Speedgoat Karl really is nailing the Appalachian Trail and like any multi-day journey of this magnitude he is having some high and lows. I am continually impressed by the level of determination and commitment both Karl and his crew are throwing at this. It’s mind blowing.
Each week we are providing 7-day updates. You can read days 1-7 HERE, days 8-14 HERE and on day 19 we caught up with Karl’s head crew member, eric, for a ‘live’ chat from the trail, listen to that HERE.
Many thanks to Red Bull for the support.
Day 15 Pittsfield, MA
It was a long but productive day for Karl. Karl left early on his route through Massachusetts. His first crew stop was in a busy and booming town near Pittsfield, MA. Karl made excellent timing all day and continues to keep on record pace. The terrain is less harsh at the moment and therefore faster. Daily mileages are around 40. The general atmosphere is great and attitudes are good. As Karl’s crew set up camp on Beartown Mountain road, trouble hit. Karl’s Spot Tracker signaled SOS outside a residential building. However, the crew could not receive the signal due to a lack of reception. The production crew had reception and headed out to find Karl, it was 9:30pm. It took sometime but the team eventually found Karl. Turns out that Karl ended up going to someone’s house where they offered him a jacket, a blanket and a floor to sleep on. Luckily there were no injuries and everyone was safe. It’s important to remember the trail is off the beaten track, even on the surrounding roads. From here on out, the crew is optimistic about tracking and pinpointing every crew location on the rest of the trail. It was a short night of rest. Even with the best technology, an experienced crew and dedicated athlete, there are no guarantees – anything can happen.
Day 16 Connecticut
It was a long night last night but Karl was up and at it again making his way through Connecticut and on to New York. Initially, Karl was tired, no surprise really! After about 10-minutes he started to feel a burst of energy and logged 48-miles, incredible! Karl as a positive attitude and the mishaps of day 15 are gone.
Day 17 Depot Hill Road, NY
The day began with the sun and as the team head south the climate is changing – hot and humid! It certainly makes running more difficult. Karl’s wife, Cheryl, had to leave again today. Dover Oak is the oldest tree on the AT and as Karl passed he said, ‘That’s a big tree!’ Beautiful and big it may well be but it’s next to a very busy and noisy road. It was a big day with 50 miles logged but Karl started to suffer from a sizeable blister. Unfortunately, this can happen with the heat, humidity and constant pounding. Karl is doing a great job of managing the pain. It was an early bed despite a big mileage day. Karl had a new crew member join today. Mike arrived 1030pm and not only will he crew, he will also join Karl on the trail.
Day 18 Bear Mountain State Park, NY
55 miles today, how does he do it? Karl ran through Bear Mountain State Park which is on the west side of the Hudson River in NY. It was a hot day and will only get hotter. Sadly, Karl’s dad had to leave the crew today and head home, so the crew is Eric and Mike.
Day 19 New York and New Jersey
Karl had a friend join him today, Lou. A fellow ultra-runner, Lou laced up his shoes and joined Speedgoat from midday. Makes a big difference to have someone to talk too and help pace. The weather continues to be hot and the afternoons have had rainfall. The rain is great for keeping Karl cool but not great for the feet. This area has lots of small mountains and is full of expansive farmland. The trail changes from boardwalks to flat land, to paths through farming fields and ultimately to the famous root filled green tunnel.
Day 20 New Jersey/ Pennsylvania Border
Today was a rough day… Lou only spent a day on the AT and that means it’s down to Eric and Mike to crew. Karl had pain in his shins which caused problems for running. The pain also took a mental toll. Mike joined Speedgoat on the trail for about 8-miles to help him along. Mike mentioned how Karl’s knee was buckling during the run, no doubt due to the pain. Karl is seriously tough… few people could withstand this! The crew iced his legs longer than usual and tended to both his shins and knees. A wrap around his ankle will hopefully help tomorrow! It was a low mileage day and that will surely play on Karl’s mind – he intended for 50-miles but covered 35. This journey is about so many elements coming together, it is a huge undertaking for both Karl and crew. Knowing when to push and when to hold back may well be the key to success. One wrong decision and it could all be over.
Day 21 Pennsylvania
Heading south through Pennsylvania, Karl had an early start! Despite a swollen shin, Karl felt good and the day just clicked and the miles passed smoothly. Amazing how one day can be so different to another day. The terrain was a mix of small rocks mixed with tree roots. Many of the larger rocks require a bit of climbing, as if bouldering. When Karl reached the planned stopping point he insisted on pushing on… Karl want this record! He continued into the night. It was a rough section of trail but Karl got it done. It was a huge boost and after 17-hours on the trail, Karl called it a day.
This is Episode 118 of Talk Ultra and this week is going to be a short and sharp show… it’s all about the UTMB races and Trofeo Kima. We have interviews with Jo Meek who placed 2nd lady at the CCC and Damian Hall who placed 19th in the UTMB and recently completed a ‘FKT’ on the South West Coast Path in the UK. This weeks show is co hosted by Albert Jorquera.
Firstly, this show is being recorded in the USA on the day of the RUT VK and so therefore we are somewhat pressed for time… joining me is a co-host is my good buddy and fellow Skyrunning hack, Albert Jorquera.
If you haven’t guessed, Albert is from Spain!
Karl is on the AT as many of you will know, Speedboat has passed halfway on the AT. He really is doing great, racking up some daily mileage and as you can guess is going through some real highs and lows. We are posting 7-day updates on my website so please check out the links on the show notes. I need to give out a bog thanks to Red Bull who hooked us up with Eric, Karl’s chief crew and I had a chat with him on day 19.
Albert, what do you reckon, 2100 miles in under 50 days, trying to average somewhere between 45-50 miles a day?
RUNNING BEYOND BOOK well I have a first copy in my hand and I have to say I am somewhat pleased and happy. It’s taken a couple of years and at times it never felt quite real. The book in my hand confirms it is real and Spanish, German, Italian and UK versions will be available in the coming months. I believe Spain is first (September) Italy is October and the UK November. I don’t have a date on the German edition yet! – HERE
00:32:00 NEWS
TROFEO KIMA HERE
Bhim Gurung 6:10 new CR
Marco De Gasperi 6:12
Leo Viret 6:15
Emelie Forsberg 7:49
Ruth Croft 8:02
Emanuela Brizio 8:21
UTMB WEEKEND
OCC
Xavier Thévenard (France) won the 55k OCC race with 5:28 on the clock. Marathon des Sables sensation Rachid El Morabity (Morocco) was second, 15 minutes back. Mercedes Arcos (Spain) cruised to the front of the women’s field in 6:54.
CCC
Michel Lanne (France) in 12:10, five minutes ahead of Ruy Ueda (Japan). Mimmi Kotka (Sweden) gained the women’s victory in 13:42, 27 minutes better than second-place Jo Meek (U.K.).
INTERVIEW with JO MEEK
TDS
Pau Capell (Spain), Yeray Duran (Spain), and Franco Colle (Italy) filled the men’s podium with 14:45, 15:14, and 15:32 finish times, respectively. Delphine Avenier (France) led the women with an 18:46 winning time with Meredith Edwards (U.S.) took second 13 minutes back.
Last week we provided an update of Speedgoat Karl’s first 7-days on the ‘AT’ as he tries to set an ‘FKT.’ You can read that HERE
Karl is now 16-days into his journey and in Connecticut. Below we provide an update of days 8 to 14.
Day 8 New Hampshire
Today on all levels was challenging. After a long and challenging day yesterday, Karl continued his hike but slowed his pace down. A highlight of today was that Karl reached the summit of Mt Washington as conditions were harsh. Dense fog, cold air and gusty wind made the hike anything but easy. Karl continued after a late summit to Crawford Notch where he had a very late arrival. Though he is pushing himself, it’s important to note that getting in late also means less rest, which is critical in any situation and especially when you are trying to set a record.
Day 9 Mt Lafayette, NH
Karl left on time today, however, when reaching the Knife’s Edge, our crew could tell from his demeanour that he is becoming even more exhausted with every step. Thankfully Karl made a trail companion through the Knife’s Edge that accompanied him for a while. It’s important to remember that as much as this is a physical feat, it’s mental too! Karl said that this hiker was important because at some points he helped keep the pace steady. Karl eventually lost the hiker on the downhill but nonetheless, every person Karl runs into on this journey is important to his success. While hikers’ journeys and motivations are diverse as the trail itself, the challenges of the trail reveal the common bonds between them. Karl decided to stop one stop early at Flume Gorge to catch up on rest and recharge his body for another long day on the Green Tunnel.
Day 10 Flume Gorge, NH
Karl finished the trek through the White Mountains at the end of Day 10. Not surprisingly, the White Mountains took a toll on both Karl’s feet and mentality. Karl is starting to form blisters around the bottom of his feet, as expected Karl got to his final destination before sunset which provided him plenty of opportunity to eat a good meal and relax before getting sleep. The crew brought Karl one of his favourite foods on the train, ice cream! It lifted his spirits. Karl’s attitude is amazing. The night ended well with jokes and laughter.
Day 11 Hanover, NH
Karl picked up the pace as he headed towards the city of Hanover. Karl arrived in Hanover before expected and instead of sitting to eat and replenish, he insisted on walking while eating to keep the pace. He is an absolute machine! Karl experienced a dramatic shift in landscape as he ran through the city of Hanover – buildings and cars surrounded him as the AT guided him onwards and out of the city. While the change in scenery was welcomed, the surroundings were blurred by very severe storms in the area. A system rolled in during the morning hours and another one later in the night. Torrential rain and lightening caused Karl to arrive later than usual at 9:45pm. Though he won’t be getting normal hours of sleep to lead him into the day 12, he will have a running companion which hopefully will allow him mentally and physically to keep record speed pace.
Day 12 Wallingford, VT
Hello Vermont! Karl had a friend come and run part of the trail with him today which was instrumental in keeping good and efficient pace. Day 12 was a quick day, relatively speaking. However, there was a swarm of bees on part of the trail. Eric, (Karl’s are chief) went ahead as Karl is no fan of bees – Eric got stung! Thankfully for Karl, Eric must have given the bees all they needed and it was a clear passage. As the terrains flattens out from the White Mountains, Karl will hopefully pick up pace a little allowing him to gain more time.
Day 13 Stratton-Arlington Rd, VT
Karl continued to trek south and is crushing the pace once again with an amazing attitude. The terrain is still mountainous but nothing like the harsh terrain of the White Mountains, the Green Mountain National Forest is kinder. Karl shaved off his beard today, it prevent flies, fleas ticks and other bugs getting a free ride and it’s a little cooler! The temperatures on the trail vary a great deal but is seasonally hot. Karl finished the day early catching the crew off guard. Even Karl Sr was taken by surprise, he had intended to join Karl on the final stretch in. Cheryl (Karl’s wife) prepared dinner and the route was planned for tomorrow. Bed by 9pm and hopefully the energy batteries will be restored for tomorrow.
Day 14 Mt Greylock, MA
Karl’s morale is high as he continues south. Eric (Karl’s crew) says this is down to a new iPod with new music. It keeps Karl occupied and at pace while running. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are another key element! Some rain today and bad weather today but Karl pushed on and is till, at times, arriving earlier than anticipated at certain points. The highest point in Massachusetts, Mt Greylock was the finish for Karl’s run today. A big meal and a nice bed waited. Though the terrain is less mountainous, roots still remain throughout the trail. In moments of fatigue, this can be extremely tough. The view from Mt Greylock was that of another planet, fog was so thick they could only see 2-5 feet. Green trees that surround the trail gave it a very eerie feeling.
Current stats show Karl has covered 757.4 miles with 1432.6 remaining. Please keep in mind that these figures are current at the time of writing.
This is Episode 117 of Talk Ultra and it’s a packed show. We talk with Jonathan Albon who last year won the Tromso SkyRace and this year placed 2nd. Debbie Martin-Consani talks about running long and her recent CR at the North Downs Way 100 in the UK. We also speak to my fellow podfather and good friend, Martin Yelling, about his inspiring, ‘Long Run Home.’ The News and Niandi co-hosts.
Karl is on the AT and he is now through the first week and everything seems to be going well. Each week I will post a 7-day update on my website, days 1-7 are HERE
RUNNING BEYOND BOOK is going to be available from October in Italy with Germany, Spain and the UK following – HERE
The VK which was run the day before saw Stian Angermund confirm his form from the Skyrunning World Championships with a strong victory and Emelie Forsberg won a nail biting sprint for the line to show us all she is on her way back. Read and view images HERE.
00:16:07 INTERVIEW JONATHAN ALBON
SIERRE ZINAL
It was a Kenyan victory for Petro Mamu ahead of the UK’s Robbie Simpson and Francesco Puppi from Italy was 3rd. In the ladies race, Michelle Maier took a great victory in 2:58 ahead of Lucy Wambui Murigi and Elisa Desco was 3rd.
TRANSROCKIES
120 miles over 6 stages and victory went to David Laney/ Ryan Ghelfi in the men’s race and Amanda Basham/ Keely Henninger for the women.
NORTH DOWNS WAY 100
Male:
Neil Kirby 16:46:21
James Poole 17:20:27
John Stocker 18:03:26
Female:
Debbie Martin-Consani 18:34:54 (6th overall)
Annabelle Stearns 21:41:32
Wendy Shaw 22:33:55
00:50:14 INTERVIEW DEBBIE MARTIN-CONSANI
MONTANA BRIDGE RIDGE RUN
This 20 mile race gets a mention as Jim Walmsley of Western States fane was apparently flying ahead of course record and then…. a lack of confidence saw him backtrack, WSER is obviously haunting him. Turns out he was on the correct course, he turned around and this time won but missed the record.
Gonzalo Calisto, 5th at 2015 UTMB tests positive for EPO – Compressport have now released a statement which is a really positive sign. Read HERE.
ANGELES CREST 100
Guillaume Calmaettes 19:14
Dominick Layfield 19:30
Dominick Grossman 19:57
Jenny Welch 26:51
Maria Lourdes Rivera 27:02
Selina Nordberg 28:54
SRICHIMNEY SELF-TRANSCENDENCE 3100mile
It was the 20th edition of the 3100m journey and Yuri Trosteny completed the distance first in 46 days and just 94-minutes faster than Asprihanal Aalto. Asprihanal won the race in 2015 in a record 40 days. This time he came from behind and on one day he ran 86 miles to try to steal victory – 94 minutes super close! Yuri ran consistently more than 63 miles everyday!
When this show comes out it will be the Matterhorn Ultraks in Switzerland and then the week after it’s UTMB with a super stacked field and the iconic Trofeo Kima in Italy.
This is Episode 107 of Talk Ultra. This show has so much content, we speak with Lizzy Hawker about her amazing 200km Kathmandu Valley FKT, Ryan Sandes talks about his 2015 and his new book, Trail Blazer. Gavin Sandford tells us about his amazing double Marathon des Sables challenge. Niandi catches up with past participants of the Big Red Run in Australia who will return in 2016 and Speedgoat is back from the AT.
00:01:30 Show Start
00:21:26 Niandi talks injured foot and Big Red Run
00:28:02 INTERVIEW Jamie Hildage, Big Red Run
Jamie Hildage ran the Big Red Run in Australia in a past edition and will return in 2016, Niandi caught up and had a chat about the unique challenges this race brings
01:26:11 INTERVIEW LIZZY HAWKER is back with an incredible 200km run around Kathmandu and 15000m of vertical gain. I caught up with Lizzy after 3-years in the run wilderness.
Lizzy’s race, Ultra Tour Monte Rosa has a few places available and you can enter HERE
02:00:19 INTERVIEW RYAN SANDES has a new book out called Trail Blazer. We caught up with Ryan, discussed his troubled 2015, what 2016 has in store and of course we found out about the book. Ryan asked a question in his interview, if you like to win a signed copy, you need to comment on these show note with the correct answer
03:11:56 INTERVIEW Gavin Sandford will attempt two Marathon des Sables in 2016 – a world first, all in the name of charity. You can donate HERE and contribute to his funding at Crowdfunder HERE. Talk Ultra have offered a place on the Lanzarote 2017 Training Camp (worth £800) to Gavin as a pledge to help him raise additional funds. This place will be available for £500 (saving the lucky person £300). It’s first come, first served!
This is Episode 101 of Talk Ultra. We speak with Jo Meek who is back in form after almost a year of injury. Mal Law talks about HIGH FIVE-0 and Lucja Leonard talks all about weight loss in Talk Training. Dare I say it, but the PED debate has started in ultra, trail and mountain running and we discuss what is happening! Speedgoat is here.
00:01:31 Show Start
00:08:30 NEWS
Help Nepal – Nepal images ‘FACES of NEPAL’ – order a print and all funds donated to Nepal charities HERE
TRAINING CAMP in Lanzarote with Elisabet Barnes 28th Jan to Feb 4th HERE
DRUGS, PEDs, EPO are becoming a reality in our sport READ HERE and your thoughts.
TNF50
1 – Zach Miller 6:12
2 – Dylan Bowman 6:20
3 – Ryan Bak 6:26
1 – Megan Kimmel 7:13
2 – Ellie Greenwood 7:23
3 – Larisa Dannis 7:25
MSIG LANTAU
1 – Francois D’Haene 5:42
2 – Eirik Haugsness
3 – Upendra Sunuwar
1 – Maud Gobert 7:08
2 – Marie McNaughton
3 – Rebecca Nakuwa
VULCANO ULTRA TRAIL 100k
1 – Cristofer Clemente 12:31 held off Joe Grant for the win
2 – Manuela Vilaseca 15:48 ran away with the ladies race ahead of Veronica Bravo
SAINT E LYON France
Benoit Cori (Templars winner) finished with Nicolas Martin joint 1st 5:07 and Corali Bugnare took out the ladies wins 6:32
Episode 90 of Talk Ultra is playing catch up. Yes folks we missed a show… Speedgoat discusses Scott Jurek on the AT. We talk Western States and have an interview with Rob Krar. We have some Richtersveld Wildrun chat from South Africa with Nikki Kimball and Georgina Ayre. We also speak to Stevie Kremer on Ultra Skymarathon Madeira. Talk Training, the News and Niandi co-hosts.
FKT for Gary Robbins – In Washington on the 95-mile Wonderland Trail around Mount Rainier, Gary Robbins ran 18:52 to cut just over two hours from Kyle Skaggs’s previous supported record, which had stood since 2006.
The Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run is an ultra marathon of 100.5 miles in length, plus 33,992 feet of climb and 33,992 feet of descent for a total elevation change of 67,984 feet, at an average elevation of over 11,000 feet. The race is held on a loop course on 4WD roads, dirt trails, and cross country in Southern Colorado’s San Juan Range, USA.
The run starts and ends in Silverton, Colorado and travels through the towns of Telluride, Ouray, and the ghost town of Sherman, crossing thirteen major passes in the 12,000′ to 13,000′ range.
Entrants must travel above 12,000 feet (3,700 m) of elevation a total of 13 times, with the highest point on the course being the 14,048′ summit of Handies Peak. The race has been held in early July of each year beginning in 1992, except for 1995 (too much snow) and 2002 (nearby forest fires). Each year’s race is run in the opposite direction of the previous year’s event (2008 was run in the clockwise direction, 2009 will be counter-clockwise). In order to complete the event, instead of crossing a finish line, runners are required to “kiss the Hardrock”, a picture of a ram’s head painted on a large block of stone mining debris.
This course offers a graduate level challenge for endurance runs. The course is designed to provide extreme challenges in altitude, steepness, and remoteness. Mountaineering, wilderness survival and wilderness navigation skills are as important in this event as your endurance.
In 2014 Kilian Jornet made the course, dare I say, look easy! He took photos, waited for Julien Chorier and then finally took off and smashed the course record. Hos victory guaranteed him a slot for 2015 and so he’s coming back to go in the opposite direction and it would be fair to say that many of us are expecting a similar display. It’s important to clarify that the weather plays a crucial part in any great Hardrock performance, so if the weather gods are playing ball I certainly expect to see Kilian on top of the podium and I also will stick my neck out and say he will set a new CR and thus will hold the CR for both directions. On a final note though in regard to the Catalan, his preparation for 2015 has been very different to 2014, yes he has been logging some serious training hours and elevation but he has less time at elevation and we saw how he struggled at Aconcagua. A recent top 10 at Chamonix VK and just this last weekend he won and set a new CR at Mount Marathon in Alaska. The stage is set!
I would be talking about Anton Krupicka now, he finally got an entry in the race that he has always wanted to do and what happens? Injury strikes resulting in a no show for Anton.
Step in Iker Karrera. Iker is a machine in tough and challenging races. His Tor des Geants performance a classic example of how he gets his head down and churns out the performance. He’s been 2nd at UTMB but I guess one of the most significant indicators comes from Diagonale des Fous (Raid de la Reunion) when Kilian waited for Iker on the trails encouraging him to the line… Kilian went on to win! Iker can win Hardrock but I think it will be because Kilian looses it if you know what I mean!
Adam Campbell was 3rd last year in 25:56 and then almost disappeared from the scene. It’s really difficult to say if Adam can repeat his 2014 performance, I personally think he can. He’s had great results before at long and gnarly races. He was 2nd at UTMF in 2012.
Mike Foote has the race strategy for Hardrock 100. Expect to see him hanging back, taking it easy and then applying pressure and slowly making his way up through the ranks. The only problem with this strategy when Kilian is in the race is that he may very well leave himself far too much work to do but 2nd or 3rd on the podium is a distinct possibility. Mike also does know the Hardrock course; he raced in 2010. When you add that to his highest ever placing at UTMB, 3rd in 2012 it’s easy to see how Mike will pressure the front of the race.
Karl Meltzer is back, he managed to sneak through the door and get a place. You can NEVER rule out Karl. His 5 victories at Hardrock provide him with a wealth of experience and as many an ultra runner has said, nobody hikes like Karl! Karl would be first to admit that if Kilian is ‘on a day’ then everyone else is running for 2nd, but you know what, Karl does have the race and experience for the podium. Don’t rule him out! Recently he won yet another 100 at Cruel Jewel keeping his long streak of winning a 100 miler every year for god knows how many years. In prep for Hardrock, Karl also spent 2 weeks on the AT with Scott Jurek.
A quick addition, I missed Troy Howard who has placed 2nd twice at Hardrock. I don’t think he’ll take the win or maybe even the podium against Kilian and Iker but you never know on 3rd place? He recently was 2nd at Wasatch (2014) and 2nd at Squaw Peak 50 (2015).
Who else is in with a shout?
Jared Campbell has tough and gnarly races for breakfast. He’s finished Barkley twice, this will be his 10th Hardrock and although he won the race in 2010 I don’t see him on the podium. But expect him to be near top 5!
Nick Coury has placed 5th and 6th at Hardrock in 2008 and 2013 respectively. Like Jared, he has the race for a top 10 but a podium.
Scott Jaime has placed 2nd and run the Hardrock almost as many times as Jared Campbell. He is a consistent performer reflected in placing 3rd on 2 occasions. Like Jared though, 5th – 10th is a likely result.
Ones to watch:
Jamil Coury, Matt Hart, Adam Hewey and Matt Hart.
On a final note, lets give a shout out to Bryon Powell from iRunFar. I think he’d be the first to admit that he won’t be contending the front of the race but since he got his slot he has trained real hard. Doing the job that we do, I know how hard it is just to get out for a run but to train too, that’s impressive!
Ladies
Darcy Piceu has top billing as a 3 time defending champion and as such, Darcy is an odds on favourite for a 4th victory. Course knowledge and experience are going to go such a long way and her recent victory (and CR) at Big Horn 50 shows that she is in great form.
However, Darcy hasn’t raced Anna Frost at Hardrock before? I personally feel that if the weather is kind and Anna has no injury issues we may well see a dominating performance that will not only provide a female victory, a course record but a potentially significant performance that will dent the men’s race. That is a bold statement I know, but when Anna is on it, she is on it! She missed Transvulcania recently with injury and of course we all know the highs and lows of the past 30 months. But Anna has been out on the course for a month or so, done the training, adapted herself and as far as I know is fit and healthy.
If Darcy and Anna are firing on all cylinders then I think the rest of the ladies are running for 3rd. The Betsies (kalmeyer and Nye) are legends at Hardrock and between them have 28 finishes. They have the experience and that counts for a great deal in a race like this.
Darla Askew however has the speed but less experience (compared to the Betsies.) In comparison to Anna though, Darla has 2 Hardrock finishes and they were both on the podium! So it would be fair to say that a 3rd is likely again but the potential to leap frog and place 2nd or 3rd is a distinct possibility.
Meghan Hicks has won MDS finished Tor des Geants and may well contend the top 5. Meghan knows how to get it done! The 2015 MDS didn’t go to plan event though she still placed well, at the time she was unsure if she would start Hardrock. I am pleased to see that Meghan is on the start list and I’ll be rooting for her.
Ones to watch:
Pam Reed, Liz Bauer, Suzanne Lewis and Missy Gosney.
******
Hardrock 100 is a small key race for a select few. However, in its history, Hardrock has always become a highly anticipated race that often plays out like a great boxing match. It is a constant frustration for me that we don’t get ALL the best ultra runners on the playing field at the same time. Pointless me saying this I know as that is one of the quirks of Hardrock.
However, can you imagine a ladies and men’s field of the depth that we see at Western States or Transvulcania arriving in Silverton?
In the early 1990s an ultra runner from Boulder CO, Gordon Hardman, wanted to create a 100 mile adventure run emphasizing two things: a. link the historic mining towns of Silverton, Ouray, Telluride and Lake City and b. offer each participant an adventure though the spectacular San Juan Mountains while challenging them with altitude, steepness and remoteness. Gordon placed a notice in Ultrarunning magazine soliciting the help of anyone who may be interested in helping pull this together. Within a year Gordon had enlisted a cadre of local runners with deep ties to the area who believed such a run was possible and voila..the Hardrock Hundred Endurance Run was created.
From the beginning, the idea of celebrating the legacy and memory of the hardrock miners was paramount as was the idea that this run should be for those who wanted an extraordinary adventure. Careful attention was paid to developing a route which incorporated the foot trails, wagon roads and burro trails that were constructed for transporting materials to mining sites and hauling ore to market. The Hardrock Hundred follows those routes laid out by those miners who made their living in crags in hopes of making their fortune mining the minerals hidden between the peaks and hidden in the valleys The Hardrock Hundred has stayed true to those ideas to this day and is dedicated to the memory of those wild and tough individuals.
Why Silverton?
The initial idea of Hardrock was to rotate the start/finish of Hardrock between each of the 4 towns. Some demonstrated more excitement about hosting Hardrock than others, chief among those was Silverton. The idea of rotating the start/finish was abandoned and Silverton became the permanent home of the Hardrock Hundred Endurance Run.
Why alternate courses?
After the decision was made to keep the start/finish in Silverton, Hardrock developed the idea that run the course in alternating directions so that runners could experience all that the San Juans had to offer and wouldn’t get tired of the view! Many runners don’t consider themselves true “Hardrockers” till they have finished in both directions.
The “Hardrock” rock is a big deal-how come?
When Hardrock first started, one of the things we forgot to have is a finish line. When an early Hardrock runner asked how we would know when they were finished, run director, Dale Garland, looked around and found a rock in the ground and told all the runners to “touch” the rock to stop the clock. Touching turned to kissing and the small rock in the ground grew into the 2 ton boulder we have now. Today we have one of the most unique finishes in ultrarunning and are always amazed to see the flood of emotion and relief that kissing the Hardrock brings out in those complete their personal adventure of Hardrock. Over the years we have actually had 2 Hardrock rocks, both of which have enjoyed a very special and unique place in the lore of the Hardrock Hundred Endurance Run.
Justin Mock writes for runnersworld.com about the 2015 The Coastal Challenge and talks with Speedgoat Karl Meltzer and Joe Grant.
“There’s no motel room, no shower, no air conditioning. That would be a lot easier,” Meltzer laughed. “It’s 110 degrees in your tent, you just lie there in a pool of sweat.”
Day one of The Coastal Challenge is always a tough day. For many, the heat and the humidity are just too great and along with excitement and adrenaline, the early run pace is too fast and the inevitable happens. In past years runners have dropped the ball on the first day and dug so deep in to reserves that they have not been able to recover. It looks like everyone managed to hold back just a little, however, the story in camp post race was one of fatigue, dehydration and intense heat.
After a 0300 start and a three-hour bus drive to the coast, runners departed Playa del Rey at 0800 and within a couple of kilometres the intense heat and high humidity could visible seen as sweat soaked bodies pushed along the strong. Canadian, Mike Murphy was clearly intending to race hard and it was long before he started to open a gap followed by Iain Don Wauchope from South Africa, a couple of local Costa Ricans, Speedgoat Karl Meltzer and Joe Grant.
Anna Frost and Veronica Bravo raced neck-and-neck and it was very clear that an interesting battle would develop between the two. Nikki Kimball ran in third, Costa Rican, Maria Guevara and then Samantha Gash.
At Cp1 a pattern was forming as Mike Murphy and Anna Frost opened up gaps in their respective fields, Frosty just had a couple of minutes over Veronica Bravo but Murphy was extending a lead into double -figures.
In the dense forest section that followed, approximately five kilometres later Iain Don Wauchope had taken the lead in the men’s race followed by Costa Rican Roiny Villegas and Karl Meltzer. Anna Frost held a two-minute lead over Veronica Bravo and the stage looked set for a great battle. As runners passed, no sign of Mike Murphy and I was beginning to wonder what had happened?
Murphy later appeared on the trail out of the top ten; it turned out he missed a key right turn that took the runners from a fire road and into the dense jungle. Mike complained the signs had not been in place but that was not correct. The turn had been clearly marked well in advance of any runners!
Eyes focused, Mike pushed hard on the trail looking to pull back time and although running with great speed and style he paid a price in the intense heat and eventually slowed. However, he did pull back great junks of time and he is certainly not out of the fight.
Iain Don Wauchope held on for victory but said, “A great deal tougher than I expected, I really suffered in the heat and slowed a great deal. Everyone did! The heat was just so intense.”
Roiny Villegas placed second, Karl Meltzer placed third, Joe Grant fourth and Mike Murphy closed well to place fifth.
At Cp3 Anna Frost still had a strong lead but at Cp4, Veronica Bravo had closed and passed Frosty. Frosty suffered in the intense heat and had no option but to submerge her self in the river to reduce her core.
Veronica pulled away and gained more and more time and eventually gained over seven minutes lead. Post race Veronica said, “I almost didn’t want to pass Anna, but she waved ne through. I couldn’t believe it. I respect her so much. I just held my form, listened to my body and maintained my rhythm.” The coming days are going to be very exciting as Bravo and Frost battle for the lead.
Maria Guevara placed third ahead of Nikki Kimball and Samantha Gash placed fifth.
Day two is going to be a tough day. How will everyone feel, will they have recovered?
IAN CORLESS 