Tag Archive | "chris estes"

2013 Black Diamond 40 Miler Top 3 Males (Arthur Priddy middle, Chris Estes left, Joshua Holmes right)

Black Diamond 40 Miler + Relay Results (2013)

The 2nd Annual Black Diamond 40 Miler + Relay was held in Jackson, Tennessee on November 29, 2013.

Jackson’s Arthur Priddy was the overall winner and set a new course record with a time of 5:39:19.  Second place went to Murfreesboro’s Chris ‘Beast’ Estes in 5:57:40 with third place going to Joshua Holmes in 6:14:16.

The female winner was Kendra Schoffstall in 6:17:17. She also set a new Black Diamond course record. Second place went to Beth Hosick in 8:35:23 and third to Diane Taylor.

Black Diamond 40 Miler Results

  1. Arthur Priddy – 5:39:19
  2. Chris Estes – 5:57:40
  3. Joshua Holmes – 6:14:16
  4. Kendra Schoffstall – 6:17:17
  5. Kevin Gerteisen – 6:17:17
  6. Danny Staggs – 7:22:23
  7. Billy Cannon 7:54:26
  8. Anthony Ohrey – 7:54:27
  9. Beth Hosick – 8:35:23
  10. David Oglesby – 8:35:24
  11. Joseph Nance – 8:47:12
  12. Ben Pennington – 8:47:14
  13. Muralidhar Nannapaneni – 9:00:59
  14. Rob Apple – 10:42:56
  15. Diane Taylor 10:42:56

DNF – Michelle Lenahan

The Black Diamond 40 Miler Relay was won by the 2-person team Muppet Madness, that consisted of William Henson and Kelly Henson, in a time of 5:48:18.

Second place relay went to Just a Blur 2 (Steven Reagan, Marj Mitchell, Leigh Carr, Clary Bilbrey) in 5:52:05 and third to +Y Racing (Melanie Casey, Erin Veneman, Julie Montgomery, Bob Beasley) in 6:27:13.

Black Diamond 40 Miler Relay Results

  1. Muppet Madness (William Henson, Kelly Henson) – 5:48:18
  2. Just a Blur 2 (Steven Reagan, Marj Mitchell, Leigh Carr, Clark Bilbrey) – 5:52:05
  3. +Y Racing (Melanie Casey, Erin Veneman, Julie Montgomery, Bob Beasley) – 6:27:13
  4. Three Gentleman and a Lady (Daniel Escue, Tasha Dayoff, Joey Kennedy, David Escue) – 6:49:00

Double Black Diamond 40 Miler Results

  1. Joshua Holmes – 6:45:55
  2. Bill Baker – 7:12:14
  3. John Leighton – 7:25:25
  4. Anthony Ohrey – 10:16:22
  5. Danny Staggs – 10:16:22
  6. Diane Taylor – 12:10:47
DNF – Arthur Priddy

Congrats to everyone who ran this weekend and to big thanks to Jeff Keas, Dr. Karl Studtmann, Shannon Miller, and several others that did a great job being roving aid stations and checking on all of the runners.

Posted in Results, Ultra MarathonComments (0)

2013 Jackass Shirt Front Art

Jackson Jackass 50K Results (2013)

Below are the results for the 2013 Jackson Jackass 50K that took place on February 9, 2013 at Kam-Dam Falls in Jackson, Tennessee.

Jackass 2 Results

  1. Arthur Priddy (Jackson, TN) – 4:39:14 (1st Male)
  2. Brad Box (Jackson, TN) – 4:48:22 (2nd Male)
  3. Ashley Hook (Memphis, TN) – 5:10:10 (3rd Male)
  4. Billy Cannon (Milan, TN) – 5:11:30
  5. Anthony Ohrey (Henderson, TN) – 5:11:31
  6. Jonathan Harrison (Henderson, TN) – 5:17:40
  7. Joshua Holmes (Los Angeles, CA) –  5:22:20
  8. Rob Philip (Saltillo, MS) – 5:31:31
  9. Kenneth Mescall (Jackson, TN) – 5:40:11
  10. Steven Reagan (Brownsville, TN) – 5:44:00
  11. Nathan Judd (Finger, TN) – 5:51:30
  12. Emily Conley (Lakeland, TN) – 5:53:03 (1st Female)
  13. Wade Anderson (Readyville, TN) – 5:53:05
  14. Nathan Bass (Madison, MS) – 5:54:54
  15. Wayne McComb (Columbus, GA) – 5:55:30
  16. Robin Robbins (Milan, TN) – 5:58:16
  17. Julie Montgomery (Jackson, TN) – 6:08:49 (2nd Female)
  18. Jeff Fugate (Jackson, TN) – 6:21:27
  19. Jonathan Bobbitt (Jackson, TN) – 6:22:57
  20. Terry Bishop (Jackson, TN) – 6:23:20
  21. Mark Watson (Medina, TN) – 6:29:12
  22. Leah Harrison (Henderson, TN) – 6:29:54 (3rd Female)
  23. Jennifer Whitley (Murfreesboro, TN) – 6:35:24
  24. Gene Pierce (Amory, MS) – 6:35:58
  25. Melanie Kayal (Jackson, TN) – 6:37:14
  26. Kevin Brandon (Dickson, TN) – 6:55:47
  27. David Oglesby (Jackson, TN) – 7:26:46
  • Chris Estes (Murfreesboro, TN) – DNF
  • Kevin Leathers (Germantown, TN) – DNF
  • Kam Otey (Amory, MS) – DNF
  • Daniel Escue (Dickson, TN) – DNF

Big thanks to Clark Bilbrey for doing all of the timekeeping and scoring as well as to Richard Sparks (Sparks Timing Services) for the use of his race clock.

Posted in Results, THE CLUB, Ultra MarathonComments (0)

Josh Hite – 2012 Blister in the Sun Marathon Winner – Photo by Elly Foster

Josh Hite Blazes Blister in the Sun Marathon for 3rd Consecutive Year (Results)

Masochist/race director Josh Hite won the Blister in the Sun Marathon on August 5, 2012 for the third consecutive year in Cookeville, Tennessee with a winning time of 3:17:18.

Hite started the marathon back in 2010 when only 14 of his craziest friends dared to show up for five brutal loops of Cane Creek Park (and middle school). This year had nearly 90 participants.  Those that were lucky enough to finish took home some of the hottest bling you’ll ever come across.

John Ramsay finished in second placewith a time of 3:29:12 and Meredith Smith (Female Winner), third overall, with a time of 3:29:22. Third overall male went to Todd Shause in 3:31:53.

The second place female was Michelle Lenahan in 3:44:45 with the third place female going to Laura Schmitt in 4:06:46.

Place First Last Age Gender Time
1 Josh Hite 34 m 3:17:18
2 John Ramsay 28 m 3:29:12
3 Meredith Smith 41 f 3:29:22
4 Todd Shouse 47 m 3:31:53
5 Jeff Matlock 47 m 3:36:32
6 Michelle Lenahan 32 f 3:44:45
7 Chris Estes 40 m 3:45:06
8 Dallas Smith 72 m 3:56:32
9 Joshua Holmes 34 m 3:58:16
10 Christopher Rayder 13 m 3:59:54
11 Danny Meier 26 m 4:00:09
12 Michael Strobel 52 m 4:00:40
13 Keith Lascalea 39 m 4:05:04
14 Bill Baker 61 m 4:06:18
15 Laura Schmitt 33 f 4:06:46
16 Bill Ziesmer 40 m 4:12:21
17 Evan Perperis 30 m 4:13:36
18 Jason Auer 29 m 4:16:13
20 Scott Warrington 30 m 4:17:34
19 Jonathan Kroeger 30 m 4:17:34
21 Heather Zeigler 32 f 4:19:07
22 Danny Staggs 48 m 4:26:17
23 Kendra Schfostall 49 f 4:28:53
24 Adam Bourne 35 m 4:29:16
25 Sarah Starling 42 f 4:29:22
26 Anthony Shapiro 46 m 4:29:44
27 Juli Simms 34 f 4:31:16
28 Chuck Upton 47 m 4:33:25
29 Joseph Nance 34 m 4:35:29
30 Chris Clemens 46 m 4:36:26
31 Megan Haase 22 f 4:36:35
32 Brian Mount 38 m 4:38:55
33 David Warren 55 m 4:42:28
34 James Norris 62 m 4:42:50
35 Andrea Spohn 40 f 4:46:38
36 Candice Loyd 40 f 4:48:53
37 Robert Rayder 43 m 4:52:42
38 Cindy Hamilton 44 f 4:55:54
39 David Wingard 62 m 4:58:13
40 Michael Rauchwarg 50 m 4:58:18
41 John Leighton 51 m 4:59:23
42 Mikki Trujillo 36 f 4:59:50
43 Ed Ferrell 48 m 5:00:52
44 Anthony Haase 41 m 5:02:32
45 David Crow 40 m 5:02:41
46 Nancy Mizzles 53 f 5:07:32
47 Mark Watson 41 m 5:09:09
48 Rachelle Griggs 22 f 5:13:17
49 Karen Khodadadi 53 f 5:15:17
50 Eugene Park 22 m 5:26:35
51 Kathi Kreeb 52 f 5:33:15
52 David Thierjung 47 m 5:33:16
53 Thomas Holt 35 m 5:34:13
54 Lisa Pass 51 f 5:34:14
55 Trent Rosenbloom 42 m 5:37:31
56 Pascal Radley 54 m 5:42:59
57 Shavonne Atkinson 33 f 5:43:52
58 Diane Bolton 51 f 5:44:01
59 Jeff Venable 57 m 5:50:07
60 Bob Huber 56 m 5:52:55
61 Steve Hughes 63 m 5:54:50
62 Cathie Johnson 58 f 5:57:31
63 Troy Johnson 65 m 5:57:31
64 Heather Trainor 38 f 5:59:59
65 Phyllis Sizemore 66 f 6:02:52
66 Daniel Wells 65 m 6:04:48
67 David Wilson 59 m 6:07:02
68 Carol Earles 42 f 6:11:45
69 DeeDee Earles 23 f 6:11:46
70 Sarah Jo Harvey 22 f 6:18:01
71 Phil Min 57 m 6:18:02
72 Clara Mount 33 f 6:18:19
73 Jerome Barthelemy 40 m 6:20:01
74 Matt Calhoun 34 m 6:48:09
75 Evelyn Smith 52 f 6:48:51
76 Frank Bartocci 64 m 6:48:53
77 Henry Rueden 62 m 6:50:05
78 Diane Taylor 55 f 7:05:46
79 Sandy Staggs 44 f 7:05:46

2012 Blister in the Sun Marathon Medal

[photo credit: Elly Foster (website)]

Posted in Marathon, ResultsComments (0)

The Backass Jackal Marathon:Relay Finishers – 2012

Arthur Priddy Wins The Jackal Trail Marathon (Jackal and Backass Jackal Results)

Arthur Priddy won The Jackal Trail Marathon that was held on June 23, 2012 in Jackson, Tennessee with a time of 3:52:41

Priddy, who earlier this year won the Andrew Jackson Marathon, was able to hold off David Mickelsen who finished in 4:04:36.

The Jackal Trail Marathon Results – 2012

  1. Arthur Priddy (Jackson, TN) – 3:52:41
  2. David Mickelsen (Brentwood, TN) – 4:04:36
  3. Joshua Holmes (Jackson, TN) – 4:32:32
  4. Chris Estes (Murfreesboro, TN) – 4:34:53
  5. Jeff Fugate (Jackson, TN) – 4:38:01
  6. Dan Meier (Clarksville, TN) – 4:41:22
  7. Nathan Judd (Finger, TN) – 4:41:41
  8. Jonathan Harrison (Henderson, TN) – 4:52:26
  9. Anthony Ohrey (Henderson, TN) – 4:59:52
  10. Wade Anderson (Readyville, TN) – 5:16:41
  11. Jonathan Young (Benton, AR) – 5:18:19
  12. Sulaiman Seriki (La Vergne, TN) – 5:19:31
  13. Todd Shadburn (Jackson, TN) – 5:24:35
  14. Clark Bilbrey (Dickson, TN) – 5:31:14
  15. Naresh Kumar (India) – 5:38:36
  16. Mikki Trujillo (Cookeville, TN) – 6:13:17
  17. David Oglesby (Jackson, TN) – 6:20:34
  • Brad Box (Jackson, TN) – 4:38:10 (early 5am start)

On Sunday (June 24, 2012), five runners returned to attempt a second day of marathon madness in what was dubbed The Backass Jackal Trail Marathon.

The Backass Jackal was won by Chris Estes who finished the second day of the back-to-back with a time of 4:41:22.

The Backass Jackal Trail Marathon Results -2012

  1. Chris Estes (Murfreesboro, TN) – 4:41:22
  2. Joshua Holmes (Jackson, TN) – 4:52:51
  3. Sulaiman Seriki (La Vergne, TN) – 6:02:15
  4. Naresh Kumar (India) – 6:26:30
  5. Mikki Trujillo (Cookeville, TN) – 6:38:05 (F)

These five runners were joined by four other runners that made up two relay teams during The Backass Jackal.

The Backass Jackal Trail Marathon Relay Team Results – 2012

  1. Robin Robbins/Nathan Bass – 4:19:31
  2. Daniela Obregon/Ben Pennington – 5:48:10

Congrats and thanks to all of the great runners who came out to make this a wonderful first time event.

Posted in Marathon, ResultsComments (1)

Meghan Vogel Shows Extreme Sportsmanship in Helping Injured Competitor Across the Finish Line (Video)

West Liberty-Salem (Ohio) high school runner Meghan Vogel won the 1,600 meter race at the OHSAA (Ohio High School Athletic Association) state track meet on June 2, 2012.  However, her most impressive feat of the day was stopping during the 3,200 meter race to help injured opponent Arden McMath, who was severely hurt, hobble across the finish line.

A West Liberty-Salem runner helps carry a struggling Arlington runner who collapsed just short of the finish line at the DIII 3200 meter race at the OHSAA state track meet at Jesse Owens Stadium in Columbus on June 2, 2012. The West Liberty-Salem athlete finished first in the 1600 meter race earlier in the day. She was running in last place in the 3200 meter race when she approached her opponent struggling to pick herself up from the track on the home stretch. Without hesitation, she scooped her competitor up and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. As the crowd roared, the incredible sportsmanship continued to the finish line…

Often we get too caught up in the competition to remember our fellow competitors during a race.  Meghan’s sportsmanship is a prime example to many of us, much older, that we should never be too consumed with ourselves to help out an injured or struggling competitor.

Meghan’s story reminds me of Chris Estes stopping at mile a mile short of the Strolling Jim 40 Miler to help a runner who had collapsed and fallen over a guardrail (full story).

I’ve found out that the longer the event, the friendly runners are and more willing to help one another out. This is one of the reasons I love running ultras.

Posted in RunningComments (0)

Chris Estes Post Race 2012 Strolling Jim 40 Miler

Chris Estes Jumps Over Guardrail to Help Save Fellow Runner During Last Mile of Strolling Jim 40 Miler

The Strolling Jim 40 Mile run was memorable, to say the least. The thunderstorms early on, which has happened in the past, preceded extreme heat, sun, and pretty high humidity. We all heard that this heat and humidity would happen and prepared for it somewhat, but when you wake up in the morning race day and it’s foggy and getting ready to rain, it’s hard to imagine how hot it will really get in the later hours of the race.

LIke most others, even on the flatter sections of the latter part of the race, it was difficult to run and taking walk breaks or shuffling was imperative. No matter how much I wanted to push myself into a 8:30 pace, 10-11 minute pace was all that I could muster up. At the time, I thought that I was the only one who felt this drained by the heat-especially when I saw Chris Estes.

Even though Chris was taking walk breaks, he was still feeling strong and said the heat wasn’t bothering him that much. Over by the “manure” section, where huge stretch of land was being plowed with manure, I was having a difficult time running and smelling that stench. Chris made a point to ask me a few times if I was okay. I replied, “No but yes I’m fine”. If you are an ultra runner, you know what that means.

The final stretch of the 41.2 mile race is on a highway with fairly large shoulders to run on. The road is marked “Only 2 miles left” and “Only 1 mile left”. Around the time that I saw that I only had one mile left to go, I saw something that could have been a hullucination. I saw Chris jump over the metal highway railing down a significantly steep grassy slope. I was still about 1/4 mile away so I wasn’t sure exactly what I saw.

Honestly, I was thinking that maybe Chris suddenly wasn’t feeling well and needed to use the bathroom. What else was I supposed to think?

Shortly after, I saw cars stopping and people moving around quickly. What was going on? The closer I got,  it suddenly occured to me that Chris was needing help.

I stopped and saw Chris about 10 feet down the slope and asked him if he was okay. I got a little closer just as he was telling me that a runner was down and unconscious and I saw another man on the other side of the unconscious runner and they both looked worried. I also saw a local family of three dealing with the situation by calling 911 and responding to the situation.

The only thing that I did to help was close the door of the pick-up truck, in fear that the door would be hit by an oncoming car. I knew that the situation was being dealt with but it was hard to leave. It was hard to see my friend down there dealing with it after running 40 miles in the heat and humidity. But, at that moment, I was honored to know him.

This was Chris’s first Strolling Jim 40 Miler. He is a Boston qualifying runner and loves ultras. He wanted that “sub7 red shirt” that so many of us want. Chris was a few minutes ahead of me before jumping over that railing to save another runner. The truth is that Chris just happened to see the runner’s hat and saw him down the slope off the highway. The runner had been sitting on the railing and fell backwards after passing out. If Chris hadn’t seen his hat, he never would have spotted the runner, or anyone else would have spotted him, for that matter. The runner could have died.

I finished the race in 6:33. Chris was at least a few minutes ahead of me so he would gotten his 6:30 shirt. Instead he finished in 7:10, as a result of saving that runner’s life. The race director, Mike Melton, did give Chris a sub7 red shirt. What Chris did on this day was far more important than receiving the “red shirt”. Even though he was exhausted and getting ready to finish a 41.2 mile race under brutal conditions, he reacted to an extremely difficult situation and to me, proved how special ultra runners are as a whole.

We are not just out there for ourselves: to beat others, to get something out of this in a selfish way. We not only love running and running far, but we also love the community of runners and will do anything for them, expecting nothing in return. On this day, Chris was the perfect example of that.

Posted in Running, Ultra MarathonComments (3)

Jackson Jackass 50K – 2011

2012 Jackson Jackass 50K Results

Here are the results from the inaugural Jackson Jackass 50K that took place today in Jackson, Tennessee on a very wet and muddy trail.

The race was the first ultra ever to be held in Jackson.

2012 Jackson Jackass 50K Results

  1. Karl Studtmann (Jackson, TN) – 5:23:25
  2. Arthur Priddy (Jackson, TN) – 5:32:20
  3. Kevin Leathers (Cordova, TN) – 5:53:33
  4. Chris Estes (Murfreesboro, TN) – 5:55:23
  5. Jeff Fugate (Jackson, TN) – 5:58:12
  6. Cody Whitehead (Jackson, TN) – 6:01:35
  7. Brad Box (Jackson, TN) – 6:21:35
  8. Jonathan Bobbitt (Jackson, TN) – 6:26:40
  9. Joshua Holmes (Jackson, TN) – 6:29:29
  10. Emily Conley (Lakeland, TN) – 6:37:05 (1st Female)
  11. Jonathan Harrison (Henderson, TN) – 6:38:32
  12. Kam Otey (Amory, MS) – 7:33:22
  13. Gene Pierce (Amory, MS) – 7:33:25
  14. Jennifer Whitley (Murfreesboro, TN) – 7:45:00 (2nd Female)
  15. Sulaiman Seriki (La Vergne, TN) – 7:45:27
  16. Dallas Smith (Cookeville, TN) – 8:20:30
  17. Lisa Gonzales (Alta Loma, CA) – 8:43:22 (3rd Female)
  • Jonathan Stewart (Jackson, TN) – DNF 21.5 miles
  • Brad Sullivan (Bowling Green, KY) – DNF 17.2 miles
  • Trent Rosenbloom (Nashville, TN) – DNF 5.5 miles

Posted in Results, Running, Ultra MarathonComments (0)

Podog Vogler, Trapper Presley, and Feb Boswell at Bartlett Park Ultra

Feb Boswell, Matt Walker, Podog Vogler Crush Bartlett Park Ultra 50K, 40 Mile & 50 Mile Course Records

Memphis runner Feb Boswell crushed the Bartlett Park Ultra (BPU) 50K course record on Saturday in Bartlett, Tennessee with a blazing time of 4:02:12.

Feb on Facebook after the race, “Pretty stoked with doing a training run at the BPU 50K this morning and getting a course record! Great race put on by some great folks!”

The previous course record for the BPU trail ultra was 4:07:10 by Eric Charette back in 2009.

Stacey Shaver-Matson broke the female 50K course record with a 5:16:27.

BPU 50K Top 5 Results

  1. Feb Boswell – 4:02:12
  2. Trapper Presley – 4:21:56
  3. Erno Lindner – 4:51:47
  4. Joseph Antoine – 4:58:02
  5. Stacey Shaver-Matson  (F) – 5:16:27

The beauty of the BPU race is that you have three options.  You can stop at the 50K or continue to run either a 40 miler or 50 miler.

Matt Walker set a record, as well on Saturday, for the BPU 40 Miler – finishing in a time of 6:37:30.  The previous course record for the 40 miler was by Mark Denherder in 6:48:02

Second place finisher Chris Estes had the fourth fastest time in the 40 mile course’s history running a 6:52:32.

BPU 40 Mile Top 5 Results

  1. Matt Walker – 6:37:30
  2. Chris Estes – 6:52:32
  3. Christy Scott (F) – 7:06:20
  4. Gary Thornton – 7:49:50
  5. George Peterka – 8:07:23

But the most impressive performance of the day came in the BPU 50 Miler where Podog Vogler demolished the course record by over 72 minutes, running a 7:28:12 to beat Harry Camp’s record of 8:40:27 from 2007.

Karen Martin also broke her own female 40 mile course record by nearly 35 minutes.

BPU 50 Mile Top 5 Results

  1. Podog Vogler – 7:28:12
  2. Karen Martin (F) – 9:01:10
  3. John Loucks – 9:39:27
  4. Michael Poole – 9:42:25
  5. Bruce Tanksley – 10:12:04

Congrats to all three men who set course records in the 50K, 40 miler, and 50 miler on Saturday. Impressive feats on a trail with so many roots and turns.

Race director Mike Samuelson and his team of volunteers do a really great job of putting on this race every year.

Bartlett Park Ultras Official Website (Link to Full Results as well)

Posted in Results, Running, Ultra MarathonComments (0)

BITS 2011 – Mikki J. Trujillo, Dallas Smith, Jennifer Whitley, Monkey Trent

Josh Hite Turns ‘Blister In The Sun’ Into Fun Run for 2nd Straight Year (Results, Photos)

The 2nd annual Blister In The Sun Marathon took place this morning in Cookeville, Tennessee at Cane Creek Park.

Race Director Josh Hite, for the second year in a row, won his race. This year Hite completed the five loops with a time of 3:16:55. He bested the next closest finisher by nearly 30 minutes.

The battle for 2nd and 3rd places went down to the wire with Murfreesboro’s Chris Estes taking 2nd by 35 seconds over James Ramsey who had to settle for third.

The female winner was Jennifer Whitley who finished with a time of 4:19:42. The next two women’s finishers were Michelle Walker and Kelly Delmar.

1. Hite Josh 33 Cookeville, TN 3:16:55
2. Estes Chris 39 Murfreesboro,TN 3:45:21
3. Ramsey James 324 WTF 29 Nashville, TN 3:45:56
4. Hogue Jeffery 39 Grand Bay, AL 3:47:38
5. Matlock Jeff JEM 46 Ashland City, TN 3:57:02
6. Ma Vincent 41 San Jose, CA 4:01:16
7. Smith Dallas Dallas 71 Cookeville, TN 4:04:07
8. Rayder Christopher Nut Junior Sized 12 Memphis, TN 4:08:49
9. Whitley Jennifer The Running Raven 45 Murfreesboro,TN 4:19:42
10. Jimenez Albino Albino 40 El Camino, Spain 4:23:17
11. Rayder Robert Roasted Nut 42 Memphis, TN 4:23:47
12. Trice Winston Winston 38 Hayes, VA 4:27:11
13. Acton Jesse 28 Nashville, TN 4:29:53
14. Staggs Danny Dano 47 Livingston, TN 4:32:49
15. Walker Michelle Mom of 6! 42 Evansville, IN 4:35:21
16. Samuelson Mike Ultramike 45 Lakeland, TN 4:41:46
17. Delmar Kerry Miller Time 40 Tanner, AL 4:48:58
18. Holm Randall Hulm Runs 50 Muscle Shoals, AL 4:52:56
19. Steven Rebecca Rebecca 49 Wichita, KS 4:59:19
20. Sherman Bill Bill 51 Ft. Walton Beach, FL 4:59:41
21. Baker Bill Bootheelbilly 60 Nashville, TN 5:02:08
22. Workman Curtis Curtis 43 Villa Ridge, MO 5:07:02
23. Weeks Robert Bob 43 Fortmill, SC 5:09:40
24. Holt Thomas Holt the Bolt 34 Cookeville,TN 5:12:37
25. Trujillo Mikki Sloppy Seconds 35 Cookeville, TN 5:25:47
26. Anderson Wade Wade 50 Readyville, TN 5:25:48
27. Maples Chris 42 Murfreesboro,TN 5:33:20
28. Bolton Diane DianeB 50 Nashville, TN 5:41:19
29. Rosenbloom Trent Trent 41 Nashville, TN 5:42:52
30. Stupanch Nancy Nancy 50 Oveido, FL 5:44:23
31. Trainor Heather Crawlmommy 37 Roswell, GA 5:56:33
32. Ward Jay 38 Murfreesboro,TN 5:57:57
33. Bronson Kyra Kyra 33 Kansas City, MO 6:09:54
34. Min Phil Phoolish Phil 56 Birmingham, AL 6:48:11
35. Macon Larry Larrry 66 San Antonio, TX 7:15:51
36. Lee JD JD 72 Knoxville 7:29:16
37. Taylor Diane DaineT 54 Nashville, TN 7:35:14
38. Ivory Angela Angela 43 Nashville, TN 7:35:15

Legendary Dallas Smith finished in 7th place with a time of 4:04:07.  Dallas’ buddy Albino Jiminez, of Spain, finished in 4:23:17. Jiminez just ran all the way across Spain back earlier this year.

12-year old Christopher Rayder finished in a shocking time of 4:08:49. Rumor is it that he ran a 3:23 at Grandfather Mountain Marathon last month.

Angela Ivory finished her 297th marathon while Texas resident Larry Macon finished his 707th career marathon.

Instead of finisher’s medals the runners received finisher’s frying pans!

Congrats to all of the finishers. Those five loops around Cane Creek Park and the elementary school in that heat can wear down the best of runners.

2011 Blister In the Sun Photos

[photos by Naresh Kumar and Chris Estes]

___________

Posted in Marathon, ResultsComments (0)

RUTS – Carson Park Horse Track 103 Laps

Run Under the Stars 10 Hour Endurance Race (RUTS) Race Report

Run Under the Stars 10 Hour Endurance Race – June 11-12, 2011

This was my second year running the Run Under the Stars 10 Hour Endurance Race in Paducah, Kentucky put on by the West Kentucky Runner’s Club.  Race director Steve Durbin does a great job putting on this race as well as the Land Between the Lakes trail races.

The race takes place at the Carson Horse Park there in Paducah. It’s a half-mile horse track that is composed of crushed limestone.  The track is wide and more than accommodated the 75 or so runners that took part this year.

The race uses chip timing and keeps track of every lap you make during the 10 hour race. You can run as much or as little as you want. You can even run, rest, nap, camp out, then run some more if you want. Race standings are posted throughout the race to help track the competition.  A TV monitor also posts your lap count every time you cross the tracking mat under the race tent.

An aid table is positioned right there on the track that you naturally pass every 1/2 mile. This made the need to carry a fuel belt or water bottle less important. The table was fully stocked throughout the night with water, Gatoraide, and Heed for drinks. It then had an assortment of foods that included watermelon, oranges, candy, potato chips, and even pizza & ice cream as the race grew long.

Runners that show up for this race often have varying goals. Some want to run something as short as a half-marathon while others want to tackle a long ultra-distance of 50+ miles or more.

Weather for this year’s event was cooler with temperatures in the 70’s for most of the race after a storm front had moved through the area earlier in the day. Last year it was in the mid 90’s at the start and never dipped below 84 degrees.  So the weather this year was a lot more ideal for running.

Last year, I had found the race online and thought it sounded unique, quirky, and fun. It was within driving distance so I said what the heck. I had a blast obviously as I returned this year for more. I was also excited that I was able to persuade other tormented souls into joining me in the rat race around the oval track this year.

The theme song for the race, that got stuck in my head after hearing it on the radio on the drive up, was the Smashing Pumpkins lyric, “Despite all my rage, I’m still just a rat in a cage.” It was and is the perfect song and lyric for RUTS because we were all rats out on that oval cage running off our rage and whatever eats at us and drives us to push our bodies to the limit.

At RUTS you are always doing one of two things, either lapping someone or getting lapped. You actually get to know your fellow runners unlike most races where you might only see the competition at the start, finish, and perhaps for a few seconds in between as you run.  So you find yourself talking to the other runners, who are friendly and eager for any opportunity to distract him or herself from the 10 hour clock that is ticking down.

For that very fact, it’s a great race to run with friends that are faster, slower, or normally run a different distance than you since you can spend time with them every few laps as you make your rounds.

My good running friends Chris Estes, Scott Stader, and Naresh Kumar trusted me enough to take my word to join me for the race this year.

I showed up at the horse track at 6:30pm for the 8:00pm race start. See that is the other thing. This race starts at 8pm and then you run throughout the night until 6am, hence the ‘Run Under the Stars’ name.

After arriving, I quickly put up my tent, along with Naresh’s help.  Inside the track’s infield there is ample space to park, pitch a tent, roast marshmellows or do almost anything one desires.  Estes and Stader arrived soon after and quickly joined the ultra party.

Upon check we received our race bib along with other great goodies like a West Kentucky Runner’s Club running hat, tote bag, tech shirt, and fuel belt.

The tent and our vehicles were just 35 feet or so from the horse track. The tent was in front of our cars. Then in front of our cars, just a foot or two off the track, we placed our lawn chairs where we placed all our race gear we thought we might need throughout the night. This way we could just step off the track, grab what we want, then step right back on without losing valuable time tracking inside the infield to get personal belongings.

The field had 66 runners this year and 4 relay teams. The relay team runners were often easy to spot because they zipped by me because they had only been running for an hour or short distance. It’s always hard to gauge who is running hard or the furthest on a 1/2 mile loop because you never know the other runner’s goals or if they are going to run the entire time. Someone is naturally going to run harder and faster if they are just running a half-marathon distance or are part of a relay team. You also never know if this or that runner has been resting the past hour in their tent as you’ve been downing more miles.

I came in trying to have no expectations, to just run well and listen to my body…but in the back of my head I wanted to run 50 miles. I also wanted to top my 50.5 mile distance of last year.

When the race began I started at around a 9 minute/mile pace and ran the first three miles at this pace before I realized it was probably too fast a pace. I decided to slow down a bit and let my heart rate come down to help me find a comfortable rhythm. I didn’t want to labor, especially just 30 minutes into a 10-hour event.

I didn’t eat anything the first couple of hours. I just drank water and Nuun. The Nuun is good stuff and about 100x better than Gatoraide.  After the first hour I had finished approximately 6.5 miles.

I hit 12 miles at 1:57 and the half-marathon mark at around 2:08. I would talk with friends and strangers as I continued to put down miles. I brought headphones in case I wanted to listen to music at some point, but I never broke them out. I don’t like having to wrestle with headphones, cords, and sweaty ear holes while trying to run.

With an ultra you can’t just worry about hydration. You also have to worry about nutrition and replacing the calories and carbs you are burning up.  You will wilt and die if you refuse to eat. Of course eating when you don’t feel like eating is usually just as difficult. I started with simple stuff like watermelon and oranges. I also would take a Gu Roctane about every 40 minutes.

After 3 hours I was at 18 miles. After 4 hours, 23.2 miles. My runner never really slowed as the night progressed, but I had to walk for a 1/10th of a mile once or twice a lap after the first couple of hours as my ankles became extremely tender from some of the divots in the track from the horses.

Around midnight the pizza arrived!  I took two slices and neatly stacked them on top of each other as I took off for another lap. I ran the next mile while slowly eating both pieces of pizza. The pizza tasted great and provided several hundred calories that would come in handy later on.

I reached the marathon distance (26.2 miles) in 4:35 and had 28.2 miles banked at 5 hours, the half-way point.

At 6 hours I had finished 33.3 miles. I knew I had a good shot of reaching 50 miles if my body would hold up. My ankles, tender and sore from very early in the race, made me wonder if my running would turn into a March of Dimes walk-a-thon. I was hoping my short walk breaks every half mile would be enough to allow me to continue to run it fast until the end.

When I reached 32 miles, I came across Estes on a lap. He looked a bit beat up and told me he had developed a painful blister on the bottom of one of his feet. He had tried to tape it, but the blister seemed determined to slow down Estes or end his night….which it did.

Estes, to my shock, told me he was going to finish another lap and call it a night with 34.5 miles.  He was going to play it smart. Something runners, and especially those like Estes and myself, rarely do.

He made the right call.

So Estes retired to the lawn chair near the track and did a great job of offering the rest of us encouragement and support for most of remaining 4 hours.

35 miles came at 6:22 and 40 at 7:23.  I had over 2.5 hours to do at least 10 miles. I had my iPhone out to recalculate the pace I would need to reach 50 miles ever so often when I’d hit a milestone (marker).  I stayed strong and the pace I needed continued to become a larger and larger number….a good thing!

One of the best things that happened during the race took place took place with just a few hours left. I had been expecting and waiting upon it as well. I finished a lap and saw three volunteers standing there, each with a separate box. One had Bomb popsicles, the other Nutty Buddies, and the third had fudgesicles. I grabbed the chocolate one and that ice cream, that had  naturally melted a bit in the heat, tasted like fresh cocoa milk off a cow’s udder. It was heavenly and so yum!

Those magical volunteers from the big RD in the Sky were there for several more laps with all three ice cream options. I turned it down after the first time for fear my over-indulgence might cause a stomach problem that would turn me into Cary Morgan around mile 20 of a marathon.

With 22 minutes left, as the clock hit 9:38, I reached my goal of 50 miles. I felt good though so I kept running.  The miles weren’t easy at this point, but they weren’t hard either. I was still running 80% of each lap at a 9:10ish pace. I’d walk just long enough to catch my breath, bring my HR down, and rest my ankles.

I came around on lap 102 (51 miles) and saw I had plenty of time to attempt another lap. So I did, but I noticed quickly that my arms and fingers were tingling and going a bit numb. I quickly decided I didn’t want to die on a horse track in Paducah and walked a good bit of that last lap.

I finished with 51.5 miles in 9:58:42.

Naresh finished with 51.5 miles as well. We tied for 6th out of 66 solo runners. Stader finished his first ultra, a 50K.  Estes completed his third ultra with 34.5 miles.

103 Laps on a 1/2 Mile Horse Track (via Garmin)

103 laps around an oval horse track, in the middle of the night, might like a bad idea to some people, but RUTS is a great race that allows you to run with and alongside your friends until the race clock runs out of tick-tocks.

I’ve run 204 laps around that horse track the past two years.  I’ll likely be back next year for more.  I plan to bring even more running friends with me next year!

Joshua Holmes

[Other runners I enjoyed running with, spending time with, and seeing once again included Sulaiman Seriki, Diane Taylor, John Price, Mike Youngblood, Bruce Tanksley, Gary Cantrell (Lazarus Lake), and Stu Gleman to name a few.]

[photo: Scott Stader]

Posted in Race Reports, Ultra MarathonComments (8)


Run It Fast on Twitter

twitter button free

Archives