2015 continued on its upward trajectory, with 80,443 Herron’s world championship 100K win was voted best finishes through mid-December, as compared to 77,540 in all Performance of the Year by a wide margin. Her 7:08:35 of 2014. Participation by women also continues to increase, clocking there is the second fastest ever recorded by an ticking up to 32.5%. The average age of ultrarunners continued American woman, behind only the legendary Ann Trason. to trend down slightly to roughly 41, but the range is skewing The Performance of the Year for men went to Joe Fejes’ more broadly with more young and old participants in the mix. spectacular six-day effort in Hungary early in the year. Fejes One downside of the sport’s growth and increasing popuposted 606.243 miles – more than 100 miles per day – larity is the difficulty in obtaining registrations to many races. setting a modern-day American record. Rob Krar’s Western Despite more rigorous qualifying standards, Western States States win was a very close second in the balloting. Krar’s had more than 3,500 applicants for 270 lottery spots, 800 of 14:48:59 time was less than three minutes outside Timmy them from outside the US. For the Hardrock 100, lottery odds Olson’s course record, and was run on a day that was 20 for first time applicants (1 ticket) were less than 2%. There are degrees hotter than Olson’s. now six ultras in Northern California alone that have lotteries.

Mark Richtman, 60, won the best Age Group Performance for the men with his stellar 7:52:50 clocking at the Lake LOOKING FORWARD Sonoma 50. Eighty-year-old Bill Dodson’s 10:16:17 50-mile As the year came to a close, the ultrarunning community time at the Ruth Anderson Ultras was a close second. was engaged in spirited debate about the doping issue among Richtman also nabbed third place honors with a 10:10:16 elite ultrarunners, while many mid- and back-of-the pack finish at Miwok 100K. ultrarunners expressed concern about growth of the sport Gunhild Swanson’s Western States finish – at 29:59:54, and increasing focus on the frontrunners. A few things are only six seconds under the race’s 30-hour time limit – was certain, growth will continue and the debates won’t cease. But not only the most thrilling moment in ultrarunning in 2015, as long as the culture of the sport remains intact and our values but also the women’s Age Group Performance of the Year. prevail, growth will be good and ultrarunning will continue Swanson became the oldest woman to finish the race in its to transform lives in profoundly positive ways. After all, the 42-year history, and also the first 70-year-old woman to do so. most enduring memory from the year was the last place finish at Western States.

YEAR D REVIEW

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MALE ULTRARUNNER OF THE YEAR

At age 27 you are the youngest Ultrarunner of the Year ever, dating back to 1981. How does it feel to earn this distinction?

So many guys have had a great year, I was really surprised to be voted the UROY. I’m really thankful for all the people who have helped me this year and in years past. Without encouragement from friends and family I would have stopped running long ago.

What drew you to ultrarunning?

I have been a runner since I was very young and as long as I can remember I always had dreams of heading to the trails and running 100 miles. But I thought that would be after a lot of road running.

In the end I just headed to the trails much sooner than originally planned. Living in Ashland and working at Rogue Valley Runners, taking inspiration and guidance from Hal Koerner, Erik Skaggs and others, was a huge influence in heading to the trails and doing ultras.

Why do you think ultrarunning is becoming more popular among younger and faster runners?

There used to be a perception that running 100 miles would ruin your body and you would not be able to run fast again, so people went to ultras after a road career. I think young people are also realizing that the ultra/trail community is something special and they really enjoy being a part of it.

How did your upbringing and family influence your running?

I always loved running and was brought up spending a lot of time in the outdoors. My dad ran marathons and would take me on pretty long backpacking trips when I was very young. I was really competitive and always wanted to be faster than my older siblings. From a young age I learned that there is a lot of freedom in the mountains.

Ultrarunning is perfect for me, I get to spend a lot of time running in big mountains.

Is there a person who has been a role model or inspiration for you in pursuing ultras?

Sir Ernest Shackleton – he was an amazing leader and could weather any storm, literally and figuratively.

How does ultrarunning fit into your lifestyle and your daily life?

Right now training and racing is a major priority and I have been able to fit my life around running. I realize that isn’t something I will be able to do my whole life, but for the time being I am able to focus on running.

Do you have advice for other young runners getting into ultrarunning?

I’m not a patient person at all, but I think when it comes to ultrarunning you have to just chill. There are major ups and major downs in this sport, if you can’t take a deep breath

and deal with a disappointment or injury it’s going to be a rough road. Talking to people who have been in the sport and being a part of your local ultra community is important for anyone getting into the sport.

Is UROY something you have thought about and even worked toward, or is it just a reflection of the great year you had?

About a month ago someone mentioned to me that I might be a UROY candidate. I really hadn’t considered it until then.

When you look back on the year, what is your most satisfying memory?

Working at Steens Mountain Running Camp is always a highlight of the year. Steens is a wilderness running camp in Southeast Oregon for high school age runners. It is amazing helping young runners do things they never imagined they could do. One of the days amounts to about 50k of hiking and running, at the end of the day the kids are totally obliterated but it’s all they talk about for the rest of the week. I attended Steens as a high schooler and it made a huge impact on my life and on my running career. I love going there now and being able to help young runners have a great trail running experience.

In terms of your races, which one do you think was your best?

I think Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc was probably the best race of the year. I moved into my car after Western States and spent the next two months training in big mountains all over the West Coast. I think spending that big chunk of time alone in the mountains made me really ready for the challenges of UTMB. What was key to your first time success over there?

I treated UTMB more like a battle than a footrace. I understood the attrition of UTMB and how important the last 35 miles was. I think that focus along with a really good summer of training resulted in a successful race. I think rolling with the punches is vital on the UTMB course, keeping within yourself the first 100k is key to a successful race.

What is the biggest difference in the ultra scene over there?

The fans in Europe are pretty amazing. The fans hike up to remote sections of the course and are so excited. At UTMB we ran through many towns at night and

DAVID

LANEY

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people were lining the streets, standing around bon fires yelling and cheering at 2 in the morning.

The excitement makes the experience really unforgettable.

Ultrarunning feels really grassroots in the States, and it typically has a low-key and friendly feel. In Europe it’s much more structured and developed. I really enjoy both experiences and I think as trail running becomes more popular in the US, structure and development will follow.

I just hope it is able to keep its old-school vibe.

What was your lowest point during the year?

The weeks following UTMB were really challenging. The comedown from a marathon is really tough. For me the comedown from a 100 is harder than the race. Your body and mind are pretty destroyed, I guess it takes a while to get them back in balance.

Have you had any injuries?

Yeah I’ve had everything in my running career. Getting better takes time but the biggest challenge is just knowing that eventually the injury will heal, and you will enjoy running again.

What does your peak training look like for an ultra?

About 120-130 miles, with 10-15k feet of climbing, and a couple of hard workouts per week.

What is your favorite training run/ location of all time?

Ansel Adams Wilderness in Northern California, followed closely by The Wallowas in North East Oregon, and The Enchantments in Washington.

Read David’s full interview at urmag.me/david15

FEMALE ULTRARUNNER OF THE YEAR

How does it feel to be Ultrarunner of the Year for 2015?

I’m extremely honored to be named Ultrarunner of the Year. I didn’t specifically plan for it, but in the back of my mind, I knew if I ran well in all the races I’d entered for the year that I’d have a decent shot of being considered.

But the plan for the year was to take everything one race at a time and learn as much as possible.

When you look back on 2015, what was the most memorable moment for you?

Easily the most memorable moment was crossing the finish line at Western States. It was my first hundred miler, and probably the biggest victory of my entire running career.

What do you consider your best race in 2015?

Western States was my best race of the year.

It was the one I’d spent the most time dreaming about competing in, and the one I was the most afraid of. I learned so much about myself during my preparation for this race and so much more by racing it. Western States will always have a special place in my heart.

How did you feel at the starting line of Western States?

Terrified.

What was the key to your win there?

First, I am surrounded by an amazing running community where I live and I shared many miles with runners who have a lot more experience in ultrarunning than I do. I made sure to learn from them during my preparations. My favorite moments include sunrise summits on Mt. Tam with Dylan Bowman, Brett Rivers, Fernando

De-Sanamaniego-Steta, Galen Burrell, Topher Gaylord and Matt Laye. And unforgettable Mt. Diablo Summits with Ian Sharman and a weekly Breakfast Club in the east bay with Caitlin Smith & Sam Robinson. Also key for me were the hikes with my son Owen immediately after finishing my long runs.

For others doing their first 100 miler, what is your single best advice?

Dial in your nutrition strategy during your training. Having a nutrition plan will set you up for success. Because of the hot and humid conditions at Western States I made the decision to run the entire race on GU’s Roctane energy drink, which is a perfect blend of energy and hydration.

What was your most challenging race of 2015?

Physically CCC was very challenging, mostly because of the very technical course and because it was less than two months after Western States.

There’s nothing like it in the US, as far as I know.

Not just the elevation profile, but the length of the inclines, the footing, and the altitude are all pretty tough to train for where I live. It opened my eyes to what European-style ultrarunning is like. The CCC 100k took me four hours longer than some of my other 100k’s this year.

What was the atmosphere like at CCC? The level of competition and the overall atmosphere at the European races I’ve done is amazing.

They don’t seem to have the course capacity limits that we do, so they literally have thousands of people running races that in the US would be limited to 400 people. That brings a more electric energy to the event and you want to come back.

How is ultrarunning different over there than here in the US? In the US, the vast majority of the entrants of an ultra event have a primary goal of getting

MAGDALENA

BOULET

OPPOSITE: David Laney cresting Emigrant Pass at mile 4 of the Western States 100, on his way to a top ten finish. [ Alexis Berg/GrandTrail] RIGHT: Magdalena Boulet working her way up the gnarly Chuckanut trail on her way to another big win. [

Glenn Tachiyama]

to the finish line. For 50 or 100 miles, given my own experience, I think that’s understandable and a worthy goal, there’s nothing wrong with that. But in Europe, it seems that a higher percentage of the participants are actually trying to race, and push themselves to perform better, sometimes at the risk of not finishing the race.

What was your deepest low from the year, and how did you overcome it?

Dropping out of TNF 50 was tough. This one is my hometown race, so I was looking forward to it all year. I took a bad fall at around mile 20 and by the time I made my way to Stinson Beach my hip f lexor was not functioning properly. It was a very difficult decision and I struggled with it for the next 10 miles before pulling out. It’s the first ultra I’ve had to drop out of and it’s just never easy to make this kind of call.

What did you learn about yourself in 2015?

I learned how important recovery is in ultra endurance events. I learned that you need to give your body and mind a well-deserved break after competing in such demanding events, and that is just not easy for me. My strategy is to practice a multi-dimensional approach to recovery. I need fuel to recover immediately post-race, and I need to take time off from running and engage in activities other than running such as swimming and hiking. I’m learning to meditate to help with rest and relaxation.

Read Magda’s full interview at urmag.me/magda15

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RUNNERS OF THE YEAR – MALE* 1

David Laney, 26, Ashland, OR (7)

RUNNERS OF THE YEAR – FEMALE* 267

1 Magdalena Boulet, 41, Oakland, CA (25)

2 Ian Sharman, 34, Bend, OR (2)

228

2 Camille Herron, 33, Oklahoma City, OK (7) 359

3 Seth Swanson, 36, Missoula, MT (6)

225

3 Stephanie Howe, 32, Bend, OR

4 Rob Krar, 38, Flagstaff, AZ (5)

211

5 Dylan Bowman, 29, Mill Valley, CA (3)

209

461

ULTRARUNNING RUNNERS OF THE YEAR 1981–2015 2015

Magdalena Boulet

David Laney

2014

Ellie Greenwood

Rob Krar

207

2013

Michele Yates

Rob Krar

4 Kaci Lickteig, 28, Omaha, NE

162

2012

Ellie Greenwood

Mike Morton

2011

Ellie Greenwood

Dave Mackey

5 Katalin Nagy, 36, Sarasota, FL (1)

159

2010

Tracy Garneau

Geoff Roes

154

2009

Kami Semick

Geoff Roes

2008

Kami Semick

Jorge Pacheco Scott Jurek

6 Zach Miller, 27, Manitou Springs, CO (1)

177

6 Nicole Studer, 33, Dallas, TX

7 Brian Rusiecki, 36, South Deerfield, MA (2)

131

7 Aliza Lapierre, 35, Williston, VT

151

2007

Nikki Kimball

8 Alex Nichols, 30, Colorado Springs, CO (2) 109

8 Ellie Greenwood, 36, North Vancouver, BC

87

2006

Anne Lundblad

Karl Meltzer

2005

Anne Lundblad

Scott Jurek

9 Joe Fejes, 49, Norcross, GA (2)

92

9 Darcy Piceu, 40, Boulder, CO

63

2004

Nikki Kimball

Scott Jurek

10 Bob Shebest, 41, Santa Rosa, CA

90

10 Bethany Patterson, 36, Richmond, VA

45

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

Also receiving votes: Alex Varner, CA, (2) 88; Jared Hazen, CO, 49; Chikara Omine, CA, (1) 44; Paul Terranova, TX, 43; Ryan Bak, OR, 40; Jorge Maravilla, CA, 22; Harvey Lewis, OH, 21; Zach Bitter, CA, 20; Ryan Kaiser, OR, 18; Jeff Browning, OR, 14; Ryan Smith, CO, 14; Scott Breeden, IN, 12; Scott Traer, MA, 12; Jason Schlarb, CO, 11; Justin Houck, WA, 9; Tim Tollefson, CA, 8; Mike Bialick, MN, 6; Tom Migliozzi, OH, 6; Ryan Ghelfi, OR, 5; Andrew Miller, OR, 5; Jacob Puzey, AZ, 5; Michael Wardian, VA, 5; Mike Foote, MT, 3; Max King, OR, 2; Jim Walmsley, MT, 2; Sage Canaday, CO, 1; Jake Hegge, MN, 1

2015

Also receiving votes: Bev Anderson-Abbs, CA, 44; Cassie Scallon, CO, 44; Kathleen Cusick, VA, 41; Sarah Bard, MA, 35; Ashley Erba, CO, 35; Ashley Nordell, OR, 33; Devon Yanko, CA, 32; Traci Falbo, IN, 19; Larisa Dannis, CA, 15; Amy Rusiecki, MA, 11; Angela Shartel, CA, 11; Caroline Boller, CA, 10; Emily Richards, NV, 10; Meghan Arbogast, CA, 7; Kerrie Bruxvoort, CO, 7; Jacqueline Palmer, DE, 7; Ashley Lister, PA, 5; Hillary Allen, CO, 4; Silke Koester, CO, 4; Liza Howard, TX, 3; Catrin Jones, BC, 3; Erika Lindland, CA, 3; Amanda Basham, OR, 1; Denise Bourassa, OR, 1; Kerry Wlad, CO, 1

THE VOTES

ARE IN

PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR – MALE* 1

Joe Fejes, EMU 6-day, 606.423 miles (11)

1984

Donna Hudson

Bernd Heinrich

1983

Janis Klecker

Bernd Heinrich

1982

Marcy Schwam

Stu Mittleman

1981

Marcy Schwam

Bernd Heinrich

AGE GROUP PERFORMANCES OF THE YEAR – MALE* 111

1

Mark Richtman, 60, Lake Sonoma 50 Mile, 7:52:50 (6)

74

2

Rob Krar, Western States 100 Mile, 14:48:59 (10)

109

2

Bill Dodson, 80, Ruth Anderson 50 Mile, 10:16:17 (6)

66

3

Alex Varner, Quad Dipsea 28 Mile, 3:41:01 (2)

70

3

Mark Richtman, 60, Miwok 100K, 10:10:16 (2)

44

4

Zach Miller, CCC 63 mile, 11:53:32 (1)

59

4

Rich Hanna, 50, Way Too Cool 50K, 3:41:40 (2)

40

5

Alex Varner, Lake Sonoma 50 Mile, 6:09:39 (1)

57

5

Zeke Zucker, 71, JFK 50 Mile, 8:57:46 (1)

34

Also receiving votes: Tony Migliozzi, IAU World 50K, (1) 51; David Laney, UTMB 105 Mile, (1) 36; Zack Miller, The North Face-SF 50 Mile, 16; Mike Bialick, Tunnel Hill 100 Mile, (1) 15; Dylan Bowman, Ultra Trail Australia 100K, (1) 13; Ian Sharman, Leadville 100 Mile, 9; Harvey Lewis, IAU 24-hour, (1) 8; Zach Bitter, Door County 50 Mile, 7; Patrick Smyth, Way Too Cool 50K, 6; Jeff Browning, Ultra Trail Mt Fuji 100 Mile, 5; Seth Swanson, UTMB 105 Mile, 5; Scott Jurek, Appalachian Trail FKT, 5; Ian Sharman, Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile, 3; Andy Wacker, Tamalpa Headlands 50K, 3; Jason Schlarb, Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile, 2; Seth Swanson, Western States 100 Mile, 2; Jim Walmsley, JFK 50 Mile, 2; Gary Robbins, Wonderland Trail FKT, 2; Sage Canaday, Speedgoat 50K, 2; Scott Breeden, Strolling Jim 40 Mile, 2; Benjamin Stern, Miwok 100K, 1; Alex Nichols, Mt. Blanc 51 Mile, 1

PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR – FEMALE* 1

Camille Herron, IAU 100K, 7:08:35 (22)

178

2

Katalin Nagy, IAU 24-hour, 1561.922 miles (1)

78

3

Nicole Studer, Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile, 14:22:18 (3)

56

4

Stephanie Howe, Lake Sonoma 50 Mile, 7:08:23

55

5

Devon Yanko, Javelina 100 Mile, 14:52:14 (1)

50

Also receiving votes: Magdalena Boulet, Western States 100 Mile, (2) 44; Camille Herron, Door County 50 Mile, (2) 28; Camille Herron, IAU 50K, 27; Megan Kimmel, The North Face-SF 50 Mile, (1) 20; Megan Roche, Way Too Cool 50K, 19; Katalin Nagy, Spartathlon 153 Mile, 17; Traci Falbo, IAU 24-hour, 6; Ellie Greenwood, Templiers 77K, 6; Bethany Patterson, Mountain Masochist 50 Mile, 5; Darcy Piceu, Hardrock 100 Mile, 5; Kaci Lickteig, Western States 100 Mile, 3; Sarah Bard, IAU 100K, 3; Ashely Nordell, Angeles Crest 100 Mile, 3; Darcy Piceu, Bighorn 52 Mile, 3; Liz Howard, Leadville 100 Mile, 2; Magdalena Boulet, CCC 63 Mile, 2; Beverley Anderson-Abbs, Jed Smith 50 Mile 2 *First-place votes in parentheses

30

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Also receiving votes: Don Winkley, Sri-Chinmoy 6-day, (2) 33; Hal Winton, Avalon 50 Mile, (2) 29; Hans Schmid, Miwok 100K, (1) 27; Ed Ettinghausen, Icarus 6-day, (1) 22; Bill Dodson, Mad City 100K, (2) 22; Billy Simpson, Hardrock 100 Mile, (2) 20; Wally Hesseltine, Lean Horse 100 Mile, 19; Scott Mills, Hardrock 100 Mile, 19; Jay Aldous, Wasatch Front 100 Mile, 17; Ed Demoney, Run for the Ages, 16; Grant Maughan, Umstead 100 Mile, (1) 13; Ian Maddieson, Umstead 100 Mile, 11; Hans Schmid, Lake Sonoma 50 Mile, 10; Jean Pommier, Caumsett 50K, 8; Mark Richtman, Black Canyon 100K, 8; Jean Pommier, Ohlone 50K, 7; Denis Trafecanty, San Diego 100, 7; Grant Maughan, Badwater 135 Mile, (1) 7; Frank Probst, JFK 50 Mile, 6; Bill Dodson, Caumsett 50K, 6; Gary Knipling, Massanutten 100 Mile, 5; Hans Schmid, Quad Dipsea 28 Mile, 3; Ian Maddieson, Vermont 100 Mile, 3; Eb Engleman, McKenzie River 50K, 3; George Biondic, Sri Chinmoy 10-day, 2; Roy Pirrung, Caumsett 50K, 1; Billy Simpson, Arkansas 100 Mile, 1

AGE GROUP PERFORMANCES OF THE YEAR – FEMALE* 1 Gunhild Swanson, 70, Western States 100 Mile, 29:59:54 (19) 147 2 Meghan Arbogast, 53, Quicksilver 100K, 10:18:49 (3)

62

3 Beverley Anderson-Abbs, 50, Jed Smith 50 Mile, 6:18:38 (3) 60 4 Dipali Cunningham, 56, Sri Chinmoy 6-day, 461 miles (4)

52

5 Bettie Smith, 63, Wasatch Front 100 Mile, 30:44:22

42

Also receiving votes: Anita Ortiz, Sean O’Brien 100K, 27; Pat Devita, Ray Miller 50K, 26; Barbara Ashe, Javelina 100 Mile, 21; Meghan Arbogast, IAU 100K, 18; Meghan Arbogast, Western States 100 Mile, (1) 16; Eldrith Gosney, Headlands 50 Mile, (1) 14; Riva Johnson, Mountain Lakes 100 Mile, 12; Beverley Anderson-Abbs, Quad Dipsea 28 Mile, 11; Meghan Arbogast, Lake Sonoma 50 Mile, 10; Gunhild Swanson, Sun Mountain 50 Mile, 8; Sally Brooking, Mountain Mist 50K, 6; Dipali Cunningham, Howard Aslinger 24-hour, 6; Connie Gardner, Spartathlon 153 Mile, 5; Pat Devita, Leona Divide 50K, 5; Beverley Anderson-Abbs, Lost Soul 100 Mile, 4; Karnayati Morrison, Sri Chinmoy 10-day, 4; Betty Wagner, McKenzie River 50K, 2

JAN/FEB 2016

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31

2015 TOP FINISHERS

2015 Winners of the 100 Biggest Ultramarathons in North America 1 2

RACE Way Too Cool 50K, Cool, CA JFK 50M, Boonsboro, MD

MEN’S WINNER Patrick Smyth, 28 UT Jim Walmsley, 25 AZ

TIME 3:04:48 5:47:37

WOMEN’S WINNER Megan Roche, 24 CA Sarah Bard, 31 MA

TIME 3:41:56 6:31:11

FINISHERS 978 825

3

American River 50M, Folsom, CA

Chikara Omine, 32 CA

6:13:39

Jennifer Benna, 35 NV

7:23:57

631

4

TNF - SF 50K, San Francisco, CA

Linus Holmsater, 31 INTL

4:03:14

Chessa Adsit-Morris, 32 BC

4:19:45

501

5

TNF - SF 50M, San Francisco, CA

Zach Miller, 27 CO

6:12:37

Megan Kimmel, 35 CO

7:13:52

480

6

TNF - NY 50K, Bear Mountain, NY

Scott Traer, 34 MA

4:05:18

Sarah Bergeron-Larouche, 27

5:07:55

464

7

TNF - DC 50K, Sterling, VA

David Kilgore, 23

3:37:48

Heather Hoechst, 35

4:32:33

396

8

Ultimate Direction Dirty 30 50K, Black Hawk, CO

Paul Hamilton, 29

4:36:25

Kerrie Bruxvoort, 38

5:46:01

387

9

Rachel Carson 34M, Pittsburgh, PA

Mark Frey, 35 PA

6:41:04

Eva Humphrey, 24 PA

7:53:39

375

10

Silver Rush 50 50M, Leadville, CO

Michael Aish, 38 CO

6:48:54

Kara Henry, 30 CO

7:37:28

355

11

NYRR NYC 60K, Manhattan, NY

Carlo Agostinetto, 35 CT

4:03:59

Keila Merino, 34 NY

4:55:32

351

12

Chuckanut 50K, Fairhaven, WA

David Laney, 26 OR

3:40:20

Magdalena Boulet, 41 CA

4:13:44

329

13

Mountain Mist 50K, Huntsville, AL

Scott Breeden, 25 IN

3:58:10

Dee Goodwin, 47 GA

5:35:48

325

14

Run the Rut 50K, Big Sky, MT

Franco Colle’, 36 IT

5:16:59

Emelie Forsberg, 28

6:25:44

315

15

Leadville Trail 100M, Leadville, CO

Ian Sharman, 34 OR

16:33:54

Elizabeth Howard, 43 TX

19:34:09

313

16

Promise Land 50K, Lynchburg, VA

Darren Thomas, 21 VA

4:40:34

Bethany Patterson, 36 VA

17

Miwok 100K, Stinson Beach, CA

Benjamin Stern, 23 CA

8:50:00

Laura Richard, 45 CA

18

Howl at the Moon 8H, Danville, IL

Scott Colford, 44 IN

19

Speedgoat 50K, Snowbird Resort, UT

Sage Canaday, 29 CO

55.14

20

TNF - NY 50M, Bear Mountain, NY

Brian Rusiecki, 36 MA

21

Moab’s Red Hot 50+ 55K, Moab, UT

Alex Nichols, 29 CO

3:48:58

Patricia Schaefer, 33 IL

5:28:25

311

10:54:00

308

51.85

306

6:37:35

304

5:13:02

Hillary Allen, 26 CO

7:16:58

Aliza Lapierre, 34 VT

8:32:18

302

Ashley Erba, 19 CO

4:29:29

296

Joanna Sinclair, 36 PA

4:38:39

291

7:50:19

285

22

Blues Cruise 50K, Reading, PA

Lowell Ladd, 40 PA

3:45:08

23

Ice Age Trail 50M, La Grange, WI

Zach Bitter, 23 CA

6:17:22

Joanna Masloski, 35

4:27:54

Trisha Steidl, 38 WA

5:02:00

282

7:04:13

Sarah Colwell, 27 MD

8:05:30

282

7:56:04

282

24

Gorge Waterfalls 50K, Cascade Locks, OR

Keith Laverty, 28 WA

25

Stone Mill 50M, Montgomery Village, MD

Jayson Kolb, 28 NJ

26

Bull Run Run 50M, Clifton, VA

James Blandford, 40

6:55:30

Ashley Lister, 23

27

Javelina Jundred 100M, Fountain Hills, AZ

Paul Giblin, 38

13:49:17

Devon Yanko, 33 CA

28

Quad Dipsea 28.4M, Mill Valley, CA

Alex Varner, 30 CA

3:41:01 6:09:39

29

Lake Sonoma 50M, Healdsburg, CA

Alex Varner, 29 CA

30

HAT Run 50K, Havre de Grace, MD

Christopher Beck, 39 MD

31

White River 50M, Crystal Mountain, WA

Matt Cecill, 33 BC

7:03:52

32

McDonald Forest 50K, Corvalis, OR

Jason Leman, 28

4:25:08

33

Leona Divide 50K, Lake Hughes, CA

Ruperto Romero, 51

4:15:24

34

Tunnel Hill 50M, Vienna, IL

Coree Woltering, 25 CO

6:18:06

35

Western States 100M, Squaw Valley, CA

Rob Krar, 38 AZ

36

Squamish 50K, Squamish, BC

Jeremy Waters, 41 BC

37

Rocky Raccoon 100M, Huntsville, TX

Ian Sharman, 34 CA

38

Born to Run 30M, Los Olivos, CA

Rene Dorantes, 39 CA

4:13:11

14:48:59 5:23:54

14:52:06

281

Beverley Anderson-Abbs, 51 CA

4:59:37

280 278

Stephanie Howe, 31 OR

7:08:23

Jacqueline Palmer, 27 DE

4:37:57

277

Keely Henninger, 23 CO

8:20:43

276

Emily Kalenius, 35

4:44:50

269

Emma Delira, 28

5:05:52

265

Neela D’souza, 38 ON

6:36:35

259

Magdalena Boulet, 41 CA

19:05:21

254

5:57:51

250

Kim Magnus, 31 BC

13:32:44

Nicole Studer, 32 TX

14:22:18

249

3:27:01

Claire Mellein, 32 CA

3:40:50

246

39

Orcas Island 50K, Orcas Island, WA

Andrew Miller, 18 OR

40

TNF - WI 50K, Dousman, WI

Gabriel Iriondo, 42 Chile

4:28:50

41

Bighorn 32M, Dayton, WY

Justin Svec, 36 MT

42

Holiday Lake 50K, Appomattox, VA

Shaun Pope, 26

3:43:52

Bethany Patterson, 36 VA

4:22:41

236

43

Bulldog 50K, Calabasas, CA

Seamus Tomkins, 34 AZ

3:52:39

Stephanie Fronk, 27 CA

4:47:27

234

3:45:14 4:18:17

Tara Berry, 29 BC

5:43:25

241

Kelly Tyrrell, 32 WI

4:45:04

239

Katie Steinberg, 29 WY

4:48:55

238

44

Rio Del Lago 100M, Granite Bay, CA

Dominick Layfield, 44 UT

17:07:27

Erika Lindland, 33 CA

19:24:24

233

45

TNF - DC 50M, Sterling, VA

Jordan Mcdougal, 27 VA

6:44:55

Christina Clark, 39 CAN

7:56:02

231

46

Squaw Peak 50M, Provo, UT

Mark Hammond, 30 UT

8:09:23

Lydia Gaylord, 31 CA

9:54:57

231

47

Labor Pain 12H, Reading, PA

James Blandford, 45 PA

62

228 223

70

Jessica Gockley, 34 PA

48

Rock/Creek StumpJump 50K, Chattanooga, TN

Brandon Sullivan, 33 TN

4:52:25

Emily Ansick, 31 AL

5:52:04

49

Vermont 100M, West Windsor, VT

Scott Traer, 34 MA

15:01:50

Ashley Lister, 27

18:25:57

221

50

Bandera 100K, Bandera, TX

David Laney, 26 OR

8:35:46

Aliza Lapierre, 34 VT

10:17:15

220

51

Tamalpa Headlands 50K, Muir Beach, CA

Andy Wacker, 26 CO

3:37:20

Caitlin Smith, 34 CA

4:30:44

220

52

Crown King Scramble 50K, Phoenix, AZ

Arthur Degraw, 35 AZ

4:05:37

Angela Shartel, 41 CA

5:06:36

219

53

Salomon Trail Running 50K, New Gloucester, ME

David Herr, 50 VT

3:42:25

Kelsey Allen, 31

4:20:50

217

54

Terrapin Mountain 50K, Sedalia, VA

Adam Schroer, 26 WV

Bethany Patterson, 36 VA

4:58:32

213

4:01:18

55

Mt Cheaha 50K, Delta, AL

Darren Thomas, 21 VA

4:19:39

Natalie Sims, 41 TN

6:18:49

213

56

Minnesota Voyageur 50M, Carlton, MN

Jake Hegge, 23 WI

6:49:33

Leslie Semler, 34 MN

8:56:10

213

57

Virginia Run for Cancer 24H, Hampton, VA

Speirs Steve, 48 VA

133.25

Stegemiller Megan, 26 VA

131

212

58

Knee Knackering 30M, North Vancouver, BC

Christopher Jones, 29 BC

4:51:34

Darbykai Standrick, 27 BC

5:35:56

212

4:30:52

Jennifer Ford, 35 VA

5:22:07

211

6:31:15

Stacey Stern, 44 CA

8:12:10

209

19:01:07

Angela Shartel, 41 CA

22:34:12

207

20:41:09

Heather Culig, 45 ID

25:38:02

203

59

Patapsco Valley 50K, Baltimore, MD

Bradley Revenis, 29 MD

60

Avalon 50 Mile Benefit Run 50M, Avalon, CA

Fabrice Hardel, 41 CA

61

The Bear 100M, Logan, UT

Mick Jurynec, 37 UT

62

Wasatch Front 100M, Kaysville, UT

Christopher Schurk, 34 WY

63

Siskiyou Out Back 50K 50K, Ashland, OR

Tyler Van Dyke, 22 OR

64

Volcanic 50K, Cougar, WA

Rod Bien, 43 OR

3:40:53

Natalie Ghelfi, 26 OR

4:30:43

201

5:21:43

Susan Barrows, 40 OR

6:38:36

200

65

Antelope Island 50K, Syracuse, UT

Lars Kjerengtroen, 36 UT

3:37:00

Katie Schide, 23 UT

4:33:15

199

66

Sean O’Brien 50K, Malibu, CA

Jonathan Toker, 39 CA

4:25:58

Bree Lambert, 46 CA

5:32:39

198

67

Mountain Masochist 50M, Lynchburg, VA

Paul Terranova, 41 TX

7:27:02

Bethany Patterson, 36 VA

8:28:18

198

32

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RACE

MEN’S WINNER

68

Ice Age Trail 50K, La Grange, WI

Jonathon Noll, 23

3:43:04

TIME

Ruth Lunz, 35

4:42:59

196

69

Noble Canyon 50K, Pine Valley, CA

Fernando Blanco, 36 CA

4:05:00

Cindy Lynch, 44 CA

4:46:00

195

70

Bighorn 100M, Dayton, WY

Andrew Miller, 19 OR

18:29:37

Silke Koester, 32 CO

24:13:29

195

71

Run Under the Stars 10H, Paducah, KY

Olaf Wasternack, 35 TN

58

194

6:51:11

194

63.5 6:09:17

WOMEN’S WINNER

TIME

Michelle Barton, 25 OH

72

Ultra-Trail Harricana of Canada 65K, Charlevoix, QC

Benoit Gignac, 35 BC

73

TNF - WI 50M, Dousman, WI

Tyler Sigl, 29 WI

5:55:40

Molly Culver, 25 MO

8:10:30

193

74

Vermont 50K, Brownsville, VT

Erik Johnson, 31

4:37:22

Phoebe Matthews, 24

5:05:46

193

75

Vermont 50M, Brownsville, VT

Gabriel Saiz, 35

7:00:07

76

Squamish 50M 50M, Squamish, BC

Nick Elson, 31 BC

7:31:56 4:10:31

Jessy Forgues, 30 QC

FINISHERS

Kelsey Allen, 32 Cassie Scallon, 33 CO

191 190

77

Deception Pass 50K, Oak Harbor, WA

Olin Berger, 30 WA

6:30:01

190

78

Gorge Waterfalls 100K, Cascade Locks, WA

Justin Houck, 29 WA

9:22:57

Michele Yates, 32 CO

11:03:05

189

79

Superior Spring Trail Race 50K, Lutsen, MN

Benjamin Cogger, 30 MN

4:08:16

Tiffany Kari, 34 MN

5:26:55

186

80

Dick Collins Firetrails 50M, Castro Valley, CA

Luke Neumann, 26 CA

7:48:13

Amy Phillips, 42 CA

8:13:10

185

81

San Juan Solstice 50M, Lake City, CO

Michael Barlow, 29 CO

9:05:56

Hannah Green, 24 CO

10:49:52

183

82

Quicksilver 100K, San Jose, CA

Chikara Omine, 32 CA

9:05:48

Meghan Arbogast, 54 CA

10:18:49

181

83

DWD Devil’s Lake 50K, Merrimac, WI

Nic Giebler

4:27:39

Samantha Gries

4:40:12

179

84

Rock the Ridge 50M, New Paltz, NY

Ben Nephew, 40 MA

5:56:16

Laura Coogan, 27 NY

7:13:49

179

85

Spartathlon 245K, Athens,

Florian Reus, 31

23:17:31

Katalin Nagy, 36

25:07:12

174

86

Bandera 50K 50K, Bandera, TX

Christian Gering, 23 NM

4:27:07

Tracie Akerhielm, 32 TX

87

Antelope Island Buffalo Run 50K, Syracuse, UT

Ford Smith, 18 TX

3:48:59

88

The Georgia Death Race 68M, Blairsville, GA

Andrew Miller, 18 OR

10:27:44

89

Afton Trail 50K, Hastings, MN

Chris Lundstrom, 39 MN

3:47:41

Kamm Prongay, 52 OR

8:11:29 8:37:32

5:05:11

174

Lydia Blandy, 30 CA

4:44:33

173

Kandy Ferris, 41 FL

13:36:51

170

Rebekah Metzdorff, 30 MN

4:49:26

169

90

Cayuga Trail 50M, Ithaca, NY

Mario Mendoza, 29 OR

6:55:28

Jason Mintz, 35

7:58:35

169

91

Georgia Sky to Summit 50K, Dillard, GA

Jason Parks, 27 GA

4:37:22

Emily Ansick, 31 AL

5:51:37

168

92

San Diego 50M, Escondido, CA

Marc Wilson, 32 CA

6:58:11

Neela D’souza, 37 ON

7:29:07

168

93

Smith Rock Ascent 50K, Terrebonne, OR

Ryan Kaiser, 36 OR

3:42:21

Jennifer Love, 24 OR

4:51:17

168

94

McKenzie River Trail Run 50K, Blue River, OR

Tyler Green, 31 OR

3:44:35

Callie Cooper, 24 OR

4:19:53

166

95

Kettle Moraine 100M, Eagle, WI

Jim Sweeney, 33 NY

96

Chicago Lakefront 50K, Chicago, IL

Zack Mccormick, 30 IL

97

Skyline 50K, Castro Valley, CA

Chris Vizcaino, 27 CA

3:26:12

98

Chippewa Moraine 50K, New Auburn, WI

Nick Nygaard, 23 MN

3:45:05

99

NorthCoast 24H, Cleveland, OH

Harvey Lewis , 39

100

The Race for the Ages 12H, Manchester, TN

Joe Fejes, 49 GA

“Maintain Performance until the Final Mile!”

15:43:25 3:25:09

157.9081 200

Amy Ewing, 45 TX

22:01:39

165

4:03:33

164

Kimberly O’donnell, 25 CA

4:05:16

164

Christi Nowak, 23 MN

4:44:37

164

Prativa Pandey, 28 IL

Jenny hoffman , 37 Liz Bauer, 56 GA

138.3757

163

164

163

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JAN/FEB 2016

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33

2015 TOP FINISHERS

2015 Top 100-Mile Males 1 2

NAME Mike Bialick, 34 MN Ian Sharman, 34 CA

TIME RACE 12:52:53 Tunnel Hill 13:32:44 Rocky Raccoon

3

Paul Terranova, 41 TX

4

Sam Skeels, 36 MI

14:11:40 Rocky Raccoon

43

5

Pete Kostelnick, 28 NE

14:13:09 Prairie Spirit

44 David Mitchell, 33 OR

16:29:31 Mountain Lakes

83 Mike Dietz, 41 IL

17:18:39 Kettle Moraine

6

Ronnie Delzer, 33 TX

14:15:53 Rocky Raccoon

45

16:31:02 Javelina

84 Steve Barber, 39 TN

17:19:24 Tunnel Hill

14:05:17 Rocky Raccoon

14:35:34 Umstead

NAME 41

Rob Russell, 37 OR

RACE

NAME

16:15:06 Iron Horse 16:15:16 Mountain Lakes

42 Jeremy Howard, 38 ME

16:24:30 Vermont

Matthew Urbanski, 34 WA 16:26:42 Rocky Raccoon Karl Meltzer, 47 UT

7

Michael Daigeaun, 35 PA

8

Ian Ramsey-North, 29 DC 14:45:00 C&O Canal

9

Christian Wagner, 29 IN

14:47:59 Hennepin

10

Rob Krar, 38 AZ

14:48:59 Western States

11

Harvey Lewis, 39 OH

14:53:21 Tunnel Hill

50 Tommy Pyon, 38 NY

12

Nathan Leehman, 41 NC

14:55:15 Rocky Raccoon

51

19:00:00 Vermont

TIME

40 Dennis Gamroth, 44 OR

79

TIME

Brandt Ketterer, 31 CO

RACE

17:12:00 Antelope Island

80 Lee Whitaker, 41 SC

17:14:38 Graveyard

81

17:15:08 Badger Mtn

Gabe Wishnie, 32 WA

82 Dan Waldschmidt, 36 SC

17:18:05 Without Limits

46

Matthew Cooper, 36 MI

16:31:25 Indiana Trail

85 Hal Koerner, 39 OR

17:19:34 Arkansas Traveler

47

Charlie Ware, 30 AZ

16:33:43 Javelina

86 Justin Franklin, 28 OK

17:24:29 Prairie Spirit

48 Ian Sharman, 34 OR

16:33:54 Leadville

87 Rokas Zickevicius, 27 FL

17:25:00 Daytona

49

16:37:25 Umstead

88 Ed Scheer, 42 IL

17:25:10 Hennepin

89 Kyle Young, 29 CO

17:25:26

90 Troy Shellhamer, 35 KY

17:26:54 Tunnel Hill

Martin Thorne, 49 NC

16:37:37 GNYRE

Fabrice Guillaume, 38 VA 16:39:00 C&O Canal

Booneville Backroads

13

Scott Traer, 34 MA

14

Ezra Becker, 29 CA

15:13:18 Rocky Raccoon

53 Michael Kisiel, 38 VA

16:42:00 Graveyard

91

15

Dan Lenz, 39 NC

15:13:42 Umstead

54 Peter Witucki, 34 WI

16:42:59 Hennepin

92 Matthew Hitechew, 33 NC 17:27:50 Blind Pig

16

Seth Swanson, 36 MT

15:17:28 Western States

55 Matt Zmolek, 34 TX

16:44:16 Rocky Raccoon

93 Todd Nott, 51 NE

17

Lindsay Hamoudi, 35 CA

15:19:20 Rocky Raccoon

56 Ian Sharman, 34 CA

16:44:27 Western States

94 Adam Zastrow, 36 CA

18

Michael Carson, 28 AZ

15:21:24 Javelina

57 Steven Moore, 48 TX

16:44:32 Arkansas Traveler

95 Henry Southgate, 33 WI

19

Ryan Jones, 35 PA

52 David Huss, 31 MA

16:41:59 Umstead

James Balmer, 45 PA

17:27:18 Umstead 17:28:55 Kettle Moraine 17:29:12 Zion 17:30:55 Umstead

15:26:09 Umstead

58 Olivier Leblond, 43 VA

16:45:50 Old Dominion

96 Joe Barnard, 34 KS

20 Philip McCarthy, 47 NY

15:27:06 Beast of Burden

59 Steven Parke, 49 ON

16:46:30 Beast of Burden

97 Johan Desmet, 47 GA

21

15:27:58 Vermont

60 Avery Collins, 22 CO

16:49:14 Indiana Trail

98 William Connell, 32 NY

17:35:10 Vermont

15:36:33 Arkansas Traveler

61

16:49:15 Umstead

99 Mark Hammond, 30 UT

17:37:25 Flagstaff to GC

100 John Wog, 36 CA

17:38:52 Vegas Moonlight

Brian Rusiecki, 36 MA

22 Wesley Hunt, 32 AR

Kevin Motsch, 42 OH

23 Jared Hazen, 20 CO

15:37:55 Western States

62 Ron Wireman Jr, 34 TN

16:51:28 Hallucination

24 Steve Barber, 38 TN

15:39:34 Pistol

63 Anthony Kunkel, 23 CO

16:54:21 Honey Badger

25 Mark Manz, 29 NC

15:40:54 Umstead

64 Jon Olsen, 41 CA

26 Sebastien Roulier, 41 QC

15:42:44 Vermont

65 Ed Ettinghausen, 53 CA

27 Jim Sweeney, 33 NY

15:43:25 Kettle Moraine

66 Pete Kostelnick, 28 NE

16:55:50 Arkansas Traveler 16:56:38 Umstead

16:55:00 Javelina 16:55:16 Run-de-Vous

28 Brett Sanborn, 29 NM

15:47:38 Javelina

67

29 Robert Ashby, 47 ME

15:49:04 Ghost Train

68 Thomas Orf, 42 TX

30 Matt Smith, 36 TX

15:49:06 Rocky Raccoon

69 Zach Gingerich, 36 OR

31

15:49:42 Rocky Raccoon

70

David Laney, 26 OR

15:53:18 Javelina

71

Duran Pardue, 27 NC

17:02:05 Umstead 17:04:51 Oil Creek

Peter Hogg, 32 IN

32 Adam Takacs, 35 ON

Will Rivera, 44 KY

AGES OF ULTRARUNNING FINISHERS

16:57:21 Rocky Raccoon

15:54:00 Long Beach

72

Nicholas Kopp, 23 WA

34 Oswaldo Lopez, 43 CA

15:58:56 Iron Horse

70+ 0.65%

16:59:39 Mountain Lakes 17:01:37 Western States

33 Thomas Podell, 35 CA

73

Scott Dunlap, 45 CA

17:06:48 Rocky Raccoon

35

Christopher Eveland, 40 OH 15:59:32 Umstead

74

Dominick Layfield, 44 UT

17:07:27 Rio Del Lago

36

Daniel Kosla, 33 NC

75

Brad Hinton, 39 VA

17:08:43 Old Dominion

16:03:00 C&O Canal

17:31:17 Prairie Spirit 17:32:24 Pistol

37 John Boser, 24 NY

16:08:16 Beast of Burden

76

Steven Parke, 48 ON

17:09:05 Beast of Burden

38 Michael Alfred, 33 CA

16:12:07 Rocky Raccoon

77

Bob Shebest, 41 CA

17:09:28 San Diego

39 Joshua Finger, 41 PA

16:13:43 Rocky Raccoon

78

Oswaldo Lopez, 43 CA

<20 0.71%

60-69 4.18%

20-29 12.3% 30-39 33.3%

17:10:07 Born to Run

40-49 32.2%

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 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.

1

Rob Krar, 38 AZ

2

Seth Swanson, 36 MT 15:17:28 Western States 0.969

14:48:59 Western States 1.000

3 Jared Hazen, 19 CO

15:37:55 Western States 0.948

4

Ian Sharman, 34 OR

16:33:52 Leadville

0.930

5

Mike Foote, 31 MT

25:45:13 Hardrock

0.915

6

Ian Sharman, 34 CA

13:32:44 Rocky Raccoon 0.908

7

Jason Schlarb, 37 CO 18:05:18 Run Rabbit Run 0.901

8

Ian Sharman, 34 OR

9

Adam Campbell, 34 AB 26:49:22 Hardrock

10 Chris Price, 34 CA 11 Paul Terranova, 41 TX

16:44:27 Western States 0.885

Bob Mercil, 75 CO

0.877

Bob Calabria, 73 NC

29:10:30 Graveyard

14:05:17 Rocky Raccoon 0.873

Tom Sprouse, 73 NC

28:35:54 Umstead

26:52:00 Hardrock

|

JAN/FEB 2016

0.871

Maurice Robinson, 73 AR

29:30:53 Lean Horse

30:12:17 Arkansas Traveler

13 David Laney, 26 OR

17:01:37 Western States 0.870

David Blaylock, 72 UT

26:43:05 Jackpot

14 Sam Skeels, 36 MI

14:11:40 Rocky Raccoon 0.866

David Blaylock, 72 UT

32:35:28 Salt Flats

15 Ronnie Delzer, 33 TX 14:15:53 Rocky Raccoon 0.862

Nofal Musfy, 72 TX

Brandon 16 Stepanovich, 30 CO

27:27:30 Hardrock

0.858

Ian Maddieson, 72 NM

26:49:43 Umstead

David Blaylock, 72 UT

31:30:48 Booneville

17 Scott Traer, 34 MA

15:01:50 Vermont

0.858

Denis Trafecanty, 72 CA

28:16:10 San Diego

0.854

Ian Maddieson, 72 NM

28:31:02 Vermont

18 Brian Rusiecki, 36 MA 19:36:25 Massanutten

26:11:08 Rocky Raccoon

19 Bob Shebest, 41 CA

19:13:34 Run Rabbit Run 0.848

David Blaylock, 72 UT

20 Kyle Pietari, 28 CO

18:16:04 Leadville

0.844

Tim Hicks, 72 CA

28:30:06 Rio Del Lago

21 Benjamin Lewis, 37 UT 27:55:48 Hardrock

0.843

Wally Hesseltine, 72 CA

26:04:05 Lean Horse

22 Jake Hegge, 24 MN

19:30:37 Superior

0.843

Gary Knipling, 71 VA

34:25:33 Massanutten

23 Bob Shebest, 41 CA

17:09:28 San Diego

0.838

Paul Akiyama, 71 CA

26:27:06 Javelina

17:43:17 Western States 0.836

25 Brian Rusiecki, 36 MA 15:27:58 Vermont

ULTRARUNNING.COM

OLDEST 100-MILE FINISHERS – MALE

0.878

12 Troy Howard, 42 CO 27:03:00 Hardrock

24 Paul Terranova, 41 TX

34

50-59 16.64%

2015 TOP GRADED PERFORMANCES 100 MILES – MALE

0.833

Wally Hesseltine, 71 Joseph Cho, 70 CA

29:17:11 Yellowstone-Teton

31:51:25 Mohican 25:39:00 Long Beach

2015 Top 100-Mile Females 1 2

NAME Nicole Studer, 32 TX Devon Yanko, 33 CA

TIME RACE 14:22:18 Rocky Raccoon 14:52:06 Javelina

38 Beth McCurdy, 45 GA

3

Liza Howard, 43 TX

15:34:34 Rocky Raccoon

40 Stephanie Howe, 31 OR

19:32:58 Western States

41

16:17:25 Rocky Raccoon

NAME

TIME

RACE

19:27:06 Wildcat

39 Leah Jones, 37 TN

19:31:41 Blind Pig

NAME

TIME

75 Elle Spacek, 26 IL

RACE

21:10:00 Hideaway

76 Julie Kheyfets, 26 MA

21:17:07 Rocky Raccoon

77 Stephanie Kurtz, 35 OH

21:18:02 Pine Creek

4

Melanie Fryar, 34 TX

19:34:09 Leadville

78 Jessica Goldman, 42 NH

21:19:00 Ghost Train

5

Megan Stegemiller, 26 VA

16:24:52 Pistol

42 Krystle Dalke, 33 KS

19:34:25 Prairie Spirit

79 Maggie Hayes, 29 CA

21:22:03 Rio Del Lago

Elizabeth Howard, 43 TX

6

Kathleen Cusick, 40 VA

16:45:30 Pine Creek

43 Aliza Lapierre, 35 VT

19:43:22 Western States

80 Tammy Hellings, 35 IL

21:25:36 Tunnel Hill

7

Jennifer Hoffman, 37 MA

16:48:18 Rocky Raccoon

44 Leslie Howlett, 31 UT

19:45:51 Antelope Island

81

21:26:22 Graveyard

8

Janessa Taylor, 36 OR

16:55:50 Badger Mtn

45 Kara Henry, 30 CO

19:54:08 Leadville

82 Erin Churchill, 34 NM

9

Rhoda Smoker, 29 PA

17:18:39 Pine Creek

46 Riva Johnson, 52 OR

19:59:50 Mountain Lakes

83 Anastasia Andrychowski, 35 IL 21:26:42 Umstead

10 Jennifer Edwards, 39 WA

17:24:16 Umstead

47 Suzi Swinehart, 43 IN

11

Kristen Roe, 47 NY

17:34:55 Tunnel Hill

48 Elizabeth Minnick, 34 VA

20:09:12 Umstead

20:08:29 Hallucination

Sarah Llaguno, 50 CA

21:26:39 Javelina

84 Miriam Smith, 45 NV

21:30:02 Rio Del Lago

85 Maria Simone, 41 NJ

21:32:40 Javelina 21:35:43 Keys

12

Noelani Taylor, 36

17:42:00 Daytona

49 Tracy Dimino, 44 CA

20:10:24 Javelina

86 Bonnie Collins, 39 FL

13

Jennifer Lockrem, 39 FL

17:48:37 Hennepin

50 Tammy Walther, 43 AR

20:16:18 Keys

87 Sandra Garrett, 41 FL

21:37:26 Iron Horse

14

Sarah Deikun, 27 NY

17:48:50 GNYRE

51

88 Steph Whitmore, 36 IA

21:37:42 Rocky Raccoon

15 Jennifer Pfeifer, 43 CA

17:53:46 Rocky Raccoon

52 Nicole Studer, 33 TX

89 Lisa Johnston, 50 MD

21:38:00 C&O Canal

16

Tammy Walther, 44 AR

18:06:13 Tunnel Hill

53 Christina Friedman, 46 NY 20:20:45 Pine Creek

90 Megan Stegemiller, 26 VA

21:39:30 Old Dominion

17

Mary Flaws, 48 WI

18:13:06 Lean Horse

54 Alyson Eng, 21 DE

91 Jacqueline Palmer, 27 DE

21:40:33 Oil Creek

18

Kathleen Cusick, 39 FL

Stacey Costa, 46 CA

20:18:40 Beyond Limits 20:19:56 Western States 20:20:47 Pine Creek

18:23:35 Fort Clinch

55 Jax Mariash Koudele, 35 OR 20:23:55 Javelina

92 Regina Sooey, 44 FL

21:42:00 Daytona

19 Jennifer Lockrem, 38 FL

18:27:06 Umstead

56 Sally Mcrae, 36 CA

20:27:33 Western States

93 Jessica Cranford, 29 GA

21:42:57 Blind Pig

20 Katalin Nagy, 36 FL

18:36:00 Burning River

57 Emz Eliason, 38 AZ

20:29:20 Javelina

94 Caroline Boller, 40 CA

58 Amy Costa, 51

20:32:00 Daytona

95 Helen Summerford, 38 MS

21:44:14 Iron Horse 21:45:00 Burning River

21

Alissa St. Laurent, 30 AB

18:37:19 Sinister 7

21:44:11 Western States

22 Stacey Costa, 46 CA

18:53:19 Jackpot

59 Cecilia Santos, 36 GA

20:33:49 Pistol

96 Melissa Terwilliger, 31 OH

23 Kathy Smith, 50 TN

18:57:25 Pistol

60 Allison Anderson, 39 UT

20:36:29 Antelope Island

97 Heather Patterson, 40 NY 21:47:00 Ghost Train

19:05:21 Western States

61

20:36:37 Javelina

98 Erika Lindland, 33 CA

21:47:25 Western States

20:41:04 Pigtails

99 Stacey Cleveland, 37 BC

21:48:26 Javelina

100 Erin Miller, 38 FL

21:48:37 Iron Horse

24 Magdalena Boulet, 41 CA 25 Kathleen Cusick, 40 VA

19:06:44 Old Dominion

26 Michelle Hawk, 47 AZ

19:08:39 Flagstaff to GC

27 Janessa Taylor, 36 OR

Dennene Huntley, 38 AB

62 Katie Graff, 29 TX 63 Rebecca Gartrell, 42 TX

20:41:58 Pistol

19:10:25 Antelope Canyon

64 Rachel Bucklin, 37 WA

20:42:26 Rio Del Lago 20:44:09 Prairie Spirit

28 Starshine Blackford, 39 OH

19:13:22 Umstead

65 Rebecca Gartrell, 42 TX

29 Kodi Panzer, 33 KS

19:16:36 Prairie Spirit

66 Michelle Bischof, 36 KY

30 Alison Jumper, 40 AR

19:16:44 Arkansas Traveler

67 Mindy Coolman, 33 IA

21:00:37 Rocky Raccoon

31

19:19:39 Graveyard

68 Cynthia Heady, 54 KY

21:00:40 Tunnel Hill

Kelly Wells, 41 SC

20:55:21 Hennepin

32 Di Sha, 40 GA

19:19:41 Umstead

69 Roxanne Woodhouse, 52 CA 21:01:57 Zion

33 Kaci Lickteig, 28 NE

19:20:31 Western States

70 Maggie Guterl, 35 PA

34 Tonya Littlehales, 43 OR

19:23:56 Javelina

71

21:04:15 Oil Creek

Candice Mcmackin, 42 MB 21:06:36 Lean Horse

35 Erika Lindland, 33 CA

19:24:24 Rio Del Lago

72 Amanda Wilson, 32

36 Eileen Torres, 44 GA

19:25:23 Umstead

73 Kristen Jaremback, 35 DC

37 Alissa St. Laurent, 30 AB

19:25:56 Cascade Crest

74 Erin Young, 26 MI

2015 TOP GRADED PERFORMANCES 100 MILES – FEMALE

21:08:15 Iron Horse 21:08:38 Hallucination

OLDEST 100-MILE FINISHERS – FEMALE

1

Devon Yanko, 33 CA

14:52:14 Javelina

2

Nicole Studer, 32 TX

14:22:18 Rocky Raccoon 0.943

3

Darcy Piceu, 40 CO

28:57:07 Hardrock

21:08:00 Daytona

1.000 0.897

Gunhild Swanson, 70 WA

29:59:54 Western States

Udon Beidler, 68 PA

29:20:55 Pine Creek

Bonnelle Murphy, 67 CA

34:47:05 Born to Run

Bonnelle Murphy, 67 CA

29:23:50 Razorback Endurance

4

Liza Howard, 43 TX

15:34:34 Rocky Raccoon 0.870

Kathie Lang, 66 OR

30:23:41 Rio Del Lago

5

Liza Howard, 43 TX

19:34:09 Leadville Trail

Barbara Ashe, 66 CA

27:30:37 Javelina Jundred

6

Magdalena Boulet, 41 CA

7

Kara Henry, 30 CO

8

Kaci Lickteig, 28 NE

19:20:31 Western States 0.845

9

Stephanie Howe, 31 OR

19:32:58 Western States 0.836

10 Aliza Lapierre, 34 VT

19:43:22 Western States 0.828

Louise Mason, 62 IL

11 Angela Shartel, 41 CA

22:34:12 The Bear

Louise Mason, 62 IL

0.868

19:05:21 Western States 0.856 19:54:05 Leadville Trail

0.854

0.811

Claudia Newsom, 65 CA

27:14:45 Run-de-Vous

Charlotte Lindley, 63 OK

28:55:14 Prairie Spirit

Bettie Smith, 63 CA

24:01:43 Javelina

Lori Pratt smith, 62 UT

35:52:34 The Bear

Kit Brazier, 62 CA

27:39:49 Jackpot

12 Nicole Studer, 33 TX

20:19:56 Western States 0.803

Karen Alexeev, 62 FL

13 Katalin Nagy, 36 FL

18:36:00 Burning River

Letha Cruthirds, 62 MS

14 Sally McRae, 36 CA

20:27:33 Western States 0.798

15 Erika Lindland, 33 CA

19:24:24 Rio del Lago

0.799 0.791

16 Ashley Nordell, 35 OR 22:35:38 Angeles Crest

0.788

17 Kathleen Cusick, 40 VA 19:06:44 Old Dominion

0.778

30:44:02 Wasatch

June Gessner, 62 CA

27:10:05 Beast of Burden 29:54:34 Hennepin 30:11:55 Keys Ultras 27:28:05 Arkansas Traveler

Georganna Quarles, 61 NV 25:48:06 Javelina Georganna Quarles, 61 FL Janice Bondar, 61 WA

32:18:15 Angeles Crest 30:32:10 Jackpot

Camille Herron and Team USA in the Netherlands after her IAU 50k win. [ iRunFar.com/Bryon Powell]

18 Ashley Lister, 27 PA

18:25:57 Vermont

0.771

19 Nikki Kimball, 44 MT

23:19:28 Chimera

0.770

20 Amy Rusiecki, 35 MA

23:36:51 Grindstone

0.768

21 Maggie Guterl, 35 PA

21:04:15 Oil Creek

0.768

Miranda Addonizio, 33 IN

Louisville’s Lovin’ the Hills 50K, Louisville, KY

22 Silke Koester, 32 CO

24:13:29 Bighorn

0.755

Rochelle Garnanez, 36 CO

24 Hours of Palmer Lake Fun Run 24H, Palmer Lake, CO

RACES WON OUTRIGHT BY A FEMALE IN 2015 NAME

RACE

TIME

0.754

Emily Levan, 42

Vermont 100K, West Windsor, VT

24 Kathleen Cusick, 40 VA 24:31:06 Massanutten

0.753

Christina Clark, 40 ON

Ghost Train Rail Trail Races 45M, Milford, NH

25 Caroline Boller, 40 CA

0.752

23 Kathleen Cusick, 40 VA

18:51:18 Vermont 21:44:11 Western States

FINISHERS

6:56:50

77

101.68

59

10:08:52

57

6:23:00

55

Bonnie Collins, 38 FL

Iron Horse Endurance Runs 100K, Florahome, FL

11:10:15

54

Nicole Studer, 33 TX

Whispering Pines Trail Run 50K, Tyler, TX

4:11:56

51

JAN/FEB 2016

|

ULTRARUNNING.COM

35

2015 TOP FINISHERS

2015 Top 100k Times MEN 1 2

NAME Joseph Binder, 23 CA Matt Flaherty, 30 IN

TIME RACE 6:58:04 IAU Worlds 7:01:08 IAU Worlds

28 Ryan Smith, 35 CO

NAME

TIME

RACE

NAME 56 Daniel Metzger, 20 CA

9:21:34 Ordnance

3

Chikara Omine, 32 CA

7:02:14 IAU Worlds

30 Bruce Udell, 49 WI

8:46:21 Mad City

57 Justin Houck, 29 WA

9:22:57 Gorge Waterfalls

8:41:41 Sean O’Brien

29 Dan Lenz, 39 NC

8:44:05 Weymouth Woods

TIME

55 Rob Krar, 38 AZ

RACE

9:20:22 The Canyons

4

Mike Bialick, 33 MN

7:02:17 Mad City

31

Jared Hazen, 19 CO

8:47:55 Bandera

58 Richard Hayes, 25

9:23:48 Blackfoot

5

Jim Walmsley, 25 MT

7:05:19 IAU Worlds

32

Dylan Bowman, 29 CA

8:50:13 UT Australia

59 Jason Mintz, 35 NY

9:23:53 Green Lakes

6

Chikara Omine, 32 CA

33

Benjamin Stern, 23 CA

7

Nick Accardo, 32 LA

7:06:30 Ruth Anderson

8:50:00 Miwok

60 Jesse Haynes, 42 CA

9:25:19 Quicksilver 9:25:29 Black Canyon

7:13:22 IAU Worlds

34 Justin Houck, 29 WA

8:53:22 UROC

61

7:15:12 Mad City

35

Michael Versteeg, 29 AZ

8

Daniel Yi, 34 VA

8:53:50 Virginia Beach

62 Malcolm Brown, 36 BC

9:28:06 Harriers Elk/Beaver

9

Anthony Kunkel, 23 CO

7:24:33 Mad City

36 Jeremy Walsh, 25 ON

8:53:59 Harriers Elk/Beaver

63 Joe Uhan, 37 OR

9:28:42 Bandera

10

Dylan Bowman, 29 CA

7:44:58 Tarawera - NZL

37

8:56:21 Harriers Elk/Beaver

64 Colin Miller, 37 BC

9:28:53 Pigtails

11

Nick Accardo, 32 LA

7:56:04 Mad City

38 Catlow Shipek, 36 AZ

8:56:33 Black Canyon

65 Karim El Hayani, 21 WA

9:29:14 Javelina

12

Jason Loutitt, 41 BC

7:56:24 IAU Worlds

39 Josh Litofsky, 23 PA

8:56:50 Pine Creek

66 Bruce Udell, 49 WI

9:29:38 Kettle Moraine

13

Jean Pommier, 51 CA

7:57:05 Mad City

40 Seth Swanson, 35 MT

8:57:06 Sean O’Brien

67

14

Ron Wireman, 33 TN

8:06:16 Pistol

41

Galen Burrell, 35 CA

8:58:00 Miwok

68 Tyler Green, 31 OR

9:32:46 Waldo

15

Adam Kahtava, 34 AB

42

Brad Popple, 26 NC

9:00:50 Weymouth Woods

69 Philippe Lagace, 40 AB

9:32:48 Blackfoot

16

Adam Takacs, 35 ON

43

Chikara Omine, 32 CA

9:05:48 Quicksilver

70

Kris Brown, 26 WA

9:34:43 Cuyamaca

17

Padraig Mullins, 33 MA

44 Tomas Moreno, 32 TX

9:07:24 Pumpkin Holler

71

Michael Carson, 28 AZ

18

Jason Loutitt, 41 BC

45 Jorge Pacheco, 47 CA

9:09:28 Sean O’Brien

72

Christopher Wehan, 33 CA

9:36:00 Miwok

19

Chris Calzetta, 32 CA

8:08:55 Harriers Elk/Beaver 8:11:52 IAU Worlds 8:22:48 Jack Bristol 8:23:21 Harriers Elk/Beaver

Michael Bailey, 33 VA Gary Poliquin, 47 AB

Mark Tanaka, 48 CA

9:30:47 Ruth Anderson

9:35:17 Black Canyon

8:24:46 Ordnance

46

Will Rivera, 44 KY

9:10:58 Pistol

73

Gerald Tabios, 45 NY

9:37:05 Jack Bristol

20 Oleg Tabelev, 49 AB

8:26:52 IAU Worlds

47

Paul Broyer, 29 CA

9:10:58 Ruth Anderson

74

Chris Price, 34 CA

9:37:39 Black Canyon

21

8:31:48 Black Canyon

48 Mario Mendoza, 29 OR

9:12:09 UROC

75

Chris Basford, 52 VA

9:38:17 Virginia Beach

8:32:38 Tarawera - NZL

49

9:14:08 Weymouth Woods

Ford Smith, 18 TX

22 Michael Wardian, 40 VA 23

Dave Mackey, 45 CO

Brandon Purdeu, 27 OK

8:33:27 Black Canyon

50 Paul Terranova, 41 TX

24 Michael Borst, 22 WI

8:34:58 Kettle Moraine

51

25 David Laney, 26 OR

8:35:46 Bandera

52 Ryan Kaiser, 36 OR

9:18:37 Waldo

26

Paul Terranova, 41 TX

8:39:44 Bandera

53 Christopher Wehan, 33 CA

9:18:38 Sean O’Brien

27

Ryan Ghelfi, 26 OR

8:40:14 Black Canyon

54 Adam Rau, 39 NY

9:19:39 Catskill Mtn

9:15:40 Quicksilver

Lon Freeman, 40 CA

9:16:11 Ordnance

FEMALE 1 2

NAME Camille Herron, 33 OK Camille Herron, 33 OK

TIME RACE 7:08:35 IAU Worlds 7:26:24 Mad City

28 Larisa Dannis, 28 CA

NAME

10:43:35 Waldo

TIME

RACE

29 Tracy Zagata, 42 CT

10:49:49 Jack Bristol

3

Sarah Bard, 31 MA

7:29:01 IAU Worlds

30 Jessica LeMere, 40 WI

4

Meghan Arbogast, 54 CA

NAME

TIME

54 Olga Nevtrinos, 33 WA 55 Kerrie Wlad, 44 CO

RACE

11:20:49 Gorge Waterfalls 11:22:17 UROC

10:51:26 Mad City

56 Becky Kirschenmann, 42 OR 11:28:03 Zion

8:02:01 IAU Worlds

31 Megan Chamoun, 35 CA

10:51:43 Ray Miller

57 Magdalena Boulet, 41 CA

11:32:27 The Canyons

5 Justine Morrison, 35 MD

8:29:15 IAU Worlds

32 Wendy Miller, 37 WI

10:52:18 Mad City

58 Luanne Park, 54 CA

11:35:07 Sean O’Brien

6

Arielle Fitzgerald, 21 ON

8:29:32 Harriers Elk/Beaver

33 Jordan Grande, 24 MA

10:53:52 Catskill Mtn

59 Darla Askew, 42 OR

11:36:08 Scout Mtn

7

Lisa Leskien, 35 ON

9:10:35 IAU Worlds

34 Laura Richard, 45 CA

10:54:00 Miwok

60 Janey Arons, 34 FL

11:40:31 Pistol

9:36:59 IAU Worlds

35 Joelle Vaught, 40 ID

10:54:59 Quicksilver

61 Darla Askew, 42 OR

11:40:55 Sean O’Brien

9:39:24 Pine Creek

36 Angela Shartel, 40 CA

10:55:59 Black Canyon

62 Meghan Arbogast, 53 CA 11:40:56 Sean O’Brien

9:42:45 Javelina

37 Kaci Lickteig, 29 NE

10:56:22 UROC

8 Tory Scholz, 37 BC 9

Neela D’Souza, 37 ON

10 Susan Barrows, 40 OR 11

Magdalena Boulet, 41 CA

9:51:27 Sean O’Brien

63 Lindsay Majno, 27 MA

38 Darcy Piceu, 40 CO

10:57:11 Quicksilver

64 Julie Fingar, 39 CA

12 Magdalena Boulet, 42 CA 10:03:29 UROC

39 Jennifer Aradi, 39 IL

10:59:00 Long Beach

13 Karen Fogen, 50 AB

10:06:10 Blackfoot

40 Kelsie Clausen, 20 CA

11:01:50 Bandera 11:03:05 Gorge Waterfalls

11:41:18 Hampshire 11:42:00 Miwok

65 Erin Paris, 32 KY

11:43:49 Pistol

66 Amanda Debevc, 37 OH

11:46:50 Oil Creek

14 Caroline Boller, 40 CA

10:06:31 Black Canyon

41 Michele Yates, 32 CO

15 Neela D’Souza, 37 ON

10:07:12 Javelina

42 Janessa Taylor, 36 OR

11:05:12 NUT

68 Leslie Howlett, 31 UT

11:49:23 Bandera

16 Anita Fromm, 43 CO

10:12:59 Orange Curtain

43 Annie Rutledge, 35 NV

11:06:14 Quicksilver

69 Katie Robinson, 37 CO

11:50:00 Miwok

67 Debbie Livingston, 40 CT 11:47:00 Miwok

17 Courtney Dauwalter, 30 CO

10:16:11 CURE

44 Denise Bourassa, 45 OR

11:08:24 Quicksilver

70 Melissa Hodges, 41 FL

11:50:18 Iron Horse

18 Aliza Lapierre, 34 VT

10:17:15 Bandera

45 Bree Lambert, 46 CA

11:09:00 Miwok

71 Ashley Truan, 31 MI

11:50:56 Kettle Moraine

11:09:30 Kettle Moraine

72 Gina Lucrezi, 31 CO

11:51:21 Black Canyon

19 Meghan Arbogast, 54 CA 10:18:49 Quicksilver

46 Meghan Kennihan, 33 IL

20 Nicole Studer, 32 TX

10:22:46 Bandera

47 Bonnie Collins, 38 FL

11:10:15 Iron Horse

73 Kathryn Drew, 28 BC

21 Joelle Vaught, 40 ID

10:24:57 Tarawera - NZL

48 Joelle Vaught, 40 ID

11:10:56 Gorge Waterfalls

74 Katie Desplinter, 31 CA

11:54:55 Black Canyon

22 Larisa Dannis, 28 CA

10:25:41 UROC

49 Silke Koester, 32

11:11:58 Sean O’Brien

75 Alison Wenster, 41 CA

11:56:00 Miwok

23 Laura Haupfear, 49 SC

10:26:25 Blind Pig

50

24 Shannon Warburg, 45 CA 10:26:40 Pigtails

Beverley Anderson-Abbs, 11:13:24 FOURmidable 50 CA

25 Caroline Boller, 40 CA

10:39:38 Bandera

51 Cindy Lynch, 44 CA

11:17:53 Cuyamaca

26 Anita Ortiz, 50 CO

10:40:58 Sean O’Brien

52 Cheryl Lager, 49 VA

11:18:09 Pistol

53 Kathi Ridgeway, 39 AZ

11:18:52 Javelina

27 Ashley Lister, 27 PA

10:41:12 Bandera

2015 TOP GRADED PERFORMANCES 100K – MALE 9:20:22 The Canyons

GENDER OF ULTRARUNNING FINISHERS

2015 TOP GRADED PERFORMANCES 100K – FEMALE

1

Rob Krar, 38 AZ

1.000

1

Camille Herron, 33 OK

7:08:35 IAU World 100K 1.000

2

Ford Smith, 18 TX

8:31:18 Black Canyon

0.983

2

Camille Herron, 33 OK

7:26:24 Mad City

3

Ryan Smith, 35 CO

8:41:41 Sean O’Brien

0.982

3

Sarah Bard, 30 MA

7:29:01 IAU World 100K 0.954

4

Dave Mackey, 45 CO

8:33:27 Black Canyon

0.978

4

Magdalena Boulet, 41 CA

9:51:27 Sean O’Brien

5

David Laney, 26 OR

8:35:46 Bandera

0.974

5

Magdalena Boulet, 41 CA 10:03:29 UROC

0.947 0.944

6

Chikara Omine, 32 CA 9:05:48 Quicksilver

0.974

6

Aliza Lapierre 34, VT

7

Paul Terranova, 41 TX 8:39:44 Bandera

0.967

7

Larisa Dannis 28, CA

8

Ryan Ghelfi, 26 AZ

0.966

8

Magdalena Boulet, 41 CA

9

Nicole Studer 32, TX

9 Justin Houck, 29 WA

8:40:14 Black Canyon

9:22:57 Gorge Waterfalls 0.961

10 Paul Terranova, 41 TX 9:15:40 Quicksilver

36

ULTRARUNNING.COM

|

11:53:11 Zion

0.956

JAN/FEB 2016

10:17:15 Bandera 10:43:35 Waldo 11:32:27 The Canyons 10:22:46 Bandera

10 Caroline Boller, 40 CA 10:06:31 Black Canyon

0.960 0.948

0.939 0.936 0.935 0.924

67.51% MALE .69%

32.49% FEMALE .69%

2015 Top 50-Mile Males 1 2

NAME Zach Bitter, 29 CA G Anthony Kunkel, 23 CO

TIME RACE 5:17:25 Door County 5:38:13 Door County

35 Dan Troland, 38 PA

NAME

6:20:33 JFK

TIME

RACE

69 Kevin Kohls, 49 IL

NAME

6:33:55 Door County

TIME

RACE

36 John Cash, 42 MO

6:22:00 Tunnel Hill

70 Tyler Green, 31 OR

6:34:50 Mt. Hood

3

Clint Wall, 43 CO

5:38:35 The Badlands

37 Ryan Bak, 33 OR

6:23:25 Lake Sonoma

71

Joseph Czabaranek, 30 FL 6:34:56 Destin Beach

4

Christopher Denucci, 36 CA 5:38:35 Door County

38 Wade Barrett, 38 TX

6:24:13 Brazos Bend

72 Joshua Finger, 42 PA

5

Jim Walmsley, 25 AZ

5:47:37 JFK

39 Sean Zion, 31 NC

6:24:19 Old Glory

73 Daven Oskvig, 38 NY

6:35:37 JFK

6

Graham Peck, 26 MD

5:49:25 JFK

40 Ethan Richards, 35 MT

6:24:46 Le Grizz

74 Mohammad Saad, 25 NC

6:36:35 Old Glory

41

6:25:42 Ruth Anderson

75 Patrick Stewart, 30 CO

6:36:38 The Bear Chase

76 Jorge Maravilla, 37 CA

6:36:45 Lake Sonoma 6:36:45 JFK

7

Daven Oskvig, 37 NY

8

Isaiah Janzen, 29 IA

5:54:33 Door County

42 Ryan Bak, 34 OR

9

Eric Senseman, 26 AZ

5:55:00 Tussey Mountainback

43 Wes Trueblood, 34 IN

6:26:14 Land Btwn the Lakes

77 Douglas Wickert, 42 NV

5:55:40 TNF - WI

44 Owen Bradley, 36 AL

6:26:20 Can Lake

78 Chris Rubesch, 29 MN

6:37:22 Door County

45 Tim Stieber, 53 MN

6:26:58 Door County

79 Clark Zealand, 42 VA

6:37:25 JFK

10 Tyler Sigl, 29 WI 11

Ben Nephew, 40 MA

12

Robert Bond, 26 MA

13

David Kilgore, 23 FL

5:51:29 Beast of Burden

6:35:02 Tussey Mountainback

5:56:16 Rock the Ridge 5:58:17 JFK

Brian Purcell, 43 CA

6:26:11 TNF - SF

46 C Fred Joslyn, 31 PA

6:27:16 JFK

80 Daniel Kraft, 27 WA

6:37:33 TNF - SF

6:02:43 Everglades

47 Rob Russell, 37 OR

6:27:26 Mt. Hood

81

6:37:35 Mt. Hood

Nathan Stroh, 43 OR

14

Michael Borst, 22 WI

6:03:33 Lean Horse

48 Hal Koerner, 39 OR

6:28:09 Umstead

82 Justin Houck, 30 AZ

6:38:11 TNF - SF

15

Karl Schnaitter, 32 CA

6:05:56 Ruth Anderson

49 Bruce Udell, 49 WI

6:28:09 Door County

83 Allan Spangler, 29 AK

6:38:41 TNF - SF

16

David McKay, 28 DC

6:08:33 JFK

50 Dylan Bowman, 29 CA

6:28:58 TNF - WI

84 Brandon Purdeu, 27 GA

17 Jacob Puzey, 33 AZ

6:09:12 Mt. Hood

51 Tommy Pyon, 37 NY

18 Alex Varner, 29 CA

6:09:39 Lake Sonoma

52 Masazumi Fujioka, 43 WA 6:30:09 Sun Mountain

19

6:09:55 Beast of Burden

William Walsh, 27 ON

20 Jon Lawler, 51 TN 21

Zach Miller, 27 CO

22 Chikara Omine, 32 CA 23 Jean Pommier, 51 CA 24 Rob Hays, 49 KS

6:11:40 Umstead

53 Benjamin Stern, 24 CA

6:30:17 SOB

54 Victor Ornelas, 30 NC

6:30:52 JFK

6:12:37 TNF - SF

55 Fabrice Hardel, 41 CA

6:13:39 American River

56 Jorge Maravilla, 38 CA

6:14:12 Ruth Anderson

57 Bradford Avilla, 19 CA

6:15:04 Prairie Spirit

6:29:13 Rock the Ridge

58 Jared Hazen, 19 CO

25 Michael Wardian, 41 VA

6:16:13 JFK

59 Tommy Darlington, 22 PA

26 Josh Slocum, 25 TX

6:16:17 Mt. Hood

60 Theodore Curry, 33 MD

27 Zach Bitter, 29 CA

6:17:22 Ice Age

61

Allan Spangler, 28 AK

6:31:15 Avalon 6:31:30 TNF - SF 6:31:41 American River

6:38:58 Prairie Spirit

85 Fernando Blanco, 35 CA

6:39:30 Avalon

86 Roy Kok, 41 BC

6:40:20 Whistler

87 Jason Lantz, 34 PA

6:41:06 JFK

88 Jim Walmsley, 25 MT

6:41:54 Lake Sonoma

89 David Goggins, 40 TN

6:42:57 JFK

90 Nakia Baird, 39 CA

6:43:33 Jed Smith

91

Brian Teason, 54 VT

6:43:34 Jack Bristol

6:31:54 Lake Sonoma

92 Ryan Tockstein, 28 IL

6:44:40 Land Btwn the Lakes

6:31:59 Tussey Mountainback

93 Jordan McDougal, 27 VA

6:44:55 TNF - DC

6:32:06 Tussey Mountainback

94 Phil Turner, 31 MD

6:45:01 JFK

6:32:12 Capitol Peak

95 Ryan Ghelfi, 27 OR

6:45:22 TNF - SF 6:45:39 Lean Horse

28 Coree Woltering, 25 CO

6:18:06 Tunnel Hill

62 Anthony Malatesta, 21 NJ

6:32:19 JFK

96 Joel Phipps, 35 WY

29 Jesse Booi, 34 BC

6:18:10 Whistler

63 Isaac Richardson, 18 IN

6:32:32 Nashville

97 Seth Swanson, 35 MT

6:46:01 Lake Sonoma

30 Scott Traer, 34 MA

6:18:22 Stone Cat

64 Ryan Smith, 36 CO

6:32:50 TNF - SF

98 Karl Schnaitter, 32 CA

6:46:43 American River

6:19:41 JFK

31

Chris Raulli, 27 NY

65 Troy Shellhamer, 34 KY

6:32:58 Land Btwn the Lakes

99 Eric Senseman, 26 MO

6:46:47 JFK

32 Darren Seaman, 40 BC

6:20:04 Harriers Elk/Beaver

66 Dylan Armajani, 30 NY

6:33:22 Rock the Ridge

100 Phil Reutlinger, 36 CO

6:46:49 The Bear Chase

33 Nathan Sicher, 33 MO

6:20:04 Prairie Spirit

67 Ryan Kaiser, 37 OR

6:33:26 TNF - SF

34 Dylan Bowman, 29 CA

6:20:28 TNF - SF

68 Chris Mead, 29 MD

6:33:43 JFK

JAN/FEB 2016

|

ULTRARUNNING.COM

37

2015 TOP FINISHERS

2015 Top 50-Mile Females 1

NAME Camille Herron, 33 OK

TIME RACE 5:38:41 Door County

2015 TOP GRADED PERFORMANCES 50 MILES – MALE NAME 1 Alex Varner, 29 CA 2 Zach Miller, 27 CO

TIME RACE 6:09:39 Lake Sonoma 6:12:37 TNF-SF

1.000 0.997

7:51:45 Le Grizz

3

Dylan Bowman, 29 CA

6:20:28 TNF-SF

0.976

7:52:17 American River

4

Mario Mendoza, 29 OR

6:55:28 Cayuga Trail

0.970

6:23:25 Lake Sonoma

0.964

NAME

TIME

72

Kelly Gillen, 33 NY

7:51:08 Nashville

RACE

73

Rachel Bucklin, 37 WA

74

Samantha Beardsley, 27 CA

Beverley Anderson-Abbs, 50 CA

6:18:38 Jed Smith

3

Catrin Jones, 36 BC

6:24:50 Whistler

75

Susan Barrows, 40 OR

7:53:02 Siskiyou Out Back

5

Ryan Bak, 33 OR

4

Nicole Studer, 33 TX

6:27:53 Brazos Bend

76

Sara Maltby, 36 GA

7:54:30 Cremator

6

Ryan Bak, 33 OR

5

Sarah Bard, 31 MA

77

Michelle Bischof, 36 KY

7:54:32 Tunnel Hill

7 Jared Burdick, 28

7:00:24 Cayuga Trail

0.959

78

Carla Rodriguez Dimitrescu, 32

7:54:54 Blackfoot

8 Zach Bitter, 29 CA

5:17:25 Door County

0.956

9 Jorge Maravilla, 37 CA

6:31:30 TNF-SF

0.949

Marisa Carter, 37 NC

7:55:48 Nashville

10 Ryan Smith, 36 CO

6:32:50 TNF-SF

0.946 0.944

2

6:31:11 JFK

6:26:11 TNF-SF

0.962

6

Neela D’Souza, 38 ON

6:36:35 Tunnel Hill

7

Traci Falbo, 44 IN

6:45:22 Tunnel Hill

8

Melanie Bos, 42 BC

6:50:25 Whistler

79

9

Janessa Taylor, 36 OR

6:51:58 Mt. Hood

80 Christina Clark, 39 ON

7:56:02 TNF - DC

11 Ryan Kaiser, 37 OR

6:33:26 TNF-SF

10

Christi Richards, 27 MT

6:54:44 Le Grizz

81

7:56:04 Bull Run

12 Brian Rusiecki, 36 MA

7:16:58 TNF - Bear Mtn 0.943

11

Heather Hoechst, 36 PA

7:05:54 Tussey Mtnback

82 Joanna Ford, 30 AB

7:56:07 Blackfoot

13 Jared Hazen, 19 CO

6:31:54 Lake Sonoma

0.943

12

Christy Nielsen, 39 NE

7:07:48 Prairie Spirit

83 Kerrie Wlad, 43 CO

7:56:34 Lake Sonoma

14 Tyler Sigl, 29

7:08:47 Cayuga Trail

0.940

13

Stephanie Howe, 31 OR

7:08:23 Lake Sonoma

15 Jim Walmsley, 25 AZ

5:47:37 JFK

0.938

14

Laura Coogan, 27 NY

7:13:49 Rock the Ridge

16 Daniel Kraft

6:37:33 TNF-SF

0.934

15

Megan Kimmel, 35 CO

7:13:52 TNF - SF

6:38:11 TNF-SF

0.933

16

Lorraine Young, 41 NC

7:16:29 JFK

86 Darcy Piceu, 40 CO

7:59:25 TNF - SF

18 Allen Spangler,

6:38:41 TNF-SF

0.932

17

Sydney Lambert, 28 TX

7:16:32 Brazos Bend

87 Danyale Clay, 37 ID

8:00:45 Mt. Hood

19 Jorge Maravilla, 37 CA

6:36:45 Lake Sonoma

0.932

18

Emily Bello, 30 KY

7:20:52 Nashville

88 Dana Allen, 30 NC

8:01:06 Old Glory

20 Jim Walmsley, 25 MT

6:41:54 Lake Sonoma

0.920

19

Neela D’Souza, 38 ON

6:45:22 TNF-SF

0.916 0.912

20 Cassie Scallon, 33 CO 21

Michelle Kurnik, 34 CT

22 Jennifer Lockrem, 39 FL

84

Ashley Lister, 27 PA

Kimberley Vandersyde, 43 NV

85 Robin Watkins, 32 DC

7:56:43 American River 7:57:37 JFK

17 Justin Houck, 29 WA

7:21:43 Can Lake

89 Jessica Hagenbuch, 37 NJ

8:01:28 Nashville

21 Ryan Ghelfi, 26 OR

7:22:09 Lake Sonoma

90 Kaci Lickteig, 28 NE

8:01:48 Silver State

22 Chris Vizcaino

6:47:18 TNF-SF

7:22:38 Door County

91

7:23:44 Des Planes

92 Amanda Basham, 26 OR

Eileen Czabaranek, 29 FL

8:02:22 Destin Beach

23 Seth Swanson, 35 MT

6:46:01 Lake Sonoma

0.910

8:02:38 TNF - SF

24 Tim Tollefson, 30 CA

6:47:15 Lake Sonoma

0.908

25 Rivers Puzey

6:54:13 TNF-SF

0.897

23 Ellie Greenwood, 36 BC

7:23:57 TNF - SF

93 Haylei Banister, 24 NC

8:03:07 Old Glory

24 Jennifer Benna, 35 NV

7:23:57 American River

94 Erin Valocsik, 35 VA

8:03:34 JFK

25 Rhonda Loo, 39

7:24:05 Blackfoot

95 Kaci Lickteig, 28 NE

26 Jessica Garcia, 29 WI

7:24:23 Door County

96 Sabina Parigian, 25 NY

8:04:40 Silver Rush

27 Angie Darbyson, 32 QC

7:24:29 Beast of Burden

97 Megan Rieger, 24 OH

8:05:06 Mohican

28 Tara Berry, 30 BC

7:24:30 Whistler

98 Mallory Richard, 30 MB

8:05:22 Spruce Woods

29 Ritanne Duszak, 36 PA

7:24:48 Tussey Mtnback

99 Sarah Colwell, 27 MD

8:05:30 Stone Mill

100 Melinda Coen, 29 TX

8:06:38 Brazos Bend

30 Nicole Studer, 33 TX 31

Larisa Dannis, 28 CA

32 Shannon Davis, 45 OH 33 Laurie Dymond, 49 PA

7:25:21 Hells Hills 7:26:43 Le Grizz 7:27:10 JFK 7:28:32 Tunnel Hill

35 Neela D’Souza, 38 ON

7:29:07 San Diego

36 Aliza Lapierre, 34 VT

7:29:14 Pineland Farms

Elissa Ballas, 35 IL

7:30:30 Burning River

38 Erin Sutton, 28 GA

7:30:57 JFK

39 Angie Darbyson, 33 QC

7:33:48 JFK

40 Anna Hailey, 35 TX

7:34:19 Brazos Bend

41

7:34:42 The Yeti

Kandy Ferris, 41 FL

42 Amy Phillips, 42 CA 43 Erin Zerth, 34 IL

7:34:58 American River 7:36:17 Door County

44 Ashley Erba, 19 CO

7:36:24 Lake Sonoma

45 Karen Holland, 29 ON

7:36:55 JFK

46 Kara Henry, 30 CO

7:37:28 Silver Rush

47

7:37:34 Iron Horse

Daniele Chernia, 53 NY

48 Debbie Gibson, 50 MT 49 Emily Richards, 35 NV 50 Emily Peterson, 29 CA 51

Vicki Zandbergen, 36 ON

52 Kristen Hyer, 32 NY

7:38:11 Le Grizz 7:38:19 Silver State 7:38:58 TNF - SF 7:39:27 Rock the Ridge 7:39:50 Can Lake

53 Keila Merino, 34 NY

7:40:37 JFK

54 Robin Watkins, 31 DC

7:40:48 Dirty German

55 Jessica Lemere, 40 WI

7:40:49 Door County

56 Kelly Wilson, 31 CA 57 Anne-Marie Madden, 34 BC 58 Keely Henninger, 23 OR 59 Maddy Hribar, 31 60 Jamie Blumentritt, 28 MN 61

Rachel Burke, 31 IL

7:41:17 San Diego 7:41:17 TNF - SF 7:42:34 TNF - SF 7:43:15 Pineland Farms 7:45:09 Door County 7:45:28 Chicago Lakefront

62 Elena Makovskaya, 35 NJ

7:45:40 JFK

63 Katie Mills, 25 BC

7:46:54 Whistler

64 Jenna Mutz, 34 MO

7:47:15 Prairie Spirit

65 Wibke Rees, 43 MI

7:47:43 Des Planes

66 Heather Lutz, 32 CA

7:47:46 American River

67

Michele Maciejewski, 28 NY 7:47:51 Can Lake

SIGNIFICANT COURSE RECORDS SET IN 2015 TIME

AGE OF RACE

Quad Dipsea

3:41

33

Megan Roche, 24 CA

Way Too Cool 50k

3:41

26

Wesley Hunt, 32 AR

Arkansas Traveller 100

15:36

26

Nicole Studer, 33 TX

Rocky Raccoon 100

14:22

23

8:49

20

NAME

RACE

Alex Varner, 30 CA

7:13:52 TNF-SF 7:23:57 TNF-SF

0.970

5

Cassie Scallon, 33 CO

7:22:09 Lake Sonoma

0.969

6

Larisa Dannis, 28 CA

7:25:48 TNF-SF

0.966

7

Emily Peterson, 29 CA 7:38:58 TNF-SF

0.938

8

Ashley Erba, 19 CO

0.938

9

Anne-Marie Madden, 34 BC

0.931

12 Emily Richards, 35 NV

7:38:19 Silver State 8:32:18 TNF - Bear Mtn

14 Kerrie Wlad, 43 CO

7:56:34 Lake Sonoma

0.899

15 Darcy Piceu, 40 CO

7:59:25 TNF-SF

0.898

16 Amanda Basham, 25 OR 8:02:38 TNF-SF

0.892

16 16

17 Sarah Bard, 31 MA

Devon Yanko, 33 CA

Javelina 100

14:52

13

18 Kaci Lickteig, 28 NE

Zach Bitter, 29 CA

5:17

10 10

Dylan Bowman, 29 CA

8:50

Ultra Trail – Australia

8:11:20 Cayuga Trails

13 Aliza Lapierre, 34 VT

3:37

5:38

0.933

0.918

Amanda Basham, 25 OR

6:09

Door County 50

7:41:17 TNF-SF

11

Mount Hood

Camille Herron 33, OK Door County 50

7:36:24 Lake Sonoma

10 Keely Henninger, 23 OR 7:42:34 TNF-SF

Andy Wacker, 26 CO

6:31:11 JFK

0.917 0.900

0.891

8:04:14 Lake Sonoma

0.885

19

Lindsay Tollefson, 29 CA

8:06:55 Lake Sonoma

0.880

8

20

Jacqueline Palmer, 27 DE

8:33:15 Cayuga Trails

0.879

8:09:26 Lake Sonoma

0.875

Stephanie Howe, 31 OR

Lake Sonoma

7:08

8

Meghan Arbogast, 21 53 CA

Alex Varner, 29 CA

Lake Sonoma

6:09

8

22 Kara Henry, 30 CO

7:37:28 Silver Rush

0.874

Camille Herron 33, OK Mad City 100k

7:26

8

23 Kaci Lickteig, 28 NE

8:01:48 Silver State

0.872

Geoffrey Burns, 24 MI Mad City 50k

3:00

8

24 Bethany Lewis, 37 UT 10:00:04 Jemez Mountain 0.871

8:11

3

25

Amanda Basham, 25 OR

Rob Krar flies down the long descent into El Dorado Canyon during the Canyons 100k. [ Myles Smythe/ Michigan Bluff Photography]

70 Tina Jeon, 28 TX

7:48:41 Dirty German

71

7:50:19 Ice Age

JAN/FEB 2016

Megan Kimmel, 35 CO Ellie Greenwood, 36 BC

Jacob Puzey, 32 AZ

7:48:14 Tussey Mtnback

|

0.992

3 4

Bighorn 52

69 Jennifer Mchale, 36 CT

ULTRARUNNING.COM

1.000 0.999

Tamalpa Headlands 50k

7:48:08 Tussey Mtnback

38

NAME TIME RACE Stephanie Howe, 31 OR 7:08:23 Lake Sonoma Camille Herron, 33 OK 5:38:41 Door County

Darcy Piceu, 40 CO

68 Kathleen Cusick, 40 FL

Joanna Masloski, 35

2015 TOP GRADED PERFORMANCES 50 MILES – FEMALE 1 2

7:25:48 TNF - SF

34 Suzi Swinehart, 43 IN

37

8:04:14 Lake Sonoma

Cayuga Trails 50

Beverley AndersonAbbs, 50 CA

6:18:38 Jed Smith

0.866

JAN/FEB 2016

|

ULTRARUNNING.COM

39

2015 TOP FINISHERS

2015 Oldest and Youngest Ultra Winners* NAME

RACE

TIME

OLDEST

NAME

RACE

Sam Landry, 54 LA

Hotter than Hell 10H

TIME 50

NAME

RACE

Robert Millican, 52 GA

Iron Horse 50M

TIME 7:30:40

Daniele Chernia, 53 NY

Iron Horse 50M

7:37:34

Joel Lammers, 53 WI

Glacial Trail 50K

4:32:26

Roxanne Woodhouse, 52 CA

Zion 100M

21:01:57

5:22:18

Karen Hanke, 53 CA

Headlands Hundred 50M

10:09:19

Sheryl Wheeler, 52

Manitou Revenge 54M

13:46:13

Woodside Ramble 50K

5:15:07

Tracy Thomas, 53 CA

Jackpot Ultra 24H

120

Valmir Nunes, 52

Croatan 24H

Howard Aslinger 24H

122.13

Darlene Kresse, 52 NJ

3 Days at the Fair 72H

218

Beverley AndersonAbbs, 51 CA

Rodeo Valley 50K

4:36:40

Beverley AndersonAbbs, 51 CA

Run on the Sly 50K

4:48:23

Beverley AndersonAbbs, 51 CA

Quad Dipsea 28.4M

4:59:37

Jean Pommier, 51 CA

Ohlone 50K

5:05:14

Jon Lawler, 51 TN

Umstead 50M

6:11:40

Ruperto Romero, 51

Leona Divide 50K

4:15:24

Willy Bruijns, 61 CA

Nanny Goat 12H

Sally Brooking, 58 GA

Atlanta Fat Ass 50K

Jackie Clark, 57 CA Dipali Cunningham, 56 NY Liz Bauer, 56 GA

The Race for the Ages 12H

David Morrison, 55

Croom Trail 50K

Meghan Arbogast, 54 CA Quicksilver 100K

53

Garth Peterson, 52 GA

Delirium 24H

122.04

Joan Cottrill, 52

Buckeye Buster 50K

6:14:39

4:04:10

Joel Lammers, 52 WI

Clinton Lake 30M

4:15:03

10:18:49

Riva Johnson, 52 OR

Mountain Lakes 100M

164

19:59:50

115.7

Ruperto Romero, 51

Mt Disappointment 50K

Suzanna Bon, 51 CA

Tahoe 200 Club 200M

19:56:43

4:36:13

Martin Thorne, 50 NC

The Derby 50K

4:08:23

YOUNGEST David Hedges, 17 IL

Black Hills 50M

8:21:35

Patrick Mcilroy, 17 NL

Upchuck 50K

4:34:15

Andrew Miller, 18 OR

Orcas Island 50K

Andrew Miller, 18 OR

Georgia Death Race 68M 10:27:44

Ford Smith, 18 TX

Antelope Island 50K

Ford Smith, 18 TX

Black Canyon Trail 100K

Andrew Miller, 19 OR

Bighorn 100M

18:29:37

Ashley Erba, 19 CO

Moab's Red Hot 55K

4:29:29

Ashley Erba, 19 CO

El Vaquero Loco 50K

5:22:53

Ashley Erba, 19 CO

Power of Four 50K

5:53:25

Jack Daly, 19

Rockledge Rumble 50K

4:10:58

Logan Polfuss, 19 CO

South Park Trail 28M

3:34:00

Brittany Goicoechea, 20 ID

Foothills Frenzy 50K

4:36:07

Cody Lind, 20 ID

Zion 50K

3:32:18

Caleb Baybayan, 21 WA

Autumn Leaves Run 50K

Chris Patrick , 21 MD

Rosaryville Trail 50K

Darren Thomas, 21 VA

Mt. Cheaha 50K

Darren Thomas, 21 VA

Promise Land 50K

Jean-François Cauchon, Ultra du Mont Albert 21 100K

4:28:50 3:48:59 8:31:48

3:51:59 4:56:40 4:19:39 4:40:34 14:51:11

Jeff Mogavero, 21 PA

Logan Peak Trail Run 28M

Karim El hayani, 21 WA

Javelina Jundred 100K

9:29:14

Michael Borst, 21 WI

John Dick Memorial Crusty 50K

4:23:09

Avery Collins, 22

Sean O'Brien 50M

7:35:10

Chris Patrick, 22 MD

Chicago Lakefront 50K

Jade Belzberg, 22 CA

Oriflamme 50K

5:04:46

Jennie Yeaman, 22 CA

Skyline to the Sea 50K

4:47:28

Kathleen Anthony, 22 TN Bell Ringer 50K

4:13:15

4:10:10

5:21:35

Kristyn Kadala, 22 CA

Chabot - Inside Trail 50K

4:23:42

Kristyn Kadala, 22 CA

San Francisco 50M

8:55:03

*Minimum 50 finishers

Brian Rusiecki cruises through the trees en route to the Manitou’s Revenge win. [ Katherine Hawkins]

40

ULTRARUNNING.COM

|

JAN/FEB 2016

2015 TOP FINISHERS

2015 Top 50k Times MALE

NAME 1

Tony Migliozzi, 25 OH

TIME

RACE

2:52:09 IAU Worlds 2:52:16 Caumsett

NAME

TIME

RACE

35 Andrew Knapik, 22 IL

3:25:35 Chicago Lakefront

NAME

TIME

68 Tim Tollefson, 30 CA

RACE

3:35:58 Whoo’s in El Moro

2

Zachary Ornelas, 23 MI

36 Jerry Pannullo, 45 NY

3:25:38 Caumsett

69 Tommy Nettuno, 45 NY

3:35:59 Caumsett

3

Thomas Frazer, 33 IN

2:58:00 Pistol

37 Calum Neff, 30 TX

3:25:52 Creemore

70 Ian Torrence, 42 AZ

3:36:02 Caumsett

4

Jesse Davis, 34 IN

2:59:05 IAU Worlds

38 Chris Vizcaino, 27 CA

5

Geoffrey Burns, 24 MI

3:00:57 Mad City

39 C Fred Joslyn, 31 NY

3:26:42 Caumsett

3:01:00 Savannah R2T

40 Kyle Ormsby, 31 OR

3:26:43 Mt. Hood

6

David Kilgore, 23 FL

7

Patrick Smyth, 28 UT

3:04:48 Way Too Cool

41

8

Tyler Andrews, 24 VA

3:05:33 Caumsett

9

Kory Cool, 27 KS

10 Geoffrey Burns, 24 MI 11

Joseph Gray, 31 CO

Ryan Neely, 26 CA

3:26:12 Skyline

71

David Worth, 29 TN

3:36:15 Pistol

72 Terry Johnsen, 25 OR

3:36:35 Mt. Hood

73 Lars Kjerengtroen, 36 UT 3:37:00 Antelope Island

3:27:12 Skyline

74 Andy Wacker, 26 CO

3:37:20 Headlands

42 Cleve Thorson, 34 ON

3:27:18 IAU Worlds

75 Philip McCarthy, 46 NY

3:37:38 Caumsett

3:06:08 Caumsett

43 Stephen England, 34 NY

3:27:42 Caumsett

76 Fernando Blanco, 35 CA

3:37:44 Whoo’s in El Moro

3:06:38 IAU Worlds

44 Rod Farvard, 19 CA

3:28:15 Skyline

77 David Kilgore, 23 FL

3:37:48 TNF - DC 3:38:04 Trail Factor

3:07:54 Caumsett

45 Jorge Maravilla, 37 CA

3:28:46 Way Too Cool

78 Tyler Green, 31 OR

12 Tyler Andrews, 24 VA

3:09:03 IAU Worlds

46 Tim Vinson, 51 AL

3:30:01 Nashville

79 Chris Price, 34 CA

3:38:07 Mokelumne River

13 Terrence Attema, 25 ON

3:09:46 IAU Worlds

47 Simon Stewart, 41 AB

3:30:35 Blackfoot

80 Joe Marinaccio, 44 NY

3:38:09 Caumsett

14 Ryan Bak, 33 OR

3:10:20 Way Too Cool

48 Fernando Blanco, 35 CA

3:31:05 Way Too Cool

81 Brett Rivers, 33 CA

15

3:10:38 Caumsett

49 Nate Polaske, 32 AZ

3:31:18 Pemberton Trail

82 Cole Crosby, 26 NY

3:38:48 Green Lakes

Peter Maksimon, 36 CO

3:38:14 Way Too Cool

16 Stewart Ellington, 40 TN

3:11:18 Pistol

50 Graham Peck, 25 MD

3:31:23 Dirty German

83 Kevin Moore, 29 CA

3:39:00 Bizz Johnson

17

3:11:32 Weiser River

51

3:31:59 Trail Factor

84 Eric Hunziker, 46 OH

3:39:02 Another Dam 50k

18 Scott Traer, 33 MA

3:12:16 Caumsett

52 Brian Purcell, 42 CA

19

3:13:53 Runner’s Flat

53 Cody Lind, 20 ID

Kameron Ulmer, 27 ID Phil Young, 29 IA

20 Peter Maksimow, 36 CO

3:18:55 Greenland Trail

21

3:19:36 Jed Smith

Chikara Omine, 32 CA

22 Tim Tollefson, 29 CA

3:20:20 Way Too Cool

23 Scott Gall, 40 IA

3:21:13 Hawkeye

54

Mario Mendoza, 29 OR

Jean-Bernard Flanagan, 48 IL

3:32:08 Jed Smith 3:32:18 Zion 3:32:43 Chicago Lakefront

85 Adam Doe, 27 MN

3:39:11 Lean Horse

86 Cory Logsdon, 27 NE

3:39:28 GOATZ

87 Andy Lefriec, 31 WA

3:40:15 Spokane River

88 David Laney, 26 OR

3:40:20 Chuckanut

55 Adrian Milisavljevich, 25 VA 3:32:59 Belmead Trail

89 Josh Zielinski, 33 OR

3:40:27 Mt. Hood

56 Jeff Ball, 26 TX

3:33:07 Brazos Bend

90 Andrew Benford, 27 AZ

3:40:33 Chuckanut

24 Zachary Ornelas, 23 MI

3:21:16 IAU Worlds

57 Matthew Brooks, 32 IL

3:33:08 Chicago Lakefront

91

25 Jean Pommier, 51 CA

3:21:16 Caumsett

58 Michael Ambrose, 27 CO

3:33:34 Pemberton Trail

92 Paul Shol, 23 MI

3:40:48 Trail Mix

26 Enrique Henriquez, 36 CA

3:21:41 Ruth Anderson

59 Tommy Rivers Puzey, 30 AZ 3:33:49 Trail Factor

93 Tyler Van Dyke, 22 OR

3:40:53 Siskiyou Out Back

27 Jean Pommier, 50 CA

3:21:59 Jed Smith

60 Ali Khalili, 25 MN

3:34:04 Mt. Hood

94 Aaron Heath, 40 NY

3:41:22 Caumsett

28 Karl Schnaitter, 32 CA

3:22:17 Jed Smith

61

3:34:26 Way Too Cool

95 Rich Hanna, 50 CA

3:41:40 Way Too Cool

29 Josh Whitehead, 37 AL

3:23:01 Nashville

62 Joshua Brimhall, 39 NV

3:34:29 Beyond Limits

96 Ryan Meyer, 20 IN

30 Cory Logsdon, 27 NE

3:23:22 Runner’s Flat

63 Mark Manz, 29 NC

3:34:52 Gator Trail

97 Andrew Utas, 28 CA

31

Patrick Reaves, 30 OR

Craig Schmidt, 31 CA

Martin Schneekloth, 43 AL 3:40:38 Pistol

3:41:56 Two Hearted 3:42:00 Burning Man

3:23:32 Mt. Hood

64 Justin Ricks, 35 CO

3:35:04 Cimarron

98 Ryan Kaiser, 36 OR

3:42:21 Smith Rock Ascent

32 Kevin Grabowski, 46 WI

3:24:30 Caumsett

65 Steve Speirs, 48 VA

3:35:09 Virginia Beach

99 David Herr, 50 VT

3:42:25 Pineland Farms

33 Zack McCormick, 30 IL

3:25:09 Chicago Lakefront

66 Ryan Bak, 33 OR

3:35:34 Trail Factor

100 Aaron Wieczorek, 32 VA

3:42:45 Brazos Bend

34 Jon Lindenauer, 27 NC

3:25:27 Caumsett

67 Ross Salinas, 34 IA

3:35:35 Runner’s Flat

FEMALE 1 2

NAME Camille Herron, 33 OK Sarah Bard, 30 MA

TIME RACE 3:20:59 IAU Worlds 3:23:28 Caumsett

35 Deborah Russell, 35

NAME

4:08:50 Blackfoot

TIME

RACE

69 Callie Cooper, 24 OR

4:19:53 McKenzie River

36 Callie Cooper, 24 OR

4:09:06 Way Too Cool

70 Summer Cook, 38 NH

4:19:55 Green Lakes

3

Catrin Jones, 35 BC

3:28:20 IAU Worlds

37 Tyler Stewart, 36 CA

4:09:43 Way Too Cool

71

4

Tracie Akerhielm, 32 TX

3:31:05 Brazos Bend

38 Chris Patrick, 22 MD

5

Caitlin Smith, 34 CA

3:32:26 IAU Worlds

39 Annette Bednosky, 48 NC

4:10:10 Chicago Lakefront 4:11:17 New River

NAME

TIME

RACE

Lauren Besenfelder, 29 AZ 4:20:04 Paatuwaqatsi

72 Mary Flaws, 48 WI

4:20:17 Mad City

73 America Aznar, 40

4:20:43 Blackfoot

6

Emily Harrison, 29 AZ

3:33:01 Caumsett

40 Nicole Studer, 33 TX

4:11:55 Whispering Pines

74 Julie Olsen-Smith, 33 CO

4:20:45 Greenland Trail

7

Danielle Zemola, 37 FL

3:35:35 Overlook

41

4:12:29 Chicago Lakefront

75 Kelsey Allen, 31 MA

4:20:50 Pineland Farms

8

Kim Doerksen, 24 BC

3:36:27 IAU Worlds

42 Ashley Laird, 36 CA

4:12:40 Way Too Cool

76 Riya Young, 47 CA

4:20:50 Jed Smith

9

Hayley Benson, 33 CO

43 Emily Peterson, 28 CA

4:13:07 Way Too Cool

77 Kris Klotzbach, 35 CA

3:41:56 Way Too Cool

44 Cindy Lynch, 43 CA

4:13:24 Way Too Cool

78 Kari Sandoval, 27 OR

4:21:38 Autumn Leaves 4:22:24 Skyline

10 Megan Roche, 24 CA 11

Stephanie Howe, 31 OR

12 Yiou Wang, 29 CA 13 Alicia Woodside, 26 BC

3:41:31 Greenland Trail

Ashley Truan, 31 MI

4:21:19 Way Too Cool

3:47:14 Way Too Cool

45 Julie Fingar, 39 CA

4:13:40 Jed Smith

79 Devon Yanko, 33 CA

3:51:08 Way Too Cool

46 Magdalena Boulet, 41 CA

4:13:44 Chuckanut

80 Bethany Patterson, 36 VA 4:22:41 Holiday Lake

3:53:18 Harriers Elk/Beaver

47 Natalee Thompson, 38 IA

4:14:14 Runner’s Flat

81 Melanie Fryar, 34 TX

4:22:48 Hells Hills

14 Kaci Lickteig, 29 NE

3:54:20 GOATZ

48 Gina Lucrezi, 32 CO

4:14:18 Cimarron

82 Lara Zoeller, 31 VA

4:23:05 RH Armadillo Broil

15 Jenny Vance, 32 TN

3:55:49 Pistol

49 Neela D’Souza, 37 ON

4:14:42 Dahlgren Heritage

83 Kristen Kays, 25 IL

4:23:20 Chicago Lakefront

16

3:56:57 Caumsett

50 Megan Digregorio, 27 MD

4:14:59 Dirty German

84 Nicole Clement, 25 CO

4:23:21 Greenland Trail

3:57:50 Prairie Spirit

51 Anna Zielaski, 32 MT

4:15:04 Trail Rail Run

85 Martha Nelson, 33 DC

4:23:26 Holiday Lake

18 Lauren Dorsky, 19 NY

3:58:33 Caumsett

52 Jessica Nathan, 37 NY

4:15:10 Jack Bristol

86 Rachel Drake, 24 OR

4:23:28 McKenzie River

19 Sheila Brown, 45 MN

4:00:28 Trail Mix

53 Emily Richards, 35 NV

4:15:36 Marin Ultra Challenge

87 Alice Nielsen, 39 OR

54 Aleasha Liddle, 35 AL

4:15:44 Destin Beach

88 Kristyn Kadala, 22 CA

Keila Merino, 33 NY

17 Jenna Mutz, 34 MO

20 Elena Makovskaya, 34 NJ 4:00:37 Caumsett

4:23:31 Mt. Hood 4:23:42 Chabot Trail

21 Anna Mae Flynn, 27 CA

4:00:37 Way Too Cool

55 Hillary Allen, 26 CO

4:15:53 Way Too Cool

89 Erin Bodnar, 34 IA

4:23:56 Runner’s Flat

22 Kaitlin Reed, IA

4:00:41 Runner’s Flat

56 Elissa Ballas, 35 OH

4:16:09 Playin Possum

90 Leslie Cislo, 24 TX

4:24:03 Brazos Bend 4:24:14 The Bear Chase

23 Stephanie Manny, 33 VA

4:01:56 Virginia Beach

57 Lindsay Tollefson, 29 CA

4:16:15 Whoo’s in El Moro

91

24 Lise Wessels, 40 BC

4:02:28 Harriers Elk/Beaver

58 Kathleen Madden, 50 MD

4:16:22 Frozen Heart

92 Emily Kalenius, 35 OR

4:24:21 McKenzie River

25 Prativa Pandey, 28 IL

4:03:33 Chicago Lakefront

59 Kaija Staley, 39 CO

4:16:41 Greenland Trail

93 Yvonne Leippert, 47 NY

4:24:36 Caumsett

Beth Kohring, 30 CO

26 Tina-Marie Poulin, 42 ME 4:03:54 Caumsett

60 Ildi Gaal, 24 MA

4:17:06 Pisgah Mountain

94 Jade Mills, 35 NY

4:24:43 Caumsett

27 Kimberly O’Donnell, 25 CA 4:05:16 Skyline

61

4:17:18 Bohemian Alps

95 Eileen Torres, 45 GA

4:24:45 Peachtree City

28 Alissa St. Laurent, 31 AB

4:05:54 IAU Worlds

62 Kristen Roe, 47 NY

4:17:33 Can Lake

96 Danielle Frost, 39 WA

4:24:53 Autumn Leaves

29 Caroline Boller, 40 CA

4:06:40 Way Too Cool

63 Jenn Shelton, 31 CO

4:17:39 War Eagle

97 Lara Zoeller, 30 DC

4:24:58 Eugene Bruckert

30 Taryn Giumento, 29 GA

4:07:05 RH Armadillo Broil

64 Jessica Garcia, 28 WI

4:19:00 Chicago Lakefront

98 Serrah West, 31 ID

4:25:03 Weiser River

31

4:07:23 Way Too Cool

65 Melanie Baker, 37 ON

4:19:38 Chicago Lakefront

99 Alicia Woodside, 27 BC

4:25:18 Overlook

32 Stephanie Murphy, 41 AB

4:07:34 Blackfoot

66 Christina Clark, 39 ON

4:19:40 Way Too Cool

100 Gina Schmidt, 30 IL

4:25:27 Chicago Lakefront

33 Kay Hodgins

4:08:00 Burning Man

67 Chessa Adsit-Morris, 32 BC 4:19:45 TNF - SF

34 Lara Zoeller, 31 VA

4:08:07 Virginia Beach

68 Danielle Widenmann, 32 CA 4:19:46 Way Too Cool

Lindsay Tollefson, 29 CA

Kaci Lickteig, 29 NE

JAN/FEB 2016

|

ULTRARUNNING.COM

41

2015 TOP FINISHERS

2015 TOP 24-HR PERFORMANCES – MALE

2015 TOP GRADED 50K PERFORMANCES MALE 1 2

NAME Alex Varner, 30 CA Patrick Smyth, 29 UT

TIME RACE 3:41:01 Quad Dipsea 3:04:48 Way Too Cool

3

Scott Traer, 34 MA

4:05:18 TNF - Bear Mtn

4

Andy Wacker, 26 CO

3:37:20

Tamalpa Headlands

1.000 0.997 0.976 0.975

5

Sage Canaday, 29 CO

5:13:02 Speedgoat

6

Ryan Bak, 33 OR

3:10:20 Way Too Cool

0.968

7

Alex Nichols, 29 CO

3:48:58 Moab Red Hot

0.965

8

Tony Migliozzi, 25 OH

2:52:08

IAU Champs – Qatar

0.963

9

David Laney, 26 OR

3:40:20 Chuckanut

10 Rob Krar, 38 AZ 11

Matt Shryock, 28 AK

12 Jim Walmsley, 25 MT 13 Patrick Smyth, 29 UT

3:51:03 Moab Red Hot

0.971

0.961 0.957

5:29:00 Run the Rut

0.952

3:54:08 Moab Red Hot

0.944

3:45:18

Tamalpa Headlands

0.940

14 Matthias Messner, 34 CO 5:38:43 Run the Rut

0.924

15 Edward Farley, 25 MT

0.922

5:39:36 Run the Rut

16 Mario Mendoza, 29 OR 3:50:09

Tamalpa Headlands

0.920

17 Tim Tollefson, 29 CA

3:20:20 Way Too Cool

0.919

18 Max King, 35 OR

5:43:39 Run the Rut

0.911

19 Alex Nichols, 30 CO

5:41:25 Speedgoat

20 Jason Schlarb, 37 CO

4:50:19

21 Ford Smith, 18 TX

Golden Gate Dirty Thirty

0.890 0.888

3:48:58 Antelope Island 0.885

22 Jorge Maravilla, 37 CA 3:28:46 Way Too Cool

0.882

23 Benjamin Stern, 24 CA

4:01:19

Tamalpa Headlands

0.878

24 Mario Mendoza, 29 OR

3:31:59 Trail Factor

0.869

25 Ryan Ghelfi, 26 OR

3:44:15 SOB

0.862

FEMALE 1

NAME Megan Roche, 24 CA

TIME RACE 3:41:56 Way Too Cool

1.000

2

Magdalena Boulet, 41 CA

3

Stephanie Howe, 31 OR

3:47:14 Way Too Cool

0.977

4

Magdalena Boulet, 41 CA

4:13:44 Chuckanut

0.970

3:51:08 Way Too Cool

0.960

Diablo Trails 4:34:22 Challenge

0.982

5

YiOu Wang, 29 CA

6

Camille Herron, 33 OK 3:20:58 IAU World 50K

7

Ashley Erba, 19 CO

4:29:29 Moab Red Hot

0.941

8

Catrin Jones, 35 BC

4:25:28 Chuckanut

0.928

9

Anna Mae Flynn, 25 CA 4:00:37 Way Too Cool

0.922

10 Caitlin Smith, 34 CA

0.917

11

4:29:03 Chuckanut

0.915

12 Catrin Jones, 36 BC

3:28:19 IAU World 50K

5:02:00 Gorge Waterfalls 0.910

14 Sarah Bard, 30 MA

3:23:28 Caumsett

Kimberly O’Donnell, 25 CA

4:05:16 Skyline

17 Lindsay Tollefson, 29 CA 4:07:23 Way Too Cool

0.897

18 Caitlin Smith, 34 CA

3:32:25 IAU World 50K

0.896

Sarah BergeronLarouche, 27 NY

5:07:55 TNF - Bear Mtn

0.892

20 Kara Henry, 30 CO

4:44:40 Moab Red Hot

0.891

21 Callie Cooper, 24 OR

4:09:06 Way Too Cool McDonald Forest

0.891

4:09:43 Way Too Cool

24 Amy Rusiecki, 35 MA

5:09:25 TNF - Bear Mtn 0.888

42

4:35:11

ULTRARUNNING.COM

Tamalpa Headlands

|

177.244 That DAM Hill

2 Terri Biloski, 39 ON

161.488 That DAM Hill

3

Harvey Lewis, 39 OH

3

154.736 That DAM Hill

4

Ian Mcilvenna, 45 BC

5

Olivier Leblond, VA 43

6

Joshua Finger, 42 PA

7

Joe Fejes, 49 GA

157.9081 NorthCoast 155.8 Dawn 2 Dusk 153.2339 NorthCoast 152.4 Dawn 2 Dusk 145.5828 Dia De Los Muertos

April Boultbee, 44 ON Charlotte Vasalharyi, 39

4 Jenny Hoffman, 37 BC

138.3757 NorthCoast

5 Laurie Dymond, 49 PA

135.503 NorthCoast

6

Megan Stegemiller, 26 VA

7

Dipali Cunningham, 56 NY

8

Olaf Wasternack, 35 TN 140.8507 NorthCoast

8 Elena Makovskaya, 35 NJ

9

Kelly Agnew, 42 UT

140.42 Jackpot Ultra

9 Tara Langdon, 33 WV

10

Volodymyr Balatskyy, 43 NY

138.84 Howard Aslinger

10 Tracy Thomas, 53 CA

11

Dan Rose, 38 VA

12

Adian Stanciu, 46 CA

13

David Johnston, 45 AK

14

Steve Speirs, 49 VA

15

Speirs Steve, 48 VA

16

Padraig Mullins, 33 MA

17

Chikara Omine, 32 CA

18

Nelson Armstrong, 41 TN

20 Josh Irvan, 44 PA 21

116.472 That DAM Hill

13 Sarah Lavender Smith, 46 CA

115.649 SF Summer Solstice

135.3 24 The Hard Way

14 Jen Francis, 40 CA

112 Nanny Goat

15 Sue Scholl, 42 TN

133.2 Dawn 2 Dusk 132.625 SF Summer Solstice

111.7426 NorthCoast

16 Andrea Foster, 40 ID

111.12 Pickled Feet

17 Jodi Langley, 41 ON

109.72 That DAM Hill

129.529 Wildcat

18 Courtney Dauwalter, 30 CO

129.442 SF Summer Solstice

19 Julia Fiorentino, 46 OH

109.3 FANS 109.0404 NorthCoast

20 Sonya Decker, 49 MN

128.5243 NorthCoast 127.582 Elijah Bristow 127.32 SF Summer Solstice

108.5 FANS

21 Sally Lachman, 52 CA

108.1 Jackpot

22 Brenda Johnson, 35 IN

107.9 St. Pats 24

23 Beth Pretti, 46 PA

23 Steven Parke, 49 ON

127 O24

24 Eric Hunziker, 46 OH

126.5523 NorthCoast

25 Sergio Vidal Alvarez, 39 MEX

120 Jackpot 117.25 Virginia Run

12 Maryka Hladki, 41 ON

133.25 Virginia Run

22 Ed Ettinghausen, 52 CA

121 3 Days at the Fair 120.0766 NorthCoast

136.7 Dawn 2 Dusk

137.752 UltraCentric

Nathan Stroh, 43 OR

131 Virginia Run 122.13 Howard Aslinger

11 Kathleen Cusick, 40 FL

137.9 Dawn 2 Dusk

19 Jean Pommier, 51 CA

180.965 That DAM Hill

126.444 UltraCentric

107 3 Days at the Fair

24 Jennifer Stong, 43 OK

106.5 24 The Hard Way

25 Rebecca Cunningham, 55 OK

106.5 24 The Hard Way

BIGGEST RACES BY FINISHERS TNF - NY 50M, Bear Mountain, NY

302

313

Ice Age Trail 50M, La Grange, WI

285

Javelina Jundred 100M, Fountain Hills, AZ

281

Stone Mill 50M, Montgomery Village, MD

282

Western States 100M, Squaw Valley, CA

254

Bull Run Run 50M, Clifton, VA

282

Rocky Raccoon 100M, Huntsville, TX

249

Lake Sonoma 50M, Healdsburg, CA

278

Rio Del Lago 100M, Granite Bay, CA

233

White River 50M, Crystal Mountain, WA

276

Vermont 100M, West Windsor, VT

221

100 MILES

FINISHERS

Leadville Trail 100M, Leadville, CO

The Bear 100M, Logan, UT

207

50K

Wasatch Front 100M, Kaysville, UT

203

Way Too Cool 50K, Cool, CA

Bighorn 100M, Dayton, WY

195

TNF - SF 50K, San Francisco, CA

501

Kettle Moraine 100M, Eagle, WI

165

TNF - NY 50K, Bear Mountain, NY

464

Superior Fall Trail Races 100M, Two Harbors, MN

160

TNF - DC 50K, Sterling, VA

396

100K

978

Ultimate Direction Dirty 30 50K, Black Hawk, CO

387

Chuckanut 50K, Fairhaven, WA

329

Miwok 100K, Stinson Beach, CA

308

Mountain Mist 50K, Huntsville, AL

325

Bandera 100K, Bandera, TX

220

Run the Rut 50K, Big Sky, MT

315

Gorge Waterfalls 100K, Cascade Locks, WA

189

Promise Land 50K, Lynchburg, VA

Quicksilver 100K, San Jose, CA

181

Speedgoat 50K, Snowbird Resort, UT

Never Summer 100k, Gould, CO

147

311 304

OTHER DISTANCES Rachel Carson 34M, Pittsburgh, PA

375

JFK 50M, Boonsboro, MD

825

NYRR NYC 60K, Manhattan, NY

351

American River 50M, Folsom, CA

631

Hinson Lake 24H, Rockingham, NV

313

TNF - SF 50M, San Francisco, CA

480

Howl at the Moon 8H, Danville, IL

306

Silver Rush 50, Leadville, CO

355

Moab’s Red Hot 50+ 55K, Moab, UT

296

50 MILES

NUMBER OF ULTRARUNNING FINISHES 100000

80000

60000

40000

20000

0.890

23 Tyler Stewart, 34 CA

25 Emily Harrison, 29 AZ

Brian Groot, 29 ON

0.905 0.900

22 Emily Kalenius, 35 OR 4:44:50

1

2

0.909

16 Caroline Boller, 40 CA 4:06:40 Way Too Cool

19

190.749 That DAM Hill

0.913

13 Trisha Steidl, 38 WA

15

Steven Parke, 49 ON

0.947

Tamalpa 4:30:44 Headlands

Cassie Scallon, 32 CO

2015 TOP 24-HR PERFORMANCES – FEMALE

1

0.889

0.883

JAN/FEB 2016

0 1980

1990

2007

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

Four or More Wins MALE

TIME

*

FINISHERS

OWEN BRADLEY, 35 AL Dizzy Fifties 50K, Huntsville, AL

3:58:17

92

The Yeti Snakebite 50/50 50K, Lithia Springs, GA

4:15:30

104

Oak Mountain 50K, Pelham, AL

4:35:27

73

Can Lake 50M, Canandaigua, NY

6:26:20

76

7:16:58

302

BRIAN RUSIECKI, 36 MA TNF - NY 50M, Bear Mountain, NY Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 Mile Run 100M, Fort Valley, VA Grindstone 100M, Swoope, VA Manitou Revenge 54M, Windham, NY

19:36:25

120

20:24:04

104

11:51:06

66

CHIKARA OMINE, 32 CA American River 50M, Folsom, CA

6:13:39

631

Quicksilver 100K, San Jose, CA

9:05:48

181

Jed Smith 50K, Sacramento, CA

3:19:36

87

San Francisco Summer Solstice 24H, San Francisco, CA

132.625

60

Skyline 50K, Castro Valley, CA

3:26:12

164

Quicksilver 50K, San Jose, CA

4:04:12

154

Chabot - Inside Trail 50K, Castro Valley, CA

4:00:31

80

Rodeo Valley 50K, Sausalito, CA

3:46:35

62

Mountain Mist 50K, Huntsville, AL

3:58:10

325

Strolling Jim™ 40M, Wartrace, TN

4:14:30

124

Land between the Lakes 60K, Grand Rivers, KY

4:02:37

101

The Barkley Fall Classic 50K, Wartburg, TN

7:37:20

101

FEMALE

TIME

CHRIS VIZCAINO, 27 CA

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FINISHERS

BETHANY PATTERSON, 36 VA Holiday Lake 50K, Appomattox, VA

4:22:41

236

Terrapin Mountain 50K, Sedalia, VA

4:58:32

213

Promise Land 50K, Lynchburg, VA

5:28:25

311

Mountain Masochist Trail Run 50M, Lynchburg, VA

8:28:18

198

Foothills 50K Frenzy 50K, Boise, ID

4:36:07

105

Wilson Creek Frozen 50K, Melba, ID

5:24:46

76

Standhope 60K, Ketchum, ID

8:27:35

64

River of No Return Endurance Runs 50K, Challis, ID

4:52:52

133

BRITTANY GOICOECHEA, 20 ID

TRUCKEE to DONNER SUMMIT

MAGDALENA BOULET, 41 CA 9:51:27

93

Diablo Trails Challenge 50K, Walnut Creek, CA

Sean O’Brien 100K, Malibu, CA

4:34:22

152

Chuckanut 50K, Fairhaven, WA

4:13:44

329

Western States 100M, Squaw Valley, CA

19:05:21

254

The Canyons 100K, Auburn, CA

11:32:27

84

Dahlgren Heritage Rail Trail 50K, King George, VA

4:14:42

55

Tunnel Hill 50M, Vienna, IL

6:36:35

259

San Diego 50M, Escondido, CA

7:29:07

168

Can Lake 50M, Canandaigua, NY

7:21:43

76

NEELA D’SOUZA, 37 ON

Minimum 50 finishers

*

August 6, 2016 50k and 30k Point-to-Point Runs Scenic Single Track Trails & Dirt Roads Start ~ Tahoe Donner Finish ~ ASC Training Center Registration open on

2/1/16 at ultrasignup.com

sierracrest50k.org JAN/FEB 2016

|

ULTRARUNNING.COM

43

INTRODUCING THE NEWEST QUALIFYING RACE FOR WESTERN STATES:

ALL OF THEM. Welcome to the UltraRunning Race Series, a scoring of every ultrarunner in North America. Including you.

How do you stack up?

Check out your SCORE at URRaceSeries.com

Competition loves company. That’s why UltraRunning created a new race series that scores every runner in every ultra and ranks them by distance, age group, and gender across each region in the US and Canada. If you race, you’re already entered. But it’s more than just bragging rights. We’ll be giving away prizes to the top runner in each category – 146 winners total – with the top male and female leaders in the overall standings winning entries for the 2016 Western States 100.

LIVE LONG.®

This Month in the Standings AS OF DECEMBER 20, 2015

OVERALL LEADERS* MALE

POINTS

FEMALE

POINTS

1 Daven Oskvig, 37 NY

293.98

1 Kaci Lickteig, 28 NE

310.51

2 Ryan Kaiser, 36 OR

281.64

2 Amy Rusiecki, 36 MA

286.35 278.90

3 Paul Terranova, 41 TX

274.45

3 Jacqueline Palmer, 27 DE

4 Ricky Roane, 32 CA

270.82

4 Darcy Piceu, 40 CO

262.12

5 Mark Austin, 31 ID

262.85

5 Stephanie Fronk, 27 CA

260.63

6 Mark Hammond, 29 UT

258.27

6 Kathleen Cusick, 40 FL

257.35

7 Scott Traer, 34 MA

252.46

7 Leslie Howlett, 31 UT

8 Michael Borst, 22 WI

251.02

8 Deysi Osegueda, 33 CA

257.11 249.09

9 Nathan Stroh, 43 OR

248.51

9 Meghan Arbogast, 54 CA

244.61

10 Dominick Layfield, 43 UT

248.03

10 Mallory Richard, 30 MB

242.43

NORTHWEST

CALIFORNIA

SOUTHWEST

MALE

FEMALE

MALE

FEMALE

MALE

FEMALE

Andrew Miller

Brittany Goicoechea

Miguel Vivaldo

Cat Bradley

Ford Smith

Katie Trent

Craig Hertz

Amy Tice

Paul Broyer

Stephanie Fronk

Michael Carson

Nadine Haluszczak

30-39

Ryan Kaiser

Ashley Nordell

Ricky Roane

Deysi Osegueda

Rob Krar

Emily Richards

40-49

Nathan Stroh

Joelle Vaught

Mario Martinez

Magdalena Boulet

Paul Terranova

Lori Enlow

50-59

Peter Brewer

Anne Crispino-Taylor

Charles Sheya

Meghan Arbogast

Michael Miller

Susan Kramer

60-69

John Zeier

Francie Hill

Armando Figueroa

Barbara Ashe

Scott Glogovac

Georganna Quarles

Eldrith Gosney

Ian Maddieson

———

< 22 22-29

70+

Eb Engelmann

Gunhild Swanson Denis Trafecanty

MOUNTAIN

< 22

MIDWEST

SOUTHEAST

MALE

FEMALE

MALE

FEMALE

MALE

FEMALE

JP Giblin

Maggie Edmiston

Michael Borst

Jessica Campbell

Darren Thomas

Alyson Eng

22-29

Mark Hammond

Nikola Grafnetterova

Jake Hegge

Kaci Lickteig

Jordan Chang

Jacqueline Palmer

30-39

Nick Pedatella

Leslie Howlett

Jeff Gregg

Samantha Carlson

Brad Hinton

Alexis Thomas

Darcy Piceu

Jason Searfoss

Shawn Severson

Michael Wardian

Birgit Mitchell

40-49 Dominick Layfield 50-59

Carter Williams

Marianna Inslee

Todd Nott

Janet Hausken

Jeffrey Lysiak

Riva Johnson

60-69

Scott Snyder

Lori Pratt Smith

Steven Sjolund

Louise Mason

Keith Straw

Mary Ellen Hutchins

70+

Nick Bassett

———

Herb Byun

Bonnie McElwee

Gary Knipling

Beverly Yates

FEMALE

MALE

FEMALE

MALE

FEMALE

Lance Parker

Nicole Ponte

Jean-Francois Cauchon

Kate Neigel

Kyle Pietari

Sabina Parigian

Leo Fung

Karen Holland

MID-ATLANTIC MALE

< 22 Brandon Mercado Kathleen Anthony

NORTHEAST

Rokas Zickevicius

Rebecca Watters

30-39

Jeremy Alsop

Jennifer Lockrem

Daven Oskvig

Amy Rusiecki

Colin Miller

Mallory Richard

40-49

Ron Moore

Kathleen Cusick

Scotie Jacobs

Kristin Lundy

Andy Reed

Martha Grant

Marilyn Oberhardt

Michael Senior

Karen Fogen

50-59

Rick Gray

Susan Donnelly

Joe Holland

60-69

Billy Simpson

Karen Alexeev

Robert Falconi

Mary Vish

Bob Hamilton

Carol Megaw

Bill Keane

Terri Hayes

Zeke Zucker

Ruth Liebowitz

Donald Landry

Marion Landry

*

Current Overall Male leader and Beast of Burden Winter 50-mile winner Daven W. Oskvig. [ Ron Heerkens Jr Photography]

CANADA

22-29

70+

The UltraRunning Race Series has been tracking and scoring every North American ultrarunner’s race performances since May 1, 2015. Although the standings will shift dramatically as more runners complete all four of the scoring distances, there are many interesting developments in the Overall and Regional and Age Group categories. Things are sure to change but listed below are the current Overall and Regional Age Group leaders.

The 70+ Female category is wide open in the Southwest and Mountain See the current Regions...who leaderboard and wants to be your score at urraceseries.com like Gunhild?

Top Male and Female as of April 30, 2016 will earn automatic entries into Western States 100 on June 25, 2016.

Women’s Series leader Kaci Lickteig celebrates her second place finish at Western States last June. [ Matt Trappe]

JAN/FEB 2016

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JAVELINA JUNDRED //////////

Going Deep in the

Desert

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JAN/FEB 2016

BY JODI WEISS

w What draws so many of us to the Javelina Jundred 100-mile/100k trail race each year? For starters, McDowell Mountain Regional Park in Fountain Hills, Arizona, hosts trails that are just the right blend of climbs and descents to keep runners engaged and moving – not to mention the picturesque landscape. The course, which mainly consists of the Pemberton Trail, is a mixture of rocks of all shapes and sizes, which eventually give way to sandy washes and smooth sailing.

But I think that the reason we venture to Javelina and that many of us keep returning is because it’s a party, a celebration of the human spirit, of running far and free. The race comprises seven washing-machine loops, and as the day progresses, you are always intersecting with fellow runners coming and going.

Javelina breeds something of magic – the outlandish Halloween costumes, the desert terrain, the scorching sun followed by brisk evening air as you plummet and ascend. This year the race occurred four days after the full moon, and throughout the night, it loomed seemingly within reach. Amidst the glowing and guiding Milky Way, I witnessed four shooting stars.

Then there are the fantastic volunteers who rush to assist you at every aid station. While Coyote Camp and Rattlesnake Ranch are entertaining and welcoming, there’s nothing quite like the Jackass Junction disco party, complete with Gatorade popsicles and megaphone warnings that “You have three minutes to get out of here.” The crowd hoopla and shout-outs at Javelina Jeadquarters make each loop crossing an adrenaline rush. Then there’s the RD, Jamil Coury, whose low-key vibe permeates the event, giving you confidence that it’s all under control.

In 2011, Javelina was my first 100-mile race, six months after my mom had lost her battle with cancer. I wore #715, her birthday, as I have the last four years.

Back in 2011, as night set in, it rained and stormed for endless hours. I was a soppy mess, and each time I came into headquarters, my dad asked, “Are you okay?”

I wasn’t okay. I was cold and miserable and missed my mom and was unnerved by the coyotes who seemed to be following me through the night. But something propelled me. Perhaps I feared that if I stopped, I would lose any and all forward motion in my life. I spoke to my mom that long, cold, rainy night in 2011, and still, now, I feel her out there with me, guiding me, keeping me company. To me, the magic and transcendence of the Sonoran Desert is real.

Running 100 miles is as much a group endeavor as it is a personal experience.

There was a moment or two during this race that I felt a sense of pride for having the courage to do things that scare me – like leave my corporate career a few weeks back, like share my writing, like run 100 miles. Do I have to run far to find clarity? No, but how often do I take 20-30 hours to examine myself? That

is what keeps me going back to the starting line – knowing that growth is a possibility.

The thing about running 100 miles is that the physical pain and hurdles I encounter provide me with opportunities to examine what I am made of.

What threatens to break me, and what I can grasp onto and what I aspire to. I have time and space to sort through the loose ends of my life, and to find connections.

Then there’s the pain. My mantra this time around was “It doesn’t always get worse,” courtesy of Dr. David Horton. When I felt like I was falling apart, which was often the first few loops, I reminded myself that my pain and suffering may dissipate.

And often, it proved true. I had as many highs as I had lows, and for each high, I remembered to smile, to acknowledge the myriad amusing costumes and to encourage others, because these races have taught me that we are all in it together – the struggles, the pain, the accomplishments.

Ultramarathons take us out of our comfort zones. We train and prepare and then we show up, the perfect blend of fear, excitement and adventure. In doing so, we veer away from the safety of our lives. We challenge life: come and get me! What I gain from each race is imperceptible from the outside. I like to believe that by going the distance, I am shining my soul clean.

Some of my buddies set PRs, others finished their first 100 miler at Javelina. The joy of intersecting with one another on the course filled me with a warmth that I somehow miss during my daily interactions. Perhaps in the forward motion, the exertion, the timeouts these races afford us, we appreciate what we so often take for granted: our amazing and resilient bodies and minds, and all the great people with whom we share life.

OPPOSITE: One of the best things about starting in the dark is the chance to witness a stunning desert sunrise. [

Melissa Ruse]

LEFT: Devon Yanko runs an impressive 100-mile race to finish second overall with a sub-15-hour time. [ Melissa Ruse]

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Spread Photo

Spread Photo

A colorful pack of Javelina runners including Catra Corbett (333), Danielle Zemola (387), George Erickson (179) and Christopher Errecart (180). [

Criss Furman]

JAVELINA JUNDRED

Javelina Jundred Fountain Hills, AZ // October 31

2,2* // 100 Miles, 100k Elevation gain: 100 mile – 6,000 feet / 100k – 3,600 feet | The course is a 15.3-mile loop run four times for the 100k and six times (plus an extra short loop) for the 100-mile on rolling single-track through the Sonoran Desert. The loops are run alternately clockwise and counter clockwise.

The trail is a mix of hard packed granite, rocks and sand.

100 MILES 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

Paul Giblin, 38 13:49:17 Devon Yanko, 33, CA 14:52:06 Michael Carson, 28, AZ 15:21:24 Brett Sanborn, 29, NM 15:47:38 Adam Takacs, 35, ON 15:53:18 Karl Meltzer, 47, UT 16:31:02 Charlie Ware, 30, AZ 16:33:43 Jon Olsen, 41, CA 16:55:00 Josh Simkins, 23, CO 17:46:54 Jon Kuehler, 28, CO 17:47:01 Chuck Radford, 44, CO 17:54:01 Lance Doherty, 39, CA 18:25:25 Robert Scott, 45, CA 18:32:18 Linc Weis, 46, GA 18:36:43 Peter Fain, 43, CA 18:37:32 Mark Matyazic, 51, CA 18:57:32 Adrian Stanciu, 46, CO 18:59:06 Eric Deshaies, 42, QC 19:09:10 Vincent Matteo, 48, CA 19:20:25 Jeffrey Matson, 38, OR 19:21:54 Tonya Littlehales, 43, OR 19:23:56 Andy Kumeda, 47, CA 19:42:48 Tracy Dimino, 44, CA 20:10:24 Wyatt Hornsby, 42, CO 20:13:41 Drew Miller, 29, NY 20:14:44 John Loftus, 58, CA 20:19:49 Jon Ahern, 45, CO 20:23:51 Jax Mariash Koudele, 35, OR 20:23:55

ELEVATION AND SURFACE INFO

4, 4 < So, what does that little symbol mean? The first number is the elevation profile, the second is the quality of the surface. Both are on a 1–5 scale, with 5 being the most difficult.

ELEVATION PROFILE

1 Flat or nearly flat 2 Rolling; total climb up to 50' per mile (2,500’ in 50 miles) 3 Hilly; total climb between 50'-150' per mile (2,500'–7,500' in 50 miles) 4 Very hilly; total climb between 150'-250' per mile (7,500'–12,500' in 50 miles) 5 Mountainous; total climb more than 250' per mile SURFACE

1 Paved or very smooth 2 Mostly groomed trail or dirt roads 3 Trail or dirt road with some rocks, roots and/or ruts 4 Trail or dirt road with substantial rocks, roots and/or ruts 5 Very rough trail

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29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53

Jonathan Gunderson, 38, CA Emz Eliason, 38, AZ Dennene Huntley, 38, AB David Ploskonka, 34, MD Travis Rose, 49, CA Nicholas Balbach, 33, IN Steven Peterson, 47, CA Michael Mayberry, 48, AZ Scott Newton, 45, CA Dean Dobberteen, 40, CA Phil Nimmo, 52, TX Erin Churchill, 34, NM Maria Simone, 41, NJ Brent Robinson, 34, TX Fred Roberts, 55, AZ Jimmy Dean Freeman, 39, CA Bino McMann, 54, CA Javier Montero, 52, CA Stacey Cleveland, 37, BC Dane Liebel, 49, MN Eric Johnson, 50, CA Tyler Garewal, 27, CA Jeffrey Urbanski, 30, CA Josh Dickson, 31, DC Micheal McCarthy, 51, OR Victor Manuel Batiz 54 Beltran, 41, OR 55 Gean Ivan Dagnino, 40, OR 56 Rosendo Caballero, 40, AZ 57 Steve Clemons, 46, HI 58 Linda Pulver, 55, MI 59 Mark Pancake, 43, OH 60 Van Patterson, 40, AZ 61 Giff Walters, 30, CO 62 Megan Cheng, 34, CA Suzanna Guadarrama, 63 27, CA 64 Aaron Dement, 48, IL 65 Stefanie Bernosky, 33, TX 66 Carilyn Johnson, 48, TX 67 Byron Roca, 24, FL 68 Norman Nadon, 47, ON 69 Mark Nassi, 48, CA 70 Keith Blom, 59, CA 71 Raymond Mullenax, 49, ID Shannon Hogan Warburg, 72 46, WA 73 Carolyn Caskie, 28, ON 74 Angel Ochoa, 28, AZ 75 Matthew Maday, 42, IL 76 Seth Escalante, 36, NM 77 Marko Heinila, 46, NM 78 Gregory Lynch, 48, CA 79 Richard Whitelaw, 44, UT 80 Pam Reed, 54, WY 81 Ken Tulloch, 49, CT 82 Lisa Wenderoth, 51, IL 83 Andrew Singer, 49, AZ 84 Amy Chavez, 50, CA 85 William Corley, 53, FL 86 Ernesto Rangel, 27, CA 87 Heather Foley, 33, TX 88 Shari Bashaw, 54, VT 89 Ralph Crowley, 30, VT 90 Michael Walcott, 60, GA 91 Kevin Geisen, 19, WI 92 Brandon Solomon, 32, CA 93 Rene Peinado, 38, CA 94 Ethan Matyas, 39, IL 95 Bradley Schmitt, 35, CA 96 Nakai Lake, 17, AZ 97 Andrea Thorpe, 39, CO 98 Larry Pearson, 55, TX 99 William Gane, 40, IL 100 Tyler Clemens, 29, OR 101 Michael Bunda, 35, MN 102 Stephen Bush, 30, TX 103 Miguel Perez, 33, NM 104 William Smith, 48, CA 105 Natalie Jetensky, 45, NE 106 Alec Bath, 46, IL 107 Shelley Cook, 40, IL 108 James Fowler, 56, AZ 109 Chad Bailey, 38, TX 110 Peter Kleuser, 38, TN 111 Mark Williams, 50, CA 112 Hector Reyes, 33, CO 113 Kyle Williams, 27, TN 114 Eric Spencer, 36, FL 115 Kuno Fenski, 44, FL 116 Emily Booth, 41, CO 117 June Gessner, 62, CA

JAN/FEB 2016

20:27:26 20:29:20 20:36:37 20:40:35 20:50:10 21:03:06 21:03:12 21:06:41 21:16:56 21:24:03 21:25:00 21:26:39 21:32:40 21:35:16 21:37:36 21:40:03 21:42:28 21:42:43 21:48:26 21:48:39 21:56:54 22:01:24 22:03:40 22:09:10 22:13:14 22:15:35 22:16:03 22:17:57 22:18:09 22:20:21 22:20:33 22:26:39 22:27:34 22:31:10 22:33:38 22:36:16 22:36:16 22:43:52 22:48:14 22:48:59 22:50:51 22:51:52 22:57:35 22:58:22 23:01:23 23:07:29 23:08:00 23:10:22 23:11:10 23:11:39 23:12:06 23:12:50 23:14:11 23:15:32 23:22:38 23:22:41 23:23:24 23:25:07 23:25:51 23:26:07 23:26:46 23:27:16 23:29:41 23:30:05 23:31:08 23:32:30 23:35:50 23:37:41 23:38:52 23:38:58 23:40:22 23:40:34 23:41:04 23:44:25 23:44:27 23:45:49 23:45:52 23:46:45 23:46:45 23:47:06 23:48:00 23:49:56 23:51:24 23:51:43 23:53:06 23:58:56 23:59:03 24:00:29 24:01:43

118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208

David Plyler, 48, CA Katie Wallace, 33, CA Nicole Giumarra, 38, CA Geoffrey Foote, 47, AZ Jeff Gallego, 43, AZ Veronika Mocko, 38, NM Carson Robertson, 37, AZ Diran Sirinian, 49, AZ Steven Sjolund, 64, MN Davy Crockett, 57, UT Susan Collins-Pulick, 47, MA Bruce Labelle, 60, CA Selina Nordberg, 47, CA Rachael Stclaire, 57, CO Russell Johnson, 57, GA Malin Timbs, 39, TN K Ray, 37, NM Lisa Kravetz, 52, AZ Leo Fung, 25, AB Marvin Mastin, 50, KS Raymond Churgovich, 49, CO John Lacroix, 54, VT Bill Howard, 66, MA Kim Elliott, 48, CA Dan Brenden, 64, AZ Joe Pulver, 56, MI Kaz Williams, 42, MI Michelle Mason, 46, NY Georganna Quarles, 61, NV Rachelle Valdez, 55, CA Jeremy Mayberry, 45, AZ James Ehasz, 62, AZ Steven Dueck, 38, AZ Jason Lester, 41, HI Kelvin Reid, 53, OK Jerod Tufte, 40, ND Steve Ling, 55, CA Nicholas Ferrara, 43, PA Paul Akiyama, 71, CA Kenneth Crawford, 47, CA Jennifer Wilson, 37, CA Ivonne Reinhardt, 41, NV Greg Durbin, 58, CA Norbert Leinfellner, 49, CA Nahoko Iwata, 43, CA Celia Leber, 51, OR Gene Dykes, 67, PA Mark Lowe, 48, AZ Donn Zea, 57, CA Chris Doolittle, 50, CA Christopher Morhain, 29, AK Ramon Ferrer Jr, 35, NY David Dobrindt, 44, MA Oliver Truog, 43, MA Andrew Romey, 49, CA Alicia Judy, 36, OK Michael Glennon, 42, IL Christine Dancey, 54, CA Matt Simmons, 40, AZ Willie Alvarado, 52, CA Scot Hartman, 46, CO Susan Donnelly, 52, TN Pedro Martinez, 29, CA Jakob Herrmann, 44, CA Brandon Wickes, 36, UT Francisco Arozena Gutierrez, 35, UT Danielle Zemola, 37, FL Juan Escobar, 52, TX Barbara Ashe, 66, CA Dana Mathew, 39, NC Clint Welch, 38, CA Vagn Steen, 59, OH Chris Hasselback, 43, CO Sarah Smith, 43, MD Cris Tenorio, 45, CA Jon Christley, 45, AZ Rick Gates, 58, UT Michael Salsbury, 57, CA Bob Dickinson, 60, CA Colleen Slick, 48, CA Johan Wikman, 52, CA David Bliss, 53, AZ Jennifer Ralston, 34, NC Catra Corbett, 50, CA Tony Lafferty, 54, CA Abraham Moreno, 26, AZ Alex Wiener, 34, FL Karen Fennie, 56, NY Gregory Foote, 52, UT Denise Calcagnino, 48, NY Clifford Matthews, 52, NM

24:07:29 24:13:00 24:24:25 24:35:20 24:36:30 24:39:44 24:39:58 24:41:43 24:44:15 24:51:15 24:58:10 24:58:55 25:04:05 25:04:46 25:12:51 25:17:06 25:21:38 25:23:38 25:25:24 25:27:07 25:27:44 25:33:13 25:33:16 25:35:36 25:37:12 25:40:40 25:47:18 25:47:44 25:48:06 25:48:40 25:48:46 25:49:19 26:06:58 26:11:27 26:12:00 26:17:15 26:17:20 26:19:26 26:27:06 26:29:31 26:35:04 26:37:14 26:38:23 26:38:30 26:44:44 26:45:22 26:51:44 26:53:49 26:57:32 27:00:19 27:02:19 27:03:00 27:09:23 27:09:25 27:10:03 27:10:43 27:11:36 27:12:45 27:13:06 27:13:34 27:14:03 27:14:08 27:16:54 27:22:44 27:24:18 27:28:29 27:29:19 27:30:11 27:30:37 27:30:52 27:31:33 27:32:33 27:34:10 27:34:11 27:36:33 27:39:58 27:43:20 27:44:10 27:45:07 27:45:49 27:46:49 27:52:41 27:52:53 27:53:16 27:55:18 27:55:41 27:56:27 27:56:49 28:00:21 28:01:05 28:04:13

209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281

Richard Grimm, 66, CA Tony Moore, 54, NV Walter Ostdiek Jr, 40, CA Beiyi Zheng, 51, UT Michel Perrin, 54, NY Robert Woods, 51, NY Vicki Brassil, 51, IL Kevin Cox, 45, TN Roger Burruss, 54, FL Chris Haines, 56, CA Wael Sammur, 53, MO Brian Chontosh, 41, CO David Allamon, 38, OR Eric Whittington, 45, OH Brian Wilford, 51, AZ Iris Regalado, 47, AZ Sar Ahmed, 34, AZ Jessica Woods, 30, NY Paul Ng, 50, CA Mitchell Jacoves, 55, CA Christopher Moreno, 29, AZ Tiffany Guerra, 39, CA Pam Hoyt, 59, AZ Mitchell Chan, 39, CA Yolanda Holder, 57, CA Gregory Trapp, 52, OH Kathy Wolf, 42, OH Pen Perez, 48, CA Colleen Zato, 34, NV Reiko Cyr, 48, NY Cheryl Anderson, 42, MI Anaka Norfleet, 41, CO Brad Bishop, 30, CO Jordan Camastro, 32, AZ Brian Robinson, 54, CA Stephanie Eldore, 41, ID Tho Le, 34, WA John Koester, 65, CA Justin Bawden, 32, CO Brenda Sinck, 52, AZ Junel Haugley, 44, CA David Elsbernd, 61, OR Alexander Hernandez, 40, CA Doug Haas, 58, CA Jodi Weiss, 45, FL Mike Blaze, 40, IL Tamara Aarin, 47, CA Ron Rodriguez, 47, AZ Leslie Wunder, 54, NV Rachel Dockendorf, 33, AZ Gamez, 43, AZ Carl Jones, 40, AZ Yen Darcy, 59, CA Shannon Brett, 31, NV Kristina Irvin, 57, CA Gina Crosswhite, 44, WA Brian Klimowski, 51, AZ Giovanni Guevarra, 52, NV Toru Suzuki, 41, CA Julie Bowen, 51, OH Belinda Agamaite, 45, CA Eileen Francisco, 43, CA Huy Le, 43, CA Amanda Hughes, 33, AZ Dave Koeck, 52, CA Jim Doyle, 46, CA Brett Whitelaw, 30, UT Karen Collins, 53, KY Jeff Le, 32, CA Scott Love, 40, OH Natalia Castaneda, 37, FL Brian Cobbin, 37, AZ Andy Zalit, 40, AK

28:06:01 28:07:10 28:07:12 28:07:39 28:07:54 28:08:17 28:09:41 28:09:42 28:11:01 28:11:59 28:12:14 28:13:28 28:15:07 28:15:18 28:16:30 28:18:30 28:18:48 28:23:53 28:26:11 28:27:07 28:31:49 28:32:06 28:33:12 28:35:49 28:36:55 28:38:16 28:38:18 28:38:35 28:38:59 28:39:02 28:39:53 28:40:01 28:40:46 28:42:21 28:44:57 28:47:38 28:48:51 28:49:26 28:50:04 28:51:12 28:52:14 28:53:09 28:53:29 28:55:47 28:55:58 28:56:01 28:56:19 28:56:36 28:57:18 28:57:51 28:58:08 28:58:18 28:58:39 29:00:29 29:03:14 29:08:22 29:16:23 29:19:01 29:19:06 29:22:24 29:24:53 29:28:32 29:29:09 29:29:14 29:35:06 29:35:42 29:36:49 29:39:07 29:41:26 29:46:37 29:47:02 29:53:23 29:54:43

100K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Karim El Hayani, 21, WA Susan Barrows, 40, OR Isidro Quintero Mora, 30, OR Neela D’Souza, 37, ON Brian Zacher, 40, AZ Elliot Smith, 33, IL Ryan Witko, 31, NY Andrew Wellman, 39, CO Tomio Oshima, 45, AZ Gregory Esbitt, 41, MA Kathi Ridgeway, 39, AZ Jeffrey Dodd, 52, CA Vasile Samartinean, 40, AZ Carrie Wheeler, 38, AZ Kevin Rauter, 48, AZ Eric Davis, 48, CA

9:29:14 9:42:45 10:02:42 10:07:12 10:09:11 10:22:33 10:25:59 10:30:35 10:32:22 10:49:04 11:18:52 11:44:57 11:57:23 12:03:38 12:14:16 12:39:39

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

Breanna Cornell, 23, AL Alex Anyse, 44, VA Samuel Harris, 33, AZ Jason St-Onge, 41, NB Shana LeNeveu, 45, CO Gladys Rionda, 47, AZ Michelle Wagher, 42, AZ Jason Dahl, 44, CA Sarah Bell, 38, OK Jane Murawski, 34, AK David Adkins, 57, CA Shinano Hazlett, 48, CA Kate Mcelroy, 30, OR Serena Scott Thomas, 30 54, CA 31 Paul Thibodeau, 52, NB 32 Minel Diaz, 41, CA 33 Kelsey Swanson, 18, CO 34 Bobbie Howard, 48, WA 35 Jacqueline Folkert, 45, CA 36 Darrel Folkert, 45, CA 37 Sandra Vivas, 41, CA 38 Scott Conner, 59, AZ 39 Travis Spalding, 41, AZ 40 Bill Nictakis, 55, AZ 41 Brion Fornshell, 44, MN 42 Laurie Gallego, 43, AZ 43 Sandy Graham, 54, FL 44 Nofal Musfy, 73, TX 45 Steve Poling, 43, AZ 46 Christina Flaxel, 58, OR 47 Jess Soco, 49, WA 48 Arthur Arnold, 54, CA 49 Elycia Bechard, 27, OR 50 Terra Lovelin, 37, NV 51 Michelle Evans, 29, CA 52 Paul Deuchar, 40, AZ 53 Marianela Chow, 40, CA 54 Tomasz Jakubowski, 40, CA 55 Jim Reed, 54, WY 56 Wendy Young, 59, CA

12:42:35 12:59:25 13:06:03 13:07:53 13:19:56 13:29:27 13:56:52 14:10:43 14:16:39 14:17:26 14:27:53 14:40:03 14:42:26 14:46:09 14:55:18 14:55:47 15:04:39 15:05:57 15:10:46 15:10:47 15:15:16 15:16:04 15:26:37 15:31:27 15:36:04 15:36:08 15:36:51 15:37:26 15:45:46 15:53:19 15:57:13 15:57:14 16:07:53 16:18:42 16:21:38 16:35:31 16:38:05 16:38:06 16:40:09 16:40:47

57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97

John Vanderpot, 52, CA Andrea Tarlowski, 32, FL Ben Wroblewski, 35, VA Steve Goodman, 66, AZ James Conner, 51, AZ Jody Anderson Ricks, 49, CA Jill Trent, 55, NV Betsy Kapiloff, 55, NM Ann Trason, 55, CA Troy Frazer, 48, IN Dale Evans, 63, WA Evelyn Heinbach, 46, NY Rebecca Johnson, 54, CA Duane Baker, 72, NV Rick Tambio, 58, CA Cathy Harris, 57, CA Larry Letts, 61, CA Tammy Massie, 43, MD James Sintef, 53, CA Eric Wu, 32, CA Mary Dawe, 52, NM Maude Hecht, 53, TX Ed Valdez, 60, CA Alfredo Carballo, 48, CA Amy Delaney, 42, CA Walter Strach III, 45, CA Jeff Koger, 48, WA Casey Allen, 43, AZ Roy Reisinger, 75, OR Maynor Gonzalez, 42, CA Priscilla Torres, 41, AZ Gasper Pulizzi, 75, CA Sue Schohan, 62, CA Robert Lynch, 71, CA Fred Pollard, 76, CA Ryan George, 31, CA James George, 61, CA Pati Coury, 57, AZ Jenny Iskandar, 43, CA Nicky Redl, 37, AUS Jeannie Armagost, 60, NC

16:44:54 16:45:20 16:56:55 16:58:43 17:02:14 17:14:38 17:14:56 17:17:39 17:25:44 17:31:25 17:42:38 17:45:42 17:48:10 17:48:16 17:52:17 17:56:30 17:56:32 18:10:58 18:25:44 18:32:51 18:37:39 18:37:39 18:42:11 18:43:55 18:49:09 18:50:09 18:52:12 18:55:21 18:56:36 18:59:03 19:09:06 19:22:47 19:25:13 19:25:15 19:25:22 19:34:06 19:34:07 19:46:35 20:33:22 20:45:08 20:45:18

98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106

John Woods, 62, CA Kathy Victorino, 58, CA Scott Saunders, 44, CA Marshall Brown, 60, UT Alaina Nudell, 42, CA Michael Sitzman, 50, AZ Holley Lange, 70, CO Juliana Astrachan, 48, NM Bill Dickey, 76, CA

20:56:05 21:01:13 21:01:15 21:32:44 21:41:17 22:45:18 23:13:16 23:15:43 24:00:18

107 Heather Rowley, 33, UT 108 George Velasco, 62, CA 109 Mirna Valerio, 40, GA

24:34:08 24:52:15 25:59:55

Spectators heads turn as Brian Tinder shows off his skimpy Borat costume.

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CANYON DE CHELLY //////////

MORE THAN AN OWLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

SALVATION

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BY GLEN REDPATH

The Canyon de Chelly (pronounced “shay”) ultra is a 55k out-and-back trail run in northeastern Arizona. It was created by Shaun Martin, an accomplished Arizona runner from the Navajo reservation in northeastern Arizona, who decided one day in 2012 to go for a long run in the canyon.

On his return he found himself racing wild horses. They eventually accepted his presence and allowed him into their circle as the pack slowed to stay with a yearling.

As they reached the edge of the canyon the horses stopped. Shaun looked back at their white horse leader, who gave him a stare that seemed to say, “You are one of us.”

Shaun’s experience with wild animals and the natural beauty of the canyon is something he wants to share with all runners, and is why he created the Canyon de Chelly ultra. During this year’s race, I encountered wild horses and I ran by large cliffs with ancient Native American homes and pictographs. However, my enlightened experience happened the day before the race as I drove onto the reservation.

Having departed New York City, I was enveloped and transformed by the vastness of the land, intense blue sky and openness.

I also noticed long fences going on for miles.

All of a sudden, something on the fence caught my eye. I stopped my rental car and backed up.

There was something stuck on the barbed wire. I reached for my camera to take a shot from the highway. Maybe it was the wind, but it seemed to move. I gathered my courage and crossed the ditch to get a closer photo. I was struck by the sheer beauty of a creature stuck on the barbs. I went closer, and when I was less than two feet away its head spun around and its big yellow eyes startled me.

It was an owl, and he was alive, but stuck to the barbs.

OPPOSITE: The Canyon. [

Ron French]

ABOVE: Many runners gave a yell as they started the race. [ Ron French] BELOW: A helpless owl caught in the fence. [

Glen Redpath]

The ranger said his wing looked broken, but the local veterinarian would mend it.

Owls are highly intelligent, so I started talking to him. I went back to my car to get my gloves and a shirt to wrap him in. I then tried desperately to free his right wing from the barbs. After a few minutes, I pulled it free. There was some blood. After freeing him my plan was to let him go. I could see that he had no strength. So I spoke directly at him and said, “Look, you are coming with JAN/FEB 2016

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ABOVE: Caroline Sekaquaptewa receiving her turquoise necklace to signify her first finish at Canyon de Chelly. [ Ron French] RIGHT: After the previous two years finishing in second, Trent Taylor makes it to the finish in first this year. [ Ron French]

me; I am taking you to Shaun Martin. He will know the right thing to do.”

When I carried him to the car, he only weighed about five ounces.

After putting the young owl in the backseat I drove towards Chinle, Arizona, some 30 miles away. I would look in the backseat every couple of minutes to see if he was ok. In return the big yellow eyes

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would stare back at me. I turned the radio on and sang a few songs.

After about 15 minutes I looked back again. This time his eyes were shut. I was pretty convinced that he was dead. I arrived at Cottonwood Campground, the site of the runner’s check-in. I looked into the backseat and his eyes opened. He was only taking a nap. I sprinted from the car looking for Shaun, who greeted me with a big hug and a loud, “The ultrarunner from NYC is here!” I told him the story of the young owl. Shaun’s immediate reaction was to engage his brother-in-law, a park ranger. The ranger went to get his truck and a cage. I helped the owl into the cage and said my goodbyes, but not before stroking those beautiful ears. The ranger said his wing looked broken, but the local veterinarian would mend it. There is a local Navajo children’s zoo, so when he gains his strength back he could be helpful in educating the children.

The Canyon de Chelly ultra is restricted to 150 runners, and this number will not increase anytime soon. There is a wait list, and this year close to 40 runners came from the wait list. The ultra run raises funds for young runners living on the reservation. Running on the reservation and in the canyon is a special experience, one that I will always cherish. Running is very important in Navajo culture. It is a form of praying, and it teaches how to overcome obstacles in life.

It is also a Navajo tradition to run east to watch the sunrise. At the start, Shaun’s father blesses the run and everyone in it. Shaun then encourages runners to yell when they feel a connection with the sky, the canyon and the rocks. There is a lot of visceral yelling going on out there. The quote on the bottom of runner bibs loosely translates as: “Go down the trail with balance, beauty and dignity.”

Trent Taylor, the first man, made it back in 4:17:10, followed by seven other men before Christine Garves, the first female, finished in 5:36:16. Everyone who finished received a traditional handmade necklace. At the awards presentation, there were 12 women’s and 12 men’s awards on the table. All awards were handmade by local artisans, and top runners were given a chance to pick out their own prize.

It’s been three weeks since I left Navajo land, but I am still wearing the traditional handmade necklace Shaun gave me after I finished.

A few weeks later and thousands of miles distant, I was at the NYC marathon expo, when my path suddenly crossed with a couple from Atlanta. She noticed my necklace, and I saw that she was wearing the exact same one. Our eyes locked for a moment and we smiled at each other, knowing we shared a similar experience in the canyon.

Canyon de Chelly Navajo Reservation, AZ // October 10

3,2* // 55k Elevation gain: 3,100 feet | This course is an out-and-back from the entrance of the canyon, up 17 miles and a 1,200foot climb to Spider Rock overlook and back. The first and last 2.5 miles are on sand. Runners will also traverse single-track trail and creek crossings, while getting views of ancient ruins, petroglyphs and pictographs.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

Trent Taylor, 34, AZ Dustin Martin, 26, NM Joseph Carver, 33, AZ Christopher Hall, 34, NM Glen Redpath, 50, NY Justin Yazzie, 21, AZ Tyler Tomasello, 31, CO Ashprihanal Aalto, 45, NY Christine Garves, 43, NM Paul Grimm, 46, CO Ross Rankin, 31, UT Matt Celone, 40, TX Jeffery Hart, 47, UT Richard Knapp, 63, NM James Duplain, 45, NM Jean Herbert, 59, NM Mark Werkmeister, 54, NM Ian Masayesva, 42, AZ Laura Swenson, 43, AZ Benedict Dugger, 45, AZ Caroline Sekaquaptewa, 41, AZ Dan Baxley, 44, CA Colleen Corcoran, 36, CA Rick Hoopes, 61, CA Daryl Horton, 30, AZ Austen Cutrell, 29, CO Devin Corcoran, 58, CA Daniel Rees, 52, NM Michael Miller, 53, AZ

4:17:10 4:32:52 4:53:47 5:08:44 5:21:25 5:25:06 5:25:45 5:26:45 5:36:16 5:37:04 5:37:25 5:39:15 5:39:58 5:44:37 5:52:49 5:53:48 5:54:46 5:54:55 6:00:27 6:01:16 6:01:19 6:03:43 6:05:26 6:05:36 6:06:27 6:08:27 6:09:06 6:09:28 6:10:11

30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71

Marques Johnson, 37, AZ Aimee Hoyt, 43, NM Shannon Zanelli, 44, NM Thomas Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien, 38, AZ Andrew Singer, 49, AZ Tiffany Fancher, 37, NM Jenny Nakai, 31, CO Josh Gordon, 22, NM Mike Wilke, 51, AZ Betsy Kalmeyer, 54, CO Jerome Yazzie, 40, AZ Maria Ladd, 54, NM Patrick Muldowney, 51, AZ Mark Lisak, 58, CO Matthew Cuneo, 34, CO Jim Chely, 59, NY Jon Buschhorn, 43, CO Amanda Rosenburg, 40, AZ Ron Larsen, 62, MN Tiffiny Shilow, 35, AZ Eliza Eddy, 39, MT Melissa Armstrong, 43, AZ Shannon Flemming, 42, AZ Bonnie Porter, 28, AZ Jamie Prochno, 31, CO Ruthanne Hamrick, 50, NM Garth Reader, 53, NM Dirk Reader, 50, TX Chad Trujillo, 41, HI Ginny Kinnebrew, 41, CO Jessica Anderson, 36, MT Jay Liggett, 59, AZ Holly Buschhorn, 40, CO Margaret Gordon, 40, NM Polly Thompson, 47, AZ Luke Martin, 40, WA Matt Pearcy, 41, AZ Dale Heisler, 65, UT Ryan Dodson, 30, AZ Steve Collins, 45, CO Dave Dogruel, 47, NM

6:10:45 6:11:50 6:11:51 6:16:45 6:20:52 6:21:05 6:22:15 6:22:44 6:24:04 6:24:35 6:26:13 6:29:11 6:29:13 6:35:16 6:47:33 6:48:40 6:49:55 6:50:47 6:50:48 6:51:29 6:53:41 6:56:20 6:56:28 6:59:42 7:01:25 7:01:49 7:03:12 7:03:15 7:04:11 7:09:12 7:10:18 7:11:13 7:11:34 7:12:46 7:14:33 7:15:22 7:15:31 7:17:15 7:23:02 7:23:52 7:26:16

72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 80 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112

Denetria Yazzie, 25, AZ Scott Say, 45, AZ Steven Grossman, 55, NM Daniel Tsinajinnie, 40, AZ Dan Brenden, 64, AZ Cheri Fine, 50, GA Tim Hackett, 49, AZ Amy English, 41, AZ Steve Teynor, 52, UT Jessie Manygoats, 29, AZ Rolf Schatzmann, 43, AZ Bernadette Benson, 46, AZ Gail Leedy, 61, NM Jonathan Nez, 40, AZ Norbert Blobel, 43, AZ Ellen Ostrow, 30, UT Tracy Denbleyker, 44, MI Jim Wilson, 52, OR Kelly Bowles, 55, NM Nancy Halpin, 54, NM Rondi Thornton, 65, NM William Yazzie, 28, AZ Josh Gibson, 41, MT John Erickson, 62, NM Brian Thompson, 39, AZ Peter Wilke, 47, AZ Erik Buzzard, 54, TX Jennifer Carver, 33, AZ Megan Dell, 43, NM Raymond Danks, 39, CO Anita Rawlinson, 59, MT David Delong, 57, FL Lucie Chamberlain, 36, UT Terry Wallace, 59, NM Melissa Dick, 52, NC Jon Pailding, 47, UT Walter Prochno, 61, IN Shauna Heisler, 64, UT Rebecca Chakrin, 34, CA Kim Paulding, 43, UT Sandy Straley, 60, UT

7:26:31 7:28:37 7:29:55 7:36:14 7:38:28 7:38:58 7:39:48 7:39:49 7:39:50 7:39:50 7:40:18 7:40:23 7:42:01 7:42:05 7:44:37 7:52:18 7:55:22 7:55:29 7:56:00 7:56:01 7:56:04 7:56:58 7:57:44 8:00:06 8:00:55 8:04:52 8:05:59 8:06:21 8:06:55 8:06:56 8:07:46 8:08:55 8:17:36 8:17:48 8:17:51 8:21:26 8:22:52 8:27:29 8:27:37 8:29:00 8:29:05

113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 125 126 126 128 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151

JAN/FEB 2016

Mark Fine, 50, GA Derrick Zahne, 35, NM Phillip Schmidt, 56, TX Jennifer Zahne, 33, NM Mikie Donaldson, 45, AK Robert Gerald, 66, TX Karen Williams, 53, NM Crystal Deschinny, 51, AZ Hallie Brown, 33, MT Amy Donaldson, 47, UT Jim Dees, 51, NC Julia Vogt, 50, CO Kimberly Miller, 50, AZ Ruth Sutton, 61, KY Justin Snider, 42, CA Bobby Walpole, 32, CA Michelle Evans, 29, CA Rima Lurie, 67, CO Carllene Johnson, 37, AZ Emily Willemin, 44, TX Delavita John, 31, AZ Lisa Butler, 50, CO Guy Babbitt, 51, CO Cathy Bobbe, 61, UT Kenneth Young, 51, AZ Raymond Etheredge, 48, AR Carlos Hidalgo, 34, AZ Heather Krug, 43, CA Mary Beth Smith, 33, NY Simi Snider, 17, CA Royce Brown, 60, TX Tamara Pete, 34, AZ John Tindall-Gibson, 68, CT Clara De La Torre, 42, NM Rena Weisberg, 41, CA Anne Portman, 50, NM Michele Bauer, 37, AZ Frank Cherne, 49, NM Jessica Polan, 41, MT

8:29:37 8:30:39 8:33:08 8:38:00 8:39:43 8:47:17 8:48:35 8:49:32 8:52:52 8:53:27 8:53:51 8:54:38 9:04:09 9:03:42 9:05:55 9:07:52 9:07:53 9:09:30 9:12:49 9:12:50 9:17:20 9:17:58 9:17:59 9:25:19 9:31:01 9:33:41 9:37:46 9:47:43 9:47:44 9:49:58 10:02:23 10:03:18 10:06:48 10:30:00 10:47:29 10:50:50 10:51:12 10:51:31 10:52:28

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TUSSEY MOUNTAINBACK //////////

MISTY MOUNTAIN HOP

AT TUSSEY MOUNTAINBACK

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BY MIKE CASPER, RD

Pre-race rain is almost a staple at Tussey. A light drizzle brushed away the dark in the final minutes before the start and low clouds over the gold and red foliage created a misty venue. Then, like the dawn, a new history rapidly unfolded.

The 50-mile loop course in Pennsylvania’s Rothrock State Forest was enhanced by an ongoing initiative to turn stretches of paved road back to gravel. The Mountainback is currently 82% unpaved.

Back and poised to eclipse his own 2014 time and go for the win was Eric Senseman. Senseman has been shaving his times, including last year’s second-place finish at Tussey and third at JFK. Masters standout Joshua Finger was in for his fourth Tussey.

Senseman, Finger, TJ Curry and Josh Litofsky led the race up the initial climb. After the first kilometer, Senseman pulled away from the front group and never looked back. His experience of the 3-plus-mile hill just before the halfway point marked a big difference this time.

“One of the biggest changes between last year and this year involves the top of that big climb in the middle of the race,” Senseman recalled. “Last year, I walked most of the last mile of that climb and didn’t ever fully recover … This year, I felt great before, during and after the climb, which was a result, I think, of keeping myself in check during the first half of the race. I was better prepared and more fit for the race this year, and the effort levels were much lower. I have to thank Ian Torrence, who has me on a training plan at the moment, for that difference.”

In his fourth run of Tussey, Finger battled stomach issues and tired legs from eight hours of rugged pacing miles at Grindstone two weeks prior, but he, Curry and Darlington would battle for second and third.

In most sports it seems it’s the second half that tells the story, and this was no different for Litofsky, a PhD student at nearby Penn State. Having run an 8:30 pace in a recent 100k, the hill gears were lacking. But crowd cheers can compensate. “After mile 24, my legs actually didn’t feel that bad. This was when I began to use the hills as rests; I knew there was going to be no gas left in the tank by the finish regardless of how I ran, so I felt like being conservative up the hill, if anything, was going to help my time.

After [the hill at mile 44], it was a different story. This is the first

ABOVE: Anna Piskorska revels in another frolic in the forest. [

Laura Bradley]

RIGHT: Mike Renz is energized on his way to wrapping his third Mountainback and a PR. [

Laura Bradley]

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Tussey Mountainback Boalsburg, PA // October 25

3,3* // 50 Miles Elevation gain: 5,485 feet | The race takes place on fire roads (82% dirt, 18% paved) in Rothrock State Forest.

Terrain includes uphill, level and downhill grades, with shaded and open segments and some overlook vistas.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33

Eric Senseman, 26, AZ Tommy Darlington, 22, PA Theodore Curry, 33, MD Joshua Finger, 42, PA Heather Hoechst, 36, PA Josh Litofsky, 23, PA Zach Haddad, 25, PA Ritanne Duszak, 36, PA Michael Renz, 39, PA Kathleen Cusick, 40, FL Jennifer Mchale, 36, CT Joshua Grubb, 38, PA Frank Zaffino, 45, PA Paul Loomis, 45, PA Thomas Beerbower, 50, PA James Gill, 52, VA Michael Fatigante, 29, PA Anna Piskorska, 43, PA Kathryn Koetje-Simin, 44, PA Matt Frable, 29, PA Beth Levengood, 46, PA Laura Mooney, 47, PA Brian Rosser, 39, PA Jennifer Keating-Miller, 35, PA Carlos Darby, 27, PA Karina Gates, 38, PA John Erickson, 36, PA Todd Valesky, 45, PA Matthew Anderson, 43, OH Michael Boggs, 19, PA Thomas Hanna, 19, PA Julien Delange, 32, PA Andrew Dyjak, 40, CT

5:55:00 6:31:59 6:32:06 6:35:02 7:05:54 7:08:07 7:21:22 7:24:48 7:31:30 7:48:08 7:48:14 7:51:30 7:58:14 8:05:55 8:12:55 8:22:04 8:25:40 8:32:22 8:34:26 8:36:25 8:40:35 8:40:36 8:49:13 8:49:24 8:59:22 9:00:26 9:00:48 9:01:45 9:02:14 9:05:07 9:05:07 9:08:48 9:10:17

34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74

Brian Stoner, 43, PA Jeremy Smith, 37, PA Jeremy Hand, 38, PA Maria Vargas, 54, PA Clint Gyory, 25, PA Jared Reesman, 28, PA Anna_Marie Cote, 27, VA Tom Wright, 39, PA Darryl Peterson, 37, JP David Degroote, 57, PA Timothy Flaherty, 51, PA Allison Abbe, 40, VA Donald_Halke Ii, 56, PA Beau Berkshire, 22, OH Aric Sponsler, 38, PA George Conrad, 38, PA Richard Vrboncic, 58, PA Steve Meyer, 37, PA Meranda Pierce, 41, PA Angie Piskorski, 35, PA Kyle Elken, 47, PA Hilary Heincer, 29, VA Sean Felty, 26, PA Randall Kromer_Jr, 34, PA Clement Choy, 68, CA Lisa Fleming, 53, PA Danielle Hier, 43, OH William Bradley, 43, PA Francesca Mahalak, 39, PA Alicia Hare, 35, PA Kristin Engle, 35, PA Aaron Ansari, 37, OH Eric Silver, 50, PA Randy Crawford, 36, PA Monica Fletcher, 38, PA Sandy Kibler, 51, PA Andrew Haines, 28, NJ Staci Calder, 35, MD Dave Martula, 70, MA Kevin Lehman, 40, PA Abraham Parker, 37, MD

9:18:52 9:21:44 9:23:35 9:25:06 9:25:26 9:29:43 9:36:12 9:42:52 9:43:55 9:51:07 9:51:35 9:58:15 10:01:31 10:17:04 10:17:43 10:17:47 10:22:08 10:35:01 10:36:12 10:37:22 10:38:00 10:45:40 10:45:52 10:45:54 10:46:00 10:56:37 11:01:18 11:01:21 11:01:30 11:01:40 11:02:48 11:05:00 11:21:49 11:28:30 11:38:17 11:41:43 11:41:53 11:46:46 11:48:22 12:31:51 12:44:59

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The

mOUnTaiNBACK 50 50 scenic miles 1+ mi elev gain 1 amazing day

10.30.16 Just for the hill of it.®

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(and only) hill of the day that I felt that I was not rested by. However, this was also the point during the race that all of the local relay teams decided that they would drive past me, which was honestly one of the coolest parts of the race. I saw people that I run with, coach with and work with drive past me with their relay runners coming up shortly after. I’ve never been in a situation during an ultra where I felt like the hometown favorite, but I certainly felt like it here. It was an amazing experience.”

“Walk 100 steps. Run 200. The counting took my mind off the effort and the breaks kept my heart rate down.”

In the women’s race, three-time Mountainback winner and 11-time national champion Connie Gardner was taking on several strong and younger runners, including three she had outpaced to win last year’s race: Anna Piskorska, Kathleen Cusick and Heather Hoechst.

A tough competitor at any distance, Gardner felt unexpectedly dizzy and weak just past the halfway point and did not continue.

Hoechst may have told others she just wanted to beat her 2014 time, but privately she wanted to decimate it… and win. She led at mile 11, but Gardner and Ritanne Duszak were close. At mile 21, “I hit the first steep pitch and decided on a new hill strategy,” said Hoechst. “Walk 100 steps. Run 200. The counting took my mind off the effort and the breaks kept my heart rate down. I sensed that Rita was not far behind and envisioned Connie, Anna and Kathleen stalking me like mountain lionesses.”

From two previous forays here, Hoechst had dubbed miles 30-35 the Death Zone, “the place where race dreams go to die.” But this year she arrived at mile 41 and Colyer Lake feeling strong and well ahead of her goal pace. Still, she could hardly expect to float on in.

“This race course is unforgiving. That’s partly why I love it. You can’t let your guard down.” Hoechst’s finish time was a full 32 minutes faster than her previous PR. Taking second place in only her second ultra, Duszak showed grit.

“I saw Heather at the start and she looked strong, so my initial plan was to try and keep her in sight if I could, while still running at a pace I knew I could maintain. By about mile 13 or 14, and probably even before, Heather was way out of my sight line. I struggled around miles 35-40 as the solitude set in. Luckily, a really friendly relay runner named Cody ran with me for at least a mile or so around mile 40 and I was grateful for the distraction and the company. After that, I was able to pull myself back together through the next two aid stations and finally to the finish.”

Cusick battled illness days before race day and had a slower than usual day but hung on for third. Just seven seconds back was Jennifer McHale, who would PR. “I expected worse at mile 20 ... and mile 44 was harder than I expected,” said McHale. “I don’t think I realized how steep that last hill was going to be. I loved every minute of the scenery. It also had that ultra vibe – super friendly people just out for a day in nature. It’s getting harder to find that!”

Jennifer Keating-Miller, a former division III soccer player, had run just one race over 13.1 miles this year, but broke 8:50 in her first 50 miler. “It was quite the experience and I am still sore. But I think another ultra will be in my future at some point in the next year. It was a great event.”

ULTRARACES

Sierra Crest 50K

Kicking off the Sierra Crest 50K

BY AMBROSE TUSCANO AND ZACH VIOLETT

Winner Zach Violett near Glacier Way aid station at the top of Tahoe Donner. [ Mark Nadell]

This year marked the inaugural running of the Sierra Crest 50k race between Truckee and Donner Summit, California.

Connecting two different Nordic ski trail systems (Tahoe Donner and Auburn Ski Club), the race was a fundraiser for Auburn Ski Club’s Junior Biathlon Program.

The race organizers were pleasantly surprised by the strong turnout for the first running of the Sierra Crest, and a bit relieved at the overwhelmingly positive feedback they received from racers. Based on the event’s strengths, including a single-track-heavy, point-to-point course, incredible mountain vistas and excellent trail marking and event organization, everyone

involved expects to see the Sierra Crest grow into a mainstay of the Sierra Nevada ultrarunning scene.

The 2016 race will be held August 6, so mark your calendars! Registration will open on Ultrasignup.com sometime in February, so keep your eyes and ears open, and sign up early to be a part of 2016’s bigger, even better race!

ZACH VIOLETT ADDS: I love visiting Truckee, California. I grew up a few hours away and most of my memories of winter are with family up in Truckee/Tahoe skiing. Those days of skiing and vacationing in Truckee were long before I

discovered running, much less as much as if I had been riding a ultrarunning. bike! We hit I-80, got re-fueled at So, I was excited when Glen the aid station then climbed back Jobe, my ski coach from those up to a different ridge. It was a high school days, reached out grinder of a climb, but with more to me to let me know that ASC high alpine beauty in sight, it was putting on a new 50k/30k was hard to complain. Once back event. He promised that if I came on the ridge the running got down from Bend, Oregon, I’d get really fun again. The single-track to visit one of my favorite places winds through granite boulders and finally get to run a point-to- and past beautiful lakes. It was point race on some of the trails technical but still fast moving. that I missed out on by being a The race finished up at ASC’s non-runner for all those years. big lodge with a great catered This was ASC’s first venture lunch (truly no holding back on into the ultrarunning world, delicious fresh food) and local so I was curious how it would beer from The Brewing Lair. go. They have put on hundreds, Racers continued to finish over maybe even thousands, of ski the following hours, with the races over the years, so I could crowd cheering from the deck. only wonder if that expertise The winners of the 50k got the would transfer over.

“Spike Runner” statues, which In summary, it did, in spades. were welded together by a local While I am not a fan of early artist from old railroad spikes. mornings, August in Tahoe can The Auburn Ski Club did still get hot, so I was thankful for a wonderful job putting on an early start while it was nice their first ultra. They found an and cool. The 50k runners took amazing course and I’d defioff at 7 a.m., with the 30k start nitely go back and expect word an hour later. From the gun I to spread on the quality of the knew it was going to be a good trails and the race. day. Despite having skied Tahoe Donner for years, I never knew just how beautiful it was (it helps Sierra Crest 50K that I’m 15 years older and that Truckee, CA // August 8 3,4* // 50k the trails weren’t under five feet gain/loss: 4,660 feet / 4,125 feet | This pointof snow). We spent the first 10 Elevation to-point course follows the best single-track dirt trails miles on single-track and jeep between Truckee and Donner Summit. The course features running surfaces ranging from technical and rocky to trails running through meadows smooth and flowing and terrain including a beautiful and forest sections. I saw more valley and multiple extended climbs and descents offering tremendous vistas of the Sierra Nevada. animals than people during this stretch. This was the “flatter and 1 Zach Violett, 33, OR 4:10:53 2 Craig Steinmaus, 53, CA 4:44:11 easier” part of the trail, but still 3 Keith Nobile, 38, CA 5:07:11 had a bit of vertical.

4 Kelly Devine, 31, CA 5:10:59 5 Elisheva Verdi, 39, CA 5:45:48 As we came back past the 6 Brad Chase, 54, NV 5:55:15 Tahoe Donner Cross Country 7 Erika Small, 42, CA 5:57:51 8 Ian Gustin, 26, CA 6:00:55 Ski Lodge, I expected the real 9 Jason Riddle, 34, NV 6:00:57 climbing to begin, and the course 10 Matt Holihan, 30, NV 6:10:52 11 Scott Kreider, 49, CA 6:23:01 didn’t disappoint. We quickly 12 Ali Ware, 22, CA 6:23:05 started gaining elevation and 13 Jeanie Ward-Waller, 33, CA 6:28:45 14 Jon Emis, 34, CA 6:37:56 the higher we went, the better 15 Nick Rosser, 36, CA 6:40:35 the views became.

16 Kent Yinger, 52, CA 7:04:08 As with all things, once we 17 Achal Kathuria, 30, CA 7:11:43 Kristin Niederhaus Henry, got to the high point, it was time 18 7:24:51 45, NV to come down. The single-track 19 Bill Volz, 64, CA 7:32:23 20 Lauren Watson, 30, NV 7:32:23 downhill to the aid station at 21 Diana Schlaff, 38, CA 7:35:26 Interstate 80 was a blast. It had 22 Andrew Feast, 47, OH 8:47:09 23 Jim Smith, 47, OH 8:47:11 banked corners for the cyclists 24 Christopher Hunley, 39, CA 8:55:32 and I was loving running them See page 50 for key *

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ULTRARACES

The Bear Chase

For the Love of the Game

BY CHRIS BOYACK “You know what we get to do today, Brooks?

We get to play baseball.”

That quote from The Rookie is a good one to reflect on when times get tough in an ultramarathon. Prior to this scene in the movie, Jim Morris, the aging main character, has been on the road with a minor league team facing struggles and doubts about his chances of ever making it to the big show.

He has a revelation of sorts as he wanders towards the lights of a baseball field and finds a Little League game in progress. As he takes in the scene, it becomes clear that this is what it’s all about. The Rookie remembers that through it all, his love of the game is what will carry him through the tough times. Energized, he makes that declaration to one of his teammates before their

next game with a big goofy grin on his face.

At mile 35 of The Bear Chase 50-mile race I was telling myself, “You know what I get to do today? I get to run trails all day long!”

I’ll admit, the big goofy grin might have been missing by that point of the race. After running for the past six hours, I was starting to overheat and slow down. I was fighting the disappointment that my hard-fought training was not being put to good use. Why do you keep going in a race even when it’s not going well? Because you get something out of doing it that is bigger than anything you’d get by not doing it. Because you paid good money for this, dang it. Because if you weren’t here, for better or worse, you’d wish that you were. Because it doesn’t always suck. And heck, for the love of the game.

But then the doubts come flooding back in: How can a course this easy be so hard?!?

That was the question playing over and over in my head as I struggled to the finish line to find an end to my suffering. On paper, the course looks like an easy setup for running a personal best time, and for many runners it works out that way. I am not one of those people. For the second year in a row, I was alternating shuffling and walking on terrain perfectly suited for running, dragging my sorry butt to the finish. As an added bonus, this year I stopped dead in my tracks 50 meters from the finish line and doubled over in dry heaves before finally puking in the grass.

Ah, such a classy move. I certainly would not be invoking the cherished Cubs star Ernie Banks’ famous line: It’s a great day to play two.

I have been involved with the Bear Chase event as a photographer, crewmember, pacer or runner for the past four years. There is something special about the race that keeps me coming back. Every person involved with

As an added bonus, this year I stopped dead in my tracks 50 meters from the finish line and doubled over in dry heaves before finally puking in the grass. the event gets it. David Manthey, Ben Reeves and everyone all the way down to the last volunteer are there for the love of the ultrarunning game. It shows in how they care for the runners and in everything they do for us.

The Bear Chase Trail Race is a special and unique event that has something for everyone.

Veterans will be challenged to run fast, and new runners can find a supportive atmosphere to push themselves farther than they have ever gone before. What the course lacks in high-mountain passes and alpine meadows, it makes up for with an accessible yet isolated environment. Single-track, stream crossings, climbs and descents all within view of the downtown Denver skyline make for a truly unique and beautiful setting.

There are no bears chasing runners here… just drones. [

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RunningGuru.com]

The Bear Chase Lakewood, CO // September 26

2,3* // 100k, 50 Miles, 50k Elevation gain: 100k – 4,250 feet; 50 mile – 3,400 feet; 50k – 1,930 feet | This course features sweeping panoramic views on a pretty fast and not overly technical trail. The route is 95% dirt and single-track trail.

100K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

Brady Poskin, 30, MO Shawn Gilbert, 47, NE James Flanary, 36, CO Ryan Schmidt, 38, NE Erik Zeitlow, 48, CO Marko Heinila, 45, NM Jacob Duncan, 39, CO Brian Cox, 35, WY Ryan Larson, 37, CO Ben Earthman, 39, CO John Scott, 50, CO Mike Ehrenfeucht, 42, CO Vicki Gascho, 44, CO Dimitar Vlassarev, 32, CO William Vickers, 36, CO Anna-Marie Migl, 21, CO Rachael Stclaire, 57, CO Dan Terrill, 28, CO Steve Clemons, 46, CO

10:01:06 10:14:23 11:31:08 11:48:21 11:53:43 11:53:44 12:15:38 12:26:28 12:36:29 13:09:45 13:35:03 13:36:00 13:44:19 13:46:28 13:49:09 13:49:24 13:57:59 14:03:42 14:36:15

50 MILES 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Patrick Stewart, 30, CO Phil Reutlinger, 36, CO Jon Kuehler, 28, CO Mark Mobley, 44, CO Marc Waxman, 43, CO Matthew Berdine, 36, CO Emily Booth, 41, CO Peter Solis, 27, CO Sean Kennedy, 32, CO Tonia Smith, 46, CO Mike Jarrett, 42, CO Melissa Raguet-Schofiel, 36, CO Marianna Inslee, 50, CO Chris Boyack, 45, CO

6:36:38 6:46:49 6:53:57 8:00:58 8:28:03 8:34:50 9:36:33 9:37:12 9:46:34 9:52:52 9:53:03 9:57:06 10:01:42 10:07:44

15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41

Daniel Kubes, 31, CO Ed Redente, 64, CO Lee Zarzecki, 32, CO Andrew Allison, 39, CO Felix Colonnieves, 54, CO Darren Lindblom, 50, CO Jenna Voelker, 23, IA Patrick Bowler, 51, VA Robert Tucker, 50, FL Marie Ullrich, 33, CO John Pennington, 27, CO David Karp, 57, CO Albert Eng, 36, CO Scott Meyerson, 53, CO Sarah West-Hoover, 45, CO Colleen Lebkuecher, 47, CO Jeff Alexander, 36, CO Russ Iverson, 45, CO David Martinez, 48, CO Charles Scheibe, 60, CO Donnamarie Provenzano, 39, CO Jayson Sime, 36, CO Greg Seeger, 42, CO John Coughran, 47, CO Dave Bell, 52, CO Tracie Mucha, 34, CO Natalie Ehrlich, 58, CO

10:31:54 10:34:38 10:44:34 10:51:59 10:54:37 10:58:50 11:03:46 11:04:59 11:18:45 11:31:16 11:33:48 11:34:23 11:42:46 11:42:55 11:51:41 11:51:41 12:36:03 12:51:11 12:55:07 12:59:32

Christopher Gregory, 35, CO Byron Critchfield, 28, CO Matt Peharda, 27, CO Woody Anderson, 41, CO Beth Kohring, 30, CO Robert Herz, 51, CO Ross Serven, 34, CO Amy O’Connell, 37, CO Andrew Wellman, 38, CO Elizabeth Carey, 31, CO Ted Romero, 34, CO Jonathan Edwards, 32, CO Anna Weisbrodt, 34, CO Christopher Stjernholm, 26, CO Malia Clemons, 44, CO Aaron Waggoner, 39, CO Larry Steller, 48, CO Alicia Robertson, 33, CA

3:53:00 4:07:41 4:13:49 4:15:37 4:24:14 4:28:55 4:30:45 4:31:30 4:33:37 4:39:37 4:41:42 4:51:46 4:51:47 4:51:54 5:01:16 5:03:59 5:04:10 5:04:10

13:04:17 13:05:16 13:05:50 13:37:30 13:54:11 14:17:14 14:39:57

50K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66

Kaitlyn Roach, 26, CO Kirk Dickson, 40, CO Matthew Peetz, 27, CO Jordan Wight, 33, CO Rebecca Reutlinger, 34, CO Weston Gleiss, 25, CO Richard Barnett, 42, KS Craig Swadburg, 49, CO Dudley Blauwet, 61, CO Emily Selonick, 28, CO Michael Kraus, 40, CO Anne Krause, 41, CO Pete Kardasis, 41, CO Michael Bjes, 30, CO Daniel Force, 26, CO Stephanie Barnett, 33, CO Susan Cobb, 51, CO Christine Rodriguez, 59, CO Edward Boddy, 33, CO Scott Hoffman, 36, CO Megan Lordi, 27, CO Javier Morganti, 41, CO Heather Spragins, 42, CO Mary Thorson, 35, CO Nick Lees, 34, CO Jamie Springfield, 31, CO Kathleen Higgins, 31, CO Kevin Mettler, 51, CO Alan Carter, 25, CO Katy Mendes, 42, CO Tom Gray, 58, CO Stephen Smith, 49, CO Thomas Mullen, 49, CO Jessica Thomas, 30, CO Michelle Hancock, 47, CO C. Thomas Eisele, 42, CO Jeff Mcpherson, 40, CO Allison Morrow, 30, NY Hoa Schober, 37, CO Chris Nagy, 49, CO Priscilla Mckelvin, 26, CO Paul Sakiewicz, 48, CO Alice Olson, 38, CO Jennifer Nichols, 35, CO Sean Cotter, 47, CO Tiffany Deyoung, 33, CO Keith Oman, 46, WI Nina Mcvicker, 37, CO

5:06:19 5:07:23 5:10:30 5:16:15 5:16:39 5:25:01 5:26:27 5:27:21 5:28:11 5:28:36 5:28:40 5:34:31 5:35:19 5:35:52 5:36:06 5:38:19 5:39:00 5:40:01 5:41:03 5:42:36 5:45:50 5:48:42 5:49:32 5:50:41 5:53:06 5:54:30 5:54:30 5:54:36 5:54:36 5:55:23 5:57:57 5:59:59 6:09:20 6:16:10 6:19:32 6:22:49 6:24:01 6:24:15 6:24:33 6:26:41 6:26:58 6:27:22 6:28:28 6:29:25 6:30:50 6:30:59 6:31:42 6:32:41

67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112

Chad Wilson, 39, CO 6:33:00 Samuel Norgard, 34, CO 6:33:15 Dan Archuleta, 36, CO 6:33:26 Jessica Leoncini, 33, CO 6:34:16 Jessica Leto, 43, CO 6:37:00 Peggy Sengelman, 57, CO 6:38:51 Caroline Mitten, 39, CO 6:40:47 Lauren Hartman, 31, CO 6:43:48 Kathy Vidlock Granley, 44, CO 6:47:50 Monica Carr, 30, CO 6:49:44 Garrett Carr, 32, CO 6:49:45 Brendan Leonard, 36, CO 6:53:19 Holly Gray, 47, CO 6:53:23 Ashley Oxton, 35, CO 6:54:16 Dan Ainslie, 41, CO 6:56:20 Paul Solis, 23, CO 7:02:32 Karen Wylie, 35, CO 7:04:37 Lisa Hubchik, 53, CO 7:10:15 Dalila Frei, 57, PA 7:11:30 Stefanie Eversgerd, 31, CO 7:12:50 Emily Porter, 30, CO 7:16:49 Rachel Link, 31, CO 7:21:06 Francesca Tronchin, 42, TN 7:22:14 Joseph Castillo, 53, CO 7:22:18 Stacy Pemberton, 44, CO 7:23:56 Brendan Obrien, 41, CO 7:25:32 Angela Murphy, 46, CO 7:27:31 Stephanie Varga, 41, CO 7:27:31 Erik Koski, 37, CO 7:35:57 Beth Helmke, 38, CO 7:36:02 Gina Evans, 50, CO 7:38:08 Chelsea Elson, 24, CO 7:39:32 Kaitlyn Bernhard, 28, CO 7:40:03 Courtney Mathews, 30, CO 7:48:35 Lisa Barnett, 42, KS 7:48:39 Matt Kenney, 39, CO 7:51:01 Megan Alstatt, 35, CO 8:16:14 George Mabb, 50, CO 8:20:00 Kimberly Malloy, 52, IA 8:20:47 Dan Smith, 58, CO 8:38:29 James Hojnowski, 46, CO 8:38:52 David Gibson, 52, CO 8:51:06 Clint Burleson, 61, NM 8:54:44 Jim Simpson, 71, CA 9:11:14 Michael Robertson, 61, CA 9:17:47 Jay Ellwein, 61, CO 9:26:10

See page 50 for key

*

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Photo courtesy of Rick Mayo Mile 90 Photography

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ULTRARACES

Blues Cruise

No Blues in This Cruise

BY MICHAEL HEIMES

ABOVE: Monica McArthur guides a conga line early in the race. [ Jim Blandford] BELOW: Beth Levengood leading Laura Mooney through the grassy single-track. Beth went on to finish third for the women. [ Jim Blandford]

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Blues Cruise is one of the most well-organized events I’ve ever run.

The course is one giant loop; you don’t repeat any section of the trail, and there is a lot of variety both in terrain and scenery. Sometimes you’re deep in the woods; sometimes you’re in the wide open, surrounded by acres and acres of fields. The course tends to stay close to the lake at all times, so there are many views of the water, whether feet from the shore or from up on a lookout.

The course is nearly all single-track with some double-track, fire roads and old deteriorated roads from the farm community that once stood where the park is now. A couple times during the race, the course turns onto a road for a quarter mile before going back onto the trail. The short road sections add to the speed of this race. There are a few, little (often slippery) bridges that cause wipeouts (I wrecked the first time I raced there).

The course is marked very well. The aid stations are so close together that most of the faster runners skip some of them. It’s a great race for all levels.

Beginners will find it challenging and

rewarding to finish. Runners that love long, steep, technical trails won’t find much of that here, but there are enough hills for those who like some variety.

But more than anything, this course is great for very fast road runners who don’t mind short steep hills. It’s a fast course (five guys broke four hours this year!) and the pace up front is blistering.

This year was my second shot at the race, and I toed the line with about 350 runners on a cool-but-notcold morning. The terrible weather (hurricane!) that was forecast just six days before changed, and there was pretty much no chance of rain. Parts of the course drain poorly, and it had rained in the days prior to the race, so we all expected mud. We were luckily wrong and there were no shoe-grabbing bogs. As this is an RRCA PA 50k Trail Championship, it seems to have become more and more competitive in the top 10 every year. My goal was sub-4:30... top 10 would be nice, but not likely.

This year’s counter-clockwise direction (direction alternates) meant a lot of flatter, faster running in the first 10

Find more race results at urmag.me/results

miles and most of the hills came during the second half. Runners tend to go out very fast early on those f latter miles and charge up the few hills that are sparsely mixed in. For most that means a very slow and painful second half. Historically, running it the other direction yields faster times. I have been that guy that blows up and gets passed late in a race many times. We all know it feels terrible.

Quite a few runners made that mistake again this year and I was able to gain 13 places in the second half of the race (two of which were during the last mile). I pushed it the entire race, but pulled back on those early hills in order to make sure I could finish strong. As I hit the driveway and approached the finish, I just completely emptied the tank. My heart rate equaled my max for the day (178) and I bolted across the field and into the finish. Final time of 4:23 and 14th place overall. I’m fortunate to train on the Blues Cruise trails, but even if the race weren’t 10 minutes from my home, I’d want to run it. I’ll be back for sure. I can’t help but be curious what my time will be going the other direction…

Blues Cruise Reading, PA // October 4

3,2* // 50k Elevation gain: 3,000 feet | This course is a giant 31-mile loop featuring 95% trail. It is not overly technical but features some rocks and roots. A great course for firsttime ultrarunners.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Lowell Ladd, 40, PA Michael Dixon, 32, NJ John Wallace, 24, PA Jason Lantz, 34, PA Joshua Finger, 42, PA Jonathan Lantz, 30, PA Matt Breidenstein, 30, PA Tim Pfluger, 37, PA Benjamin Hatt, 30, PA Zach Haddad, 25, PA Blaise Brochard, 49, NY Dan Mcconnell, 36, DE Matt Liptak, 30, PA Michael Heimes, 37, PA Philip Whitten, 41, NJ Scott Strandberg, 34, PA Scott Karwacki, 41, PA Mason Manis, 29, PA Steven Neugebauer, 36, DE Andrew Kronschnabel, 37, PA Ian Schouten, 50, PA Brock Butler, 38, PA Ben Zook, 32, PA Andrew McDowell, 48, PA Joanna Sinclair, 36, PA Chris Trainor, 43, NJ

3:45:08 3:45:41 3:50:53 3:55:58 3:59:31 4:06:17 4:10:46 4:11:30 4:12:49 4:13:00 4:18:31 4:21:23 4:21:52 4:23:06 4:24:41 4:24:48 4:25:49 4:28:48 4:29:10 4:30:48 4:34:59 4:35:34 4:36:09 4:36:56 4:38:39 4:39:19

27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118

Craig Ronco, 33, PA Anthony Wallic, 24, PA Andrew Heckman, 40, PA Erica Pearson, 0, PA Patrick Durante, 34, PA Paul Smith, 52, NJ Bryan McFarland, 33, PA Matt Brubaker, 42, PA Jesse Wolfgang, 34, NJ Carter Dunaway, 44, PA Scott Snell, 35, NJ Joseph Hess, 38, PA Tim Herb, 43, PA Andrew Hale, 35, NJ Beth Levengood, 46, PA Victor Rivera, 36, PA James Hassert, 54, PA Joe Del Conte, 41, NY Jeff Merritt, 31, DE Phil Lechner, 41, PA Julie Lambi-Martelli, 32, PA Gary Hackenberg, 42, PA Steve Skrocki, 49, PA Michael Holbrook, 48, MD Paul Randolph, 49, PA Susan Friedrich, 36, DE Ryan Watts, 39, PA Sean Porse, 30, DC Amy Sipe, 39, PA Ken Campbell, 50, PA Sean Hawkins, 30, RI Bethany Lefort, 24, RI Kristi Goodwin, 32, PA Mike Webster, 35, PA Matthew Miller, 26, PA Rick Martin, 59, PA Zachary Levy, 37, PA Lavan Hoffman, 50, PA Rick Stahl, 40, PA Keith Straw, 60, PA Tina Jeon, 29, TX Beth Auman, 33, TX Patrick Adams, 48, PA Sonya Weber-Peters, 44, PA Jill Houser, 40, PA Jim Conley, 46, PA Barbara Gorka, 52, PA Jeremy Hand, 38, PA Daniel Roberto, 40, NY Michael Neel, 24, PA Tim Nash, 46, PA Steve Budong, 48, PA Jack Bingeman, 29, PA Kevin Dempsey, 39, DE Elaine Cook, 49, PA Paul Sottosanti, 30, PA Keith Frederick, 33, PA Eric Daughtry, 35, PA Dan Simmons, 55, PA Mike Leighton, 28, CO Cody Harris, 28, PA Justin Dew, 41, NY Andrew Hahn, 49, NY Gary Long, 51, PA Scott Schweigert, 37, PA Josh Balascak, 32, PA Andrzej Trela, 35, PA Laura Mooney, 47, PA Kurt Dannerth, 44, PA Mathew Galek, 35, NY Mark Resciniti, 56, PA Corinne Camp Schall, 32, PA Amy Ortner, 46, PA Marisa Jones, 32, PA Art Miller, 52, PA Melissa Oswald, 38, PA Christine Sandvik, 40, PA Petersungnam Hong, 43, PA Geoffrey Hoehn, 30, VA Jamie Atkinson, 39, PA Angie Eifert, 41, PA Michael Ubaldini, 41, PA Derek Smith, 29, NJ Tom Gertin, 30, DC Matthew Houseknecht, 42, PA Jay Bowser, 40, PA Jason Derstine, 39, PA Joseph Linnehan, 43, PA Scott Garman, 39, PA Timothy Rarick, 38, PA Hathaway Jones, 39, PA Michael Reinhart, 37, PA

4:40:25 4:41:54 4:42:30 4:43:21 4:46:43 4:49:15 4:49:41 4:50:04 4:51:00 4:54:15 4:54:29 4:54:51 5:00:07 5:00:07 5:02:24 5:03:08 5:03:10 5:03:25 5:04:15 5:04:15 5:04:15 5:04:50 5:05:12 5:05:57 5:08:31 5:09:02 5:09:14 5:11:29 5:12:55 5:13:13 5:14:53 5:14:53 5:15:04 5:16:29 5:16:29 5:18:20 5:19:34 5:19:39 5:20:49 5:20:18 5:21:38 5:22:22 5:24:02 5:24:50 5:25:06 5:28:08 5:29:49 5:30:22 5:31:03 5:31:03 5:31:29 5:31:29 5:31:29 5:32:35 5:32:51 5:33:16 5:34:05 5:34:16 5:34:31 5:35:02 5:35:19 5:35:34 5:35:35 5:36:05 5:36:23 5:36:30 5:36:31 5:36:53 5:36:53 5:36:54 5:37:22 5:37:40 5:37:41 5:37:59 5:38:05 5:38:28 5:38:40 5:40:33 5:40:47 5:41:11 5:41:11 5:41:48 5:41:49 5:41:57 5:42:29 5:42:38 5:43:46 5:43:53 5:44:37 5:44:52 5:45:13 5:45:13

119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210

Heather Morin, 45, PA Daniel Ainge, 32, PA David Liggett, 38, PA Robert Mcarthur, 29, MA Jason Ladd, 40, PA Andrea Miller, 46, MD Maggie Mcdevitt, 49, MD Tim Voloshen, 42, PA Rob Golder, 48, PA Kenny Dusseau, 41, PA Jamie Clark, 40, PA Mike Sullivan, 35, PA Dan Sullivan, 38, PA Danielle Viands, 41, PA Jack Hauler, 57, PA Neil Crowell, 35, PA Brooke Schell, 45, PA Mike Reddy, 54, PA Thomas Pekarek, 50, PA Kelly Murdock, 31, PA Beth Aron, 31, PA Mike Rotkiske, 29, PA John Miller, 49, MD Katie Streib, 32, MD John Long, 28, VA Andrea Rodi, 47, DE Christian Jarani, 57, PA Shannon McDaniel, 44, MD Norman Rodriguez, 38, PA Emily Linn, 40, PA Keith Liebert, 61, PA Sean Felty, 26, PA George Barido, 48, VA Brandon Mentzer, 35, PA Jose Rodriguez, 32, PA Terry Meade, 51, DE Keith Hearn, 39, PA Andy Westphal, 33, PA Daniel Crowl, 33, PA Jenna Angerstein, 30, PA Bryan Fluke, 39, PA Jim Kennedy, 44, NJ Kevin Hill, 52, NJ Casey Ferrier, 31, PA Rob Gallagher, 49, PA Royce Brenner, 34, PA Christian Taylor, 41, PA Jason Cosma, 29, NJ Jonathan Buggey, 30, NJ Roger Sauder, 44, PA Matthew Saut, 29, MD Shannon Locker, 39, PA Walter Queen, 30, PA Marsha Latimer, 53, PA Cody Parrish, 30, VA Peter Manfra, 31, NJ Tim Bryan, 32, PA Janelle Bugg, 39, PA Ray Saut, 31, PA Kristen Rosser, 24, PA Lisa Gesualdo, 46, MD Danielle Neathery, 32, PA James Stavely, 57, PA Greg Rivera Sr., 43, PA Loic Duros, 31, PA Angela Griffis, 54, PA Mike Acer, 53, PA Joseph Bates, 22, PA Melissa Lin, 45, PA Kristen Buck, 42, PA Mark Curcio, 54, PA Gary Bowman, 49, PA Michael Pitt, 54, NJ Justin Brouse, 28, PA David Lengel, 39, PA Brian Schwind, 46, PA Wilton Marburger, 35, PA Tony Mcdermott, 34, NJ Sean Oneil, 38, NY Brenda Ebersole, 34, PA Jason Jacques, 36, PA Kelly Quain, 47, PA Glen Wronowski, 37, NJ David Gephart, 50, PA Brian Elliott, 42, PA Richard Mogavero, 32, PA Nate Seitz, 35, PA Kelly Martin, 25, NJ Matt Braskey, 31, PA Michele Rentschler, 40, PA Caroline Hill, 55, PA Rita Hall, 53, PA

5:45:49 5:46:13 5:46:19 5:47:28 5:47:47 5:47:58 5:47:58 5:48:34 5:49:13 5:49:17 5:50:10 5:51:02 5:51:03 5:52:01 5:52:05 5:52:58 5:53:30 5:53:30 5:53:58 5:53:58 5:54:20 5:54:29 5:54:30 5:54:30 5:54:55 5:55:28 5:55:28 5:55:35 5:57:32 5:57:34 5:58:02 5:58:16 6:01:11 6:01:13 6:02:15 6:02:44 6:04:07 6:05:28 6:05:28 6:06:18 6:06:39 6:06:59 6:07:00 6:07:20 6:08:56 6:08:56 6:09:26 6:09:56 6:09:56 6:10:56 6:10:56 6:10:56 6:11:29 6:11:29 6:11:30 6:13:05 6:13:19 6:13:23 6:16:34 6:16:49 6:17:51 6:18:42 6:20:15 6:20:15 6:22:20 6:22:55 6:22:55 6:23:34 6:25:05 6:25:05 6:25:05 6:26:25 6:27:24 6:27:47 6:28:17 6:29:27 6:29:29 6:30:50 6:30:50 6:32:04 6:33:21 6:33:45 6:34:48 6:35:51 6:35:51 6:36:16 6:38:02 6:38:13 6:38:13 6:42:05 6:42:05 6:42:26

211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291

JAN/FEB 2016

Jamie Zhang, 27, MD Monica McArthur, 37, MD Angie Piskorski, 35, PA Tiffany Dunkelbeck, 30, MD Dominic Boeta, 36, NJ Robin Smith, 54, PA Brian Stoner, 43, PA David Becker, 46, PA Keith Flannery, 50, PA Jay Ziegler, 56, PA Mark Weiss, 45, PA Russell Bozenhard, 39, PA Josh Hall, 26, PA Deborah Golbreski, 44, PA James Spaman, 42, PA Patricia Murphy, 27, NJ Janna Chernetz-Taylor, 39, NJ Becky Stavely, 26, VA Rebecca Bishop, 39, PA Eric Delahaye, 49, OH Meranda Pierce, 41, PA Dave Beem, 57, CT Emily Banning, 31, DE Linley Bingham, 27, NY Sandie Reynolds, 38, PA Blythe Philips, 32, PA Trish D’Imperio, 54, PA Terry Leatherman, 64, PA Dean Johnson, 55, PA Mary Lou Harris, 68, PA Wendy Lee, 45, PA Brian Healy, 52, PA Teresa Dumpe, 52, MD Mathew Fredericks, 38, NY Ellie Alderfer, 53, PA James Ballentine, 34, PA Kevin Slifer, 32, PA Jason Tolley, 37, PA Sarah Chobot, 30, PA Ethan Rau, 30, PA Robyn Frank, 31, PA Carole Williamson, 54, MD Mel Carlton, 60, PA Melanie Wenger, 44, PA Lulu Martinezguillen, 31, PA Raelynn Zappulla, 32, PA Wesley Celestino, 35, PA Michael Holsonback, 40, PA Megan Delena, 53, PA Lisa Pavlik, 51, PA Kristen Barone, 33, PA Pete Dixon, 42, PA Robin Runner, 43, PA Dawid Wojtas, 38, PA William Mcarthur, 75, DE Joy Stackhouse, 52, NJ Brenda Elliott, 43, PA Ellen Rice, 46, MD Zach Meredith, 38, PA Michael Redlich, 53, PA William Herman, 39, PA Jim Demsko, 43, PA Melissa Smith, 37, PA Butch Dimitris, 57, PA Cena Reisling, 39, PA Darla Hampton, 46, PA Tammy Pittman, 44, PA Billy Sapp, 41, MD Gary Gehret, 59, PA Devin Reese, 36, NJ Anthony Russo, 38, NJ Jennifer Groves, 36, PA Vee Kingsley, 48, PA Ed Peters, 64, CT Ron Knecht, 46, PA Helen Chaundy, 39, PA David Wilson, 37, PA Richard Casto, 50, NJ Douglas Myhre, 34, NJ Alex Johnson, 37, PA Wendy Provencher, 38, PA

6:43:03 6:44:03 6:44:14 6:44:14 6:44:39 6:44:46 6:44:46 6:44:57 6:45:35 6:46:10 6:49:44 6:51:24 6:52:55 6:54:10 6:54:53 6:56:02 6:56:02 6:56:40 6:57:12 6:57:24 6:59:07 6:59:07 6:59:25 7:00:36 7:01:23 7:01:25 7:01:30 7:01:55 7:02:38 7:03:11 7:03:22 7:03:57 7:04:00 7:07:01 7:07:10 7:07:34 7:07:35 7:13:59 7:14:10 7:17:15 7:17:41 7:18:31 7:28:22 7:33:24 7:33:36 7:34:27 7:34:28 7:36:53 7:38:41 7:38:42 7:38:43 7:42:12 7:42:12 7:42:28 7:43:08 7:44:50 7:44:50 7:46:25 7:48:35 7:53:24 7:53:36 7:53:50 7:57:12 7:57:56 7:59:43 7:59:44 7:59:44 8:00:16 8:03:06 8:05:34 8:05:34 8:05:35 8:09:28 8:14:39 8:16:12 8:20:43 8:21:01 8:30:37 8:30:37 8:31:14 8:43:25

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Door County Fall 50

ULTRARACES

Records Fallâ&#x20AC;¦ And So Does the Rain

BY SEAN RYAN, RD

RIGHT: Camille Herron sets a new 50-mile record. [ Ann Scholl] OPPOSITE: Zach Bitter blazes through the course despite the strong winds. [ Ann Scholl]

Door County Fall 50 Sturgeon Bay, WI // October 24

2,1* // 50 Miles Elevation gain: 2,155 feet | The entire course is on paved asphalt. The route ventures along the western shoreline of the Door peninsula. Most of the course stays on the back roads along the shoreline but occasionally goes onto Highway 42 to pass through quaint communities.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

64

Zach Bitter, 29, CA G Anthony Kunkel, 23, CO Christopher Denucci, 36, CA Camille Herron, 33, OK Isaiah Janzen, 29, IA Tim Stieber, 53, MN Bruce Udell, 49, WI Kevin Kohls, 49, IL Chris Rubesch, 29, MN Mark Thompson, 38, IA Brady Sturm, 39, WI Stuart Kolb, 53, WI Ryley Ruzek, 22, WI Jeremy Morris, 36, NE Kyle Polich, 27, IA Christopher Kamrath, 33, WI

ULTRARUNNING.COM

5:17:25 5:38:13 5:38:35 5:38:41 5:54:33 6:26:58 6:28:09 6:33:55 6:37:22 6:50:03 6:54:31 6:55:33 7:02:09 7:10:12 7:12:19 7:12:57

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17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39

Lance Gunkel, 36, IA Michelle Kurnik, 34, CT Todd Falker, 34, UT Jessica Garcia, 29, WI Dan Johanski, 59, WI Peter Schwanke, 47, OH Matt Smith, 51, PA Tim Siegel, 40, WI Erin Zerth, 34, IL Gerad Mead, 36, MN Jessica Lemere, 40, WI Jamie Blumentritt, 28, MN Kevin Sas, 31, WI Shawn Dobbins, 31, WI Nicholas Mayer, 28, WI Greg Matthews, 36, WI Thao Hoang, 50, WI Daniel Horvath, 62, OH Warren Kerola, 59, WI Nora Bird, 31, WI Jennifer Chaudoir, 40, WI Donna Gering, 50, MI Kim Benda, 51, MN Jameelah Abdul 40 Rahimmujaahi, 47, GA 41 Paula Walker, 38, WI

JAN/FEB 2016

7:20:05 7:22:38 7:23:18 7:24:23 7:25:56 7:26:27 7:30:51 7:30:59 7:36:17 7:37:55 7:40:49 7:45:09 7:49:07 7:57:15 7:57:48 8:01:27 8:11:12 8:13:18 8:14:30 8:17:46 8:26:10 8:35:16 8:36:34 8:42:02 8:42:07

42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67

Jason Helgeson, 43, WI Jeri Howey, 46, WI Brian Carter, 48, MI Sheri Omernik, 34, WI Joel Coon, 39, WI Andrew Malcore, 42, WI Jim Pineau, 40, MI Bob Reinhard, 40, WI Brian Desalvo, 27, WI William Beshilas, 52, IL Melissa Schmidt, 43, WI Mariah Luedtke, 32, WI Jason Metz, 29, WI Colin Witt, 41, IA Cathy Popovitch, 29, IL Jeff Hatke, 28, WI Joseph Woelfel, 27, WI Maria Anderson, 60, FL Jacob Nash, 39, WI Matt Thomas, 44, WI Ken Corbett, 54, MN Bob Letterman, 44, WI Michelle Wolff, 44, OH Dave Taylor, 39, WI Erin Smith, 32, WI Catherine Block, 39, WI

8:43:06 8:45:44 8:52:44 8:53:54 8:56:00 8:56:39 9:03:50 9:08:13 9:12:59 9:13:03 9:14:56 9:16:55 9:17:52 9:21:17 9:23:04 9:24:35 9:24:36 9:35:10 9:35:38 9:36:01 9:36:03 9:45:45 9:46:04 9:50:59 9:53:58 9:54:06

68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84

Drew Bandusky, 54, IL Michael Friis, 37, WI Mark Dagenais, 48, WI Amy Woike, 33, IL Mike Neeld, 28, MI Malvina Krol, 34, IL Chris Mees, 33, WI Michael Ledoyen, 41, MN Shelly Collette, 43, WI Susan Baus, 37, WI Justin Hart, 32, WI Rob Alger, 49, MN Tabitha Miller, 47, WI Kassie Miller, 25, WI Wanda Wanie, 47, WI Jose Avila, 44, AA Dan Otte, 58, WI Ralinda Ninham-Lamberies, 85 43, WI 86 Michael Donald, 54, IA 87 Marla Maney, 44, WI

9:55:56 10:08:30 10:14:12 10:15:21 10:20:48 10:22:49 10:23:37 10:23:38 10:24:00 10:28:26 10:36:32 10:38:26 10:40:30 10:40:31 10:47:03 10:48:42 10:51:56 10:52:31 10:57:28 11:09:33

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elevation – the course climbs and descends 2,200 feet – or the weather, with a steady 9-11 mph headwind, on race day. Said Herron, “I put my head down and ran with all my heart, not knowing how fast I was running until I hit the 50k mark faster than what I hit at the 100K World Championships!” Herron’s performance will be recorded by USATF as Noteworthy and American/World “Road Best.”

At the post-race awards ceremony, a “Fall 50 Legends” plaque was presented to ultrarunner Stuart Kolb, the only person who

completed all 10 editions of this race, tallying three victories along the way.

Despite ugly weather conditions, all of the athletes said they enjoyed the scenic, autumn course and the outrageous finish line party with its unlimited pizza, beer and wine under giant circus tents. Herron summed up the day, saying, “The best feeling was laying lifeless on the grass after I crossed the finish, feeling the rain pelting me, and knowing I gave it everything I had to achieve my goal.”

The Door County Fall 50 celebrated its 10th year by hosting the 2015 USATF 50 Mile Road Championships for the second consecutive time. Despite windy, rainy conditions, a crowd of 87 runners completed the challenging 50-mile course and a few records were broken.

Zach Bitter of Davis, CA, who set the previous course record of 5:26:59 in 2011, improved on his past performance by setting a new male course record of 5:17:25, a blazing 6:21 min/mile pace in tough conditions. After running with 2014 US Champion Tyler Sigl during the early miles of the race, Bitter made a move just past the halfway point. “The rain and headwinds definitely presented a unique challenge, but made the experience that much more memorable,” Bitter said. “My strategy with this course is to run within myself through the rolling hills in the first half, making sure not to overexert myself on the uphill portions... I’ve been here a number of times and always enjoy coming back.”

The women’s winner, Camille Herron of Warr Acres, OK, turned in a stellar time as well. Herron was coming off a 100K World Championships win just six weeks prior. In Door County, she continued her winning streak, arriving at the finish line in just 5:38:41 (6:46 pace). This was a new course record and the fastest 50-mile time run by a woman in more than 20 years. Ann Trason set the women’s world record 50-mile time, running 5:40:18 in Houston in 1991.

Although Herron’s time was faster, the pointto-point nature of the Fall 50 course and the fact that the start-finish separation is greater than 50% of the course distance makes it ineligible for American or World Records. In reality, Herron received no assistance from JAN/FEB 2016

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Kansas Fall Ultra Extravaganza

ULTRARACES

Ultra Indulgence

BY KRISTI MAYO The Kansas Fall Ultra Extravaganza served up three distances ranging from 50k to 100 miles along the rails-to-trails Prairie Spirit Trail course. While the race event management company, Epic Ultras, has offered various events, including all three distances, on this course since 2013, this was the first time runners took on all three distances at the same time… and it was the first time a 100-mile race took place on this course in the fall.

Waves of runners left the race headquarters every hour, beginning with the 100-mile participants at 6 a.m. Included in the field were three people attempting the final leg of the Kansas Grand Slam, as well as 2015 Badwater 135 winner Pete Kostelnick. The 50-mile race started just after sunrise, and the 50k runners took off into an overcast, cool and breezy morning. The daytime wind – creating some resistance on the return trip of the out-and-back – would prove to be the only weather-related factor in an otherwise perfect running day with highs in the 60s and a damp but calm overnight with a low in the low 40s.

Jenna Mutz of Joplin, MO, made short work of the 50k, tackling the course with metronomic determination and timing her arrival at each aid station according to her carefully laid pre-race plan. The plan paid off with an overall win (nearly 20 minutes ahead of second place) and a new course record.

In another dominating performance, Rob Hays of Topeka, KS, took on his first ultra-distance race in the 50-mile event and won, leading second place by more than 1.5 hours.

Despite the standout performances at the smaller distances, all eyes were on Kostelnick as the day progressed, as he blazed to the front and built what would eventually be a more than five-hour lead over the rest of the 100-mile field. Not long after the day faded to a blazing pink and orange sunset, Kostelnick reached the finish line in 14:13. Because this was the first time a 100-mile race had been run on this course in the fall, there were no true records to beat; nonetheless, his time came in 57 minutes under a March 2014 time

Kansas Fall Ultra Extravaganza Ottawa, KS // October 24

2,2* // 100 Miles, 50 Miles, 50k Elevation gain: Relatively flat | An out-and-back rails-totrails course on the Prairie Spirit Trail. The trail is 8-10 feet wide and primarily crushed limestone with some asphalt paths as runners travel through small towns.

100 MILES 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

66

Pete Kostelnick, 28, NE Krystle Dalke, 33, KS Adam Dolezal, 40, KS Kodi Panzer, 34, KS Michael Pfannenstiel, 50, KS Jordan Schmidt, 21, MN Jill Hudson, 53, WA Paul Maness, 45, MO Steve Gasser, 45, MN William Sprouse, 46, KS Christy Hammond, 39, WA Peggy Ward, 51, KS Adam Monaghan, 32, KS Matthew Watts, 59, CO Kenneth Arble, 59, MI Jeremy Gibson, 42, KS Erich Singer, 36, KS Karl Singer, 34, KS Justin Hoffman, 36, KS Arnold Begay, 52, OK Stephen Tucker, 48, KS Windy Shull, 44, MO Mark McCaslin, 46, MI

14:13:09 19:34:25 21:30:44 21:51:41 22:12:09 23:18:41 23:25:13 23:26:41 23:33:28 23:36:25 23:36:58 24:09:20 24:09:24 24:34:22 24:43:44 24:55:53 25:03:57 25:03:59 25:23:42 25:28:13 25:49:19 25:59:39 26:04:15

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24 Dennis Wilson, 57, NE 25 Clay Zapletal, 54, KS 26 Mike Clawson, 48, NE 27 Moraima Bailey, 45, IN 28 Elden Galano, 57, KS 29 Polly Choate, 44, OK 30 Joseph Galloway, 58, IA 31 Carson Galloway, 25, IA

26:10:06 26:17:40 28:04:53 28:48:42 29:01:01 29:41:01 29:45:45 29:45:46

50 MILES 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Rob Hays, 49, KS Troy Cupp, 44, KS Eric Mcmillan, 37, TX Stephanie Cundith, 40, KS Tyler Burgess, 26, MO Scott Vorhees, 40, MO Grant Schulte, 33, NE Wyatt Clifton, 39, KS Isabella Mullins, 22, KS Kim Brooks, 42, KS Steve Kleiboeker, 51, MO Justin Johns, 32, TX Carolyn Armour, 51, AR Tj Blodgett, 33, MO Curt Vanlaningham, 41, NE Julie Vanlue, 46, MO Heidi Matsakis, 38, KS Fred Lawley, 46, AR Paul Salina, 50, IL Scott Foster, 39, KS Timothy Burke, 46, MO Donna Boyd, 44, AR Michelle Lewis, 45, MO Kenny Jones, 48, TX Timothy Metcalf, 45, MO Terance Lee, 64, IL

JAN/FEB 2016

6:15:04 7:53:11 8:20:29 8:22:09 8:43:55 8:43:56 8:45:40 8:51:42 9:04:19 9:06:19 9:08:45 9:27:05 9:29:08 9:29:37 9:29:38 9:32:59 9:37:00 9:39:30 9:42:54 9:49:54 9:50:08 11:00:56 11:13:23 11:25:16 11:27:09 11:27:16

27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43

Kristina Clifton, 40, KS Jen Mommens, 34, MO Henry Yount, 55, KS William Marshall, 62, TX Eric Rothrock, 26, KS Frans Pieter Van Veen, 36, OK Randy Nieman, 48, IA Marji Stark, 52, MO Marilou Doerflinger, 54, WA Jenny Stinson, 56, ID Cymber Gieringer, 44, AR Chad Helmer, 45, MO Angel Stegner, 38, MO David Essary, 34, TN Joan Filipowski, 61, IN Nikki Todd, 48, WA Cynthia Stapp, 56, KS Crystal Rodriguez Lutgen, 44 36, MO 45 Brandy Holey, 36, MO

11:28:17 11:35:37 11:39:13 11:41:48 11:44:44 11:44:44 11:48:04 11:53:43 11:56:46 11:57:22 11:59:49 11:59:49 12:20:08 12:29:57 12:36:05 12:42:18 14:06:13 14:32:05 14:32:06

50K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Jenna Mutz, 34, MO Scott Holder, 54, MO Henri Coeme, 62, MO Brandon Plate, 15, OK Cameron Plate, 14, OK Kandra Hoyt, 31, KS Abbey Whisler, 21, KS Ellen Mayberry, 41, IA Rachel Speer, 34, SC Andrea Knight, 35, OK Teresa Smith, 42, MO Vanessa Yunger, 40, KS Laurie Miller, 52, KS Kendra Kuhlman, 37, KS

3:57:50 4:15:48 4:27:26 4:50:30 4:50:30 5:18:01 5:32:16 5:37:39 5:38:48 5:51:56 5:52:08 5:53:47 5:53:47 6:04:28

15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48

Lisa Truax, 36, MN Patrick Allen, 60, OK Heather Hunter, 39, IA Bryan Lawson, 35, IA Deborah Burkart Cotch, 49, OK Sarah Farsace, 33, MO Sheryl Collmer, 57, TX Anne Watts, 60, CO Josiah Gbekpa, 31, KS Eddie Dieker, 58, KS Erin Dart, 32, KS Melissa Romero, 35, MO Gay Purcell, 43, MO Julie Allen, 47, MO Jamie Jo Hatfield, 47, MO Tony Dorrell, 51, KS Debbie Shores, 61, KS David White, 56, MO Matt Turner, 30, KS Indika McCampbell, 39, KS Sally Finder-Weepie, 52, IA Patrick Weepie, 54, IA Amanda Jones, 42, KS Paula Whited, 31, KS Jesi Bingham, 30, MO Michaela Myer, 26, KS Byron Folkerts, 61, KS Loree Hoag, 49, CO Janet Marshall, 61, TX Rosie Saiz, 25, KS Don Guy, 53, TX Cindy Hodgins, 35, KS Bambi Kline, 39, KS Dave Renfro, 44, AR

6:08:32 6:11:43 6:13:11 6:14:14 6:16:43 6:20:45 6:23:19 6:24:00 6:37:16 6:38:59 6:48:13 6:49:01 6:49:04 6:49:08 6:49:49 6:50:04 6:50:05 6:53:26 6:54:04 7:15:17 7:21:22 7:21:22 7:26:13 7:31:06 7:31:06 7:31:06 7:44:06 7:45:20 7:48:31 7:52:10 7:58:45 9:22:14 9:22:19 11:01:02

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OPPOSITE: Peggy Ward, one of three 2015 Kansas Grand Slam finishers, completes her slam with a 5thplace finish in the women’s 100-mile race. [

Abby Servaes/Mile 90 Photography]

RIGHT: Rob Hays wins the 50 mile—his first ever ultra attempt. [

Rick Mayo/Mile 90 Photography]

FAR RIGHT: Pete Kostelnick nears the turnaround in the 100mile race. [ Rick Mayo/ Mile 90 Photography]

set by John Cash on the same course under very similar conditions.

KANSAS SLAM For the second year, Epic Ultras hosted the Kansas Grand Slam – a four-leg tour of Kansas’ 100-mile races: the Prairie Spirit Trail 100 in March, the Honey Badger 100

in July, the Hawk 100 in September and the Fall Ultra Extravaganza 100 in October. By the start of the Extravaganza, three people were still in contention for the Slam: Krystle Dalke, William Sprouse and Peggy Ward.

Early in the day, Dalke made it clear that she intended to finish strong, moving into second before the turnaround at the 50-mile

The scenic woodland paths of olde Long Island are calling...

mark and staying there for the remainder of the race. Sprouse – who successfully completed the Kansas Grand Slam in 2014 – finished the series with a sub-24-hour finish on the Prairie Spirit Trail course. And Peggy Ward wasn’t far behind, with a 24:09 finish to cap off an impressive year of 100-mile indulgence.

USATF NATIONAL 50K ROAD CHAMPIONSHIP Cash Prizes plus $1000 course and $1500 National record bonuses (USATF Members/U.S. Citizens only) for the 50 Kilometer Run ONLY Both races will be held on a certified 5K loop course on a paved path through Caumsett State Park that will give you the chance to explore this beautiful park with outstanding scenic vistas adjacent to Long Island Sound Fully-stocked aid station every 5K loop providing water, sports drinks and food snacks QUALITY commemorative shirts for all entrants

Join us for the12th annual

CAUMSETT STATE PARK

50 KILOMETER &

25 KILOMETER RUNS Lloyd Neck, Long Island, NY

SUNDAY, MARCH 6, 2016 Call Linda at the Greater Long Island Running Club (516) 349-7646 for entry forms, more info, and/or travel arrangements. You can register online at www.glirc.org JAN/FEB 2016

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ULTRARACES

Mt. Taylor 50K

In Beauty I Run

BY JAKE AND ALISHA EDMISTON We knew we were moving to New Mexico in August. And as soon as we knew we were moving, we knew we were going to sign up for the Mt. Taylor 50K. With months of anticipation for the race before us, we occupied our time with a cross-country move from North Carolina. Settling in Las Cruces, we quickly scouted out local trails and hooked up with other ultrarunners to discover our new home.

IN BEAUTY I RUN Alisha: Race morning arrived early. Jake and I had decided to camp before the race so we could be close to the race start. Still wanting more sleep, I dragged myself out from under warm blankets and got ready to race. The starting area was still under darkness, but the atmosphere was full of energy.

Several friends greeted us before the start, giving me a comforting feeling… like I was back home racing in North Carolina. At 6:30, I headed into the darkness with the pack.

Keeping Jake in my sights, I headed up the first climb, watching the sunrise. I looked out as the sunlight spread across the expansive land before me.

WITH BEAUTY BEFORE ME I RUN Jake: I was hoping as I warmed up and started the first climb my legs would loosen up. After a night of tossing and turning on a half-inflated air mattress, my back was stiff and my legs did not seem to want to cooperate.

Looking out at the sunrise quickly washed the pain in my legs away. I captured the rose-colored landscape in my mind. The inevitable

pain before me was now worth it. Starting the rocky, double-track descent, my legs moved a bit more freely. Two aid stations behind me, I made the turn onto the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) single-track. The pine trees and condensed forest made me think of North Carolina.

WITH BEAUTY BEHIND ME I RUN Alisha: I was surprised how quickly the early miles passed. Fortunately, Jake and I were able to make one of the organized training runs when we first moved to Las Cruces, so I knew what to expect through mile 16. Not being the best at technical single-track, my goal was to keep moving at a steady pace through the forest with the hopes I would not lose much time. The trail was well maintained and shockingly easy to follow – not how I remembered traversing it a month or so earlier during the training run. I made it through the CDT and met my goal. Only one person caught up to me, and we entered the halfway point aid station together. Volunteers quickly filled up my bottles and helped me find my drop bag. I wondered what lay before me… and I wondered how far Jake was ahead of me.

WITH BEAUTY BENEATH ME I RUN Jake: The halfway point aid station volunteers re-energized my spirits. I arrived at the base of Mt. Taylor realizing I was in for a hard climb. I hiked early on, in an attempt to conserve my energy. Even though I was conservative, I found it hard to breathe. The

higher I climbed, the slower my legs seemed to move. I thought, “Altitude really does affect me… more than I gave it credit for.”

Continuing upward, a couple runners passed me. I came to a grassy summit, breathless and trying to regroup to run again. A half mile later, I realized the grassy summit was not a summit. I peered up the mountain before me, seeing people zigzagging up for what seemed like forever. I wanted to sit down and cry. Despite the searing pain in my legs, I pushed forward… the beauty of the landscape providing me solace.

WITH BEAUTY ABOVE ME I RUN Alisha: “Is this ever going to end??!?!” My head spinning, my breath audible, my legs aching… I thought about my brother, who loves power hiking. I hate it. I realized I underestimated the affects of altitude when I was dizzy most of the climb. The summit of Mt. Taylor peaks at 11,305 feet. “What a phenomenal view… breathtaking, literally,” I thought to myself. As I descended down to the forest service road, I lost some time. My legs were just tired. I re-entered the forest and found my legs returning, just in time to summit Water Canyon. This last climb was a sheer testament of will – a mini repeat of Mt. Taylor. I power hiked for all I was worth and made it to the final aid station.

WITH BEAUTY ALL AROUND ME I RUN Jake: Starting the Water Canyon climb, I thought, “Not again.” The pitches seemed to be just as steep as Mt. Taylor. With my mental strength crumbling, people began passing me.

I began expecting and hoping that anytime Alisha would be coming up behind me. The thought of possibly seeing Alisha brought about feelings of satisfaction; knowing she was having a good day gave me the motivation to keep moving. When I heard “2.5 miles downhill” from the final aid station volunteers, I was relieved. Then I saw a steep, rocky, technical downhill marked by a double-black diamond sign – one final, grueling obstacle to overcome. Navigating my way down as quickly and nimbly as my tired legs would allow me, I crossed the finish line. A feeling of accomplishment washed over me. As I turned to grab a drink, I was thankful to see my wife finishing one of the most memorable races I have experienced to date.

77-year-young Kenner O’Connor from Grants, NM, heads toward his fourth finish at Mt. Taylor. [ Travis Hatcher]

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Mt. Taylor 50K Grants, NM // September 26

4,3* // 50k Elevation gain: 7,000 feet | The course has three big climbs connected by rolling trail as the runner circumnavigates and then climbs the sacred Navajo volcano. There are runnable smooth and rocky sections with a couple of power hike climbs on equal amount single-track and jeep roads.

The entire course is between 9,000 and 11,300 feet in elevation.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

Craig Curley, 27, AZ Brendan Trimboli, 27, CO Santos Contreras, 33, NM Michelle Hummel, 30, NM William Isaac Burleigh, 25, NM Matt Preslar, 42, NM Amber Dagel, 34, NM Christopher Hall, 34, NM Myles Courtney, 34, ME Edward Trzcienski, 53, NM Mark Kevan, 38, NM Matt Hickey, 29, CO Scott Muggleton, 41, NM Michael Wheat, 39, NM Alberto Garcia, 35, NM Jacob Waltz, 43, NM Arnoldo Arrieta, 48, NM Michael Zbrozek, 28, NM Neil Blake, 50, NM Aaron Padilla, 30, NM Stefanie Tierney, 36, NM Guil Marez, 38, NM Cindy Preslar, 45, NM Howard Edmiston, 29, NC Terry Priestley, 51, NE Alisha Edmiston, 34, NC Jon Bonnette, 43, NM Michael Chertkov, 48, NM Steve Shultz, 39, NM

4:13:18 4:36:50 5:04:29 5:06:38 5:08:44 5:21:05 5:21:06 5:27:46 5:29:54 5:32:55 5:37:01 5:38:48 5:41:22 5:50:09 5:50:11 5:50:55 5:51:18 5:51:59 5:55:47 5:59:22 5:59:57 6:02:45 6:04:32 6:04:46 6:05:50 6:07:27 6:10:12 6:13:12 6:13:32

30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70

Keith Warshany, 34, NM Marlene Armijo, 44, NM Barry Roberts, 55, NM Trent Wester, 31, NM Joe Schramka, 46, DC Jim Bean, 61, NM Bryce Montano, 25, NM Mark Eury, 38, CO Ed Heller, 53, NM Jerome Buenabenta, 33, NM Randy Johnson, 54, NM Sarah Eury, 32, CO Phillip Lapoint, 22, NM Nathan Bosey, 35, NM Roger Squires, 54, NM Scott Atchley, 48, NM Shannon Siewert, 49, NM Chris Valicka, 32, NM Edward Matteo, 40, NM Ty Lujan, 37, NM Jeff Edgar, 49, NM Daniel Tallon, 60, NM Liz Koop, 39, CO Brenda Blinn, 48, CA Fred Rahmer, 48, NM Eileen Schmandt, 31, NM Brandon Schmandt, 31, NM Nate Gentry, 39, NM Nicole Rushton, 40, NM Rachel Kinney, 31, NM John Blankfield, 56, NM Peter Livingstone, 51, NM Ellen Hatch, 28, NM Jason Neal, 45, NM Lynette Gurule, 40, NM Larry Creveling, 63, NC Andrew Featherstone, 43, WI Adam Trubow, 34, NM Jason Frankum, 36, OK Lynette Padilla-Orpinel, 39, NM Anna Gay, 28, NM

6:17:05 6:18:55 6:19:20 6:22:30 6:22:55 6:24:38 6:25:56 6:25:59 6:26:01 6:26:50 6:27:27 6:27:57 6:32:22 6:46:28 6:46:33 6:46:56 6:47:30 6:48:36 6:50:13 6:50:16 6:51:54 6:52:43 6:54:12 6:55:38 6:56:01 6:57:18 6:57:19 6:57:59 6:59:02 7:00:02 7:04:46 7:08:29 7:08:37 7:11:50 7:11:57 7:21:22 7:21:42 7:22:43 7:23:00 7:24:47 7:24:52

71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112

Jon Patterson, 30, NM Kevin Reid, 45, NM Michael French, 28, NM Joe Llewellyn, 29, MN Mark Baker, 38, NM Rachael Greuber, 23, NM Adam Delu, 45, NM Michael Brown, 27, NM Kathryn Mcconville, 33, NM Jesson Hutchinson, 34, NM Bill Schum, 43, NM Cody Stropki, 36, NM Juaquin Sanchez, 51, NM Judy Blake, 50, NM Steve Nash, 42, NM Randy Mattila, 59, NM Ferdinand De Souza, 62, NM Laurie McCarthy, 43, NM Matt Procter, 32, NM Sandra Powell, 56, NM Katie Bahran, 27, NM Rian Bahran, 32, NM Crystal Andersen, 36, NM April Tsosie, 39, NM Mark Thompson, 55, NM Andrew Harlow, 38, OK Zenia Begay, 32, NM Gail Leedy, 61, NM Clifford Matthews, 52, NM Diane Desouza, 58, NM Cheryl Duran, 53, NM Kevin Kinser, 58, TX Gregory Huey, 40, NM Heather Greene, 33, NM Larry Brown, 58, NM Jason Waquiu, 36, NM David Smith, 48, CA Jay Buzhardt, 45, KS Dave Dogruel, 47, NM Spencer Briggs, 39, NM Gina Steinhoff, 38, NM Amy Brenneman, 37, NM

7:25:01 7:25:03 7:25:15 7:25:42 7:26:45 7:27:16 7:27:19 7:27:45 7:30:11 7:37:28 7:40:33 7:44:18 7:45:38 7:47:17 7:47:27 7:48:45 7:50:24 7:50:35 7:50:42 7:53:05 7:57:08 7:57:09 8:03:23 8:05:28 8:06:49 8:09:41 8:12:44 8:12:49 8:14:00 8:14:10 8:18:47 8:19:00 8:21:29 8:21:31 8:22:30 8:23:44 8:25:52 8:25:53 8:26:32 8:27:13 8:28:18 8:28:19

113 David Silva, 53, NM 114 Jaime Aagaard, 39, NM 115 Alexander Gaber, 35, CA 116 Marilyn Martinez, 53, NM 117 Brett Laird, 39, NM Daniel Dragone-Gutierrez, 118 42, NM 119 Douglas Deming, 40, NM 120 Randy Silva, 59, NM 121 Gino Pokluda, 57, NM 122 Dale Louis, 60, NM 123 Mariana Kahn, 58, AZ 124 Peter Brossy, 58, AZ 125 Nancy Orlando, 60, NM 126 Kathy Schancer, 62, NM 127 Joyce Gormley, 51, NM 128 Chris Almeria, 41, NM 129 Jennifer Snead, 45, NM 130 Margaret Loiselle, 36, NM 131 Kendra Brown, 27, NM 132 Eddie Dimas, 54, NM 133 Kenneth Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor, 76, NM 134 Dominique Dosedo, 33, NM 135 Brad Poe, 60, AZ 136 Julia Downs, 37, NM 137 Shannon Featherstone, 44, WI 138 Katherine Richardson, 32, NM 139 Ulises Ricoy, 39, NM 140 Therese Thomas, 48, NM 141 Ian Maddieson, 73, NM 142 Andrew Ortbals, 54, KS 143 Susan Ortbals, 51, KS 144 Linda Pokluda, 59, NM 145 Kurt Vasquez, 34, NM 146 Felia Teller, 34, NM 147 Yvonne Poe, 48, AZ 148 Deanza Jones, 35, NM 149 Nicole Nelson, 20, NM 150 Steven Brown, 20, NM 151 Bob Samala, 58, NM

8:28:48 8:30:46 8:33:50 8:35:32 8:42:36 8:43:46 8:45:33 8:46:32 8:48:23 8:52:31 8:55:08 8:55:09 9:03:40 9:03:41 9:03:42 9:03:44 9:03:48 9:09:08 9:11:29 9:18:16 9:23:04 9:23:57 9:33:51 9:35:17 9:54:44 9:54:51 10:08:06 10:09:52 10:13:44 10:31:21 10:31:23 10:33:37 10:34:42 10:43:20 10:43:28 10:44:26 11:02:50 11:03:03 11:14:50

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Oct. 1, 2016

For Runners,

By Runners.

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Rockin’ Rockwoods

ULTRARACES

Rollercoaster Ride

BY TIM STORCK

Rockin’ Rockwoods Wildwood, MO // October 10

3,4* // 50k Elevation gain: 5,300 feet | This is a challenging and scenic out-and-back course with steep grades and rolling hills on 95% single-track trail featuring roots, rocks and creek crossings.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

Eric Floro, 37, MO Jack Wilkinson, 32, MO Ben Rustemeyer, 37, MO Julia Moffitt, 48, IA Ryan Kelly, 35, MO James Mercer, 46, MO David Walch, 37, MO Tim Vickers, 37, MO Justin Kirk, 39, IL Heidi Williams, 33, MO Andrew Bauer, 21, IL Conor Eastman, 32, MO Scott Holder, 54, MO Lali Tucker, 33, MO Rik Denicke, 43, MO Tim Storck, 40, MO Amber Rustemeyer, 32, MO Joe Steska, 32, MO Keith Hulsey, 47, MO Brad Lobdell, 41, MO Robert Carlson, 38, MO Carol Izadi, 56, MO Susan Culican, 47, MO Cj Nothum, 39, MO Joe Steensma, 43, MT John Carpenter, 48, MO James Neal, 37, IN Stephanie Bohannon, 40, MO Jerry Frost, 60, MO Kristine Bossert, 57, MO

5:41:46 6:11:02 6:13:15 6:19:27 6:22:48 6:24:49 6:33:13 6:33:24 6:38:12 6:38:19 6:41:41 6:52:25 6:58:08 6:58:12 7:02:56 7:10:13 7:24:06 7:38:39 7:59:28 7:59:28 8:04:07 8:20:29 8:21:15 8:26:39 8:28:10 8:43:48 8:52:59 9:16:14 9:16:15 9:32:15

See page 50 for key

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“Man, that was brutal.” If I heard it once, I heard it a dozen times at the finish line of the 2015 Rockin’ Rockwoods 53k Ultra Run in Wildwood, Missouri.

“You’re such a sadist for putting together that course,” another runner panted to race director Shalini Kovach.

Built by a Boy Scout Troop in the mid 1960s, Green Rock Trail in Rockwoods Reservation is a favorite training ground for many St. Louis-area ultrarunners because of its technical terrain and impressive vertical gain. While there have been fat-ass runs hosted on the trail, this was the first organized and timed race held here, with more than 80 participants accepting the challenge.

Rockin’ Rockwoods offered two distances: a 20k with 2,300 feet of elevation gain and a 53k with 5,300 feet of gain – impressive numbers by Midwestern standards. The trail was dry and

JAN/FEB 2016

temperatures held at 50 degrees as the sun began to rise for the 7 a.m. start. Shortly beforehand, Kovach gathered runners for a pre-race briefing, including the recitation of a pledge: “If I get lost, injured or die, it is my own damn fault.”

The course started with a series of steep climbs and descents, totaling more than 1,000 feet of elevation gain in just the first four miles. I chose to run the hills, not walk – a decision that would haunt my performance during the second half of the race. After what seemed like hours on a natural stair-stepper, the trail leveled out and transitioned to sweet single-track.

As a solid, middle-of-thepack runner, one of the aspects of the sport I enjoy most is the opportunity to meet new people and share conversation. As I settled in around mile five, I met Andrew, a 21-year-old who was attempting his first distance

beyond 16 miles. We worked our way over the rolling hills of the Rockwood Range together, talking shoes, nutrition and the beauty of the changing trees.

Our conversation was interrupted by the sounds of screams and the rumble of rollercoaster cars as we ran around the rear end of Six Flags St. Louis. The commotion of the theme park faded behind us as we closed in on the turnaround.

As the race left the Green Rock Trail and switched onto a section of fire road, I began to feel the negative impact of my choice to run up many of the early hills. Andrew and I separated as he continued to run strong and I began to fade. A series of three long, undulating hills zapped my legs, and I struggled to manage this unfamiliar portion of the course. I dug in and worked on just grinding it out as male leaders Eric Floro and Jack Wilkinson made their

way toward and past me from the halfway turnaround. They would finish in first and second place with 5:41:46 and 6:11:02 times, respectively.

I reached the halfway point myself and began to refuel at the aid station. My spirits were lifted as I saw Andrew there with his parents. They offered him encouragement and beamed with pride. We both headed out with a renewed spring in our step. Women’s winner Julia Moffitt came streaking by from behind us, looking amazingly strong and fresh. She went on to finish fourth overall with an impressive time of 6:19:27.

Several more runners overtook me as I attempted to find a sustainable pace for the return trip but ended up walking more than I would have liked. Though I didn’t complete the race the way I had envisioned, I did spend a beautiful fall day in the woods with a young runner completing his first ultra – not to mention the free beer and wood-fired pizza at the after-party. I hope next year’s Rockin’ Rockwoods brings out more young runners and gives me a chance to apply the lessons I learned this year.

And to the race director, I say: Good job.

That was one heck of a ride.

OPPOSITE: Eric Floro pushes near the end of the 53k race despite a 30-minute lead. [

Rick Mayo/Mile 90 Photography]

BELOW: Carol Izadi watches her footing. [

Rick Mayo/Mile 90 Photography]

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Surf the Murph

ULTRARACES

Real Life Superheroes at the Murph

BY MOLLY COCHRAN, CO-RD For the first time since the conception of this race, the course during Surf the Murph was wet, very wet. Usually the upper Midwest experiences dry weather during late October (Mother Nature usually uses autumn as preparation time for abundant snow making, right?); however, this seventh running of Surf the Murph on October 24, 2015, was anything but clean and dry.

Surf the Murph is a loop course, each loop covering 16.7 miles. The terrain is 90% double-track trail on rolling hills. Runners choose their pain: one, two or three loops, aka 25k, 50k or 50-mile races. Despite the wet trail, the brilliant fall colors of MurphyHanrehan Park in Savage, MN, remained as gorgeous as previous years.

About 375 racers grazed the trails, undaunted by the drizzly and muddy beginnings of the day. Ultrarunners have that way about them; they step out into the situation, shrug and make remarks such as, “It is what it is.” Or, “The first step is the toughest.” No

Surf the Murph Savage, MN // October 24

3,2* // 50 Miles, 50k Elevation gain: 50 mile – 6,000 feet; 50k – 4,000 feet | The course is a 16.7-mile loop (run two or three times) on wide rolling ski trails covered in fallen leaves, open expanse of the prairie and wooded single-track.

50 MILES 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39

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Kurt Keiser, 42, MN Kris Tyson, 34, MN Duke Rembleski, 39, MN Jonathan Biermann, 30, MN Charles Kriska, 46, MN Jacob G. Yetzer, 32, MN M. Colleen MacDonald, 33, MN Scott Rassbach, 44, MN Clint Counsellor, 52, MN Julie Fingar, 40, CA Joshua Coval, 39, MN Nathan Marti, 39, MN Joe Amerman, 27, MN Jason Furtney, 36, MN Sami Lockerby, 28, MN Aaron Eicher, 32, MN Gary Lamott, 42, MN Derek Frank, 40, IA Chad McKenney, 51, MN Carl Dusbabek, 23, MN Brian Wolfe, 34, MN Paul Hanusa, 58, SD Jozef Klobusnik, 56, MN Drew Kasson, 30, MN Chris Restad, 42, MN Becky Brudwick, 49, MN Shelly Groenke, 57, MN Steve Neuharth, 48, MN David Just, 55, MN Griffin Geisler, 38, MN Casper Hill, 49, MN John Doyle, 54, MN David Barbee, 40, MN A.j. Groebner, 28, MN Todd Millenacker, 37, MN Brianne Hamann, 35, MN Doug Colglazier, 39, MN Joe Ostrander, 39, MN John Mordal, 46, MN

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7:02:05 8:11:37 8:26:44 8:34:15 8:37:11 8:42:17 8:54:21 8:57:45 9:08:10 9:08:59 9:16:29 9:19:29 9:22:13 9:22:55 9:42:04 9:42:11 9:44:05 9:44:11 9:44:13 9:44:42 9:52:31 9:58:17 10:11:49 10:12:28 10:15:18 10:18:01 10:18:01 10:30:05 10:30:32 10:39:22 10:42:17 10:45:08 10:53:08 10:55:42 10:56:30 11:08:09 11:12:42 11:13:27 11:34:59

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40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57

Todd Reemtsma, 48, MN Bernard Brinkley, 50, MN John Munis, 26, MN Scott Marshall, 43, IL Bob Marsh, 52, MN John Taylor, 53, MN Ted Gamble, 48, MN Steve Hagedorn, 57, MN Kaitlyn Linell, 23, IA Beth Schroeder, 35, MN Lisa Kaufman, 34, ND Jeffrey Alger, 44, MO Janet Gray, 49, WI Melanie Danke, 46, MN Sally Hulbert, 58, MN Randy Zellmer, 60, MN Mitchell Rossman, 59, MN Les Martisko, 71, MN

11:47:04 11:49:13 11:49:58 11:49:58 11:51:48 12:05:07 12:33:08 12:48:16 12:52:52 12:58:13 13:20:09 13:39:31 14:03:38 14:17:09 14:31:24 14:36:39 14:48:49 15:00:56

50K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

Jeremy Reichenberger, 24, MN Travis Hoover, 33, MN Jeff Dehler, 50, MN Daniel Koza, 31, MN Doug Wiesner, 58, MN Ashley Hansen, 28, MN Justin Bakken, 35, MN Mike Jurasits, 36, MN Rick Berg, 43, IA Rebecca Hare, 22, MN Madeline Harms, 29, MN Wade Kragtorp, 40, MN Travis Sands, 38, MN Mishka Vertin, 36, MN Elizabeth Smith, 33, MN Mark Kubes, 55, MN Matthew Dobbins, 38, MN Brandon Hopkins, 38, MN Whitney Meredith, 32, MN Lisa Burger, 44, MN Aaron Hoffmann, 35, MN Jim Devos, 42, MN Sarah Bundy, 35, ND Andrew Plackner, 46, MN Angie Gora, 39, MN Christie Stclair, 41, MN Jeremiah Staples, 38, MN Dave Bon, 45, MN Stephanie Moeller, 37, MN Edward Conley, 44, MN

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4:38:18 4:38:18 5:08:38 5:09:44 5:19:34 5:20:09 5:22:34 5:25:34 5:29:30 5:30:07 5:31:07 5:31:13 5:38:22 5:47:17 5:48:31 5:53:30 5:54:22 6:00:46 6:01:25 6:02:58 6:03:51 6:04:15 6:04:15 6:04:16 6:06:36 6:06:36 6:09:56 6:10:14 6:12:48 6:19:20

31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80

Daniel Hilback, 26, MN Timm Vedder, 40, MN Ryan Tully, 31, MN Katie Morris, 35, MN David Streeter, 49, MN Gretchen Rohweder, 47, MN Darren Kroells, 43, MN Cole Peyton, 29, MN Clinton Dehne, 45, WI Karen Peterson, 42, MN Kenny Boily, 52, WI Aaron Landin, 28, MN Dillon Young, 33, MN Bryan Jacobson, 40, MN Ken Moore, 52, MN Scott Haugen, 49, MN Mike Cox, 55, MN Andrew Warmuth, 30, MN Chris Miller, 35, MN Maia Miller, 34, MN Zoltan Pitlik, 48, MN Charles Haupert, 31, MN Cindy Crandall, 45, MN Lisa Molnar, 31, MN Tricia Johnson, 47, MN Nimol Grimm, 48, MN Timothy Risdal, 56, MN Jason Mullenbach, 42, MN Analisa Colglazier, 34, NE Herb Byun, 71, MN Thomas Peterson, 51, MN Steve Shuman, 56, IA Bob Triplett, 52, MN Thomas Triplett, 50, MO Kerri Hoogers, 37, MN Jayne Nemeth, 50, MN Chadwick Flitter, 33, MN Ashley Flitter, 30, MN Adam Bornholdt, 35, MN Kimberly Haines, 57, IA Rachelle Mathwig, 36, MN Jamison Swift, 41, MN Abigail Davis, 46, MN Janet Hausken, 50, MN Jack Ver Steegh, 67, MN Rachel Gruber, 32, MN Perry McGahan, 56, MN Sherri Schummer, 35, MN Daniel Butler, 37, MN Kelly Jensen, 40, MN

6:24:15 6:30:38 6:34:26 6:34:48 6:37:16 6:38:41 6:41:30 6:42:16 6:42:53 6:43:59 6:44:00 6:46:10 6:46:11 6:47:07 6:47:16 6:47:52 6:47:57 6:55:40 7:01:16 7:01:16 7:01:59 7:03:05 7:03:26 7:03:31 7:05:46 7:05:47 7:13:39 7:13:40 7:17:37 7:17:51 7:18:36 7:21:55 7:22:12 7:22:12 7:25:57 7:34:21 7:36:37 7:36:38 7:39:43 7:39:43 7:39:45 7:41:01 7:46:39 7:47:09 7:49:01 7:49:40 7:49:41 7:49:42 7:51:01 7:51:41

81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128

Heather Schlagel, 35, ND Heather Sailer, 39, ND Heidi Williams, 39, ND Jenny Lettenmaier, 38, ND Michelle Stolz, 23, MN Steven Scarrow, 45, MN Aron Johnson, 34, MN Shannon Golden, 32, MN Nicholas Wilson, 32, MN Allan Holtz, 65, MN Richard Yin, 25, MN Dan Ly, 22, MN Huy Huynh, 34, IA Mary Beth Skinner, 44, MN Jen Stano, 34, MN Nathan Hulke, 29, MN Ken Coons, 46, MN Don Lundgren, 46, MN Andrea Odrzywolski, 42, WI Mike Morris, 43, MN Timothy Van Riper, 54, MN Lauren Finzer, 28, MN Megan Giesen, 32, MN Ryan Chukuske, 34, MN Hilary Larson, 30, MN Erica Ness, 32, MN Lisa Kapsner-Swift, 35, MN Amy Wasson, 49, MN Victoria Aney, 39, MN Kelly Aney, 39, MN Lisa Klotzbach, 46, MN Ann Noser, 44, MN Rachel Pedersen, 27, MN Korbi Thompson, 27, MN Radek Lopusnik, 41, MN Shae Walker, 22, MN Bryann Schlough, 43, MN Catherine Knowles, 23, MN Eric Kangas, 25, MN Darrick Lyons, 30, MN Melissa Globensky, 46, MN Ronda Hague, 50, MN Timothy Bowers, 51, MN Nancy Nauhreiner, 43, MN Michelle Johnson, 47, MN Paula Feldt, 50, MN Phillip Gary Smith, 67, MN Cassi Busch, 31, MN

7:52:18 7:52:19 7:52:19 7:52:20 8:01:15 8:02:00 8:05:47 8:08:35 8:08:35 8:10:59 8:15:34 8:15:34 8:18:41 8:21:10 8:21:10 8:30:27 8:30:31 8:36:23 8:36:23 8:43:25 8:43:26 8:54:37 8:54:37 8:54:38 8:57:28 8:58:08 9:07:45 9:10:27 9:17:52 9:17:52 9:20:06 9:20:08 9:44:47 9:44:47 10:00:34 10:01:32 10:03:02 10:09:31 10:09:55 10:10:18 10:10:32 10:10:33 10:10:33 10:10:34 10:26:55 10:26:55 10:39:39 12:15:50

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OPPOSITE: Kurt Keiser set a blistering pace in the 50 mile and finished over an hour ahead of the next competitor. [

Bryan Cochran]

ABOVE: The 80’s Girls from North Dakota rocked their hair and wardrobes during the 50k. [ Bryan Cochran]

whining and no complaints are heard as they rise above the situation. As the day progressed, racers even began to happily comment that the trail was drying out very nicely.

Surf the Murph is the brainchild of Les Martisko, a former 2:55 marathoner. Now in his early 70s and still race directing Surf the Murph, Les has finished 375 ultra marathons, proudly displaying this on the back of his racing jersey to motivate fellow racers. In fact, now Les has finished 376 ultras, since he finished the 50-mile this year. Due to his experience, Les understands the front-runners as well as the back-ofthe-packers. Therefore, Surf the Murph offers aid stations every three to four miles, and they are all well stocked from early in the race to late in the day.

Also, pacers are allowed and encouraged. Above all, there are generous cutoff times (13 hours for the 50k and 14 hours for the 50-mile) to give extra opportunity for every runner to capture a finish. More than 85% of the starting field finished. In the land of ultras, that is a high finisher rate.

This year several runners achieved their first 50-mile finish, including Bob Marsh, Janet Gray and Melanie

Danke, who captured many first-time finisher’s emotions so well by sharing, “I’m sure you all understand the crazy, breathless, description-defying feeling of finishing your first ultra and you all made it possible for me. I’m so, so happy and so, so proud. Thanks, too, to the volunteers that stuck around until the bitter end. They were adorable and kind and enthusiastic. One of the best, most fun days ever.”

Remaining true to its roots, Surf the Murph rewards the costumed more than the fleet of foot. Earning top honors were a pirate (aka Karen Gall), “My Toe on Lap 3” (aka Kevin Hill), the 80’s Girls (aka Heather Schlagel, Heather Sailer, Jenny Lettenmaier and Heidi Williams), “On Your Right” (aka Mike Jurasits) and “On Your Left (aka Mishka Vertin), the Trail Newbie dressed in hockey gear to protect himself (aka Radek Lopusnik), a Zom-bee (aka Nicole Hansen) and many more who dared show their true costume colors.

A big thank you goes out to all involved in Surf the Murph from year to year: the runners, the volunteers and Three Rivers Park District.

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ULTRARACES

Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd

Smashing the Pumpkin

BY GARY DUDNEY I’ll admit, the very name of the race – the Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd – and the out-ofthe-way setting near Tahlequah, Oaklahoma, had me intrigued. The race was maturing into its fifth year, so I assumed the Tulsa Area Trail & Ultrarunners (TATUR Racing) must be doing something right.

Would there be a Native American theme keying off Tahlequah’s status as the Cherokee nation capital? Would the proximity to Halloween spark costumes, jack-olanterns and ghoulish aid stations? Would we follow some remote trail into the J.T. Nickel Nature and Wildlife Preserve and disappear forever into a haunted spot in the forest called Pumpkin Holler?

Actually, there wasn’t much of any of the above, but instead, a well run, well-supported, solid and diverting 100-mile run delivered with panache and pizzazz. First of all, the 100-mile race was bracketed by 10k, 25k, 50k, 100k, and 135-mile options, so just about any runner could latch onto a comfortable distance. All the other races going on made for great entertainment for the 100 milers.

The struggling 135 milers in particular offered

a lot of drama and made me glad to be only going 100 miles. Just three of the fifteen 135-mile entrants managed the distance.

The course basically circumnavigated the Nature Conservancy forest of the Nickel Preserve and stuck to a thrice-repeated loop of gently rolling, hard surfaced gravel road with a little asphalt. For much of the way, the thick forest was on one side of the road and a pastoral expanse of hay fields, farm ponds, and grazing cows were on the other. Country homes, farmhouses, and derelict barns were scattered around, along with huge round bales of hay that were strewn across the land, packed into barns or gathered together under tarps. The course also followed a long stretch of the Illinois River.

At night, with just a sliver of a moon to light the way, things were a little frightening.

Earlier in the evening, I’d seen a very large wild boar trotting across the road and disappearing into the forest just ahead of me, so when night settled in and something big was crashing around in the ominous forest, I imagined the same boar taking me to meet my maker. Barking dogs and howling

coyotes added to the nerve fest, and there was a spooky little graveyard just off Pumpkin Hollow Road that I was none too happy to pass at midnight. Also worrisome was the dog that gave Mad Dog aid station its name.

The dog’s owner had apparently said, “If you leave him alone, he’ll leave you alone,” but it seemed to me that running down his road in the middle of the night was not likely to strike the dog as “leaving him alone.”

At one point I spotted some teenagers standing around a campfire just as my flashlight lit up a bright green plastic snake left exactly in the center of the road. I yelled over to the kids, “I saw your phony snake, by the way,” and they laughed.

The aid stations were unusually plentiful, coming about every three miles, and they were stocked with much more than the minimum fare for ultras. The soups were hearty and homemade, and someone central to the race must have had a thing for bacon, because you couldn’t swing a dead cat without hitting some. The first aid station on the course was called “Waffle Stop” and you could load up on waffles, and, of course, bacon, before your legs were even fully loosened up.

Keeping with the banquet theme, the race orientation the day before included a pasta feast and an assortment of cookies, brownies, cheesecake, and other treats. Add in a friendly race director, Ken Childress, with an entertaining gift for gab, who in a nod to the recently deceased Yogi Berra, allowed that it was “the same course as before but with more hills.”

The race also had the fun Great Gourd Challenge which involved doing an extra mile up a hill to claim a cool visor. Even the finisher’s belt buckle was over the top, LEFT: One of many old barns scattered along the course. [ Gary Dudney] BELOW: Race report author Gary Dundney’s dog, Hermes, checks out the impressive buckle. [

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Gary Dudney]

a weighty three-color pumpkin done in brass with a strip slashed across the front proclaiming, “I smashed the pumpkin.” So no nod to the Cherokee nation, not much Halloween, and the race name, “Pumpkin Holler,” turned

out to be just a riff off the name of a stretch of road, “Pumpkin Hollow Road,” used by the course, but the race was one heck of an entertaining 100-mile run anyway.

Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90

Tahlequah, OK // October 16

2,2* // 135 Miles, 100 Miles, 100k, 50k Elevation gain: 100 Miles – 9,300 feet | The course circumnavigates the Nature Conservancy forest of the Nickel Preserve and is mostly gently rolling, hard surfaced gravel road with a little asphalt repeated three times for the 100-mile.

135 MILES 1 2 3

Matthew Reily, 41, OK Trace Heavener, 30, OK Lance West, 40, OK

29:17:16 32:19:05 38:27:06

100 MILES 1 Forrest Blackbear, 37, OK 2 Mike Morgan, 47, KS 3 Kipp Love, 45, OK 4 Dave Meeth, 52, KS 5 Griffin Rowell, 29, OK 6 Brian Bailey, 38, AR 7 Jeff Elbert, 46, OK 8 Gary Dudney, 62, CA 9 Bill James, 45, AR 10 KyLynn Ledbetter, 28, AR 10 Melissa Lewis, 36, AR 12 Travis Jennings, 43, OK 13 Kimmy Riley, 54, AR 14 Chris Stauffer, 41, MO 15 Eunsup Kim, 62, TX 16 william lynch, 40, LA 17 Torry Brittain, 33, OK 18 Michelle Sipe, 43, PA 19 Carol Tatom, 37, TX 20 Stephen Moore, 47, TX

19:22:57 21:33:46 23:30:16 24:32:04 25:09:12 25:12:59 25:13:25 25:40:08 26:39:04 27:17:46 27:17:46 27:20:00 27:25:33 28:17:56 28:56:33 29:11:21 29:34:44 29:44:24 29:51:59 29:54:42

100K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Tomas Moreno, 32, TX Victor Brown, 25, OK Mike Hill, 27, OK Todd Welch, 48, AR Jorge Rodriguez, 45, TX Lisa Hyne, 41, OK Houston Wolf, 52, TN Kelly Holloman, 44, OK Zach Adams, 38, KS Candi Adams, 34, KS Carolyn Dickinson, 26, OK Christine Fischer, 45, OK Travis Duncan, 31, TX Nick Plants, 39, OK Rocio Mendez, 39, TX Leon Curry, 57, OK Laurin Sgroi, 45, TX Jory Brownd, 33, OK Cassy Kerr, 44, OK Jacqueline Smith, 47, TX Ryan Schwatken, 39, KS Lavern Schwartz, 28, OK Jeff Pool, 29, OK Becky Williams, 51, TX

9:07:24 11:07:04 11:51:35 12:46:48 13:05:49 13:05:50 13:43:21 13:49:25 13:50:03 13:50:05 14:14:30 15:48:33 15:50:19 15:50:19 15:59:15 16:49:41 16:50:14 17:51:47 18:04:49 18:15:45 18:52:23 18:53:20 18:53:23 21:13:53

50K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Steve Liechty, 45, MT Zach Harris, 29, OK Mark Sitton, 30, OK Lael Wever, 37, OK Katie Ochoa, 35, OK CJ Burdon, 32, OK Autumn Yoder, 24, PA Jenny Bailey, 35, OK Laura Range, 49, MO James Dougan, 37, AR Dave Clemmens, 42, OK Chris Schnelle, 41, OK

4:30:29 4:34:50 4:36:02 4:44:45 4:53:44 4:53:55 5:05:17 5:07:51 5:08:19 5:18:51 5:19:10 5:19:30

Travis Owens, 51, OK Rachel Coulter, 27, OK Cameron Plate, 14, OK Bill Konefes, 51, OK Melena Mayes, 21, OK Michael Harris, 38, AR Bryce Clark, 35, OK Marty Odom, 57, OK Matt Markel, 33, OK Brian Cochran, 45, AR Jeff Martinsen, 50, MT David Hirschfeld, 50, MT Andrea McBryde, 25, OK Tanner Freeman, 26, AR Jake Dobscha, 52, TX David Abboud, 48, TX Pamela Messenger, 50, AR Holly Craig, 37, AR Travis Porter, 43, AR Melissa Briggs, 48, MO Jimmy Messenger, 50, AR Daniel Jennings, 26, OK Barry Keith, 40, OK Chris Weed, 43, OK Mary Harokopus, 54, TX Marcus Grunewald, 57, TX Nikki Davis, 48, TX Marty Castens, 30, OK Krystal Brown, 50, OK Clint Green, 40, OK Chris Ledbetter, 29, AR Anthony Gilbert, 40, OK Bradley Cothran, 31, AR Chris Bosch, 34, AR Raymond Etheredge, 48, AR Lynne Scheetz, 52, PA Amanda Lynch, 34, OK Hanan Harkness, 46, TX Sharon Prentice, 52, TX Patrick Allen, 60, OK Lynna Gilstrap, 65, OK Amanda Baskeyfield, 35, OK Paula Thaxton, 38, OK Mark Franklin, 58, OK Sennet Oliver, 36, AR Jerry Genzer, 54, OK Pam Stein, 50, OK Mukesh Bhakta, 54, OK Madison Thomas, 24, OK Karen Ford, 49, OK Marcella Morton, 64, OK Alicia Ketcher, 47, OK Bobbie Eagleton, 31, OK Levita Unger, 49, OK Dana Nickens, 53, OK Cortney Hutson, 40, OK Jennifer Hansen, 37, TX Dana Caruso, 43, MS Margie Welsh, 59, OK Jodee Whitworth, 48, OK Betsy Gerber, 42, OK Wayne Morris, 63, OK Terriann VanDeventer, 41, OK Bobbie Ruhs, 54, NE Skip Gensert, 54, OK Kelly McGee, 44, OK Candy Williams, 37, OK Denarius Brittain, 42, OK Tiffaney Cooper, 41, OK Susan Young Mock, 50, OK Logan Range, 9, MO Alecia Cartwright, 34, OK William Barnes, 46, OK Lisa McManus, 56, OK Donna Smithwick, 50, OK Tammy Cryer, 49, OK Michelle Bates, 42, OK Deanna Thornton, 43, KS

5:19:30 5:21:37 5:22:50 5:25:10 5:26:07 5:27:57 5:44:28 5:45:41 5:48:44 5:50:57 5:54:53 5:59:18 6:07:54 6:08:22 6:08:22 6:08:52 6:09:12 6:09:14 6:09:14 6:09:22 6:12:45 6:17:36 6:18:16 6:20:29 6:20:34 6:28:29 6:28:29 6:29:24 6:39:45 6:40:37 6:51:16 6:53:43 6:54:10 6:54:29 6:56:21 7:00:38 7:03:17 7:15:30 7:15:31 7:18:06 7:34:49 7:38:07 7:38:50 7:38:52 7:40:38 7:41:27 7:51:39 7:58:28 7:59:00 7:59:00 7:59:00 7:59:01 7:59:01 7:59:02 7:59:04 8:01:27 8:03:00 8:07:31 8:18:52 8:23:49 8:23:50 8:39:56 8:40:24 8:41:04 9:07:48 9:09:03 9:35:58 9:35:59 9:43:20 10:36:27 11:03:27 12:52:27 13:37:19 13:37:23 13:56:09 13:56:28 13:56:30 24:25:59

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ULTRARACES

Rio Del Lago

A Different Sort of Rio

BY JUDY JENNINGS

At 5 a.m., at Beal’s Point, Folsom Lake, it was 58 degrees, and very dark. The sky was crystal clear with a few stars and a very thin crescent moon. I was surprised at the high number of spectators hurrying to view the start of the race. Runners were entering the area from all directions. The 350 participants were preparing for the start of the Rio Del Lago 100 Mile Endurance Run.

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sun rise as they passed through.

The last few came over an hour later. As one of the participants descended from the bluff, he tripped on a large rock and fell.

I saw him quickly spring up. His friend asked if he was all right.

Off they ran.

After the Negro Bar aid station, I ran past a couple of runners up the hill. Two of the women said it was their first 100.

I wondered how many of these athletes were running their first 100-mile race. Turns out there were 170 participants attempting their first 100!

The athletes ran under the Folsom Lake Crossing bridge and back to see the new Folsom Dam Project construction in the light of day. They ran by creeks, over bridges and up and down switchbacks with rocks and roots threatening to trip them. Some runners were lucky enough to see Great Blue Heron glide close to the American River, where the air current only pushed gently on their wings.

The athletes ran all the way up There was no starter’s pistol for a send-off to Cool and back to Beal’s Point. but rather an excitement-filled countdown, then They saw spectacular views of off they all went. The footsteps were quiet and the American River Canyon that thoughtful. Runners knew much of their energy most people never see.

After dinner with a couple of would be needed in the last 20 miles. It wasn’t a time to waste any. I saw fun-filled groups laughing friends, I hurried back up the and some single runners who looked weathered. I hill and hoped I hadn’t missed wanted to join all of them. the first runner coming in. Race Early in the race, the runners kept a steady officials knew runner Dominick gentle pace as they descended down past the Layfield was only a few minutes water district on the bike trail. Some runners were away. It wasn’t long before we already walking and some seemed to be gliding saw a couple of lights bouncing along. I found the different techniques and paces up and down in the pitch-black interesting. Each person found a way to try to night. I thought the movement survive 100 miles. indicated a quick pace.

Runners crossed the historic Walker Bridge, Layfield and his pacer passed climbed the Nimbus Bluffs and back down to the little glow sticks as he followed American River Park bike trail. While up on the the last quarter mile around to Bluffs, the sun rose for those first runners. the finish. Race officials, volunThe athletes created long shadows as they ran teers and spectators cheered across the bluff above Negro Bar at approximately loudly as the volume of the rock mile 13. The front-runners were able to see the music was raised. He came in at a strong sure pace and ran through the banner with a time of 17:07:27. He looked like he ABOVE: Brendan Donahoe wins best beard of the could run another 100 miles. day and also runs a smart race to finish in the top-10.

Although he resides in Utah, [ Keith Facchino] he stated with an English accent, “It was an awesome experience, LEFT: Ray Sanchez crosses the line in second after now that it is over.” Everyone steadily working his way up in the field all day. laughed with him. [ Judy Jennings]

I decided to stay long enough to see my friend Ray Sanchez in to the finish. After asking his estimated location, I expected him to come in about third place, as he did last year. We could see a single headlamp bouncing in the dark and approaching the finish. There was no pacer with this person. The race officials thought it was another racer, so we were all shocked and excited

Michaela Burgess flashes a smile as she makes her way through her second 100-mile race. [

Rio Del Lago Granite Bay, CA // November 7

3,3* // 100 Miles Elevation gain: 9,500 feet | This is a rolling course along Folsom Lake, the American River and a bit of the Western States course. Much of the route is along nice single-track trail with the first 19.2 on mostly bike path.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51

Dominick Layfield, 44, UT Ray Sanchez, 48, CA Paul Broyer, 30, CA Sean Ranney, 38, CA John Burton, 42, CA Tyler Hill, 28, CA Dean Morris, 42, OR Brendan Donohoe, 41, CA Tom Flummerfelt, 41, MA Kedric Osborne, 38, OR Erich Wegscheider, 29, CA Erika Lindland, 33, CA Nathan Stroh, 43, OR Ryan Smith, 34, CA Trevor Hostetler, 42, OR Robert Julian, 47, OR Jason Reynolds, 42, CA Rachel Bucklin, 37, WA Yasushi Saito, 48, CA Dan Fish, 44, CA Sam Patterson, 41, CA Sebastian Duesterhoeft, 30, CA Maggie Hayes, 29, CA Kenneth Letterle, 33, TX Miriam Smith, 45, NV Andy Hamilton, 52, OR Daigo Echizenya, 46, CA Lindsey Welsh, 33, VA Stephanie Fronk, 27, CA Deanna Odell, 49, CA Nick Capraro, 50, CA Matt Ward, 37, CA Peter Briggs, 35, CA Dan Barger, 50, CA Kim Barger, 42, CA Tory Scholz, 28, BC Andrea Gautschi, 43, CA Dave Moore, 49, CA William Tronoski, 44, NJ Sean Curry, 47, CA Mike Wright, 56, CA Kimberly White, 45, CA Tom Wroblewski, 57, CA Jim Cannon, 61, CA Bruce Cyra, 57, WA Jeremy Eisen, 45, OR Matt Hagen, 44, WA Wes Ritner, 47, SC Michael Fink, 47, CA Christine Birch, 31, CA Debbie Gibson, 51, MT

17:07:27 17:43:30 18:24:25 18:34:32 18:36:54 18:43:09 18:45:22 19:12:48 19:16:39 19:20:20 19:22:50 19:24:24 19:43:07 19:51:23 19:56:23 20:27:59 20:32:05 20:42:26 20:52:48 20:56:01 21:14:07 21:15:48 21:22:03 21:26:08 21:30:02 21:41:01 21:51:38 21:53:54 21:55:00 21:55:01 22:01:24 22:10:46 22:19:18 22:21:38 22:21:41 22:23:53 22:24:37 22:25:12 22:25:30 22:30:02 22:31:41 22:33:45 22:38:06 22:38:59 22:42:59 22:43:47 22:53:11 22:53:52 22:55:12 22:55:37 22:56:04

52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112

Todd Boese, 32, CA David Aguayo, 39, CA Drew Adams, 28, ID Matthew Searfus, 42, OR Di Wu, 32, OR Gang Qin, 51, CA Kevin Hadfield, 30, CO Chris Bassett, 47, CA Juan De Oliva, 31, NV Roberto Cedillo, 37, CA Eddie Schmidt, 51, CA Bryce Williams, 36, CA Bob Cox, 46, CA Ohnmar Shin, 43, CA Burket Kniveton, 30, MT Justin Galbraith, 28, CA Kuni Yamagata, 62, CA David Odell, 48, CA Don Freeman, 52, CA Rick Santos, 51, CA Mark Christopherson, 47, UT Andy Burger, 35, CA Kevin Enbom, 33, CA Jerod Honrath, 41, TX Diego Espinosa, 54, AZ Bernard Sopky, 44, CA Paul Tran, 33, CA Michael Henson, 40, WA Steven Barnett, 30, AZ Tony Verdon, 36, CA Dave Van Wicklin, 63, CA Michaela Burgess, 35, CA Shelly Centis, 48, CA Michael Cortez, 29, CA Phillip Nigh, 53, CA Enrique Rodriguez, 41, CA Bonnie Porter, 36, CA John Hoenigman, 50, CA Megan Storms, 39, CA Jeff Quinn, 27, CA Mariano Pontillas, 42, CA Nathan Hahn, 45, CA Federico Sanchez, 45, CA Kurt Wahl, 48, CA Paul Oropallo, 50, CA Sarah Scozzaro, 36, ND Vance Roget, 61, CA Julien Fourcade, 40, MA Gary Klein, 49, CA Jon Zaid, 58, CA Kelly Valentine, 37, CA John Brooks, 53, CA Keith Bauer, 37, CA Joe Decapite, 26, OH Ryan Hutnick, 31, CA Chuck Amital, 57, CA Bjorn Flatt, 41, CA Tim Ruffino, 53, CA Dan Krotz, 44, CA Robert Serpa, 59, CA Brent Vanderhoof, 44, CA

22:57:41 22:59:00 22:59:13 23:01:06 23:11:50 23:12:12 23:13:08 23:14:37 23:17:39 23:18:40 23:19:24 23:22:20 23:23:28 23:23:54 23:26:04 23:26:09 23:27:54 23:30:51 23:31:00 23:38:41 23:40:11 23:41:04 23:47:40 23:50:28 23:54:54 23:55:58 23:57:59 24:18:40 24:22:37 24:24:07 24:26:44 24:26:55 24:29:29 24:32:53 24:46:02 24:46:52 24:49:56 24:49:57 24:50:25 24:50:55 24:52:55 24:58:33 25:00:22 25:00:31 25:03:26 25:05:42 25:06:13 25:11:28 25:18:14 25:18:52 25:22:15 25:24:15 25:24:22 25:25:36 25:27:23 25:28:25 25:28:27 25:29:48 25:43:40 25:45:18 25:49:02

Keith Facchino]

113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172

Brian Seaman, 34, CA Lynette Vanschoiack, 47, ID Kimberly Kuhlmann, 37, WA Karen Boris, 45, CA Ron Varenchik, 40, CA Veronica Fujisawa, 45, CA Hugh Levaux, 50, CA Jesse Murray, 45, CA Erica Teicheira-Gauuan, 44, CA Lisa Faucon, 35, CA Michael Weston, 55, CA Marlin Ordway, 52, ID Jerry S, 42, CA Zak Sterling, 38, CA Christopher Sheehy, 34, CA Bill Kellner, 51, VT Janeth Badaracco, 45, CA Meredith Johnson, 34, CA Melanie Wehan, 31, CA David Coulter, 39, CA Carl Maclean, 19, CA Robert Carter, 43, CA Roderick San Andres, 46, CA Francisco Arnaiz, 34, CA Beth Lang, 48, CA Danny Snell, 40, CA Hunter Peoples, 16, CA Lance Gilbert, 59, CA Yejun Xu, 51, CA Janet Farafontoff, 50, CA Jason Roche, 41, CA Jesse Edelsberg, 30, CA Seth Lucas, 33, CA Ken Weiblen, 43, CA Mia Martinez, 36, CA Thomas Lopes, 43, CA Patty Shijo, 56, CA Jonathan Engquist, 54, CA Gary Dudney, 63, CA Richard Prestia, 44, CA Lamont King, 42, CA Alicia Girvin, 36, CA Andres Espinosa, 50, NJ Lucia Mcintosh, 37, CA Lawrence Miller, 47, CA Karly Simmons, 34, TX Zhenhua Fan, 49, CA Satpal Dalal, 41, CA Eric King, 48, CA Dan Foley, 54, CA David Castro, 42, CA Bill Elberson, 68, AK Steve Osborne, 41, CA Rob Mann, 44, CA Erik Dube, 41, CA Matt Perry, 51, CA Sandy Baker, 54, CA Ryan Dempsey, 33, CA Karen Gerasimovich, 47, CA Andrew Ferguson, 50, CA

25:50:23 25:50:26 25:50:30 25:57:48 26:04:39 26:05:07 26:08:20 26:09:43 26:10:47 26:11:57 26:13:23 26:17:45 26:20:16 26:21:39 26:22:53 26:23:59 26:27:02 26:27:59 26:29:28 26:31:28 26:31:28 26:41:13 26:45:38 26:46:00 26:48:06 26:50:49 26:51:13 26:51:24 26:53:35 26:53:55 26:54:55 26:56:01 26:56:10 26:56:17 26:56:32 26:57:57 27:03:10 27:10:06 27:11:56 27:15:52 27:16:08 27:22:30 27:22:36 27:25:27 27:25:35 27:29:38 27:32:12 27:34:00 27:35:20 27:35:43 27:35:58 27:37:19 27:39:07 27:39:07 27:39:27 27:42:39 27:42:42 27:43:22 27:44:34 27:44:50

when we saw Rayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face! He was second place with a time of 17:43:30.

According to race results, Paul Broyer came in third with a time of 18:24:25. Erika Lindland was the first female with a time of 19:24:24, and an amazing place of 12th overall!

Rachel Bucklin finished second female with a time of 20:42:26 and Maggie Hayes third with a time of 21:22:13. Hayes came in at 2:22 a.m. and had run through a very cold 47 degrees.

As morning showers greeted the last runners, Jon Beard came in with a time of 29:45:01 at 10:45 a.m. as the final finisher.

These people are astonishing!

173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233

Christian Watt, 18, CA Andrea Abel, 42, CA Jason Moriarty, 31, CA Kristen Dymmel, 38, CA Scott Yates, 40, CA Lisa Decker, 45, CA Leah Harold, 33, CA Kevin Patja, 39, CA Darrin Rice, 40, NV Roger Curtis, 54, CA Gabriel Tenyenhuis, 47, CA Christopher Cabbat, 33, CA Higino Gopez, 44, CA Christy Bentivoglio, 44, CA Sunny Carder, 37, CA Breen Haire, 43, TX Rod Dickson, 69, CA Garrett Main, 26, CA Jonathan Tanner, 28, NE Robert Halpenny, 65, CA Todd Thompson, 53, OR Tim Hicks, 72, CA Steve Martelli, 47, CA Kellie Currie, 32, CA Teresa Hillstrom, 53, CA Todd Dejong, 48, OR Roberta McGraw, 54, CA Traviss Willcox, 49, CA Edd Ligsay, 56, CA Nathan Kurz, 33, WA Joe Steinmetz, 51, CA Emily Ryan, 40, DC Pip Smith, 59, CA Tony Tuttle, 63, CA Steve Holland, 56, CA Stephen Elliott, 53, CA Trevin Fugere, 41, TX Garry Sewell, 54, CA Scott McLean, 43, CA Tehani Nishiyama, 31, CA Marc Hopkins, 44, CA Ken Mcalpin, 44, CA Benjamin Muradyan, 28, CA Chris Billington, 51, CA Josh Grant, 41, CA Eric Litvin, 46, CA Samantha Rose, 31, CA Alexia Joens, 42, CA Lisa Wright, 54, CA Michael Li, 49, CA Tom Afschar, 44, CA Sonoko Furuhata, 43, CA Tammy Perez, 47, CA Leigh-Ann Wendling, 48, CA Helen Fong, 35, CA Laura Bello, 52, CA Jon Beard, 61, CA Kathie Lang, 66, OR Annette Mensonides, 45, CA William Dumonthier, 63, CA David Kung, 43, CA

27:44:51 27:47:45 27:50:30 27:52:29 27:52:48 27:53:39 27:54:29 27:56:38 27:57:59 27:58:52 28:04:22 28:06:23 28:11:47 28:14:13 28:16:44 28:22:39 28:23:35 28:25:15 28:26:10 28:27:02 28:29:16 28:30:06 28:31:49 28:32:33 28:33:56 28:35:57 28:36:43 28:43:11 28:46:32 28:48:14 28:52:14 28:54:56 28:57:05 28:57:24 28:58:28 28:59:03 28:59:24 28:59:46 29:02:18 29:02:21 29:04:25 29:05:15 29:06:12 29:09:27 29:11:47 29:11:57 29:14:15 29:15:11 29:18:05 29:28:45 29:33:46 29:37:51 29:39:55 29:41:02 29:41:28 29:42:06 29:44:38 30:23:41 30:24:49 30:34:09 30:34:36

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ULTRARACES

International Scene

Ultrarunning News from Around the Globe

BY IAN CAMPBELL

Ellie Greenwood celebrating her win at the finsh line of Les Templiers. [

In this month’s column we bring you news from a historic race in France, the last race of the grand slam in the UK and the final race of the Ultra Trail World Tour series.

LES TEMPLIERS

Millau, France was the setting for the 20th Festival Des Templiers, France’s oldest and most prestigious trail race. The 77k Templiers Great Run, with 3,300m of ascent, completes an action packed weekend of trail racing and is the feature race. A strong international field had been assembled, and it was Ellie Greenwood, on her return from an injury layoff, and Frenchmen Benoit Cori who were victorious.

Greenwood’s victory was well deserved after she went through a painful season of disappointment through various injuries.

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challenge. Jasmin Nunige from France was her main rival, and the two of them leapfrogged each other on the ascents and descents. On the final climb, Greenwood was able to stay strong, push ahead and claim victory from Nunige by a margin of six minutes. Early race leader Anne-Lise Rousset managed to hang on for the final podium spot by a four-minute margin over Cassie Scallon.

The men’s race was fast.

Winner Cori struck the front at around 12k and never looked like faltering, despite strong challenges from second-place Nicolas Martin of France and third-place Tofol Castanyer of Spain.

Greenwood’s win certainly demonstrates that patience and perseverance when dealing with injuries can result in a late season comeback.

JAN/FEB 2016

Les Templiers – 77k MEN 1

Benoit Cori

2

Nicolas Martin

3

Tofol Castanyer

06:44:10 06:47:14 06:48:03

WOMEN 1

Ellie Greenwood

07:58:06

2

Jasmin Nunige

08:04:48

3

Anne-Lise Rousset

08:24:35

AUTUMN 100

The Autumn 100, organized

by Centurion Running, is the fourth and last 100-mile event in their grand slam series. The previous three 100-mile events are all point-to-point; however, the season finale comprises of four out-and-back 25-mile spurs.

This format seems to engender an amazing feeling of camaraderie amongst the runners as they pass each other providing welcome support.

Race director James Elson had delegated his duties to his very

iRunFar.com/Bryon Powell]

capable and experienced team, and then proceeded to clock a superfast time and course record to take the win. Sarah Morwood not only took the ladies top podium spot, but was also fourth overall in an impressive 16:13.

The men and women’s Centurion grand slam winners were Peter Kaminsky and Sally Ford, who clocked an average of around four 18-hour 100-milers.

Autumn 100 MEN 1

James Elson

14:35:40

2

Chris Brookman

15:06:53

3

Duncan Oakes

15:19:29

WOMEN 1

Sarah Morwood

2

Sally Ford

3

Melissa Akinstall

16:13:58 18:11:31 18:51:14

Grand Slam Winners Peter Kaminsky Sally Ford

71:19:17 72:34:42

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(2) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Copies In-County Included on PS Form 3541

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(3) Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed At Other Classes Through The USPS

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75

25

214

228

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15. Publication of Statement of Ownership for a Requester Publication is required and will be printed in the Jan/Feb 2016 issue of this publication 16. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner: /s/ Karl Hoagland, Publisher; Date: December 1, 2015. I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties).

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SHOE REVIEW //////////

BY STEPHEN WASSATHER AND BRETT RIVERS | ADDITIONAL WEAR-TESTING BY JORGE MARAVILLA, JENNY MAIER, TRAVIS WELLER, VICTOR BALLESTEROS AND THE STAFF AT SAN FRANCISCO RUNNING COMPANY | PHOTOS BY BRETT RIVERS

A

s running shoes continue to evolve, finding the “perfect shoe” can feel like an overwhelming task. Luckily, this also means runners have plenty of options when trying to match a shoe to their use. Whether it’s a racing shoe with the versatility of an everyday trainer or a lightweight shoe that won’t sacrifice cushion, every runner can find the ideal fit from these 2016 picks. And remember that the best place to get great advice on running shoes – and nearby trails – is your local specialty running store.

Hoka Mafate 4, $170 Hoka’s Fall 2015 release of the updated Mafate 4 flew a bit under the radar, but this burly original from Hoka continues to be a popular option for ultrarunners who prefer the max amount of cushioning and stability currently offered in trail running shoes. The Mafate 4 is lighter and more stable than prior Mafate models thanks to improved midsole EVA foams that are overlaid for maximum stability and cushioning. Added support in the heel cup and a very broad, well lugged platform below the foot complement the midsole. The Mafate offers a slightly wider fit than other Hoka models such as the Stinson and Speedgoat. –BR

Altra Olympus 2.0, $130 Altra’s max-cushion trail shoe receives a major tread overhaul and a lighter, more flexible upper – all while shaving 2.2 oz from prior versions. The wide fit and 36mm of cushion that runners have come to love remain the same, while a slightly less rockered forefoot allows for a smoother transition and improved stability. Possibly the most heralded update, though, is the new multi-directional full length Vibram outsole which provides needed traction and durability that will keep you shredding long after the winter months are over. –SW

Salomon Sense Pro 2, $130 Salomon’s lightweight trail shoe receives minor updates for 2016 focused on improved tread and new EVA cushioning for a slightly softer ride. The widened tread offers grippy traction right out of the box, but the shoe is still light enough to easily transition between sections of road, fire road and more technical trail. A seamless upper combined with Salomon’s Endofit mid-foot sockliner wrap the foot incredibly well. The thin Profeel Film rock plate offers a touch of added protection from stingers while still allowing the shoe to flex with the foot. You will likely enjoy the Sense Pro 2 and the added traction if you were a fan of the original or are looking for a lightweight, mid-drop trail shoe with good grip. –BR 80

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Saucony Peregrine 6, $120 Saucony’s lightweight trail shoe receives a major overhaul for 2016 with an updated outsole, new EVERUN cushioning in the heel and a flexible, comfortable upper that wraps the foot while providing ample space in the toe box. A solid rock plate under the midsole and cushioned, gusseted tongue above the foot are still offered, and the new tread provides great traction on descents. The Peregrine continues to offer what is likely the best protection-to-weight ratio of trail shoes currently on the market. This is a great update and should be popular for Peregrine fans as well as those looking for a lighter weight trail shoe with plenty of rock protection and enough cushioning for a variety of distances. –BR

Saucony Triumph ISO 2, $150 Thanks to Saucony’s new EVERUN™ technology, the Triumph ISO 2 delivers a plush ride in a performance package. An extra layer of cushion closer to the foot – called Topsole construction – coupled with an EVERUN heel pad provides a more responsive feel while increasing durability and keeping the weight low. ISOFIT™, carried over from the predecessor, creates a soft, cradled fit around the midfoot, and the lighter, more breathable upper is perfect for those with wider feet. –SW

Montrail Caldorado, $120 The new Caldorado is a fun addition to Montrail’s lineup and is a wellbalanced shoe for all types of trail. The ample FluidFloam cushioning provides a soft, comfortable platform below the foot while integrating a touch of denser FluidGuide foam in the midfoot for added structure under the arch. A flexible rock plate is placed under the ball of the foot, and 5mm deep sticky-rubber lugs across the entirety of the outsole provide great traction. This reminds us of an updated, modernized Bajada with improved cushioning and a better upper. Check out the Caldorado if you enjoy fully cushioned trail shoes that have a touch of support and plenty of grip. –BR

Salomon Wings Pro 2, $140 The Wings Pro 2 is the type of shoe I believe I would find myself in during a race like Run the Rut or when on a run with a lot of super technical, steep terrain. This new version has been lightened overall but still rides with plenty of support through the use of a small plastic support in the heel, along with a layering of two types of EVA in the midsole. Like the Sense Pro 2 in the lightweight trail category, this WP2 also receives an outsole update with wider multidirectional tread. This is a really fun shoe for technical downhill terrain and a great option for a runner who prefers support, protection and traction when on trails or in the mountains. –BR

SCOTT Kinabalu RC, $130 The RC is a trimmed-down, mid-drop version of SCOTT’s popular T3 Kinabalu trail running shoe. The seamless upper feels more like an upper from SCOTT’s road racing line with most of the bulk support removed, though a padded tongue is provided for a comfortable fit above the midfoot. The RC outsole utilizes two types of tread and is patterned to work on a broad cross-section of terrain, plus a thin rock plate provides a bit of added protection on rougher trails. The outsole offers surprising grip in wet conditions. The RC climbs really well for a lightweight shoe, partly due to the rockered midsole shape, a trademark in the SCOTT running line. Check out the Kinabalu RC if you enjoy lightweight trail shoes or are a fan of SCOTT’s other trail shoes. –BR JAN/FEB 2016

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Brooks Cascadia 11, $120 Built to go the distance, the Cascadia 11 keeps the ultra-plush cushioning and grippy outsole that has made it an easy choice for trail runners for the past 10 years. The lightened upper and moisture-managing Element Lining provide great breathability in a variety of conditions. A carry over from previous models, the unique 4-point pivot system adapts to varying terrain, creating a more stable ride, while a ballistic rock shield in the forefoot protects against sharp objects. Tipping the scale at 11.8 oz, it’s not the lightest shoe in its category, but the added DNA cushion and aggressive tread are well worth the tradeoff on technical terrain. –SW

Altra Instinct/Intuition 3.5, $115 Altra continues to make strides in improving the fit of the uppers in their product line, and the new Instinct 3.5 (men) and Intuition 3.5 (women) seem to be the best fitting Altra shoes that we have run in to date. The rounded toe box and zero-drop platform are constants in Altra’s line; however, the new models are making strides in improving (tightening) the fit above the midfoot and around the heel. The Instinct and Intuition offer 24mm of responsive cushioning below the foot, as well as Altra’s broadened “Footpod” shaping under the midfoot, which creates an inherently stable platform for the arch while still technically being a neutral shoe. Check out the Instinct/Intuition 3.5 if you are looking for a road shoe that offers a cushioned, low-drop platform with a wide, rounded toe box. –BR

Brooks Launch 3, $100 The Launch has been a favorite among runners for its responsive, cushioned feel, and the new Launch 3 update builds on just that. This is accomplished by Brooks’ BioMoGo DNA midsole, which provides 30% more cushioning than standard midsole materials and twice the energy return. Added rubber on the forefoot increases springiness, and a new 3D Fit Print upper eliminates pesky seams that can irritate your feet, keeping you running longer and more comfortably. –SW

Topo MT-2, $100 Relatively new to the scene, Topo is sure to turn heads with their MT-2 trail shoe. Flexible, agile, and weighing in at just under 9 oz, it’s light enough for race day, while still providing a surprising amount of cushion for daily miles. A redesigned upper enhances breathability, and stronger overlays and a gusseted tongue ensure a better fit around the midfoot, despite its wider toe box. Consider this shoe if you’re looking for a workhorse that can tackle a Mt. Tam scramble but will feel equally at home on the road. –SW

Nike Lunar Tempo 2, $100 Why mess with a good thing? Luckily, Nike followed this adage with only a few tweaks to its immensely popular shoe. A new gusseted tongue improves the already sock-like fit without compromising weight, while added perforations keep breathability high. Weighing in at just over 7 oz, this shoe is built for speed, but don’t be fooled: the Lunarlon foam provides enough cushion for any distance, from 5k to marathons. Note: Because of the racier fit, most people size up. –SW 82

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OUTRUN

E COLD

BY DONALD BURAGLIO

TIGHTS REVIEW //////////

T

here’s a lot to be said for simple warmth. While many winter running bottom layers are engineered for compression, musculoskeletal support and a myriad of theoretic biomechanical advances, the primary goal of legwear for winter running remains as simple as staying well-insulated.

Modern legwear is far more advanced than that, of course, but in this review we’re leaving compression gear behind and sticking with classic styles (if you want a full rundown of compression garments, see the September 2014 issue of UltraRunning).

We’ve tested a variety of straightforward bottom layers designed to keep you warm and comfortable during long winter miles.

Patagonia Velocity Tights (M/W), $79 This modern tight is made with Polygiene permanent odor control for repeated uses.

The nylon/polyester/spandex fabric hugs legs with a very soft feel, and it’s breathable for when temperatures warm up. These are the lightest men’s tights in our test group, and they have several accent features such as a flat waistband, dual stretch pockets on the hips, a larger envelope pocket with a key loop at the center back and air flow mesh behind the knees.

Two design elements we found lacking are the lack of zipper openings at the ankles (they have stretch mesh there instead), and the internal stretch drawcord is difficult to use with gloved fingers.

BEST

SmartWool PhD Tech Tights (M/W), $125 CATEGORY

CATEGORY

Composed of 37% merino wool in addition to 46% nylon and 17% elastane, these are one of the most comfortable tights in our testing. The soft wool makes up the interior lining of the pants, making for an incredibly soft feel against the skin, and also gives the pants some natural odor resistance.

These tights proved to be outstanding at staying in place on the run. A large zipper pocket is on the back. Small 360-degree visibility accents help protect you from oncoming traffic.

Salomon Windstopper Tights (M/W), $125 These offer an effective combination of weather resistance and comfort, with proprietary WindStopper softshell fabric on the front panels, and more breathable ActiTherm stretch panels on the sides and backside. The windproof fabric on the front of the knees is less elastic than the stretch fabric, which causes a slight tugging feeling on the kneecap at high speeds. These tights feature a large zipper pocket at center back.

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TIGHTS REVIEW

The North Face Winter Warm Tights (M/W), $85

Lululemon Men’s Surge DWR Tights, $108

Winter Warm Tights are a midweight offering from the company’s extensive collection, and are designed for insulation and breathability. The brushed fleece interior lining feels plush, and thin stretch mesh panels behind the knees provide improved ventilation.

The tight also has a rear zipper pocket, but this storage area is smaller than most in our testing.

The wind and water resistance isn’t the strongest in this group, but for just plain cold days, this is a highly comfortable option.

The Surge DWR uses Luxtreme, a wicking fabric with four-way stretch properties.

The addition of Lycra provides an improved fit and shape retention, and the entire surface has a Durable Water Repellant (DWR) treatment for weather resistance. There are two stash pockets on the hips, and a narrow horizontal zip pocket at center back.

Brooks Seattle Tights (M/W), $165 These tights provide the most wind and waterproof protection of our reviewed tights with DriLayer SuperSeal fabric panels positioned in front of the pelvis, thighs and shins – also, thoughtfully, on the exterior zip pocket at the rear waist.

The entire backside as well as the front of the knees consist of flexible four-way stretch material that has greater range of motion than the DriLayer panels. The interior surface is very soft against the skin, and chafe-free seams and a flat waistband provide additional comfort measures.

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Lululemon Women’s Speed Tights Rulu, $98 This tight earned rave reviews from our female testers for its pure overall comfort.

Rulu is a proprietary fabric with a cozy heathered cotton feel that performs like high-performance athletic apparel.

It is lightweight, breathable, moisture wicking and has four-way stretch capability. The pocket and zipper setup is the same as the lululemon tights above. The Speed Tight Rulus are more vulnerable to wet weather than any other tights in our testing – but if it’s not raining, these are tights you might end up wearing all day long.

Lululemon Women’s Tight Stuff Tights, $148 As the name implies, this is at the high end of the tightness spectrum, with moderate compression that’s not as dramatic as dedicated compression gear, but still takes a few extra seconds to climb into. It’s composed of the same Luxtreme wicking/stretch fabric as the men’s Surge tight, but without the DWR treatment. Also like the Surge, the Tight Stuff has a small zipper pocket in back, but no zippers at the ankles. These tights are the best looking in our testing group.

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RUNNING PANTS REVIEW //////////

L

ooser-fitting running pants are a godsend for those who aren’t comfortable with the full-surface contact of traditional tights, and also for those who might be self-conscious about revealing every curve of their body. They are not nearly as prevalent as running tights, because it’s tough to strike the balance between “just loose enough” and “way too baggy.” The following models do it splendidly, and pack just as many technical performance features as the best pairs of tights.

Salomon S-Lab Hybrid WP Pants (M/W), $220

BEST

CATEGORY

Salomon has a propensity to reinvent categories of gear and apparel, and these pants are just such an innovator. They’re unbelievably thin and lightweight – less than half as heavy as the other two pants tested – in relation to the amount of insulation and weather resistance provided. A waterproof front membrane covers the front surface and the calves, and windproof stretch fabric is positioned on the hamstrings. Super thin stretch ventilation panels are positioned in the groin and inner thighs and across the back of the knee, with additional ventilation mapping (air holes) across the top rear to further assist thermoregulation. The pants are contoured close to the skin to pull moisture away from the body, but feel completely unrestrictive.

Ankle zips go all the way up to the knees. These pants compress down like a thin windbreaker. The only drawback is the complete lack of pockets.

///// 2016 RUNNING LEGWEAR REVIEW AT A GLANCE //////////////////////////// COMPANY

MODEL

MSRP

Brooks

Seattle

$165

Tight Stuff

$148

Speed Tights Rulu

$98

Surge DWR

$108

Patagonia

Velocity

$79

Patagonia

Wind Shield Hybrid

$149

Salomon Best in Category

S-Lab Hybrid WP

$220

Salomon

Windstopper

$125

SmartWool Best in Category

PhD Tech

$125

The North Face

Winter Warm

$85

The North Face Best Value

Torpedo

$70

lululemon

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TIGHTS

PANTS

• • • • •

WEIGHT (MEN’S MEDIUM)

275g

ZIP CUFFS

•

185g 255g 215g 195g

• • • • •

265g 105g 250g 265g 250g

•

245g

• • • • • •

Patagonia Wind Shield Hybrid Pants (M/W), $149

The North Face Torpedo Pants (M/W), $70

The most rugged of the group, combining soft shell technology on the front of the pants with more dynamic, lightweight and breathable materials elsewhere. A windproof laminate with DWR finish covers the front surface and calves. The seat and posterior thighs consist of extremely soft and super-stretchy Speedwork fabric, and the posterior knees are made of a thin mesh Capilene thermal weight fabric that is highly effective for ventilation.

These fabrics are also treated with Polygiene permanent odor control.

Dual zippered hand pockets and gusseted ankle zippers round out the features on this model. Our testers found the Wind Shield to be the best multi-purpose pant in our testing, and also the most stylish.

RED ROCK

Thickness wise, these occupy the middle ground between the thicker Patagonia pants and thinner Salomons, and they have a slightly more relaxed cut through the seat and thighs than the others.

The material construction is a lightweight, highly flexible polyester and elastane shell with a DWR finish, with solid wind resistance. The material is moisture wicking, but not quite as soft as the two others in this category. Dual hand pockets on the hips are zipperless, and there is a small zippered security pocket on the right hip.

The best value in this trio of pants goes to the Torpedo.

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ULTR ALIFE

One Step Beyond

What Makes a Champion?

BY DEAN KARNAZES Why do some people consistently excel while others fall by the wayside? What are the qualities that make a champion? It’s a question that’s been intensely examined

throughout the ages, perhaps more so than any other topic in sports psychology. With this month’s issue honoring the greats of our sport I thought it’d be a good area to explore.

Problem is, it’s not an easy question to answer.

There is considerable variation in the drives that compel a champion. Some are intrinsically motivated, while others are primarily seeking fame, fortune or notoriety (though in

Western States 100 Champions Magda Bouletand Rob Krar at the 2015 Awards Ceremony.

ultrarunning there are not many of these).

Some avoid the limelight, while others thrive in it. Some outperform because of a deep passion for what they are doing, while others win mainly because of a profound hatred of losing. Some champions are socially adept and emotionally intelligent, while other champions are narcissistic, insecure or even borderline pathological.

A study published in the International Journal of Sport Psychology found that there are almost no consistent cognitive factors that result in athletic success. Champions are motivated by different reasons that couldn’t be put into neat and clean categories; their personalities vary as much as the colors of a rainbow. Some are highly self-aware, while others are borderline delusional. Some end up becoming prominent community members, while others end up in jail.

However, regardless of the psychological makeup of a champion, most hold a fairly similar set of values and beliefs that result in specific behavioral characteristics. Those who end up on the podium tend to hold themselves entirely accountable for outcomes, are intensely focused on the most minute of details, refuse shortcuts or easy solutions, demonstrate an unwavering commitment to reaching their goals, view training and preparation as an integral component of success, are constantly seeking better techniques and practices for improving results, and absolutely refuse to accept compromise, settling for nothing but the best.

Not all of us will end up on the podium, but we can all learn from the way a champion thinks and acts, both the good and the bad. After all, isn’t that the true value of a champion – not that they win titles, but that they are teaching us how to live better?

Champions are deserving of our praise, both for the success they have achieved and for the lessons they teach us, both in sport and in life. Congratulations to the male and female Ultrarunners of the Year, and thank you for the gift you have given us.

Dean Karnazes lives & runs just north of the Golden Gate Bridge.

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ULTR ALIFE

Reese’s Pieces

Solo Hundo

BY CORY REESE I circled the high school track, loop after loop, hour after hour, mile after mile. For 100 miles, to be exact. It was July in southern Utah, where summer temperatures feel like you’re standing on the sun. The high was 107 degrees. I tried to think of some profound response when people asked why I was running 100 miles around a track in July.

The best I could come up with was “Well, it seemed like a unique challenge. And I had some glazed donuts I needed to burn off.”

This wasn’t my first or last solo 100 miler.

I ran a solo 100 in the high mountains where the air was thin and crisp. I ran a solo 100 through lonely desert trails where my only running companions were lizards. Maybe it’s low glycogen, maybe paranoia, maybe sleep deprivation, but while running alone during 100s I have a mild fear of coming across a mountain lion. I’m convinced that I can keep the imaginary mountain lions at bay by talking out loud to them and reminding them that I’m not delicious. I’m the opposite of delicious. Like cauliflower.

A memorable solo 100 was run through urban city streets where gas stations became my aid stations. The typical ultra aid station

band playing a rousing rendition of Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” as I ran past.

My most recent solo 100 was in October when I ran a quadruple St. George Marathon.

I began running the day before the race at the finish line. I ran up to the start line, then I was met by Sam’s back down the course to the finish, then back up the course, making it to the starting line entire school band in time to begin my last marathon with the playing a rousing official race. The previous solo runs had been unsupported. But on the quadruple marathon rendition of Queen’s run, my sweet wife crewed for the first 50 miles. Her primary job description was 1) “Another One Bites the Make sure I keep drinking, and 2) Don’t let Dust” as I ran past. me get in the car if/when I start crying and begging for a ride home.

It goes without saying that the planning food was replaced with Slurpees and Twinkies. and preparation stages for a solo 100 are This run became decidedly less solo when a critical. Because I expected to complete my new friend latched on for a few miles with runs without crew or support, my car was me. I learned that he was the band teacher usually my aid station. I had a cooler stocked at a nearby middle school. A few hours later with water, soda and snacks. I planned my as I neared the end of the run I passed by his routes to come back to my car every 15 to 20 school… and was met by the entire school miles to resupply. The beauty of a solo 100 is that your aid station always has what you want! For safety, let someone know your route, plans and timetable. I’ve come to learn that spouses appreciate an occasional call letting “I love this course, I love this trail!” them know how you’re doing, and that you Rob Krar haven’t become a mountain lion buffet.

There is no extrinsic reward for running 100K is Now a Western States 100 a solo 100. No finish line to cross. No cheers Qualifying Race for 2017 or congratulations from a crowd. No belt buckle to signify your determination and www.runcanyons.com perseverance. Nothing. You get in your car and drive home. But, as anyone who has run 100 miles can attest, the extrinsic rewards for that achievement pale in comparison to the intrinsic reward of knowing you pushed your body to the limit. You didn’t give up, even when you really really wanted to. You achieved something amazing. Something remarkable and difficult and incredible. Even though there is no belt buckle, that internal satisfaction is enough. It’s more than enough.

MAY 7, 2016

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Cory Reese, from southern Utah, enjoys having Zion National Park as his backyard.

He uses running to help balance out a well-developed sweet tooth. When he’s not running, Cory is a husband, father, medical social worker, photographer, writer, and piano composer.

His adventures can be found at fastcory.com.

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ULTR ALIFE

Rocket Rants

Shelf Life

BY ERROL “ROCKET” JONES The longer I’m in the sport of ultrarunning, the harder it seems to become, but the greater my understanding and appreciation are for what I was once able to do in terms of time and placing, training and recovery. My appreciation extends to every person who straps on a pair of shoes and takes to the trails in an attempt to negotiate 31 to 100-plus miles.

There’s nothing like suffering as a unifying force, and when many others share the same physical, and sometimes mental, pain, then empathy comes into play and makes us kindred spirits.

In past issues, I’ve ranted about various changes or observations of mine in our sport.

They’ve only been my opinions and some of my experiences. We all have them, but one thing has always been consistent with me:

my real love for the act of running and nearly all ultrarunners.

When we set out in the sport, we never fully consider the time when we’ll no longer be able to tackle the trails, to compete or perform in the way that we started out or when we were

When we set out in the sport, we never fully consider the time when we’ll no longer be able to compete or perform in the way that we started out. younger and on top of our game.

Intellectually, we may entertain or acknowledge that over the course of time we will slow down, our abilities will diminish and we’ll just be shadows of our former selves, but often we don’t

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fully embrace this concept until it actually hits us.

Suddenly, that day comes, and we’re physically not as good as we were or would like to be. We’ve reached our shelf life, or damn close to it. Sure, we can still go out and occasionally have a good

JAN/FEB 2016

run or race, but the reality is that while we still have something to give, it’ll never be what it once was.

And this dynamic builds on itself as training, recovery and motivation grow harder to come by.

When you drop into your local grocery store, you probably take notice, if you’re smart, of the expiration date listed for the items you intend to purchase.

Obviously, the sooner you make your purchase and consume it, the fresher, better tasting and more nutritional it’ll usually be.

You can consume some items past their shelf life without dire consequences, but there’s little question that the closer you get towards the stated date, the less flavorful, nutritional and beneficial it’ll probably be.

As ultrarunners, there are no such obvious dates stamped upon our foreheads, but maybe there should be. We each have a shelf life of sorts, and charging up and down mountains, kicking rocks and fording streams year after year can have unsettling consequences for those of us who ignore the handwriting on the wall.

When you’re out of the gate initially, everything about the sport is new and exciting.

The environs are special, the community is accepting and there are many people ready to give you the benefit of their years of experience. You have nothing but promise in front of you and

an upward swing to your career.

You tweak your training program and more improvements occur.

Then the dreaded overuse injuries come into play and you have to endure downtime. You anguish over that loss and do everything you can to rush back into the game, to hang out with your cronies, make your mark, enjoy the wilds of the trails and challenge yourself. You start to note that your performance is not what you expected or what you once produced or should be capable of. You quiz your compatriots on what you’re experiencing and ask their opinions or suggestions. You see physical therapists, voodoo doctors, whoever you think can help.

If you’re fortunate, you get hit with a dose of reality that says your body is not what it used to be, but it can still be good for where you are now. In fact, these may be the good old days, so you should appreciate what you still got and take full advantage of everything.

Many already know this, but for those not yet there: be advised, the day is coming. Take full advantage of, and feel appreciation for, the now. Your shelf life looms near.

Errol “Rocket” Jones is a veteran ultrarunner of 34 years, having participated in over 200 ultras dating back to 1981. Jones completed ultrarunning’s Grand Slam in 1998 and is a 3-time finisher of Badwater—the first African-American to accomplish those feats. He is also Co-Race Director of the Bear 100 and the Quad Dipsea, and serves as indentured servant at the Miwok and Lake Sonoma ultras.

WESTERN N

STATES

100-MILE ENDURANC ENDURANCE RUN 43RD ANNUAL RUN: JUNE 25 - 26, 2016

Golden ticket races

2016 ws100: presented by Sharman Ultra Endurance Coaching The top two female and male finishers in each individual race automatically qualify for entry into the 2016 Western States 100 event.

In addition, one Golden Ticket entrant will win a 6-month tier-3 coaching plan.

In the case that the first, or second place participant is already entered or decides to opt out, the automatic bid will slide to third place, fourth place, and subsequently down to fifth place as needed. wser.org/golden-ticket-races

www.WSER.org

Race Director: Craig Thornley, RD RD@WSER.org

t he u ltra life

Dr. Robert Lind heading out for some â&#x20AC;&#x153;trainingâ&#x20AC;? for the start of Western States 100.

Dr. Lind has fired his 20 gauge shotgun to start the event every year since 1978.

Photo courtesy of the Lind family.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The consistent energy VESPA & OFM fat-adaptation provide are key to staying focused and strong no matter the conditions. At the Fall 50 I was able to run a 5:17 50 miler despite strong headwinds, rain and stormy weather.â&#x20AC;?

Photo: Naomi Vogt

Zach on s n io t la u t a r g n o C 15 becoming the 20 mpion! a h C e il M 0 5 F T A US

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