Here is a look at where everyone is running this weekend. We had 19 responses this week. Good luck to everyone and Run It Fast!

To join Run It Fast – The Club then click HERE to read more details.

Today’s featured #RunItFast Instagram of the day is from Roberta.

You can follow Roberta on Instagram @rsala85

Keep up the good work! #runitfast

More than 30,000 running photos have been tagged on Instagram with our hash #runitfast.

Follow Run It Fast on Instagram @runitfast and use the hashtag #runitfast for a potential feature on Instagram and here.

“The gods had condemned Sisyphus to ceaselessly rolling a rock to the top of a mountain, whence the stone would fall back of its own weight. They had thought with some reason that there is no more dreadful punishment than futile and hopeless labor.” – Albert Camus

The Silverton Challenge 48 Hour Race Report

The gods were Mark and Sharill Hellenthal. The condemnation they had laid down on us runners was a 1 mile loop in the mountains of Silverton, Colorado at 9,500 feet with a gain of 250 ft per mile and a subsequent loss of 250 ft per mile as well.

Others must have committed far worse sins for they had been sentenced to six days and three days on that mountain, repeating that same punishing loop over and over. Some even dared to piss off the gods by bringing tents to sneak naps and breaks in.  A portable shower was even spotted, but even it couldn’t diminish the stench the mountains had left on the imprisoned runners of Silverton.

My journey to the mountain was complicated, two flights to Albuquerque then a 5.5 hour drive to Silverton. In retrospect it was the calm before the storm. I checked into a small cabin, then headed over to prison headquarters, where I knew my sentence was to begin the next day. I picked up my prison number and spoke for a bit with the gods behind a veil curtain so that they could keep their omnipresence spell over us that had been sent there.

While there I saw the long faces and worrisome looks from the six and three day runners. They looked at me with jealousy knowing I was soon to retire to my cabin before returning the next day, but they also looked at me with sympathy knowing I had no clue what was about to happen to me the following morning at 9am.

I slept well that night, showered the next morning, and showed up early at the barracks to begin my sentence. I had assumed that this might do me some favor with the gods. It wasn’t the only faulty assumption I had over the next 48 hours.

The games of the gods began promptly at 9am after a group photo. The photo I assumed was to remind us eventual survivors that we had been the fortunate ones. The race started and those not long for this earth started sprinting up that mountain. We saw them again within 5 minutes as the altitude had filled their lungs and gravity had harnessed their pride back towards the laughter of the gods.

Two hundred and fifty feet of climb over a mile would be punishing enough but no, that would have been too easy for some. The 250-ft climb happened in the first 0.33 mile to the summit where we’d catch our breath, run on level ground for roughly 25 yards before our heads started falling ahead of our feet and our legs wouldn’t stop. Our legs were moving at a warped speed as we couldn’t slow down, we couldn’t stop and our minds were searching and begging for the slightest incline so we could slow down. Some thought they had fallen into a black hole.  No inclines were to be found. Our quads ignited, rocks beneath our feet gave way as we were moving too fast and cutting too hard on switchbacks down towards the gods, and spots in our shoes became hotter than molasses on a Tennessee sidewalk in the heart of summer.

The 250-ft asteroid-like fall from the summit back to flat land took just 0.25 of a mile. Flat land had never felt so secure before. It was also time to walk for a few seconds to let the muscles in the leg rescind back to where they normally reside. A third of a mile later we were back at the tented residence of the gods. The tent was full of food, drink, and mocking. The treats were an oasis of hope that did just that…it made us forget the punishment we had just endured and before we had realized it, we had exited the tent, usually with cookies or gummy worms, and were scaling back up the mountain towards the summit.

I went into Silverton hoping and wanting to reach 100 miles to repay my sins. I didn’t know if the angels would call before I reached that distance, but I thought that once I reached it that my sentence on the mountain would be over and that the gods would release me.

Just five miles into this spectacle, my hamstrings, calf muscles, and feet were begging for no more. They had run 100 miles the weekend before at the Lean Horse 100. I didn’t believe I’d be able to reach 100 miles on this hellanthalish mountain loop. I knew I could stop at any time, since it was timed, but that the gods would laugh, mock, and scorn me by flashing me with the 100-mile buckle I had fallen short of before decapitating me. Foolish pride and a constant restocking of gummy worms and grilled cheeses (upon request) kept me leaving that tent and going back up and down that mountain 100 times over.

After 100x up and down that mountain I had reached 25,000ft of gain and 25,000ft of loss. A hundred times should have been enough. It had taken 35 hours 42 minutes and 44 seconds.

There was one problem…the male and female that did the most loops on this mountain in 48 hours would receive a free pair of Hoka One One shoes ($170 value). It was a mean and cruel trick by the gods that toyed with two of our deadliest sins – pride and greed.

That’s when I realized a 12-yr old boy by the name of Colby Wentlandt was in second place and on my heels. Twelve years old and sentenced to 48 hours on this mountain. What was his crime? How serious must it have been for him to be sentenced with the adults? Had his parents abandoned him while passing through Colorado? Had he murdered his parents? It turns out his parents were on that mountain too, doing painful 1-mile loop after another, but they were so many miles behind young Colby.

Colby moved at such speed it was as if he we was hoping that he could improve the fate of his parents if he could do more miles than any of the other prisoners. However, the gods had no rollover miles plan where he could convey his bounty to his mom and dad.

Colby would taunt me when we’d cross paths under the tent of the gods. He’d tell me how tired I looked and how I should go down. I’m not sure if he meant I should take a nap or if someone with a longer rap sheet should put me down behind the barn. He was sneaky wicked like that and it helped keep me alert and on my toes. I made sure to stay on the opposite side of the mountain to keep him from sneaking up behind and cutting me.

He was easy to spot from the high side of the mountain as he was always with shady characters like a Jester that went by the name of Ed Ettinghausen and two other munchkins by the names of Brandon and Cameron Plate (all sentenced to the 72-Hour and trying to keep up with 48-Hour Colby).

The taunts continued among the inmates as the night became late. ‘The Jester’ and ‘The Boy’ kept putting down 1 mile after another as Colby started to get close to tres digitos. I remained roughly 6-7 miles ahead of Colby per the prison LCD screens that were connected to our anklet tracers.

Colby hit 100 miles (his second time to reach said distance) and everyone within the tent celebrated briefly for most still had many loops left to complete before any hopes of being pardoned from Silverton.

I came in after 107 miles to learn that Colby the Cannibal had retired for the night after 101 tough and strenuous miles. I had met a rough, rugged, and dreaded female convict by the name of Sarah Johnson during these early AM miles. I had spotted a wild bear during this time as I stumbled across one of the ridges high up on the mountain. The bear was a hundred feet away or so looking for food (or bearded runners) in a dumpster near the ski lodge.

I reported the bear to the gods and they called other gods with badges. The gods had planted the bear for us prisoners. My mistake was reporting the creature as the gods then scared the bear back up the mountain near our trail where dozens of us were still circling around in the dark.

The ‘Dreaded One’ stayed close either due to fear of the bear, thinking I had Oreos, or because she couldn’t figure out if her headlamp had an actual light. The company was nice even if albeit fundamentally radical.

“Often the best guys are just those that can suffer longer, who don’t give up. And it’s so easy to give up, when you’re on a mountain and it’s really hurting.” – David Millar

After 110 miles (in 40:38:44) which was a new course record I decided I needed to attempt some rest and sleep as I planned a 6 hour drive back to Albuquerque to catch my flight upon my anticipated release date of 900 hours. I knew I had to be sneaky to dodge the gods so I curled up in the back of my rental car and probably slept for 90-120 minutes.

I was paranoid that Colby had arisen early (thinking it was a school morning) and gone back out on the course for more miles before the sun came up. I went back over to the holding tent and found out that Colby was still fast asleep and far away.

I was surprised to win the race and even more impressed by Colby’s 101 miles and second place finish.

There was great joy celebrating the liberation of several of my fellow companions on the mountain as they came in after 100 miles or more. Some of the highlights were seeing Eric ‘The Fireman’ Waterman complete 100 miles after several failed pardons during other prison stays. Collen Zato was impressive in setting the 72-Hour female course record while setting up several touchdown celebrations for others as they reached memorable milestones during the event and by pacing Rachel Spatz to the female 48-Hour course record. The Jester set a male 72-Hour record for most miles on the course with or without a Jester costume. I was impressed watching Rob Distante who arose from the dead (almost literally) on day two and ran out the rest of his sentence to reach 100 miles. All four Run It Fast – Club members went over 100 miles.

“Never measure the height of a mountain until you have reached the top. Then you will see how low it was.” – Dag Hammarskjold

The gods were cruel but the punishment was cleansing like a toxic bleaching to the soul. The mountain had beaten us down physically yet our bodies were renewed from the pounding. We left the mountain not knowing if we could survive again on the outside. Many of us knew we couldn’t and we’d be back. Some of us knew that the gods would not give us a choice either way.

“Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that damn mountain.” – Jack Kerouac

– joshua holmes (Aug 31-Sep 2, 2013)

Here is a look at where everyone is running this weekend. We had 26 responses this week. Good luck to everyone and Run It Fast!

To join Run It Fast – The Club then click HERE to read more details.

WHERE RUN IT FAST RUNNERS ARE RUNNING THIS WEEKEND (APR 20-21, 2013

Storified by Joshua Holmes· Fri, Apr 19 2013 11:57:24

Here is the live video feed/coverage of the 117th Boston Marathon from Boston.

Click HERE to open another window to keep track with our Live Blog Coverage of the 117th Boston Marathon.

Here is a list of the elite men and women running Boston.

Run It Fast Members Running the 117th Boston Marathon

Michelle Walker’s Road to Boston

Boston Marathon Course Map

Boston Marathon Elevation Chart

2013 Boston Marathon Finisher’s Medal

2012 Boston Marathon Finisher’s Medal

Marathonjunkie’s Controversial Comments on Boston Marathon Charity Runners Stirs Debate

3:16pm – Explosions Go Off at Boston Marathon, Dozens Injured: Race STOPPED

3:07pm – OH NO! There has been two explosions reported at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. THE RACE HAS BEEN STOPPED! Let’s pray for everyone out there.

2:42pm – Run It Fast – Club Member David Wingard finishes the Boston Marathon in 3:58:37. Congrats to RIF David on his impressive day in Bean Town.

2:21pm – Run It Fast – Club Member Dallas ‘Diamond D’ Smith finishes the Boston Marathon in 3:39:08 and finishes fourth place in his age division. Not bad for a 72 year old at Boston. #RunItFast – Read his books!

2:03pm – Run It Fast – Club Member Michelle ‘Mom of 6’ Walker finishes her first Boston Marathon in 3:36:58. Congrats to Ms. Brady.

1:30pm – Run It Fast – Club Member Steven ‘Thunder’ Lee has finished the 2013 Boston Marathon in 3:23:44. Congrats to Steven and Nadia.

1:29pm – Run It Fast – Club Member Nadia Ruiz has finished the 2013 Boston Marathon in 3:21:17 which is just a couple minutes off her PR.

1:26pm – RIF UPDATES: Kerri Haskins 2:29:17-Half, David Wingard 2:14:22-25k, Nadia Ruiz 3:10:31-40k, Kathleen Shirley 2:21:30-25k, Kenneth Williams 2:23:41-25k, Diane Bolton 2:35:06-25k, Dallas Smith 2:28:17-30k, Chuck Engle finished 2:55:55

1:18pm – Run It Fast – Club Member JD Leman finishes the 2013 Boston Marathon in 3:14:29. Congrats to JD on a speedy run.

1:15pm – Run It Fast – Dallas Smith has reached the 30k mark in 2:28:17 which has the 73 year old on pace for a 3:28 finish.

1:09pm – Blister In the Sun (BITS) race director Josh Hite finishes the 2013 Boston Marathon in 3:03:57. Where will his partner in crime, RIF’er Dallas Smith, land? Will Dallas win his age division this year after two second place finishes. Dallas is 73 and FAST. He’s also written a couple of great books of running stories, ‘Going Down Slow,’ and ‘Falling Forward.’

12:57pm – Run It Fast – Club member Chuck ‘Marathonjunkie’ Engle has finished the Boston Marathon in 2:55:56. Great run for the marathon legend who has over 250 marathon wins to his name. #RunMore #RunItFast

12:48pm – Great day of really amazing performances at Boston. The women were amazing. It was the Ana Dulce Felix show early on as she opened up a big lead after Caballero, from Columbia, blistered the early miles. Rita Jeptoo’s experience was too much though as she came on strong to win her second Boston Marathon in dominating fashion.

12:40pm – Run It Fast – Club Updates: Dallas Smith 1:43:11-Half, Michelle Walker 2:04:57-25k, Chuck Engle 2:22:30-35k, Diane Bolton 1:34:14-15k, Kenneth ‘Marathon Koach’ Williams 1:53:28-20k, Kathleen Shirley 1:52:06-20k, Steven Lee 46:27-10k, Nadia Ruiz 2:20:08-30k, JD Leman 2:37:08-35k, Kerri Haskins 1:42:53-Half, David Wingard 1:52:29-Half.

12:30pm – More updates to come very shortly as we’ll track Run It Fast – Clubbers to the finish.

12:23pm – Top 10 American Finishes: Men – 4. Jason Hartmann 2:12:12, 9. Daniel Tapia 2:14:30, 10. Craig Leon 2:14:38. Women – 4. Shalane Flanagan 2:27:08, 6. Kara Goucher 2:28:11

12:19pm – Lelisa Desisa Wins the 2013 Boston Marathon (Elite Male RESULTS)

12:13pm – Second place goes to Micah Koga (ETH) and third goes to the great Gebre Gebremariam (KEN). Jason Hartmann (USA) will take 4th place. A repeat performance for him last year. Very well done by all.

12:12pm – Ethiopia’s Lelisa Desisa WINS the 2013 BOSTON MARATHON in 2:10:23

12:09pm – It’s going to be either Gebre, Desisa or Micah Kogo. Desisa looks to be the strongest.

12:08pm – Less than 1 mile to go.

12:07pm – American Kara Goucher finished 6th place.

12:06pm – Three men in the fight for the win. It’s going to be an epic finish.

12:01pm – Rita Jeptoo Wins the 2013 Boston Marathon (Elite Women Results)

12:00pm – Shalane Flanagan (USA) finishes in 4th. Third went to Sharon Cherop, second to Meseret Hailu.

11:58am – 400 meters to go for the women and Rita Jeptoo is going to WIN the 2013 BOSTON MARATHON!!

11:56am – Men: Lead pack down to just 4 that includes Gebre and Wesley Korir.

11:54am – Women: Flanagan is seven seconds behind the lead three, Jeptoo, Sharon Cherop (KEN) and Meseret Hailu Debele (KEN), at mile 24 at 2:15.15.

11:52am – “These men up front have great speed!” – TV commentator…DUH!

11:47am – Felix has been overtaken. Rita Jeptoo (KEN) has taken the lead. Jeptoo won Boston back in 2006 (a lifetime ago for an elite marathoner).

11:45am – American Shalane Flanagan is up to third place about a minute behind the leader…and gaining. 5k remaining for the women.

11:44am – Ana Felix still with a healthy lead but the pack is starting to make up ground on her. They have about 20 minutes to catch her. Lead down to about 30 seconds.

11:40am – Run It Fast – Club member updates: Dallas Smith 48:53-10k, Michelle ‘Mom of 6’ Walker 1:14:36-15k, Chuck ‘Marathonjunkie’ Engle 1:36:23-25k, Kenneth Williams 56:20-10k, Kathleen Shirley 55:13-10k, Steven Lee 46:27-10k, Nadia Ruiz 1:31:53-20k.

11:39am – Men: 30K, Chumba (KEN) leads 1:32:42, Desisa (ETH), Gebremariam (ETH), Matebo (KEN), Kogo (KEN) and Merga (ETH) round out lead pack (via @BostonMarathon)

11:36am – Women: Felix hits mile 21 in 1:58:31. She is up by nearly 80 seconds and beating the metro train down the road.

11:34am – The massive elite male pack has exploded like a Roman Candle with the American Hartmann and Canadian Watson left in the residue, running on fumes.

11:32am – 10k left for Ana Dulce Felix and the win. Can she hold on? She’s looking strong.

11:30am – Elite men at mile 16 via Run It Fast – Clubber @RunKino

11:29am – 23,181 runners started today.

11:26am – The men fall back into one happy back that includes Watson and Hartmann who got a quick boost from a Baconator from a fan. 2:09 pace for the pack.

11:25am – 30k Women Splits: 1. Ana Dulce Felix 1:44:56, 2. Yolanda Caballero 1:46:04, 3. Sharon Cherop 1:46:11, 4. Rita Jeptoo 1:46:11, 5. Tirfi Tsegaye 1:46:11 (several others)

11:22am – “The Canadian has been reeled in!” No word yet with what they’ll do with him. And the American Hartman has been “Spit out the back of the pack!”

11:20am – A Canadian hasn’t won Boston since 1977. Watson’s secret? At the water stations he is grabbing sno cones from his handlers instead of water.

11:18am – Men: A Canadian (Watson) is now leading the pack. No, that is not predictions for the 2014 Oscars. Watson 1:14:29 at 15 miles.

11:15am – Run It Fast Club Members at the Boston Marathon

11:13am – The elite men continue to run this race like women at the club go to the bathroom….in a pack.

11:12am – Women: Felix now has a 23 second lead on Caballero and probably 45-60 seconds on the rest of the pack.

11:11am – The elite men continue to be bundled together. About 10 people in that bundle at the moment. Jason Hartmann still is included in that group.

11:08am – Tatyana McFadden (Clarksville, Md.) has officially won the 2013 Boston Marathon Female Wheelchar in 1:45.25. (via @BostonMarathon)

11:07am – Ana Dulce Felix looks like a strong thoroughbred as she is leaving all the other women behind her.

11:05am – Ana Dulce Felix has blown past Caballero however at the 25k split it was still Caballero with the lead, followed by Felix and Mockenhaupt.

11:04am – Women: Felix is close to tracking down Caballero. Both women are a good bit ahead of the rest of the pack. This has been an impressive kick by Felix to make up a 30 second gap. Will this kick drain too much from Felix or deflate Caballero? That’s the beauty of the sport. This race still has a long way to go to decide just that.

10:59am – Run It Fast – Club Member checkin: Chuck Marathonjunkie Engle hit 15k in 56:26, Josh Hite 10k in 43:28, Steven Lee 10k in 46:27, Nadia Ruiz 10k in 45:35

10:57am – Dulce Felix has left the pack and is trying to chase down Caballero. Admire the heart, question the decision though. She might believe she won’t have a chance to win unless she makes up some of the gap now, but she’s aiming for Caballero.

10:55am – 15k split for elite men: 1. Gebre (ETH) 45:50, 2. Wesley Korir (KEN) 45:51, 3. Raji Assefa (ETH) 45:51 – lead back has about 10 men with about the same time.

10:52am – Caballero’s husband was her coach. He died two years ago from an unfortunate stroke. She is the likely fan favorite. We are pulling for her. It would be quite the story if she could pull off the unthinkable today. She still has a 32 second lead 23k into the race.

10:50am – 2:28 pace for the women. They started really slow but have really heated up over the last 5 miles.

10:49am – 20k split for the women: 1. Caballero (Columbia) 1:10:16, 2. Mockenhaupt 1:10:40, 3. Felix 1:10:41.

10:47am – Caballero now with a massive 32 second lead on the other elite women. Something must be in the ummmm coffee down there.

10:44am – Yamamoto (Japan) wins 2013 Men’s Pushrim Wheelchair in 1:20:33.

10:38am – 10k splits for elite men: 1. Markos Geneti (ETH) 30:53, 2. Gebre (ETH) 30:53, 3. Deriba Merga (ETH) – 30:54. I really wish the Ethiopians would show up today. American Jaston Hartmann is in 10th place 2 seconds back.

10:36am – And in snark fairness. How do the elite men not get lost during a marathon without a map? Oh snap. I get it. That’s why they let the women go first so they can follow and know the route.

10:36am – The women are running all over the road. Spread out wide on all sides of the road. It’s almost as if they are in their cars driving!

10:34am – American Shalane Flanagan is in 6th place. Just a few seconds behind the top 3.

10:32am – 15k splits for leading women: 1. Diana Sigei (Kenya) 53:04, 2. Yolanda Caballero (Columbia), 3. Rita Jeptoo (Kenya). Sigei’s PR is 2:26

10:31am – Brenda Martinez is a very fast American woman 1-miler. She smoked that race.

10:30am – ALERT the authorities! One of the runners is riding a motorcycle amongst the elite pack! Making the Tour de France look legit and tame.

10:26am – Several corrals of weekend warriors have started as well at this point. Good luck to all of the Run It Fast – Club members out there today (VIEW LIST HERE).

10:25am – Jason Hartmann’s ‘uniform’ is so devoid of sponsors. He looks like a runner out for a jog down the street. Get Arlis on the line. We need to get some Run It Fast on his singlet and dukes.

10:22am – 4 mile split for the men is 19:57.

10:19am – Do you think there is animosity among the elite women between the women that expose their midriffs vs those that keep them covered during the race? You know how women be!! Think I just overheard one of the elite women with the ‘bikini’ top call another elite women with a traditional singlet, “Chunky Spice!!”

10:16am – 2:11 marathon pace for the men to this point. That will likely increase once they pick up some Gummy Bears at the next water station.

10:13am – Slow pace for the women at this point. Bobby Griggs found smiling in his grave.

10:10am – Four women and three men have separated themselves from the rest of the elite pack. Which of course means nothing this early on. Naturally, the American is one of those three out there early with Rocky blasting in his headphones. Men just hit the 2 mile mark.

10:07am – W: Felix (POR) and Mockenhaupt (GER) continue to lead through mile five with a split of 5:39. Total time 28:59. (via @BostonMarathon)

10:04am – Most popular singlet color for the elite men is YELLOW! They likely got them on discount at Armstrong’s garage sale! More common today on the elite men than sweatpants on women at the airport.

American Jason Hartmann looks tall and strong early on.

10:00am – AND THE ELITE MEN ARE OFF!

9:55am – Current women’s leaderboard through 3.1 miles: 1. Mockenhaupt (18:23), 2. Caballero, 3. Felix, 4. Yano.

9:50am – Don’t forget to tag your Boston Marathon photos and all running photos on Instagram with the hashtag #runitfast for possible featured repost and Likes!

9:48am – Women: Manami Kamitanida (JPN) and Yolanda Caballero (COL) lead the elite field through two miles in 11:54. Split time is 5:50. (via @BostonMarathon)

9:44am – MC: At the 10K mark, Hiroyuki Yamamoto leads the men’s pushrim wheelchair field by 100 yards! via @BostonMarathon

9:40am – WATCH live video coverage RIGHT HERE on Run IT Fast!!

9:37am – Boston Marathon course map and elevation chart can be found below.

9:35am – Slow pace to the start of the women’s race. Likely no one wants to take the lead and show their cards too early.

9:32am – Temperature at the start is 48 degrees and the gun goes off and the elite women have STARTED!

9:31am – List of Elite Men and Women running today at 117th Boston Marathon

9:30am – The elite women are being introduced and are at the starting line ready to go.

9:28am – Commentator, “LOOK at the abs on her!” – Sounds like Musburger at the National Championship. We might have Katherine Webb 2.0 on our hands.

9:24am – Team Hoyt will be out there today. Inspiration story between a very loving father and son.

9:17am Boston time: Welcome to our 2013 coverage of the 117th Boston Marathon. The race is about to begin for the elite women.

Check back here at 9:30am ET for live blog coverage of the 117th Boston Marathon.

Here is a list of the elite men and women running Boston.

Run It Fast Members Running the 117th Boston Marathon

Michelle Walker’s Road to Boston

Boston Marathon Course Map

Boston Marathon Elevation Chart

2013 Boston Marathon Finisher’s Medal

2012 Boston Marathon Finisher’s Medal

Marathonjunkie’s Controversial Comments on Boston Marathon Charity Runners Stirs Debate

Above is a featured #Repost from our Run It Fast – Instagram account via @m_w_jones of some amazing Steve Prefontaine graffiti art on a stop sign.  #runitfast

Follow us on Instagram @runitfast and tag your running photos with the hashtag #runitfast to be considered to be featured on our feed.

Check out our Run It Fast feed on Instagram to see the beautiful mosaic of running photos from around the world we are creating with your help.

Above is a featured #Repost from our Run It Fast – Instagram account via @gingerdiane running and being goofy at the Royal Family 5K w/@itri4life #runitfast

Follow us on Instagram @runitfast and tag your running photos with the hashtag #runitfast to be considered to be featured on our feed.

Check out our Run It Fast feed on Instagram to see the beautiful mosaic of running photos from around the world we are creating with your help.

Steve Hughes (RIF #194) won Run It Fast’s Inaugural ‘Extreme Racer of the Year‘ contest with a whooping 2,742.4 points. The Arkansas native ran an amazing 82 marathons, fifteen 50K’s, and four other races consisting of 129 miles for a grand total of 2,742.4 race miles in 2012.

Second place (first female) went to Diane Bolton (RIF #159) with 1,961.91 points.

Joshua Holmes (RIF #1) finished in third with 1,652.1 points.  He was followed by John Kent Leighton (RIF #190) and Carol Goslin (RIF #218) rounded out the top five.

Runners in the ‘Extreme Racer’ standings are given 1 point for each mile of racing they complete. For example a marathon is worth 26.2 points, half marathon 13.1 points, 50K 31.0 points, etc.

The competitive contest is open to members of Run It Fast – The Club. You can read more about joining HERE. The club is open to runners of all levels.

2012 Extreme Racer Final Standings

Top Ten Overall
1.   Steve Hughes – 2,742.4  (RIF #194)
2.   Diane Bolton – 1,961.91  (RIF #159)
3.   Joshua Holmes – 1,652.1  (RIF #1)
4.   John Kent Leighton – 1,648.88  (RIF #190)
5.   Carol Goslin – 1,188.3  (RIF #218)
6.   Hideki Kinoshita – 1,153.8  (RIF #88)
7.   Steven Lee – 1,044.4  (RIF #92)
8.   Elaine Bickel Green – 915.4  (RIF #217)
9.   Shannon McGinn – 820.79  (RIF #46)
10.   Michelle Walker – 801.5  (RIF #124)

Men’s Leaderboard
1.   Steve Hughes – 2,742.4  (RIF #194)
2.   Joshua Holmes – 1,652.1  (RIF #1)
3.   John Kent Leighton – 1,648.88  (RIF #190)
4.   Hideki Kinoshita – 1,153.8  (RIF #88)
5.   Steven Lee – 1,044.4  (RIF #92)
6.   Scott Stader – 665.9  (RIF #40)
7.   Danny Staggs – 510.3  (RIF #186)
8.   Alvin Lee – 499.5  (RIF #30)
9.   Nicholas Norfolk – 429  (RIF #116)
10.   Jason Howard – 379.9  (RIF #150)
11.   David Wingard – 365.4  (RIF #101)
12.   Mark Watson – 329.6  (RIF #173)
13.   Daniel Escue – 320.45  (RIF #187)
14.   Rick Thiounn – 299.9  (RIF #111)
15.   Rick Jarvis – 296.8  (RIF #18)
16.   Wade Anderson – 236.8  (RIF #22)
17.   Chris Estes – 226.2  (RIF #151)
18.   Dennis Arriaga – 215.56  (RIF #140)
19.   David Donald – 203.96  (RIF #54)
20.   Anthony Ohrey – 201.1  (RIF #27)
21.   Rodrigo Jiménez – 195.43  (RIF #203)
22.   Perry Ligon – 193  (RIF #146)
23.   Jonathan Bobbitt – 180.6  (RIF #3)
24.   David Pharr – 178.2  (RIF #185)
25.   Robin Robbins – 167.9  (RIF #33)
26.   Greg Smith – 144.4  (RIF #168)
27.   Kevin Leathers – 143  (RIF #12)
28.   Trent Rosenbloom – 141.6  (RIF #57)
29.   Steven Reagan – 139.82  (RIF #157)
30.   Nathan Bass – 135.4  (RIF #174)
31.   Chris Haynes – 135.3  (RIF #223)
32.   Winston Trice – 126.4  (RIF #29)
33.   Josh Liggett – 119.62  (RIF #147)
34.   Nathan Judd – 118.6  (RIF #166)
35.   Mark Sikkila – 113.4  (RIF #108)
36.   Kevin Ronayne – 106.3  (RIF #11)
37.   James Krenis – 83.6  (RIF #67)
38.   Naresh Kumar – 83.4  (RIF #2)
39.   Stephen Griffin – 82.7  (RIF #48)
40.   John Hudson – 79.6  (RIF #63)
41.   Brian Wooldridge – 77.9  (RIF #141)
42.   Victor Fleitas – 71.12  (RIF #21)
43.   Scott Lochridge – 65.5  (RIF #32)
44.   Stewart Crouch – 64.8  (RIF #89)
45.   JD Leman – 39.3  (RIF #139)
46.   Scott Gatlin – 29.3  (RIF #80)
47.   Scott Gorski – 25.5  (RIF #107)
48.   Chris Nelson – 19.3  (RIF #135)
49.   Patrick Johnson – 10  (RIF #87)

Women’s Leaderboard
1.   Diane Bolton – 1,961.91  (RIF #159)
2.   Carol Goslin – 1,188.3  (RIF #218)
3.   Elaine Bickel Green – 915.4  (RIF #217)
4.   Shannon McGinn – 820.79  (RIF #46)
5.   Michelle Walker – 801.5  (RIF #124)
6.   Heather Shoemaker – 730.9  (RIF #44)
7.   Nadia Ruiz Gonzales – 690.6  (RIF #69)
8.   Lisa Gonzales – 562.6  (RIF #5)
9.   Laura Raeder – 517.3  (RIF #20)
10.  Mikki Trujillo – 514.1  (RIF #13)
11.   Shannon Burke – 502.03  (RIF #171)
12.   Emily Conley – 426.4  (RIF #24)
13.   Robin Mancinelli – 413.8  (RIF #134)
14.   Alicia Eno – 405.7  (RIF #126)
15.   Michelle Mitchell – 365.7  (RIF #133)
16.   Leigh Marsh – 332.7  (RIF #192)
17.   Marlene Deem – 281.2  (RIF #189)
18.   Jennifer Whitley – 184.9  (RIF #160)
19.   Amber Goetz-Bouchard – 166.75  (RIF #15)
20.   Marj Mitchell – 148.4  (RIF #4)
21.   Donna Pittman – 147.2  (RIF #181)
22.   Christy Bowers – 143.9  (RIF #60)
23.   Daniela Obregon – 135.69  (RIF #49)
24.   Nicole Knutson – 104.8  (RIF #47)
25.   Lisa Edwards – 58  (RIF #122)
26.   Natalie Torres – 42.4  (RIF #72)
27.   Meredith Yox – 40.2  (RIF #128)
28.   Debra Jacildo – 17.39  (RIF #98)

Big thank you to all of the Run It Fast members that took part in the Extreme Racer program in 2012. You should have received a Thank You card in the mail along with a couple of Run It Fast temporary tattoos.

Top 10 overall finishers will be receiving a certificate to honor their accomplishment. Top 3 overall finishers will be receiving gift certificates to Running Warehouse.

We are already collecting data from January for the 2013 Extreme Racer standings. You can view that info or RIF members can enter their data HERE.

Here is a compilation of twenty very different and diverse runners that you should be following on Instagram. They are runners of all levels from all over the world. They all have very lively Instagram feeds and are worth a follow.

If you have someone you believe we should have included then drop a comment below with your suggestion and we’ll check them out.

1. Steve Clemons (@vo2_max)

Trail runner and adventurer living in paradise (Hawaii) and sharing his world and his travels with his family through envy inducing photos.

2. Melissa Middleton (@melissamiddleton)

Talented ultramarathoner who always has her iPhone in it’s holster and ready to capture that perfect nature shot during one of her intense ultramarathons.

3. Joshua Holmes (@joshuaholmes)

Extreme ultrarunner and founder of Runitfast.com that Instagrams frequent photos of his training, racing, children, friends, travels and interesting people he meets from across the globe.

4. Catra Corbett (@dirtdiva33)

Hot body, extreme-inked runner whose Instragrams are as fun and colorful as her skin and adventures.

5. Scott Jurek (@scottjurek)

One of the greatest ultramarathons of all-time. He uploads beautiful photos of his mountain runs and food, but Scott doesn’t Instragram all that much. Just 106 photos in the past 56 weeks.

6. Ashley Ringo Walsh (@ashruns100s)

Many beautiful photos of the unique and scenic places that Ashley runs in the deep South. She Instragrams a lot and rarely disappoints with her steady stream of uploads.

7. Carlos Henrique Silva (@carlossilva07)

International runner from San Paulo, Brazil. His photos show a lot of life, fun, run, and beautiful sights from his native Brazil.

8. Cecilia Santos (@ceci_run)

Inked Puerto Rican ultramarathoner from North Georgia that runs challenging races, lives a diverse life, and has the coolest ‘ULTRA’ tattoo on the planet.

9. Andy Baldwin (@drandybaldwin)

Dr. Andy from ‘The Bachelor’ fame shows he’s not just a pretty face but very serious about charity, health, being fit, and endurance sports in his Instagram photos.

10. Norma Bastidas (@ultrarunwild)

Accomplished ultramarathoner who posts tons of inspirational message-grams mixed with some training and race photos.

11. Gary Robbins (@garyrobbins)

Canadian ultramarathoner who is a multiple winner of the extremely tough HURT 100 ultramarathon in Honolulu. Beautiful photos from snow-capped mountains to tropical beaches can be found in his feed.

12. Leigh Marsh (@msprincessleigh)

Disney princess masquerading as a runner. Leigh’s photos are fun and filled with lots of bling and tiaras. Guaranteed to make you smile when you see how happy she is running.

13. Ian Sharman (@sharmanian)

Super speedy (sometimes costumed) marathoner and ultra runner sharing fun pics of running, costumes, travels, his pups, and beer & food.

14. Lisa Gonzales (@runlikeacoyote)

RIF #5 and regular contributor to Run It Fast who races often and posts amazing photos from all over Southern California. Easily the most skilled photographer on this list.

15. Josh Cox (@josh_cox)

An elite marathoner with an eclectic mix of Instagrams that are all over the map with no real pattern or recognizable rhythm, but that will suck you in and have you hitting that like/heart button on the next one of his that pops up.

16. Pavement Runner (@pavementrunner)

Bay Area runner sharing sights, music, and motivations as he runs this year (2013 miles in 2013) in and around San Francisco, CA.

17. Naresh Kumar (@iamarunr)

A combination of the adventure of Indiana Jones, mixed with the heart of Gandhi, combined with the daring antics of Evil Knievel and his Instragrams reflect just that.

18. Colin Cooley (@runwicked)

Wicked SoCal boy with a lot of sun, surf, run, and fun pics.

19. XPlantRunner (@xplantrunner)

Runner with a heart transplant who is using his second chance to do a little trail running and share his adventures on the trails around England’s Lake District.

20. Krissy Moehl (@krissymoehl)

Ultra runner and race director who shares lots of trail and race pics that make you want to sign up for a race immediately!

You can follow Run It Fast on Instagram @RunItFast to see photos of runners we admire, Run It Fast-Club members, and repost of the best running photos we come across.

We also feature other runners on Instagram on our feed, who tag their running photos with the hash tag #runitfast, to help us find their photos.