Sweet – Huge granite formations along varied terrain. Tranquil streams. Delightful wild flowers. And how about that post run wading pool?

Sweaty – Dude, it got warm! Peaked at 96F for the day.

Over 300 started the adventure which included a marathon, half mary, and 10 km.

Results

Marathon

Neal Lucas once again showcases his spicy tread, leading in a conservative fashion from the early miles and dashing off the only negative split of the day. After addressing a couple screaming blisters at mile 20, Neal went on to win the male race and set the time to beat – 3:36:27.

Neal Lucas - Coming down from his flight through the course. (Photo: Copyright Rick Kent @ Enduro Photo / endurophoto.com)

Gregory Brant was the only other sub-4 finisher and started the scamper in second and finished in second.

Top 5 male

1. Neal Lucas – 3:36:27
2. Gregory Brant – 3:57:10
3. Von Jones – 4:01:05
4. Shane Wall – 4:01:48
5. Christopher Haley – 4:05:01

Kelli Newlon set the standard in the female scamper.

What did she think of the course and conditions of the day?

“The granite rock formations were gorgeous. The course wasn’t extremely hilly, but the technicality combined with the heat bouncing off the granite, made for a tough day.”

Kelli’s mantra for the day – “The faster you run, the faster you can be done!”

Kelli Newlon also floating through the course. (Photo: Copyright Regan Hanson @ Enduro Photo / endurophoto.com)

As crazy as it sounds for this part of the country, Kelli doesn’t like to carry a water source and this race was no exception. By midway through the second loop as temps continued to rise, Kelli began to “regret that decision.”

Knockin’ down significant water and electrolytes as she cruised through each aid station, Kelli found additional inspiration for the final push to the finish thanks to the encouragement from fellow Rockhoppers.

“They motivated me to try to “chick” as many guys as I could during the last eight miles! I did end up catching a few!”

Kelli won the female race in 4:19:03 and earned a seventh overall placing.

Rachel Ballard finished second in just under five hours.

Top 5 female

1. Kelli Newlon – 4:19:03 (*7th overall*)
2. Rachel Ballard – 4:59:49
3. Nancy Marks – 5:22:10
4. Jody Koehler – 5:25:32
5. Michelle Ottmers – 5:32:58

Half Marathon

Jason Brooks (4:16 – Bandera 50k 2012) averaged a 7:39 pace to win the male race by over eight minutes in 1:40:15.

Mississippi athlete, Clayton Perry earned runner-up honors.

Clayton Perry with Hilario Alvarado in chase. (Photo: Copyright Rick Kent @ Enduro Photo / endurophoto.com)

Top 5 male

1. Jason Brooks – 1:40:15
2. Clayton Perry – 1:48:30
3. Hilario Alvarado – 1:48:34
4. Justin Wendling – 1:50:47
5. Stuart Cohen – 1:50:52

Amanda Alvarado (sub 28hr, Rocky Raccoon 100 2012), averaged a 9:35 pace to win the female race in 2:05:34.

Amanda Alvarado focused on the finish. (Photo: Copyright Rick Kent @ Enduro Photo / endurophoto.com)

Jessica Layton finished second, just under seven minutes back.

Top 5 female

1. Amanda Alvarado – 2:05:34
2. Jessica Layton – 2:12:21
3. Olga Varlamova-King – 2:14:54
4. Amanda Gibson – 2:17:05
5. Teresa Lopez – 2:22:10

10 km

Kevin Boudreaux created a one minute gap from Andrew Berglund to win the male race in 52:22.

Top 5 male

1. Kevin Boudreaux – 52:22
2. Andrew Berglund – 53:22
3. Randy Snow – 59:46
4. Adrian Haley – 1:00:57
5. Frank Leal – 1:01:06

Sophie Pearson created a 36 second gap from Madonna Reichman to win the female race and finish fifth overall in a time of 1:00:57.

Top 5 female

1. Sophie Pearson – 1:00:57 (*5th overall*)
2. Madonna Reichman – 1:01:33 (*7th overall*)
3.  Jessie Rhodes – 1:03:24
4. Krista Wall – 1:05:33
5. Rebekah Fox – 1:07:01

Inspiration Point

Check out some of the wisest finishers. I hope this stuff fires you up as much as it does me.

• Robert Kosec (age 65) and Paul Jensen (age 68) played within the Box of Rox!

Paul Jensen lookin' relaxed and steady. (Photo: Copyright Rick Kent @ Enduro Photo / endurophoto.com)

Life is play. Play is life.

Race Reports and Pics

• “Being Texas, you must always expect rox. Many, many rox. However, my opinion is this race is kid tested, and mother approved.” by Neal at enduRUNce
• “Soon I had tripped and my left hip (with torn labrum) went hurting. I screamed quickly, and she asked if I was OK with concern. I appreciated the care, assured her I will be, and kept locked in a step behind her.” by Olga @ Run More talk Less
• “ I have never seen so many runners want to sit down at an aid station. Especially so close to the end. Some stayed for over 15 minutes. At one time we had 5 runners sitting around talking. 4 left and one called it a day.” by Tony at El Oso Corredor
• Race Pics - Check out all the great pics by Enduro Photo!

Related Articles:

• the Falls Trail Run – Capt’n Karl’s Trail Series – 2011 Results
• The Maze Trail Run – 2012 Results
• Hog’s Hunt Trail Run – 2012 Results
• Hells Hills Trail Run – 2012 Results
• Grasslands Trail Run – 2012 Results

The Bluebonnet. (Photo: Courtesy AmberBrooke. / http://flic.kr/p/6fXjBk)

Over 70 runners played in nature just northwest of Austin, Texas.

Results

10 km

Lon Breitenbach ran at the front of the male race, winning in 1:05:33.

Lon Breitenbach workin' one of the climbs. (Photo: Copyright bobcat13 photography llc / bobcat13photo.com)

Justin Wendling finished second over two minutes back.

Top 5 male

1. Lon Breitenbach – 1:05:33
2. Justin Wendling – 1:08:00
3. Brad Bailey – 1:08:32
4. Michael Gates – 1:08:32
5. Andy Prior – 1:08:32

Meredith Leva, 1:35 road half marathoner (Austin), won the female race in 1:08:34.

Youthful and speedy sisters, Kaytlynn (age 12) and Heather (age 10) Welsch, finished second and third respectively!

Meredith Leva with Kaytlynn and Heather Welsch in chase. (Photo: Copyright bobcat13 photography llc / bobcat13photo.com)

It seems like there was some confusion on the course that got the sisters going in various directions. At the finish both were hot, tired, confused, and grateful to have made it to the finish line.

What were Kaytlynn and Heather’s favorite parts of the course?

“The flowers and on the very top of the peak you could see everything.”

“I like the flowers. I like climbing over the rocks it was like a real trail run.”

Top 5 female

1. Meredith Leva – 1:08:34
2. Kaytlynn Welsch – 1:09:06
3. Heather Welsch – 1:10:25
4. Jenell Thompson – 1:12:15
5. Lisa Hutson – 1:13:27

Complete 10 km results

5 km

Ariele Rosch ran a sub-30 effort to win the female race in 29:52 and fourth overall.

Ariele Rosch focused on the path ahead. (Photo: Copyright bobcat13 photography llc / bobcat13photo.com)

Tuesday Brown crossed the finish line another three-plus minutes behind Ariele.

Top 5 female

1. Ariele Rosch – 29:52 (*4th overall*)
2. Tuesday Brown – 33:41
3. Amanda Hall – 34:50
4. Peace Preston – 36:19
5. Lanita Hidalgo – 37:05

Peter Rosch averaged a 9:13 pace to win the male race in 28:40.

Peter Rosch workin' the bridge crossing. (Photo: Copyright bobcat13 photography llc / bobcat13photo.com)

Brian Holmes and John Sherwood had a fun little scamper to the finish as six second separated the two. Brian had the extra kick to earn second place honors.

Top 5 male

1. Peter Rosch – 28:40
2. Brian Holmes – 29:37
3. John Sherwood – 29:43
4. Donald Churchill III – 31:03
5. Joe Cimato – 31:09

Race Reports and Pics

• I couldn’t find any race reports. Please share in a comment below if you have one.
• Race Pics - Check out the great pics by bobcat13 photography llc.

Related Articles:

• No Related Post

Photo: Courtesy Josh Baker @ AzulOx Photography / azulox.com

10 km loop course.

Pick it – 30 km or 10 km scamper.

Results

Photo: Courtesy Josh Baker @ AzulOx Photography / azulox.com

30 km

Paul Terranova and Brandon Ostrander passed through 10 km together in just over 47 minutes. Paul kept with his even pacing and separated himself from Brandon throughout loop two and most of loop three until one mile from the finish, Paul notices Brandon closing.

“When I saw him a couple of switchbacks behind me, I sucked down two MetaSalt tabs just in case, and drilled it to the finish.”

Paul went on to win the male race in 2:20:51.

Paul Terranova with Brandon Ostrander in chase. (Photo: Courtesy Josh Baker @ AzulOx Photography / azulox.com)

How even were Paul’s splits? 47 min, 46 min, 47 min!

Brandon pushed through for second.

Top 5 male

1. Paul Terranova – 2:20:51
2. Brandon Ostrander – 2:21:04
3. Ty Reagan – 2:25:23
4. Robert Michell – 2:26:56
5. Matthew Bradford – 2:28:27

Asia Shah moved to the front of the female race by mile three, pushing a moderate effort through the first two loops creating a moderate gap from the next chaser, Rachel Downey.

What did Asia think of the course?

“Overall, the trail was just the right amount of technical but also fast enough to really cruise.”

As the miles accumulated, and temps gradually rose, the final 3 km required the most focus for Asia…and then there was a nice little hill near the finish to take care of.

“I was just thinking about the one last big hill I would have to endure within the last 600 meters. Once I got there though, the taste of the finish was enough to make it bearable and I muscled through (pretty slowly, I’m sure).”

Asia Shah finishing a 10 km loop. (Photo: Courtesy Josh Baker @ AzulOx Photography / azulox.com)

Rachel held onto second place, earning runner-up honors.

Top 5 female

1. Asia Shah – 2:32:45 (*7th overall*)
2. Rachel Downey – 2:45:42
3. Meg Hare – 3:02:32
4. Shelley Vekasy – 3:04;43
5. Dena Curry – 3:10:09

 10 km

Cassandra Henkiel averaged a 7:25 min/mile pace to win the female race in 46:09.

Cassandra Henkiel crossing the 10 km finish. (Photo: Courtesy Josh Baker @ AzulOx Photography / azulox.com)

Holly Gureski finished a little over three minutes back, for second.

Top 5 female

1. Cassandra Henkiel – 46:09
2. Holly Gureski – 49:37
3. Emily Roberson – 51:19
4. Crystal Corzine – 51:44
5. Ashley Butler – 52:24

Road-runner focused, Warren Brown, moved to the front of the race in the early going and dialed up the effort to create a bit of run-comfort separation.

“I wound up taking the lead after the first mile and put a hard surge on to discourage anyone for trying to stay behind me. I tend to be a little cautious on super technical spots, so I didn’t want the stress of someone right behind me forcing me to get out of my comfort zone. ”

Warren went on to win the male race in 40:09 and was taught an off-road lesson – road pace does not equal trail pace.

“I knew I wouldn’t run quite as fast on the trail as road, but I had no idea it was THAT different!”

Warren Brown (yellow/black) with Adam Stroobandt in chase. (Photo: Courtesy Josh Baker @ AzulOx Photography / azulox.com)

Joey Przybyla earned second place honors.

Top 5 male

1. Warren Brown – 40:09
2. Joey Przybyla – 41:47
3. Patrick Hitchins – 42:04
4. Carlos Mendoza – 42:40
5. Adam Stroobandt – 44:01

Race Reports and Pics

• I couldn’t find any race reports. Please share in a comment below if you have one.
• Race Pics – Check out all the great pics by Josh Baker of AzulOx Photography.

Related Articles:

• The Maze Trail Run – Rogue Trail Series #1 – 2011 Results
• Lighthouse Hill Ranch Trail Run – 2011 Results
• The Ranch – Rogue Trail Series #3 – 2011 Results
• Pandora’s Box of Rox Trail Run – 2012 Results
• Hog’s Hunt Trail Run – 2012 Results

Copyright Brent Williamson Photography / http://www.wix.com/brentwilliamson8/bwphotography

The course delivered 12 miles on the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Boy Scouts Trail and a short segment of park pavement. One possible creek crossing if local rains brought the water levels up but most actually were able to dance across a conga line of boulders.

Results

Copyright Brent Williamson Photography / http://www.wix.com/brentwilliamson8/bwphotography

Shane Poland of Vilonia, Arkansas, averaged just under a 9 min/mile pace to win the male race in 1:51:34.

Andrew Carberry cross the finish alone in second.

Top 5 male

1. Shane Poland (AR) – 1:51:34
2. Andrew Carberry (AR) – 2:05:14
3. Dustin Speer (AR) – 2:19:07
4. Brant Bishop (AR) – 2:19:29
5. Gary McBride (AR) – 2:20:57

Copyright Brent Williamson Photography / http://www.wix.com/brentwilliamson8/bwphotography

Arkansas runner, Candace Fletcher, and Tennessee athlete, Leslie Brahm, enjoyed an excited 20 km adventure. Just over one minute separated the two at the finish with Candace earning the female win in 2:20:18 and a fifth overall effort.

Leslie earned eighth overall honors.

Top 5 female

1.  Candace Fletcher (AR) – 2:20:18 (*5th overall*)
2. Leslie Brahm (TN) – 2:21:26 (*8th overall*)
3. Deborah Lashley (AR) – 2:30:11
4. Terri Johnson (AR) – 2:32:25
5. Tina Ho (AR) – 2:47:14

Copyright Brent Williamson Photography / http://www.wix.com/brentwilliamson8/bwphotography

Inspiration Point

Check out some of the wisest finishers. I hope this stuff fires you up as much as it does me.

• Lou Peyton (age 67 – AR), Ann Moore (age 71, AR), and Bob McKinney (age 70, AR) all enjoyed the 20 km scamper.

Life is play. Play is life.

Race Reports and Pics

• “We corkscrewed through dense vegetation, huge rock formations, and vast areas.  There were a few streams to hop over, but I made sure to take a gander at the wildflowers. ” by Nicholas at Arkansas Outside
• Brent Williamson Photography – Check out a fun collection of pics from the event.

Talk some Dirt

• How was your adventure?
• What was your favorite section of the course?

Copyright Brent Williamson Photography / http://www.wix.com/brentwilliamson8/bwphotography

Special thanks to Brent Williamson of Brent Williamson Photography for all the great photos you see above. You can check out Brent’s work at http://www.wix.com/brentwilliamson8/bwphotography and http://brentwilliamsonphotography.blogspot.com/.

Check out the TALON Race Guide

There are 150+ regional trail/ultra races in the TALON Race Guide. Be sure to check it out if you are looking for the most complete list of events in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. New events are always being added.

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

Related Articles:

• Ouachita Trail 50 – 2012 Results
• Big Rock Mystery Run – 2012 Results
• 3 Days of Syllamo – 2012 Results
• Sylamore Trail Run – 2012 Results
• Athens Big Fork Trail Marathon – 2012 Results

Lake Raven at Huntsville State Park (Photo: Courtesy Alyoshka @ http://flic.kr/p/MiGD8)

Scenic, flat-to-rolling terrain welcomed runners for the 50km, 25km, and 10km scamper.

The main course is basically a 25 km clockwise loop. You can run it hard but pay attention to the roots scattered along the trail system.

Results

50 km

After a solid 7:34 at Rocky Raccoon 50 mile this Spring, Olli Haavikko was ready to test himself again on the Huntsville trails. Olli was the pacemaker in this one and separated himself from the strung out chase group. Olli knocked off over 10 minutes from his 2011 time and won the male race in 3:58:49.

Sub-3 hour marathoner, Joseph Schwieterman, finished second.

Top 5 male

1. Olli Haavikko – 3:58:49
2. Joseph Schwieterman – 4:33:57
3. Alexander Valdez – 4:42:41
4. Peter Vrolijk – 4:50:03
5. Lang He – 4:52:23

The female race saw a fun adventure at the front with four women within 16 minutes of each other after 31 miles. A top performer at this year’s Three Days of Syllamo (results summary), Teddi Schneider, was able to pull away from the tight group to win the female race in 5:13:59 and finish ninth overall.

Just under four minutes later, Anna Hern claimed runner-up honors.

Top 5 female

1.  Teddi Schneider – 5:13:59 (*9th overall*)
2. Anna Hern – 5:17:56 (*10th overall*)
3. Barbara Santi – 5:23:13
4. Tricia Hernandez – 5:30:21
5. Zhao Yu – 5:38:51

25 km

3:30 recent road marathoner, Natalie Seel took the pole position of the female race and crossed the line within an escort of runners to win the female race in 2:17:47.

Lucy Ponce de Leon finished second twenty minutes later.

Top 5 female

1. Natalie Seel – 2:17:47
2. Lucy Ponce de Leon – 2:37:11
3. Teresa Valentino – 2:43:24
4. Deborah Sexton – 2:44:21
5. Nancy Husby – 2:44:23

The trails at Huntsville State Park are known to have a few of these.

Sub-4 hour 50 km athlete, Gabriel Rodriguez, earned the male win with a 6:17 average pace and 1:37:44 finish time.

Ryan Shapp crossed the line alone in second.

Top 5 male

1. Gabriel Rodriguez – 1:37:44
2. Ryan Shapp – 1:41:04
3. Timothy Messen – 1:47:38
4. Wilmer Gaviria – 1:54:58
5. Peter Glenn – 1:57:42

10 km

Patrick Ludwig dialed-up the extra turnover to separate himself from a charging group of four and win the male race in 48:59.

Brian Cathey led the chase pack for second place.

Top 5 male

1.  Patrick Ludwig – 48:59
2. Brian Cathey – 53:37
3. Gary Poe – 54:41
4. Mark Houston – 54:48
5. Michael Branham – 57:03

Sarah Cathey ran within the chase group of the overall, winning the female race in 54:27.

Andriana Stritt was the final sub-1 hour female finisher and claimed second in 58:31.

Top 5 female

1. Sarah Cathey – 54:27 (*3rd overall*)
2. Andriana Stritt – 58:31 (*8th overall*)
3. Emily Hesterman – 1:00:32
4. Pamela Paling – 1:04:17
5. Arlene Schneider – 1:06:09

Complete results for all races

Inspiration Point

Check out some of the wisest finishers. I hope this stuff fires you up as much as it does me.

• Dora Topham (age 67) and Robert Anderson (age 71) played on the 25 km course.

Life is play. Play is life.

The Tough-as-Nails Award

The final finishers of an ultra distance event are some of the toughest athletes that are willing to stick with it to the best of their current ability and cross that darn finish line.

The Tough-as-Nails award recipients:

• Jason and Michelle Sauceda crossed the 50 km finish together in 9:29:30.

Race Reports and Pics

• “I had a lot of fun today, talking to other racers during the run and sometimes running by myself through the woods, too, enjoying the woodsy smells, sights and sounds.” by Tina @ Gotta Run Now
• “The sun was coming out, so the sun rays could be seen through the tall pines; you could hear the breeze of air moving the leaves on the tall trees, and you could smell the fresh aroma of the forest.  For some reason, being alone with no one in sight made it that much more beautiful; it was peaceful to say the least.” by Ruben @ I Came. I Ran. I Conquered.
• “This was pretty hard, mentally and physically. There were no more aid stops to look forward to, just the finish line. It was hot, sandy and you know, at the point, I just really wanted to be done.” by Katherine @ One Step, One Stitch at a Time

Related Articles:

• Hog’s Hunt Trail Run 2010 Results
• Pandora’s Box of Rox Trail Run – 2012 Results
• The Maze Trail Run – 2012 Results
• Hells Hills Trail Run – 2012 Results
• Grasslands Trail Run – 2012 Results

Loopy fun at the 2011 event. (Photo: Courtesy suannontherun.blogspot.com)

Win here and you could potentially pay for your trip and them some. The UltraCentric may just be one of the biggest ultra running prize purses in the country. One event that I can think of with a bigger purse is UROC at $20,000.

What is being offered at UltraCentric?

Gold and Silver coins!

The top three male/female in each time division will take home some coinage divided in the following manner:

• 1st – One ounce American Eagle Gold coin
• 2nd – One p0und American Eagle Silver coins
• 3rd – 1/2 pound American Eagle Silver coins

Current spot prices for gold and silver as of today, 4/26, is $1659 for an ounce of gold and nearly $500 for a pound of silver. Not a bad payday in this sport. If you live in the region, the value is multiplied.

The event also hosts a 6 and 12 hour event but no coinage for those.

You can check out more details about the event at http://www.ultracentric.com/.

More insight:

• EB Results summary from 2011
• “And there it was. My finish line! 54 miles. And then it hit me! Holy crap! I just ran 54 freaking miles? Me? Did I do that? Yeah I did. I have the blisters to prove it.” – 2011 adventure report by Suann on the Run

Related Articles:

• UltraCentric – 2011 Results
• The Ultracentric Experience – 2010 Run Results
• Ultracentric Race 2009 Results

A sold out event of 200 runners began their 50 mile or 50 km journey shortly after 6:00AM. A mostly out-and-back course that includes a few miles of rolling back-top before hopping on the Ouachita Trail that includes a mix of varied wooded and scenic terrain with one guarantee – rocks. Small, medium, and large, they were all there and they weren’t moving no matter how hard you kicked them.

One slight detour is included in the early outgoing miles – a 700 foot climb up and down Pinnacle mountain. Instead of a nice run-able or hike-able trail, it is more of a sadistic stair-stepper workout with each step being 2-3 feet high. With the sun gradually rising and showcasing the surrounding landscape, it was worth every step to enjoy the imagery from the top.

Results

50 mile

Former Arkansas resident (now Tennessee), Nick Lewis was back to defend his 2011 course record breaking run of 7:26:12 and had much bigger plans for this course. After winning the 3 Days of Syllamo (results summary) overall in early March, it was clear Nick had a good bit of fitness coming into OT but felt he needed to increase the jalapeno over the last month to be ready.

“I had sort of planned on hitting cruise control after recovering from 3 Days and going into Ouachita feeling really strong but that is definitely not how it worked out.  I actually focused on doing shorter/faster stuff during the last month, trying to get my legs back under me.”

Nick set a solid pace early on with eventual 50 km winner and Tennessee athlete, Matt Pruitt.

“He [Matt Pruitt] wanted to be at/under 2:20 at the turnaround so I said “why not, let’s roll together” and we went for it hard from the start.”

Even for elites, it isn’t if something will happen but when. The art is being able to manage it. Around the first hour, Nick had to address an electrolyte imbalance.

“At a little over an hour into the race, I looked down and noticed my fingers were really swollen so I switched to drinking water and backed off my S!Cap intake.  No clue what caused that, but I am glad I noticed it as early as I did.”

With the electrolyte issue stabilizing, Nick and Matt pushed a spicy tempo effort through the first 16 miles.

“It was a big help having someone to run with through Northshore for me and I think it really helped Matt to have someone to hold him back a bit on the way out but to also have a really solid line up/down Pinnacle.  I felt totally relaxed through Northshore and we had I think one or two miles that were over 8:30, so we were cranking.”

Arriving at the 50 mile turnaround approximately 20 minutes faster than last year, confidence was blooming and Nick was ready for the push back to the finish at Maumelle park.

Feeling like a 6:45-6:50 finish was possible, Nick kept the effort high until his stomach rebelled 5.5 hours into the race.

“I took a gel and it refluxed on me.  Then I tried to drink some water, same thing happened.  The last thing you want happening at that point in a race is to start throwing up and lose your caloric bank, so I skipped a gel (I eat on the clock) to see if that would help.  Unfortunately, same thing happened with the next one, so I started nibbling on a Shot Blok and didn’t even finish it by the end of the race.  Once this episode started it seemed almost instantaneous that I began cramping up, so I really backed off the gas and went into survival mode to finish.”

Maintaining a solid turnover through the final 2.7 miles of rolling pavement, Nick crossed the line in a course record time of 7:06:04! Over twenty minutes faster than his effort from last year. What a run!

Nick Lewis approaching the finish with RD, Chrissy Ferguson anxiously waiting.

The race for second had some additional excitement between Texan Raymond Brintle and Tennessee runner, Feb Boswell. These two were separated by less than 90 seconds at the finish with Raymond earning second place honors.

Second place, Raymond Brintle in the final 1/2 mile.

Feb Boswell bringing it in for third.

Top 5 male

1. Nick Lewis (TN) – 7:06:04 (*course record*)
2. Raymond Brintle (TX) – 7:43:24
3. Feb Boswell (TN) – 7:44:52
4. Jake Anderson (TX) – 8:25:48
5. PoDog Vogler (AR) – 8:33:54

For those not aware, Arkansas speedster, PoDog Vogler, is going after the slam this year. What did PoDog think of his OT finish?

“The race Saturday went really well for me. I generally have had problems on the return trip in the past, but Saturday I really felt pretty good all day…I was very happy with the result. In my training plan for the slam that I made in January, I wanted to run about 8:30, so I am right where I want to be.”

PoDog looking relaxed in the final 200 meters.

The female race saw 50 mile rookie, Emily Ansick, make the trip from Alabama and set a new course record of 8:49:48 and finished seventh overall! Emily came into the race waffling between run-to-win or run-to-finish. Her husband helped set the mood for this day.

“Since it was my first 50, my original goal was just to complete it. But of course he [Emily's husband] had other goals for me. He had looked up the record and was determined I could break it. ”

You would think someone going for the win would be all Type-A and ready to go…about an hour before the start. This is trail running and most in this tribe are fairly laid back…even the speedsters. Emily was still taking care of a rather important detail at the word “Go!”

“I was tying my shoe as Chrissy started the race.”

After a trip and swollen left hand around mile 15, Emily continued to push a solid effort before having to manage a low spot during the middle miles.

“Had a bonk between miles 24-36. During that time I really had to think about everything my family and friends sacrifice to allow me to train and race in order to keep me going. Oh and my knee was really hurting and kept buckling. So at mile 36 I changed shoes, took some Advil, and drank some delicious ginger ale and got my wings back.”

Emily Ansick cruising through the course. (Photo credit: William Ansick)

How did Emily feel about the event?

“Overall, great experience. Great crew. Well organized and wonderful volunteers.. Just warning for future runners… enjoy the first 47 miles because the last three take an eternity!”

Little Rock local, Deb Baker, knocked off over 45 minutes from her time last year to finish second in 10:45:58.

Deb felt stronger than last year and was hopeful for a better time but a special 26.2 mile run the weekend before made it a bit more uncertain.

“I have been doing a ton of hill work and knew I was stronger than last year. However, having just run Boston five days earlier, my legs were not fresh. I was a bit worried they would give out on me. After I got over Pinnacle I fell into a rhythm and just kept moving. It was such a fabulous day to be out there doing what we all love. Congratulations to Emily Ansick for setting a new course record! Spectacular run!”

Top 5 female

1. Emily Ansick (AL) – 8:49:48 (*course record, 7th overall*)
2. Deb Baker (AR) – 10:45:58
3. Emily Conley (TN) – 11:13:55
4. Sarah Miller (MS) – 12:03:18
5. Tammy Walther (AR) – 12:37:14

50 km

Tennessee athlete, Stephanie Spurgat averaged a 10:42 pace to win the female race in 5:32:55. The dash for second included Arkansas athletes, Jessica Soroka and Natalie McBee, who were separated by 69 seconds separated the finish.

Jessica made her move 2.7 miles from the finish and it stuck as Natalie explains, “I wish I could say the race was a little tighter at the end but Jessica did a great job of making it up the final uphill coming out of the single track trail onto the road ahead of me.”

How did Natalie feel about the day’s adventure?

“All in all, my general feeling was I couldn’t have asked for a better day to do do a trail run.”

Top 5 female

1. Stephanie Spurgat (TN) – 5:32:55
2. Jessica Soroka (AR) – 5:50:42
3. Natalie McBee (AR) – 5:51:51
4. Katie Helms (AR) – 6:11:53
5. Stephanie Stewart (AR) – 6:22:03

Brenda Bonner and Carla Branch approaching the 50km finish.

Polly Choate excited to cross that line.

1:17 road marathoner Matt Pruitt of Tennessee, enjoyed the fast footed company of 50 mile winner Nick Lewis through the half way point of the race. On the return trip, Matt continued to push the effort with an interest in breaking the previous course record set by John Muir in 2008 in a time of 4:14:08.

Matt crossed the line, reducing the new course record by over three minutes in 4:10:54!

Charley Hogue and Thomas Chapin led the chase group similar to last year’s scamper. Once again Charley was able to create the separation for second place honors.

Thomas had this to share about the day, “I felt great all day. The weather was perfect and the trail was clear with good footing, which definitely showed in the fast times. And, this was the second year in a row that Charley left me in the dust.”

With the  tightening of Charley and Thomas’s finish time difference, next year may come down to a sprint in the final 100 meters.

Top 5 male

1.  Matt Pruitt (TN) – 4:10:54 (*course record*)
2. Charley Hogue (MO) – 4:21:28
3. Thomas Chapin (AR) – 4:25:47
4. Owen Bradley (AL) – 4:52:48
5. Kyle McWilliams (AR) – 4:53:33

Emon Mahony on his way to a finish.

Inspiration Point

Check out some of the wisest finishers. I hope this stuff fires you up as much as it does me.

• Matt Varner (age 67 – MS), Dennis Baas (age 65 – AR), Nofal Musfy (age 70 – TX), Abdel Fustok (age 71 – TX), Jim Ingralls (age 67 – TX), Pete Ireland (age 71 – AR), Jeffrey Vieyra (age 65 – CA), and Eugene Bruckert (age 76 – IL) all 50k’d it!

Dennis Baas smiling through the final 1/2 mile.

Life is play. Play is life.

The Tough-as-Nails Award

The final finishers of an ultra distance event are some of the toughest athletes that are willing to stick with it to the best of their current ability and cross that darn finish line.

The Tough-as-Nails award recipients:

• Sammy Barnes (AR) finished the 50 mile in 12:52:24.
• Eugene Bruckert (IL) finished the 50 km in 11:47:45.

Race Reports and Pics

• “There was a stair case of sorts made out of rocks in the dirt that didn’t seem so bad coming down them. But when you approach them on the way back, there are only two possible explanations for their existence. 1) it WAS a full set of stairs, yet every other one got eroded/washed away  OR 2) this was a hangout spot for Zeus, Hercules and Poseidon back in the day. I found out later on that #2 was in fact the correct answer.” by Tyler @ Going for more
• Arkansas Outside article - Includes link to photos atop Pinnacle.
• David’s 50km report
• More photos on the Endurance Buzz Facebook page

Talk some Dirt

• How was your adventure?
• What did you think of the Pinnacle climb? Was it tougher going up or down?
• What was your favorite section of the course?

Special thanks to Nick Lewis, Emily Ansick, PoDog Vogler, Deb Baker, and Thomas Chapin for sharing with the EB tribe.

Check out the TALON Race Guide

There are 150+ regional trail/ultra races in the TALON Race Guide. Be sure to check it out if you are looking for the most complete list of events in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. New events are always being added.

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

Related Articles:

• 3 Days of Syllamo – 2012 Results
• Sylamore Trail Run – 2012 Results
• Hoof it for Heifer Trail Run – 2012 Results
• Big Rock Mystery Run – 2012 Results
• Athens Big Fork Trail Marathon – 2012 Results

Photo: Courtesy Steve Pero

The 45 km is an out and back.

The 45 milers include a nice loop on top of the stick.

6600+ feet of gain for the English distance.

4000+ feet of gain for the Metric.

The course appears to remain in the 6000-7000 foot range.

Results

Amazing volunteers (Photo: Courtesy Steve Pero)

45 mile

Accomplished ultra runner and HURT 100 winner for the last two years, Canadian Jason Loutitt, overcame a miss-turn in the early miles due to someone messin’ with the markings along with stomach issues for much of the run, to knock out a spicy male win in 6:30:47.

Nineteen to low twenty hour 100 miler, Nick Pedatella of Boulder, finished second 13 minutes later.

Top 5 male

1. Jason Loutitt (CAN) – 6:30:47
2. Nick Pedatella (CO) – 6:43:27
3. Brendan Trimboli (CO) – 7:20:47
4. Jason Taylor (NM) – 7:35:15
5. Donnie Haubert (CO) – 7:38:25

Photo: Courtesy Steve Pero

Twenty-two year old Iowan, Sara Crippen (Can’t find much trail running history on Sara. Anyone?), ran the 45 miles in just over nine hours, winning the female race in 9:00:07.

Experienced ultra athlete from Denver, Abby Mcqeeney Penamonte, finished second just over 30 minutes later.

Top 5 female

1.  Sara Crippen (IA) – 9:00:07
2. Abby McQeeney Penamonte (CO) – 9:32:22
3. Olga King (TX) – 10:15:45
4. K Ray (NM) – 10:56:55
5. Emily Bretl (CO) – 11:09:36

Complete 45 mile results.

Photo: Courtesy Steve Pero

 45 km

Top five finisher for the last three years at Run the Caldera 26 mile, Michelle Hummel, ran her way to a seventh overall finish and female win in 4:52:25.

Leila Degrave came down from Colorado to finish second, 24 minutes later.

Top 5 female

1. Michelle Hummel (NM) – 4:52:25 (* 7th overall *)
2. Leila Degrave (CO) – 5:16:56
3. Lynette Padilla-Orpinel (NM) – 5:48:46
4. Anna Davis (NM) – 5:55:54
5. Veronika Mocko (NM) – 5:58:38

Photo: Courtesy Steve Pero

Stephen Clarke, Andrew Hahn, Marco Zuniga were in an inspiring, high-effort adventure that led to a 53 second spread between the three after 45 km of running. Stephen was able to create a small 17 second gap to win the male race in 4:20:04.

Andrew held onto second with Marco a couple hundred meters back.

Top 5 male

1. Stephen Clarke (NM) – 4:20:04
2. Andrew Hahn (NM) – 4:20:21
3. Marco Zuniga (CO) – 4:20:57
4. Jacob Lawrence (NM) – 4:30:46
5. Keith Hutchinson (NM) – 4:42:12

Complete 45 km results.

Photo: Courtesy Steve Pero

Inspiration Point

Check out some of the wisest finishers. I hope this stuff fires you up as much as it does me.

• Ian Maddieson (age 69) finished another 45 mile ultra.

Life is play. Play is life.

The Tough-as-Nails Award

The final finishers of an ultra distance event are some of the toughest athletes that are willing to stick with it to the best of their current ability and cross that darn finish line.

The Tough-as-Nails award recipients:

• Humberto Arrieta (NM) finished the 45 miles in 13:18:00.
• Valerie Merges (UT) finished the  45 km in 10:05:47.

Race Reports and Pics

• “I ran. And ran. It was a good mile on a dirt road, and then a drop down the powerline cross-country, and up powerline, and I arrived to a water AS exactly 1:15 later than I should have been. Oh, horror. A full realization settled in.” by Olga @ Run More Talk Less
• “Early in the race, I made it a point to not pay attention to how many miles I had ran cumulatively and wanted it to stay that way. But, at the point where the 45 milers separated onto a different course than the 45k’ers, a volunteer said “14 miles down!”.  I really didn’t want to hear that.” by Larry @ To Live a Life
• “There was a lot of forest running, which I appreciated. Much of the trail was quite technical, which slowed things down a little, but kept things interesting.” by Jacob @ Santa Fe Trail Runner
• “Indeed, the route proved much more technical than I’d expected: constant ups and downs, loose footing requiring utmost care to safely navigate. I certainly hadn’t done my homework.” by solarweasel @ solarweasel 
• “The climb to the summit of Cedro Peak was a dirt service road.  Near the top I took a moment to enjoy the view of the mountains all around and the forest below; part of me wished I had camera.” by A. Flores @ running, life, and living the dream
• “My intent for the day was to run easy and not concern myself with when I would finish. Based on the information at hand, I assumed a leisurely pace would have me finishing in 9 hours. In retrospect, this is a laughable assumption.” by Kelly @ Slipping Slowly into Pain… 
• More sweet pics from Steve Pero

Talk some Dirt

• How was your adventure?

Special thanks to Steve Pero for permission to use the great photos above.

Check out the TALON Race Guide

There are 150+ regional trail/ultra races in the TALON Race Guide. Be sure to check it out if you are looking for the most complete list of events in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. New events are always being added.

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

Related Articles:

• Jemez Mountain Trail Run – 2012 50 km Course Flyover
• Jemez Mountain Trail Run – 2012 50 Mile Course Flyover
• Angel Fire Endurance Run – New 100 Mile Trail Run Coming to New Mexico This June
• Placitas 50 km Trail Run – 2012 Results
• White Mesa FA Trail Run – 2011 Results

On April 4th, nearly 600 runners managed a bit of heat and visor dripping humidity at the Hells Hills Trail Run located on the varied terrain at Rocky Hill Ranch in Smithville, Texas. This event also brought some fast feet from the national scene as the 25 km scamper was the fifth stop of the La Sportiva Mountain Cup Series.

Photo: Copyright Enduro Photo / endurophoto.com

All races enjoy counter clockwise loops between 1 – 3 revolutions depending on your adventure of choice.

Results

Photo: Copyright Craig Mitchell / endurophoto.com

50 mile

In typical fashion, the early miles saw a handful of speedsters trading positions. After the first 16.7 mile loop, Eric Gilbertson (AL), Jesse Hastey (TX), Edgar Martinez (TX), and Chris Robbins (TX) were all within 30 seconds of each other. After two loops and 33.4 miles of racing, Eric Gilbertson began to create a gap from the nearest chaser, Jesse Hastey (+ 8min).  Texas athlete, Scott Rabb was now moving through the field and was in third position, 13 minutes back.

Eric continued some crazy consistent pacing, nearly even splitting every loop, to win the male race in 7:35:25.

Scott explains his move through the field towards the end of lap two and into the final 16.7 miles to earn second place honors.

“I caught one of them about a mile before the end of the second loop and another [Jesse Hastey] about two miles into the last loop. This gave me more motivation to now try and catch the leader. For the next four miles I probably ran as hard as I had all day, but I ran out of water and still had a couple miles to the first aid station…I concluded that he [Eric Gilbertson] was way up in front of me and I then lost the motivation to keep pushing hard as I was really getting hot from pushing the pace earlier with not enough fluids. At this point I settled into a nice pace and headed to the finish without trying to make any mistakes.”

Top 5 male

1. Eric Gilbertson (AL) – 7:35:25
2. Scott Rabb (TX) – 8:01:16
3. Hilario Alvarado (TX) – 8:18:36
4. Chris Robbins (TX) – 8:30:14
5. Jesse Hastey (TX) – 8:32:38

Hilario Alvarado (Photo: Copyright Craig Mitchell / endurophoto.com)

Global ultra runner, Hiroko Suzuki of Japan, moved to the front of the female race within the early miles. Texan, Sydney Pitt, was in chase four minutes back after 16.7 miles of adventure. At mile 33.4, Hiroko’s gap to Sydney had grown to nine minutes.

Hiroko went on to win the female race in a course record time of 8:50:23 and finish 8th overall.

Sydney struggled during the last loop which allowed the fairly consistent pacing of Kari Anglin to claim the runner-up position.

Top 5 female

1. Hiroko Suzuki (JP) – 8:50:23 (*course record*)
2. Kari Anglin (TX) – 9:19:55
3. Lorena Devlyn (TX) – 9:31:15
4. Rachel Ballard (TX) – 9:34:50
5. Karly Simmons (TX) – 10:08:44

All smiles! (Photo: Copyright Enduro Photo / endurophoto.com)

50 km

After his second place finish at Nueces 50 km in early March, David Brown was back pushing the pace and off the front in the early miles. Passing through mile 15.5 in 2:01:07, a six-plus minute gap was created from fellow speedsters, Paul Terranova (enjoying a focused training day) and Brian Hopton-Jones.

David Brown running relaxed. (Photo: Copyright Enduro Photo / endurophoto.com)

All three went on to have solid second loops with David extending the gap and winning the male race in 4:05:40.

Paul even-split the run, cruising in for second.

Top 5 male

1. David Brown (TX) – 4:05:40
2. Paul Terranova (TX) – 4:15:36
3. Brian Hopton-Jones (TX) – 4:19:29
4. Brandon Ostrander (TX) – 4:23:33
5. Patrick Hall (TX) – 4:33:02

Anabel Pearson (2nd female 2012 Rocky Raccoon 50 mile) and Kalynn Hodde (1:39 – 2012 Austin 1/2 mary) came through the 10.8 mile checkpoint stride-for-stride. At mile 15.5 Anabel had a three-plus minute gap on Kalynn, with Cara Bass just over one minute back in third.

Anabel ran a very consistent effort for loop two, leading to a female win in 5:09:45.

Kalynn slowed and started to drift back in the chase. Cara moved into second position and held it to the finish.

Cara, fairly new to the trail running scene, had these thoughts to share about her experience.

“At the start I was nervous and honestly thought I may not be able to finish because I had not been training at all for this long of a distance. The trail started off cool and pretty and I remained happy and was waiting for the next hill to come into view. As the sun came up I started feeling even more happy and content with where I was. I felt like a child skipping through the forest and kept telling myself…this is not going to last. But it did!”

“If every race was as awesome as this one I would be one happy runner!”

Cara Bass (Photo: Copyright Enduro Photo / endurophoto.com)

Top 5 female

1. Anabel Pearson (TX) – 5:09:45
2. Cara Bass (TX) – 5:26:45
3. Barbara Pliessnig (Austria) – 5:35:53
4. Leslie Miller (TX) – 5:45:07
5. Jody Koehler (TX) -5:49:04

25 km – La Sportiva Mountain Cup Series

Ryan Woods (NC), Jared Scott (AZ), and Robert Krar (AZ), looked like one runner blazing by if you weren’t paying attention. The effort was hard. The pace was furious. By mile 10.8 a scant four seconds separated the trail running trio.

How spicy was the effort?

Ryan Woods shares some of the action 3/4 through the race, “I had about a half a mile of comfortable running at their pace before we hit the old roads around 10 miles. Jared opened it up immediately and we began running 5:20 pace on it. Rob and I hung tight and even pushed past for a bit. It wasn’t until 12 miles that we got back on the single track and I felt the pace slow again.”

Once back on the singletrack, Ryan decided to try and create a gap…it happened…and it stuck.

“Since I had already been working hard and I didn’t have confidence in running away from them on open roads I surged past Jared on the single track and quickly opened up a gap. I kept a good pace from then on to the finish but since I had some separation I didn’t have to throw in a kick. It was a hot muggy morning and all things considered I’m happy to have pulled out the victory. It could of went any number of different ways.”

Ryan’s winning time of 1:35:22 (avg 6:08 pace) set a new course record and keeps him at the top of the La Sportiva Mountain Cup Series.

Ryan Woods flying through the course. (Photo: Copyright Rick Kent / endurophoto.com)

Jared finished 20 seconds later with well deserved runner-up honors.

Top 5 male

1. Ryan Woods (NC) – 1:35:22 (*course record*)
2. Jared Scott (AZ) – 1:35:42
3. Robert Krar (AZ) – 1:35:53
4. Jason Bryant (NC) – 1:43:31
5. Chris McWaters (TX) – 1:46:39

The female race came down to a display of courage between two women, Alison Bryant (NC) and Christina Bauer (AZ). Neither were in top form but both were willing to give their best on the day as Alison explains, ”I had missed seven weeks of running with a stress fracture and only started running two weeks prior to the race. I did not know how it was going to go with that little amount of run training.”

Christina was feeling a bit sketchy due to flu-like symptoms.

So how was this going to play out?

Through 10-ish miles Christina kept pushing the pace at the front with Alison wondering if she could catch her…or at least see her.

“I had been trying to watch for her on the switchbacks, but I didn’t get many chances to look for her. I tried to keep running hard in hopes that she would come back, but had somewhat resigned myself to second place.”

And then at mile 10.8 things changed as Alison explains, “Then I noticed her in front of me just before we hit the second aid station at 10.8 miles. She started coming back to me quickly, I probably caught her around 11.5 miles. She attempted to go with me, but I pulled ahead.”

Alison went on to win the female race in 2:02:16, placing her third overall in the La Sportiva Mountain Cup Series.

Not feeling very good in the remaining miles, Christina held onto second finishing six minutes later. Christina moved into the overall lead of the female series.

So you would think after running 25 km on little training, your legs would be the sore part of the body. Not so for Alison.

“Funny thing, the most noticeably sore body parts were my arms – I guess it was like carrying a shake-weight for 2 hours!”

If we could all be so lucky!

Top 5 female

1.  Alison Bryant (NC) – 2:02:16
2. Christina Bauer (AZ) – 2:08:45
3. Jessica Layton (TX) – 2:24:16
4. Victoria Webster (TX) – 2:24:32
5. Laura Dugan (TX) – 2:28:01

25 km runners enjoying the day! (Photo: Copyright Enduro Photo / endurophoto.com)

10 km

Betty Davis set a new course record, averaging an 8:49 pace, and earning the female win in 54:52.

Twygena Cotton led the chase group finishing second.

Top 5 female

1. Betty Davis (TX) – 54:52 (*course record*)
2. Twygena Cotton (TX) – 57:41
3. Elizabeth Comer (TX) – 58:14
4. Michelle MacKay (TX) – 59:02
5. Jaime Orf (TX) – 1:00:27

10 km runner looking focused and strong. (Photo: Copyright Rick Kent / endurophoto.com)

Tennessee athlete, Robert Paterson’s 6:23 pace led to a three minute gap form the chase group and course record in 39:40.

Fifteen year old, Jake Kleinman, held off those charging from behind to earn second.

Top 5 male

1. Robert Patterson (TN) – 39:40 (*course record*)
2. Jake Kleinman (TX) – 42:41
3. Justin Wendling (TX) – 42:55
4. Karston Chatland (TX) – 46:43
5. Jake Minniti (TX) – 47:34

Micah and Noah Crownover. 10 km finishers! (Photo: Copyright Rick Kent / endurophoto.com)

Complete results

Inspiration Point

Check out some of the wisest finishers. I hope this stuff fires you up as much as it does me.

• Robert Kosec (65 – TX) and Mirek Malinowski (71 – TX) finished the 50 km!
• Ron Goldkorn (66 – TX) knocked out the 10 km.

Life is play. Play is life.

The Tough-as-Nails Award

The final finishers of an ultra distance event are some of the toughest athletes that are willing to stick with it to the best of their current ability and cross that darn finish line.

The Tough-as-Nails award recipients:

• Edwin Thompson (TX) finished the 50 km scamper in 12:30:02.
• Michael Standard (TX) finished the 50 mile adventure in 14:36:03.

Race Reports and Pics

• “Finished up the first loop in 2:08 and put away my headlamp and ultimate direction handheld.  i dumped the whole bag of powerbar gel blast in my mouth, grabbed my two amphipods and was off within 10 seconds.” by Brian @ Ultra Ramblings
• “I try to stay to the very back at the start. I’m keeping the pace conservative but it’s so funny that rush at the start line. Now that I’m wearing my heart rate monitor, I could see the instant 15 bpm jump from resting rate when they yelled “Go”.” by Libby @ The Active Joe
• “As I pulled out of the start/finish area, I jokingly asked another runner if she was ready to pace me for the second loop.  She laughed, but little did she know I would tag along for half the loop.” by Paul @ Lean Forward Run Farther
• “As I mentioned before, the course has its share of flat windy trail with ups and downs in between. I got to mile 8 a little later than I expected, but I was still cruising and kept cruising for the most part until mile 13, when I had some stomach problems.” by runforpain @ Run for Pain
• “I  did miss out a very important detail of my prerace preparation, that whole genetics thing. Unfortunately, I didn’t get much true endurance speed from my parents. And yes, I understand speed is all relative, but relatively I am not fast. Yet I did end up leading the race early on for about a mile.” by Jason @ Life Through the Eye of a Runner
• “I stealthily took my time getting across the starting line and tucked myself into the back end of the second or third “chase” pack, while the top runners took off at typical 50k speed.” by Paul @ GrandKonaSlam2012
• “The last few miles of a race – just about any race – really drag on for me.  I get stupid.  By the last dozen miles my thigh was cramping, I’d get sorta dizzy when I’d slow down (“So don’t slow down” – Andres), my math skills dropped from 10th grade to 5th grade level, and every tree looked like it was mad at me about something.” by Kind of Like Fun
• “Jeremy just laughed at me, pointed to his watch, and said, “You’ve run about six miles!  We passed the water only station three miles ago!”  In the darkness, or perhaps due to my own focus, I’d blown right past the three mile station!  My spirits soared.  I’d run six miles without even realizing it;” by Kimberly @ The Trail Lawyer
• “I found it hard to get into a rhythm the first few miles the first few miles after leaving the start / finish aid station.  I felt pretty good energy wise but just couldn’t get a groove going.  At the water only aid station, I refilled and took a gel.  It was around here that I probably crossed into truly unchartered territory, having never run further than about 60k.” by Running Phenix
• A large collection of profession pics by Enduro Photo. Check them out, you won’t be dissapointed.

Photo: Copyright Enduro Photo / endurophoto.com

Talk some Dirt

• How was your adventure?

Special thanks to Cara Bass, Ryan Woods, and Alison Bryant for the unique insight. Also a big thanks to Enduro Photo for showcasing some of their amazing work.

Check out the TALON Race Guide

There are 150+ regional trail/ultra races in the TALON Race Guide. Be sure to check it out if you are looking for the most complete list of events in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. New events are always being added.

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

Related Articles:

• Hells Hills Trail Run – 2011 Results
• Hells Hills Trail Run 2010 Results
• Pandora’s Box of Rox Trail Run – 2012 Results
• The Maze Trail Run – 2012 Results
• Hog’s Hunt Trail Run – 2012 Results

Since there isn’t a lot of info online yet, Mr. Deupree was kind enough to chat and share some of the current details that are still being massaged to some degree but plans are steadily moving forward.

For those that have no idea about this one, here are the basics.

Date: June 30, 2012

Location:  Angel Fire, New Mexico (start/finish from Angel Fire Resort)

Angel Fire is located in the northeast corner of New Mexico.

Distances: 100 mile, 100 km, 50 km

Time limit (all distances): 32 hours

Registration: Registration is open. Check out Ultra Signup.

Here are some additional highlights from our recent conversation.

[EB -  There currently aren't a lot of details about this Angel Fire adventure, what can you tell us about it?]

It is a first year event. The good news is we have experienced people working on the event. We will be crunching out the logistics with the forest service and the lodge but after talking to both they seem very receptive to it. We would start and finish at the lodge. The 100 mile, 100 km, and 50 km would utilize the same course so regardless of their event, they would be surrounded by other runners.

 [EB - So it would be a 50 km loop?]

It would actually be a 50 km out and back. We are currently considering a ‘T’ shape with the primary reason for that is for logistics sake. If there were an emergency, we could respond to our runner’s need very quickly.

Note: The start/finish would be at the base of the ‘T’.

The current proposed course will utilize a little bit of asphalt, some gravel access roads, and then join the Elliot Barker trail.  Run it (Elliot Barker trail) north, make a loop, run it back to the south to the intersection. Continue on southerly through the OSHA meadow and then back towards the east a little bit.

Then we have a little bit of a surprise for the 100 milers for the additional 10 km.

[EB - Could you describe the terrain in a bit more detail?]

It’s hard to from Oklahoma but I can tell you this, the Elliot Barker trail is an established moderate to expert bike trail (double-track). That portion of the Carson National Forest is evergreen so it’s going to be beautiful. Some dirt. Some rock. I don’t anticipate any boulder fields.

[EB - In terms of technicality of the trail. Would you consider it moderate for the region?]

I would say it is moderate to advanced. That’s from the standpoint of having to put a bike on it. As a runner, would it all be runable? It probably would be. But will most people run all of it – no.

[EB - What is the general altitude?]

It will probably range between 8600 feet and maybe the highs in the 10,000 foot range (maybe a little bit higher).

As far as the gain per loop, at this point I don’t have the data.

[EB - Will there be significant sustained climbs or more rolling?]

I would go with the rolling layout. We aren’t going to have anything that say replicates Leadville’s Hope Pass. There won’t be anything like that. That is kind of an extreme portion of the course and we don’t necessarily want to do that.

[EB - In terms of general exposure is it more open or wooded running?]

It will definitely be a combination. In the open areas you will have panoramic views. When you are in the lower elevations you will see evergreens. When you are in the higher elevations you will see mountain tops.

[EB - What will be the layout of aid stations?]

It will probably be closer to every five miles. I think we will have three fully supported aid stations and two water/sport drink only stops.

[EB - How about lodging?]

The lodging at Angel Fire Resort has over 120 rooms, plus condos, plus managed properties.

[4/19 update - more lodging info below.]

Call 800-633-7463 to book lodging.

We will offer the Endurance Race participants the following – 20% off rate

• Weeknights = $74.00 plus taxes
• Weekends = $90.00 plus taxes

[EB - With respect to air travel. What would be the airports to fly in to?]

The closest airport that serves commercially would be Albuquerque. If you wanted to make a little trek out of it, you could definitely fly into Amarillo (Texas).

Others to investigate: Trinidad, CO or Colorado Springs, CO

[EB - What other insights would you like to share?]

I would like the runners to consider from an individual standpoint, is to be a cupless race. That doesn’t mean we won’t have some cups in case of an emergency but we really like runners to bring their own bottles. We will have the usual ultra food and snacks.

We will allow pacing for the 100 mile race. They can start pacing after 100 km. A lighting source will be required even for the 100 km.

The 100 mile has a 32 hour cutoff which means the 100 km and 50 km will have the same.

We are welcoming volunteers that want to work with our aid station captains.

We are working on the inaugural Angel Fire finisher’s buckle! [EB - This may be the most important piece of info in all of this. ]

[EB - Any websites to stay in the loop for any new information?]

There is an informational site at oklahomaultrarunning.wordpress.com

This contains really basic information that will be updated and include a course map and code for the lodging.

If you want to sign up now, you can go to UltraSignup.com. (Angel Fire Endurance Run)

[EB - Here is a Facebook event page as well]

[4/27 - Update]

The currently proposed course map is now on the event website. Check out - http://oklahomaultrarunning.wordpress.com/.

Special thanks to Chisholm for sharing a few more details with us. This is lookin’ like a fun one!

Some additional goodies I found:

If you haven’t yet, the Angel Fire Resort looks pretty sweet.

The Angel Fire Facebook page has some amazing photos from the area.

I also just took a look at the average temperature for June 30th in Angel Fire, New Mexico.

How does this sound? Avg low – 41F. Avg high – 78F.

More links:

• Carson National Forest
• Video from the the Elliot Barker Trail - Shows a bit of scenery. Don’t need to watch more than a minute.
• A few Flickr photos from the Elliot Barker Trail

Be active – Feel the buzz!

David – EnduranceBuzz.com

Related Articles:

• Jemez Mountain Trail Run – 2012 50 km Course Flyover
• Jemez Mountain Trail Run – 2012 50 Mile Course Flyover
• Cedro Peak Ultra – 2012 Results
• Placitas 50 km Trail Run – 2012 Results
• White Mesa FA Trail Run – 2011 Results