Tag Archive | "Western States 100"

Timothy Olson Wins 2013 Western States 100

Timothy Olson Wins 2013 Western States 100 (Results)

Timothy Olson held off Rob Krar and Mike Morton to win the 2013 Western States 100 Mile Endurance Race on Saturday night in California.

Olson finished the historic 100, the Boston Marathon of 100’s, in 15:17:27.

It was a repeat win for Olson who won the race last year as well.

Rob Krar finished in second place in 15:22:05 and Mike Morton, who is the defending Badwater 135 champion, finished in third place in 15:45:21

The top overall female was Pam Smith who finished 9th overall with a time of 18:37:21. Roughly 44 minutes ahead of second place female finisher, Nikki Kimball in 19:21:43. Third place female went to Amy Sproston in 19:25:11

Western States Sub-20 Hour Finishers – 2013

  1. Timothy Olson – 15:17:27
  2. Rob Krar – 15:22:05
  3. Mike Morton – 15:45:21
  4. Ian Sharman – 16:20:25
  5. Dylan Bowman – 16:32:18
  6. Nick Clark – 16:56:23
  7. Jesse Haynes – 17:44:36
  8. Paul Terranova – 17:56:29
  9. Pam Smith – 18:37:21 (Female)
  10. Yassine Diboun – 18:44:02
  11. Karl Meltzer – 18:51:55
  12. Scott Wolfe – 18:55:51
  13. Brandon Stapanowich – 19:10:52
  14. Nikki Kimball – 19:21:43 (Female)
  15. Adrian Lazar Adler – 19:24:44
  16. Amy Sproston – 19:25:11 (Female)
  17. Andy Jones-Wilkins – 19:25:47
  18. Meghan Arbogast – 19:30:50 (Female)
  19. Brian Miller – 19:36:33
  20. Dan Barger – 19:43:28
  21. Erik Skaden – 19:49:15
  22. Rory Bosio – 19:52:09 (Female)

Congrats to all who ran and finished Western States. It’s an amazing and historic race that is tough to get into and just as tough to finish.

Photo via and for amazing ultramarathon coverage @IrunFar

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JFK-50-Mile-2011-Hideki Kinoshita

Kino’s Top 5 Wish List for Ultramarathons

Marathoner/ultramarathoner Hideki ‘Kino’ Kinoshita has completed 112 marathons and ultramarathons to date.  He has completed them in 47 states and 4 continents.  23 of his 112 have been ultramarathons.

So Kino is well accomplished in having run races all over the globe. He has done all of his marathons since September 21, 2008. An amazing feat in such a short time.

His times for these races all show that he has an inner drive to not just finish them but to perform at a very high level, no matter the race or distance.

There are still races that Kino hasn’t run yet that he hopes to one day.

Here is a look at his ultramarathon wish list:

Kino’s Top 5 Wish List for Ultramarathons

1. Badwater 135 (Death Valley, CA to Mount Whitney, CA)
July, middle Mon to middle Wed
2013 = 36th year

This is undoubtedly the top goal race for most 100-miler ultramarathoners in the Western Hemisphere.  Not only is running 135 miles a challenge, but try doing it by “running on the sun” (title of a 1993 documentary on Badwater 135) in the hottest place on the planet (according to Wikipedia, Death Valley’s Furnace Creek holds the record for the highest recorded temperature ever, at 134 °F (56.7 °C) at the hottest time of year in July, and climbing 3 massive hills along the way, including the final 13 mile death march up to Mount Whitney Portal, the tallest mountain in the Lower 48 States.  All this adds to the mystique and challenge of attempting this grueling ultra.  Firstly, it is an unwritten highly suggested rule that you crew for a runner before attempting this race yourself, so that you can emerse yourself into hell before sanely determining if this race is right for you.  I have yet to crew, but if I had only one last race in me that I could complete, Badwater would be it.  Thank goodness it is no longer Badwater 146, with the final 11 miles up Mount Whitney eliminated as part of the course!  Anyone who has completed this race is a running legend in my eyes.  Such legends include friends like Ryoichi Sekiya, Brittany Klimowicz, Tony Portera, Phil McCarthy, Iris Cooper, Michael Wardian, Dave Ploskonka, Dave Carver, Ed Ettinghausen, & Mike Miller.  Hearing each of their adventures, along with those who have  has captivated my imagination.

2. Western States Endurance Run (Squaw Valley, CA to Auburn, CA)
June, last Sat
2013 = 40th year

Western States Endurance Run (aka “Western States 100” or “WS100”) is a point to point 100-mile ultra from Squaw Valley to Auburn, CA that runs downhill through the Sierra Nevadas. It is a race that captured my imagination while reading Dean Karnazes’ “Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner” book.  This is a course that legends like Gordy Ainsleigh, Scott Jurek, Dean Karnazes, Geoff Roes, Anton Krupicka, Glen Redpath, & Kilian Jornet have traversed.  WS100 is the 100 that started it all when Gordy Ainsleigh’s horse came up lame in what was then a horse race (belt buckles were awarded for completing the race, and that tradition has carried over into the running version of the race with runners who finish within the 30 hour time limit receiving a bronze buckle and those who finish within 24 hours, a “sub 24”, receiving a silver buckle), and then decided to return the year after in 1974 to traverse the distance on foot.  He proved that it was possible to cover 100 miles within 24 hours when Ainsleigh finished in 23:42.  To learn more about the history of this race, read up on it on Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_States_Endurance_Run .  Here’s a list of WS100 course records: http://www.ws100.com/recordholders.htm.

3. Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc
Aug, last Fri
2013 = 11th year
Twitter Hash: #UTMB

Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, also known as UTMB, is Europe’s premier trail ultramarathon that stats in the famous ski village of Chamonix, France and runs around Mont Blanc in the French, Italian, & Swiss Alps, along a hiking trail that normally takes 7 to 9 days to traverse.  The distance is roughly 166 km (~103 mi), and varies yearly due to safety reasons.  It also features significant elevation changes (+/- 9,400m to +/- 9,500m, ~ +/- 30,000 feet) and nasty weather.  The event began in 2003, with only 67 finishers out of 722 runners.  It has since grown to feature ~2,500 runners.  Spanish mountain goat, Kilian Jornet, who was raised in the Pyrenees Mountains is a 3-time champion (all by the age of 23) of this race (along with being a WS100 & Pikes Peak Marathon championship) that features the world’s best trail ultra runners.  Inclement weather forced race organizers to host abbreviated versions of the race in 2010 & 2012.  What made me realize the difficulty of this race was when American legends Geoff Roes and Scott Jurek both DNF’ed with Roes admitting that he felt “destroyed” by the race.

4. HURT 100 Mile Endurance Run
Jan, mid Sat
2013 = 15th year
Twitter Hash: #HURT100

H.U.R.T. stands for Hawaiian Ultra Running Team, and the name is as valid as advertised.  HURT 100 is notorious for a high DNF rate, even with a 36 hour time cutoff, due to its crazy elevation change and wet & humid conditions.  Those who log 62mi are credited with a 100K finish and earn a 100K buckle.  How’s this for a description?  “There is over 24,935 feet of elevation gain and loss over the course of 100 miles. The gain comes in short sections no more than 2.1 miles at a time. There are very few sections where you can run with consistent stridefor more than a few hundred yards at a time. This course requires that you pay close attention to your footing at all times! The down hills are much worse!  There are a total of 20 stream crossings, two per lap, prior to the Paradise Park aid station and prior to the Nuuanuaid station. If the river is high due to rain, we may forego the stream crossing. Expect wet feet every time you enter and leave the Jackass Ginger (Nuuanu) aid station.  The trail is composed of a moderately packed dirt surface with lots of roots and rocks, which are very slippery when wet. At night there will be dew, which makes this trail extremely slippery. If it rains (which it will), there will be plenty of mud.”  Hawaii holds a special place for me, so what could be more special than running 1.5 days in the forests of Oahu?  It sure beats running on roads, or does it?

5. Leadville Trail 100 Run
Aug, mid Sat
2013 = 31st year
Twitter Hash: #LT100

Leadville 100, also known as LT100 or The “Race Across The Sky”, was made famous thanks to Christopher McDougall’s 2009 best selling book, “Born To Run”, in which he chronicles the American debut of the mysterious Tarahumara Indian ultra runners of Mexico.  Leadville 100 was conceived by avid marathoner Kenneth Chlouber to bring back life to and revitalize Leadville, Colorado, an old mining town already steeped in economic decline.  LT100 first took place in 1983, with the Tarahumara first competing in the race in 1993 and 1994, winning both years.  In 1994, the Tarahumara took on famed American runner Ann Transon and defeated her, although she set a female course record of 18:06:24, which still stands.  The book also introduced to the world, the now deceased Micah True, better known as Caballo Blanco.  Legends such as Matt Carpenter (12-time Pikes Peak Marathon winner and LT100 course record holder, 15:42:59 in 2005) and Marshall Ulrich, who completed a Leadville 100 + Pikes Peak Marathon (PPM) “double” over the same weekend in 1992 & 1993, including a 120 mile drive from the LT100 finish to the PPM start in Manitou Springs, CO.  Although there are other high altitude 100’s in the Continental U.S. that many consider to be harder than Leadville, such as Hardrock 100 and Wasatch 100, this Race Across The Sky is more well-known and is still an extremely challenging race, featuring +/- 15,600 feet (+/- 4,800 m) in elevation change, with altitude ranging from 9,200 feet to 12,620 feet (~2.5 miles above sea level).  If that’s not enough, runners have to pass through the infamous Hope Pass, along the way, which is known to attract lightning strikes during the race.

Disclaimer: I don’t claim that I am capable of finishing any of these races, but if I were able to pick which 5 races I would love to finish, these would be it. Thanks for reading!(WHATEVER, Kino! We know better!)

Did Kino leave one off his list that you would include? If so tell us!

Follow Kino via Social Media:
Facebook: Run Kino on Facebook – RunKino
Twitter: Run Kino on Twitter @runkino
Blog: RunKino.com

Kino is member RIF #88 of Run It Fast – The Club. Join him in RIF-The Club HERE!

Posted in Running, Ultra MarathonComments (0)

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Run It Fast Club Member Profile – Emily Conley #24

 

Emily Conley #24

This week’s RIF Club Member Profile is Emily Conley #24. Emily is just coming off a HUGE accomplishment – she just ran Western States 100 (her Race Report) and finished in 28:45! She is an amazing runner!

But that’s not what impressed me most about Emily. I met her at the Jackson Jackass 50K in February. It was raining when we met in the parking lot but she was all smiles. During the race, she passed me (like I was standing still) and asked me how I was doing. I told her I was having some stomach issues. She actually stopped and waited for me to catch up to her to remind me that she’d brought peanut butter & jelly sandwiches for all of us and that real food might help. Is that not cool, or what? It’s one of the things I love about the running community…their willingness to help out a new runner or someone having trouble. Emily is a great example of that. Oh, and by the way, Emily was the overall women’s winner at the Jackson Jackass 50K!

So let’s meet Emily:

INFO
Name: Emily Conley
RIF #: 24
Twitter: @trailjunke
Facebook: emily hendrix conley

STATS

Years running: 4
Favorite race distance: anything from 50k-100mile
Favorite race: Sylamore 50k
Favorite bling: belt buckle from Western States 100
Next race: possibly Arkansas Traveller 100
What makes you FEEL fast?: running in the dark

FUN RUNNING QUESTIONS

Which of your running routes makes you the happiest and why?  I love to run the trails at Herb Parsons lake in Memphis.  Its a beautiful place to run.  One of my favorite memories there is running the trails right after a snow.  Almost every time I run there I think of that day and it makes me smile.

Have you ever worn a costume during a race? What was it and for what race? If not, would you? no costumes.  ever.

What is the thing you splurge on after a race?  more running gear

Why do you race?  I love the people, the comraderie, seeing new places, and the feeling I get when I run well or even just finish a race that was really difficult.

Big races or small races? And why? I have a deep appreciation for small, grass-roots trail races….the kind where you stand behind a line and someone yells GO!  My least favorite races I’ve ever done are the Chicago Marathon and the Vegas Marathon.  Maybe I’m just a trail lover at heart.

What is the one piece of running gear you can’t leave the house without? Lululemon speed shorts

What was your biggest “don’t” of a race? skittles.  I’d explain but it was gross at best.

What running moment are you most proud of? A little over four years ago I finished my first half marathon.  It was the gateway drug that led to Ultrarunning.  I’ll never forget finishing that race.  But I’m not sure it compares to crossing the finish line at the Western States 100.  That was just surreal.

If you can’t run, you’re __okay___.  There has to be balance between running and the rest of life.  Sometimes it’s perfectly okay to sleep late and snuggle with the kids on Saturday morning.

***

As you can tell from her pictures, Emily is obviously have a great time while she’s running. Her reasons for running and racing make running a joy but she keeps it in perspective. Racing and running are not the be-all and the end-all of our world and we have to remember to keep some balance in our lives. They sure do make it sweeter though, don’t they?

Thanks for sharing Emily! We are so proud of you and know you will continue to Run It Fast!

If you’d like to join Run It Fast – The Club or would like more information about it, please click this link:

Run It Fast – The Club (JOIN TODAY)

[All photos submitted by Emily Conley and Naresh Kumar]

Posted in Interviews, Running, THE CLUBComments (0)

Western States 100 Canyons

2012 Western States 100 Race Report – Emily Conley

2012 Western States 100 Race Report (June 23-24, 2012)

I was at the Pink Palace Museum with a group of 6 year olds for a Daisies field trip when I found out. I stood there. Stunned. I wanted to scream. Run. Jump up and down. Cry. But all I could really do was stand there and go through the motions, heart beating out of my body, looking at decorations on Christmas Trees and pretending to be mentally present. I’d just found out I been chosen in the Western States lottery. I’d done my first 100 miler in August and had qualified to enter the lottery. Fact is, I entered as casually could be, glass of wine in hand, with no hope of getting in. After all, I had something like a 7% chance of being chosen. Come to find out, I was the only person from Tennessee chosen in the lottery. No pressure there.

So, I started reading. And obsessing. And running like Forrest Gump. I decided that I was, without a doubt, going to be the little fish in the big pond and the best I could do was train like crazy. In the months after I got ‘the news’ I ran 2 trail marathons, 4 – 50k’s, and 3 – 50 milers in addition to all the countless training miles on local trails. I ran in fear. Fear of failure to be honest. Lots of people now knew that this little-known blonde chick had gotten in and I am pretty sure there were several that not only didn’t think I deserved it but didn’t think I’d finish. And that, whether true or not, was gas on the training fire. I just really couldn’t fail.

It was finally time. Craig (husband and crew chief extraordinaire) and I got to Sacramento on the Wednesday before the race and picked up my pacer, Erno, on Thursday morning. I’d pretty much wrapped my mind around the whole thing until we drove into Squaw Valley ski resort and I saw it – the mountain. It was the first 4 miles…all straight up a ski mountain. Deep breath!! We had the rest of that day and all of the next day to get ready – drop bags, medical check, crew maps, etc. The details made my head swim. The ski village was filled with runners, many of whom grace the pages of Trailrunner every month. Some of them I recognized, and some of them Erno pointed out to me. I just kept thinking….breathe!

After a surprisingly good (but short) night’s sleep, I got up on race morning at 3:45 AM and picked up my timing chip and race number, ate breakfast, got dressed, and kept trying to just breathe. It was finally time. I’d heard the weather was going to be cooler, which was great.

Cool weather is historically rare for the Western States 100. I really didn’t pack for cool weather but was fortunate that Erno suggested I buy something to block the wind. Why did I choose a vest instead of a jacket?? I’d ask that question soon.

The race started. Slowly everyone started up the mountain. Everyone besides the elites and fools were walking. The further up the mountain we got, it got cold and windy. By the time I was almost to the top it was incredibly cloudy, crazy windy, and starting to rain. And what was that hitting me in the face? Oh yeah, that was sleet. So, on I go…up, up, up. Rain, sleet, wind, cold. I couldn’t feel my fingers, I couldn’t get warm, my hat kept blowing off, and I was peeing every 2 miles.

Geesh. I like running in the cold and the rain is something I even look forward to. But, I’m usually dressed for it and prepared. I just wasn’t. By the time I got to the mile 23 aid station and saw Craig and Erno, I had that look. The ‘OMG, what just happed to me’ look. They told me I looked great but I knew it was a lie. It’s that same look your sister gives you when she knows it was a bad haircut. The trying-to-hide-panic look.

I was hitting checkpoints at the 30-hour cutoff pace, which was fine with me. All I wanted was to finish. So, I let them change my socks and give me a pep-talk and I went on. Admittedly it got better. The sun even came out eventually and the feeling in my fingers came back.

And then there were the canyons. These things were steep. I basically went down steep switchbacks down a mountain, crossed a bridge over a little river, and went up steep switchbacks on the other side. I kept thinking of what I’d read and what Les Jones had been saying over and over…“Take it easy in the canyons.”

Maybe I took it too easy. By the time I got to Devil’s Thumb I was 20 minutes behind the 30 hour pace. I knew it was starting to get dark and I could pick up my pacer at the next aid station. Turns out I made up the 20 minutes I’d lost by the time I got to Michigan Bluff. Craig and Erno were going nuts. I think they were surprised I’d made up the time. We did a quick NASCAR-style tune up with a sock change and a new shirt and we started running again. Erno was on a mission. And I trusted him completely. I was tired. I’d already been running for 19 hours.

Off we went. I honestly don’t remember a lot about the details for a few hours after that except that the trails were wonderful. The rocks were gone. There was a lot of runnable downhill. And I didn’t have to think as much since I now had someone doing that for me. We seemed to run pretty well for the next few sections. Erno must have looked at his watch nonstop. Every 20 minutes he would make sure I was eating something or taking a gel. I was handed an S-cap…and mindlessly I’d pop the little white pill in my mouth and take a big drink. I did pretty much whatever he said.

Being on cruise control was great. Running at night was great. We started passing lots of other runners, some of whom had seen better days. There were runners arguing with their pacer-spouses, pacers impatiently standing and waiting on their puking runners, and lone runners who’d had the misfortune of running all night alone. We passed them all. Erno’s enthusiasm over the conquests was entertaining and motivating. We started hunting headlamps, passing everyone we could find. The only thing that made us run faster than picking off other runners was the sound of something huge moving in the woods right next to us. “RUN,” he said. And I did!!

By the time we got to the river crossing at mile 78, we were almost an hour ahead of the 30 hour pace. He’d been telling me that there was talk that the river would only be about thigh deep. No problem. I could do that. The only problem was that when we got there they told me it was more like chest deep. OH CRAP! At this point, after rain, cold, sleet, wind, rocks, and mountains what’s a little river crossing?

We kept looking for Craig, who was supposed to be at the aid station but we had gotten there so much earlier than expected that he wasn’t there yet. We crossed the cold river holding onto a cable that was stretched from one side to the other. They’d dropped glowsticks on the bottom so you could see just a little of what was underneath….big rocks. When we got to the other side I was just freezing and wet.

And then we saw Craig! He had gotten the text update that we had made it to Rucky Chucky and he was running down the hill to meet us. Craig and Erno thought I should change shoes and socks but I said I’d rather keep going. It was uphill for a couple miles after that so we eventually warmed up. Craig ran with us until we got to Green Gate and I stopped just long enough to get really cold again so we did another NASCAR pit stop and got back on the trail.

The sun started to come up and we were still moving pretty well, all things considered, when I looked to my left and said, “hey, what kind of animals are those?” With an “oh crap she’s losing it” look he turns around and tells me in his Hungarian accent that there aren’t any animals. They were rocks! Oh, and the abandoned bus in the woods…well, that was a tree that had fallen. Momma needed some sleep. We got a good little laugh and I decided it was best not to question things I was seeing, at least not out loud.

We got to the Hwy 49 Crossing, mile 93.5, and I was starting to say things like “I hurt like hell.” My quads had been tight for miles and they were starting to throb. It hurt to make contact with the ground. It was coming down to running to the next marker. I was still barely hanging on until I got almost to No Hands Bridge.

At this point, with only 3 miles to go, I was like an overly tired toddler at Target. I wanted to quit. I wanted to sleep. I wanted to cut my legs off. I was done. Three miles. That doesn’t sounds like much….unless you consider that there was a punishing amount of uphill climb in that last few miles. I cursed the bastards that would put a hill there. Sadists. I wanted to cry. I would have if I thought it would help.

Craig met us at Robie Point, a mile before the finish. I ran, walked, hobbled with husband on one side and my pacer on the other. They had been amazing. We had done it. We got to the Placer High School and entered the track. I’d made it. Half a lap around that thing seemed like an eternity. I felt every step. And not in a good way. I’ve only cried twice after a race. But I laid there with the sun in my face in the grassy center of that high school track and tears rolled down my face. I’m not sure if it was relief or exhaustion or pain. Maybe it was a combination…but I cried for a few minutes, eternally grateful for the opportunity I’d just had. I finished in 28:45.

I have to give special thanks to Craig and Erno. They were selfless, focused, and there for me in a way that humbles me beyond belief. Also, I have amazing family, friends and training buddies who believed in me and listened to me ramble and obsess for months over this race. Now it’s time to just breathe…until the next one.

– Emily Conley

Posted in Race Reports, Ultra MarathonComments (3)

Amy Dodson Runner’s World Cover July 2011

Inspirational Amy Dodson on Cover of Runner’s World (July 2011)

Inspirational runner Amy Dodson is on the cover of the July 2011 issue of Runner’s World magazine.  The July issue features four different covers, each honoring a different cancer survivor, that not only survived but is thriving as an endurance athlete.

Amy lost her left leg to cancer at 19-years old. Two years later she lost her left lung to lung cancer. However, that was not the end but just the beginning of how her story would unfold.

From the Runner’s World Editor:

Amy Dodson, 48, lost her left leg below the knee to sarcoma when she was just 19. Two years later, her cancerous left lung was removed. I’ve never met Amy, but I have run with her. We both were among the 75 marathoners in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to run with Dean Karnazes as part of his 50-50-50 quest in 2006. I had met amputee athletes before, but this was the first time I’d gotten outrun by someone with a carbon-fiber leg. And I loved it.

Amy has run Boston twice (she was the first female leg amputee to run that race) and has a marathon PR of 3:35. She’s a four-time national half-marathon champion, with a PR of 1:51:04. She’s also done more than 30 triathlons, including two Ironmans, and is a two-time USA Paratriathlon champion and a two-time ITU World Paratriathlon champ.

As you read this, she’s preparing for her first Western States 100, one of the toughest races on Earth. “One of the great ironies of my life is that because of my childhood cancer, I couldn’t run with two legs,” she says. “But freed from the pain, with one leg and one lung, I can run forever. Cancer may have ravaged my body, but running saved my soul.”

Run It Fast contributor Dallas Smith, author of multiple running books, is a very close friend of Amy. He dedicated his first book, Falling Forward, to Amy.

Dallas had the following to say about Amy’s strength, “Amy went through white-hot fire and come out the other side tempered like steel. If you watch her compete you learn the potential of the human spirit. She continues to be a wonderful friend.”

Congrats to Amy on all of her amazing accomplishments and for making the cover of Runner’s World.  She is an inspiration of what the body can do when the mind takes control over it.

Posted in Celebrities, Marathon, RunningComments (0)



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