Race Reports

As one of the oldest ultras in Kansas, Rockin’ K has had time to develop a bit of a reputation. After dwindling numbers in the 50-miler, the race organization decided to retire that distance (for now) and introduced the Rockin’ K 50K. Now runners can choose between a “marathon that’s really an ultra,” or they can run an actual ultra.

Runners often describe their KEYS100 race experience as “deceptively hard.” The course is nearly a straight shot along Overseas Highway until you reach Key West, is flat except for a handful of bridges along the way, and there are plenty of opportunities to meet your crew for whatever support you might need. And yet the finishing rate is around 60%.

The Pulse Endurance Runs held in Eagle Island State Park just west of Boise, Idaho, in late May reminded me why I love running 100 miles on a short loop course. Much of the aggravation that comes with running an unfamiliar point-to-point course is stripped away and you can concentrate fully on the distance and on the joy of pure running.

The 22nd Chubb 25 & 50K was held on April 17, 2021 after a hiatus in 2020. In the months leading up to the start, I wasn’t sure if the St. Louis County restrictions would allow us to run our normal race with a mass start, a smorgasbord of ultra snacks and a post-race barbeque. However, since I am writing this report, you can assume that some kind of race actually happened. Here’s how it went down.

If you’ve ever used the word “pleasant” to describe a 100-mile race, it’s likely going to be the C&O Canal 100 near Knoxville, Maryland. Forget about tripping down technical trails, battling brutal heat or sub-freezing temps and facing quad-burning elevation. Instead, imagine banks of wildflowers, a wide river flowing nearby and a running surface free of rocks, ruts and anything that would require your attention.

I made a long trip up to the still-thawing-out Pacific Northwest for the 19th Annual Peterson Ridge Rumble, previously advertised as a 40-miler, but really known to only be 60k. Either way, it’s a fast and runnable course with two big climbs and tons of flowy single track southwest of Sisters, Oregon, in the Deschutes National Forest.

When I found out that Terrain Trail Runners was adding a 100-mile distance to its Ozark Foothills lineup, I was beyond excited. This is a first-of-its-kind for the greater St. Louis area. We have a strong trail and ultrarunning community, but somewhat lack in the availability of races over 50 miles.

The last time I’d been to Zumbro was as a pacer during the blizzard of 2018, where I watched the trail disappear amidst wild raging winds and swirling piles of snow. In 2019, yet another blizzard had prevented the race from happening, followed by 2020, when it was canceled, along with most everything else. But in 2021, this southern Minnesota race was back. Things looked different, of course. The 17-mile race remained, but the 100-mile and 50-mile races were exchanged for a 34-mile option.

Instead of gathering in Hong Kong, Vibram Hong Kong 100 runners from across the world were offered an alternative: run it anywhere, on their own course. The rules were straightforward: run the course in Hong Kong without any official support from the race organizers, only if you were a local resident. Or, run and match the distance and elevation from wherever you live. That’s the brilliant part. 

The King’s Highway Trail Race had its second annual race this year, held at Hobcaw Barony on the outskirts of Georgetown, South Carolina. The property includes more than 37 historic buildings and structures representative of the eras of both 18th and 19th century rice cultivation and 20th century winter retreats.

The Stone Mill 50 was named the RRCA National Championship Race ultramarathon for 2020, but as the spring unfolded, it became apparent that what we were hoping to offer was not likely going to be allowed. As race director, I did not relax until the day before race day at 5 p.m., when I knew county officers had left for the day and our permits were intact.

This year’s Hellcat 50K almost didn’t happen. Not only did the organizers have to contend with COVID, but highway construction wiped out part of the old course. If that wasn’t enough, Mother Nature dumped three inches of rain on the course the night before, turning the trail into a mudfest.

Despite lower participant numbers, it was a race for the record books. The winner of the race, Hayden Hawks, set a new course record in 5:18:40, nearly four minutes faster than Jim Walmsley’s time from 2016. And for the first time since 2017, when Emile Harrison Torrence ran the fourth fastest time ever in 6:27:43, a woman cracked the top ten as Camille Herron ran the eighth fastest time ever in 6:31:14.

I have directed over 100 ultras. This past Hellgate was the most stressful one I have ever directed. There was so much uncertainty—things kept changing just like all of life. We found out for sure that we could hold the race 32 hours before the start.

Race Director Bryant Baker worked hard at making the inaugural running of the Rim to River 100 Mile, West Virginia’s first-ever hundred-mile race, something special. At packet pick-up, he mentioned that the course visits every spot in the area he would want his best friend to see if they were out on a run together.

During a time when so many races have been canceled, The Stinger All Comers Track Race was a reminder of the benefits of persistence, camaraderie and the great outdoors. Running around a 400-meter track hour after hour is also a great way to reflect and remove ourselves from the chaos that surrounds us.

The wild weather at Whiskey Basin Trail Runs in Prescott, Arizona, added to a palpable feeling of high energy, and though I couldn’t see others’ expressions due to masks and being distanced for COVID-19 precautions, everyone seemed to be in a good mood judging by the elbow-bumps. While it was a dark and stormy morning, we all needed to run.

“Where are the women?” I yelled at my computer last December. Race lotteries had been announced, running calendars had been released and lady runners were quietly missing. It was unacceptable. I wanted to do something crazy to invite women to the Jewel. Something big. Something special.

I’ve known races in the past to be canceled or postponed, but never the entire season as a whole being more or less shut down. To add to this mix, I lost my favorite sister, Gwen, to complications of the dreaded COVID virus, so I wasn’t feeling at all good about 2020. A sense of melancholy is exactly what I was feeling when I finally decided to try and enter the Heartland 100 yet again this year.

It was a calm, crisp morning at the start of the Moab 240, as the last group of runners lined up by the arch five minutes before 7 a.m. We hollered in anticipation, as we were about to embark upon 241 miles of remote country before returning to where we started.

After months of uncertainty with canceled races and FKT attempts, I caught wind that Javelina Jundred might take place. The pancake flat, fully exposed Arizona desert is a far cry from the terrain and climate where you would expect to find this mountain-minded ultrarunning junkie, but I needed something to look forward to.

Ride the Wave 50-Miler consisted of three legs: two checkpoints at miles 10 and 31, plus the finish line. The directions and course map were unknown for each leg until we arrived at the checkpoints, where we received the directions and maps on laminated cards to assist us in getting to next leg.

The Mines of Spain 100 makes excellent use of the area’s colorful history, and the beauty and variety of habitats of the natural world there. Add to that, stellar race organization, great volunteers and exceptional runner support, and it all adds up to a cool event that is likely to become a fixture in Midwest ultrarunning.

Conquer The World (CTW) Endurance not only held their first live race of the year in September, but the first edition of the Pawling 24-Hour Trail Running Festival. The event included 24-, 12-, 6- and 1-hour events on a 1.68-mile loop of road and trail with approximately 160 feet of elevation gain, that circles a beautiful lake in Pawling, New York.

Five waves of runners dispatched from the start under cool air as the skies lightened. This year’s race took runners in the original counterclockwise direction on 82% unpaved fire roads with just over a mile of elevation gain in central Pennsylvania’s Rothrock State Forest.

In a year of so much uncertainty and speculation, Hungerford was able to provide a bit of reprieve. It was just what we needed to affirm our love of running and once again celebrate each individual journey to the finish line.

Last year, I started and finished my first ever, 100-mile race at the Wasatch Front Endurance Run, but knew that I was capable of better. So, the next day, I sat in the car and decided to sign up for the Bear 100 in 2020.

This was our first race during COVID-19. Race director John Doggett and his team made sure everyone was taken care of and it felt like we were part of the family.

The Maah Daah Hey Trail consists of 144 miles of single track that weaves through the badlands of western North Dakota. Its name comes from the Mandan language and can be translated as “an area that has been or will be around for a long time,” “long lasting,” or simply, “grandfather.” However, one should not imagine a gentle grandfather, always ready with a Werther’s candy in the pocket of his flannel jacket.

In a pandemic world, live races are possible. On August 1, we held the 12th annual Dahlgren Heritage Rail Trail 50K as a live event, on an old converted railbed in King George, Virginia. We took COVID-19 seriously and produced a quality event centered around safety, respect for others and personal responsibility.