Midway, Utah. In one of the most impressive performances in recent years, Geoff Roes of Douglas, Alaska demolished the course record at the 30th annual Wasatch Front 100 Mile Endurance Run, which finished here on September 12. Roes, the defending champion, finished more than an hour under Kyle Skaggs’ 2007 course record while holding off six-time winner Karl Meltzer for the win. Meltzer was also under the old course record while finishing second.
The women’s race was one of the most hotly contested in the event’s history. Betsy Nye of Tahoe City, California out-dueled Mandy Hosford on the technical downhill at the end for her sixth victory. Nye led Hosford by small margins throughout much of the race, but Hosford caught up by Pole Line Pass (mile 83.4) and took a three-minute lead at the Rock Springs check point at mile 87.4. The two were within a minute at the Pot Bottom final checkpoint at mile 93.1 but Nye pulled away on the rutted, rocky and steep descent that followed and won by ten minutes. It was the first time in race history that two women finished in less than 24 hours.
Photo at left: Geoff Roes climbs into the Bountiful B check point (John Medinger photo)
Men
1. Geoff Roes, 33, Douglas, AK, 18:30:55 (course record, old record 19:35:14 by Kyle Skaggs, 2007)
2. Karl Meltzer, 41, Sandy, UT, 19:12:05
3. John Anderson, 31, Boulder, CO, 21:39:17
4. Jared Campbell, 30, Salt Lake City,UT, 21:48:32
5. Jay Aldous, 48, Brighton, UT, 22:03:40
Women
1. Betsy Nye, 44, Tahoe City, CA, 23:15:18
2. Mandy Hosford, 35, Salt Lake City, UT, 23:25:55
3. Darla Askew, 36, Bend, OR, 25:55:48
4. Rhonda Claridge, 42, Telluride, CO, 26:30:56
5. Jane Larkindale, 36, Tucson, AZ, 27:30:25