by Don Halke
On March 28, 40 runners arrived at Big Spring Picnic Area, in the far western Perry County, PA to run the Harrisburg Area Road Runners Club’s Tuscarora Trails Ultra 50K. This is a free event, but all runners must register in advance and are required to bring a donation for the aid stations.
It was freezing spring morning temperatures only around 20F. The skies were threatening, but leaking only snow flurries on the anxious runners.
The course is about 50/50 trail/forest service roads, with about 4500 feet of climb, with some great trails, some good shoe sucking mud and some extraordinary rocks! And then it snowed.
But speed is not what this run is about. We have no awards, except for best wildlife photo, we have no first, second places, and most important, NO DNF’s. Anyone not completing the entire 31 miles is still listed in the results with their approximate distance ran. I refer this distance as a ODR, Other Distance Ran. If you have ever tried running any of my races you would understand. They are difficult, some would just say HARD. And there is no shame in calling it a day if things are not working for you.
I am so fortunate to have extraordinary volunteers, like Rick Knepp, and his group from the Susquenitia High School who run one of the major aid stations, Ron Shields, from the Perry County Road Runners who helped me mark trail and help record runners in to the aid stations, Jen Henry and her family who ran the aid station on top of the snow covered mountain, Alicia Hebert and Tonya Nace, Asheighly Carr, who assisted me all day, Alicia Hare and Mary DiMagio who helped with trail work, Cassie Lizza, Jim Kreiser, Ann Wright and her friend Chris, Brian McPherson, Terri Sanchez and Mark Maurer who were sweeps. If I forgot anyone, I am sorry. But I didn’t forget the key person on the volunteer list, Melanie Halke, who coordinates the race day sign in, checks you off when you finish, and most important, runs the kitchen at the finish.
So Don had another Grand Adventure and I hope everyone else that participated in this event did as well. Thanks for allowing me to share in it with you…And now the results:
Miles Ran Finish Time
Josh Litofsky 31 4:40
Ian Grettenberger 31 4:47
Matt Pennington 31 5:05
Clayton Bouchard 31 + 5:09
Cole Larson-Whittaker 31 5:17
Adam Murak 31 5:40
Randy Yasenchak 31 6:08
Jesse Smith 31 6:15
Craig Murphy 31+ 6:30
Chris Janovich 31 6:40
Dave Herring 31 6:45
Brian Carr 31+ 6:45
Amy Gibson 31+ 6:57
Zach Geiple 31 6:58
Paul Moretz 31 7:09
Shawn Krause 31 7:09
Karen Sandt 31 7:21
Blake Cohen 31 7:28
Corey Dubil 31 7:30
Japhy Czysz 31 7:36
Gary Knipling 31 7:38
Katie Raezer 31 7:39
Gary Lukacs 31 7:41
Paul Crickard 31 8:48
Alan Lagon 31 8:48
Michael Coale 31 8:54
Shawn Eakins 31 8:54
Karl Barrus 31 9:14
Cindy Cohen 31 9:15
Anne Weaver 23 5:30
Kristen Mam 23 5:37
Marcia Peters 23 6:00
Brian McNeill 23 6:00
Diana Rapp 23 6:10
Carli Moua 23 6:45
Vanessa Chamberlain 23 6:45
Alicia Hare 20 6:05
Brian Rainey 15.5 4:30
Danielle Diantoniis 15.5 4:30
Jeff Shetler 14 3:00