Ultra Running Magazine
  • Subscribe
    • Subscribe
    • Renew
    • Gift Subscription
  • Magazine
    • All Issues
    • Purchase Back Issues
    • Find a Retailer
    • Become a Retailer
  • Articles
    • Reviews
    • Training & Racing
    • Health & Nutrition
    • Race Reports
    • News and Notes
    • Ultra Running 101
    • Podcast
    • Weekly Newsletter
    • UltraRunners of the Year
  • Training Plans
  • Race Calendar
    • Upcoming Races
    • By State
    • Map View
    • Stats
      • Finishes
      • Top Performances
      • Biggest Races
    • Race Director
      • Register
      • Login
  • Results
    • Latest Results
    • Runner Search
    • All Time List
  • Shop
    • Back Issues
    • Digital Back Issues
    • Hats
    • Stickers
    • Odds and Ends
    • Cart
  • About
    • About UR
    • Columnists
    • Staff
    • Statement on Racism
    • Change of Address
    • Editorial Submissions
    • Contact
      • Advertise
    • Ambassadors
  • 0
Subscribe
Photo: Gary Dudney

Grandmaster Ultras: Apologies to the Youngsters

Gary Dudney 03/02/2022
Gary Dudney 03/02/2022

The Grandmaster Ultras would be business as usual as far as most ultra events are concerned except, and apologies to younger runners here, you are required to have lived at least half a century in order to participate. Grandmaster, in other words, is where the older generation gets to feel young again and pursue their ultra dreams without all those pesky young runners gumming up the works.

The winter edition of the Grandmaster Ultras offers the gamut of classic distances: 100 miles, 100k, 50 miles and 50k in the “Three Corners” area near Mesquite, Nevada, where the states of Arizona, Utah and Nevada converge. The spot is lonely, set as it is in a vast surrounding wilderness. The area is desert, but the mid-February race date virtually assures that the temperatures will be neither too hot during the day nor too cold at night. The scenery is awesome, including many Joshua trees in the area, which tower above with their crooked branches and yucca-like plumes that will trick the eye into seeing all sorts of fantastic beasts in the low light of dusk and dawn.

Photo: Gary Dudney

Runners in their fifties are rock stars flashing past the Joshua trees and wading through the sand on their way to a win. The sixties crowd struts whatever stuff they have left without constantly wondering if the young runners that beat them them in every other race are really that good or just cashing in on their youth. And those in their seventies can use the generous cutoff times to grit it out and make a play for their former glory.

Not surprisingly, the race has an old school feel. There were runners with fanny packs like you would have seen at Western States in the late 1980s. The talk in one group was how Monica Scholz and Hans-Dieter Weisshaar were faring. Eric Clifton was there wearing his usual crazy tights. Also, in the 100-mile distance was Clyde “the Glide” Aker, Catra Corbett, Bobby Keough and Davy Crockett, all legendary veterans of hundreds of ultras.

Photo: Gary Dudney

The main course is basically a 50-mile loop over rough country roads and ATV trails. Runners pass each other heading out and back on a couple of long stretches of road, but for the most part, traffic is one way. Gradual elevation change is about 2,000 feet and occasional sections of scattered rocks make walking a safer choice than running, but there are really no obstacles that will keep you up at night.

The concept of this race is a great one — to set aside one event where older runners can feel special and pursue their passion solely among their like-minded (and age-minded) peers. The course seemed beautifully calibrated to the event; it was challenging enough to DNF quite a few runners but yielded to a steady and determined effort. I would encourage any runner (once they reach age 50) to put this race on their bucket list, and then maybe visit the bucket over and over again before they are impelled to kick it.

Results  100 Miles | 100K | 50 Miles | 50K

FacebookTwitterEmail
Gary Dudney

Gary Dudney writes the “Running Wise” column. A native of Kansas, he followed his Polish wife to a job located in Monterey, California in 1982 and signed on as a Technology Project Manager at CTB/McGraw-Hill. Unbeknownst to him at the time, he had landed in the center of prime Northern California ultrarunning territory. Over two hundred ultras later, he still finds every race a fresh and unique experience, evident in the dozens of quirky race reports he’s submitted to UltraRunning over the years. He’s also published a raft of short stories in magazines such as Boys’ Life, Highlights for Children, Boys’ Quest, and several lit magazines. He's also the author of two running book The Tao of Running: Your Journey to Mindful and Passionate Running and The Mindful Runner: Finding Your Inner Focus available on Amazon or at Barnes & Noble online. Visit his website at: thetaoofrunning.com.

You may also like

Ultra Weekend Recap — January 29

01/29/2023

What’s Up in Ultra This Weekend — January...

01/26/2023

Review: Winter Glove Roundup

01/25/2023

Ultra Weekend Recap — January 22

01/22/2023

Rebecca Joyner

01/20/2023

What’s Up in Ultra This Weekend — January...

01/18/2023

Peterman and Dauwalter named 2022 UltraRunners of the...

01/18/2023

Herron and Walmsley named #2 2022 UltraRunners of...

01/17/2023

Jones and Hogan named #3 2022 UltraRunners of...

01/16/2023

Ultra Weekend Recap — January 15

01/15/2023

Weekly Newsletter

A roundup of the week's content and race results. Sent every Thursday.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Podcast

  • Rebecca Joyner

  • Carilyn Johnson

  • Ultra Shorts: What’s the Issue w/ Editor Amy Clark

  • Craig Thornley

  • Ultra Shorts: What’s the Issue w/ Editor Amy Clark

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Email
  • Spotify

Back To Top
Ultra Running Magazine
  • Subscribe
    • Subscribe
    • Renew
    • Gift Subscription
  • Magazine
    • All Issues
    • Purchase Back Issues
    • Find a Retailer
    • Become a Retailer
  • Articles
    • Reviews
    • Training & Racing
    • Health & Nutrition
    • Race Reports
    • News and Notes
    • Ultra Running 101
    • Podcast
    • Weekly Newsletter
    • UltraRunners of the Year
  • Training Plans
  • Race Calendar
    • Upcoming Races
    • By State
    • Map View
    • Stats
      • Finishes
      • Top Performances
      • Biggest Races
    • Race Director
      • Register
      • Login
  • Results
    • Latest Results
    • Runner Search
    • All Time List
  • Shop
    • Back Issues
    • Digital Back Issues
    • Hats
    • Stickers
    • Odds and Ends
    • Cart
  • About
    • About UR
    • Columnists
    • Staff
    • Statement on Racism
    • Change of Address
    • Editorial Submissions
    • Contact
      • Advertise
    • Ambassadors

Shopping Cart

Close

No products in the cart.

Close