Ellie Greenwood beat Ann Trason's old record of 17:37:51. With a freaking 16:47:19.
"When a person trains once, nothing happens. When a person forces himself to do a thing a hundred or a thousand times, then he certainly has developed in more ways than physical. Is it raining? That doesn't matter. Am I tired? That doesn't matter, either. Then willpower will be no problem." Emil Zatopek
Ellie pulled a 16:47, knocking off Ann Trason too.
Or what the post above this one says.
Holy crap those folks can run fast. Mind boggling...
Bhearn was through the highway (M93.5) at 25:15, or about an hour before I posted this. Go Bob!
Robie Point (M98.9) at 27:00. Almost there.
Done at 27:17. Most excellent.
Congrats Bhearn!
It was fun following the race on irunfar and the WS website. Makes me want to do the race, though I've always said there are a lot more interesting 100 milers than WS (of course I've never run WS or been on the course!). At least that's what I've heard. Maybe WS is the Boston Marathon of ultras and should be on every ultrarunner's "to do list".
I might apply next year, though only a one in ten chance of getting in, I think.
old woman w/hobby
Bhearn was through the highway (M93.5) at 25:15, or about an hour before I posted this. Go Bob! Robie Point (M98.9) at 27:00. Almost there. Done at 27:17. Most excellent.
Wow! I can't even imagine. Congratulations!
steph
Congrats to Bhearn.
Just noticed another NW runner and Lake Young's RD finished in 19:47. DAYUM
"Famous last words" ~Bhearn
Pink Tutu Guy is through El Dorado Creek (M52.9) at 12:27 on the clock. I know y'all were wondering. Bhearn is through Devil's Thumb (M47.8) at 11:27. El Dorado Creek at 12:47. Michigan Bluff (M55.7) at 13:43. Foresthill School (M62) at 15:20. (other early drops of note: Kami at 29.7. And both Gordy and Cowman)
Pink Tutu Guy is through El Dorado Creek (M52.9) at 12:27 on the clock.
I know y'all were wondering.
Bhearn is through Devil's Thumb (M47.8) at 11:27. El Dorado Creek at 12:47.
Michigan Bluff (M55.7) at 13:43.
Foresthill School (M62) at 15:20.
(other early drops of note: Kami at 29.7. And both Gordy and Cowman)
I was co-captain at ALT (85.2). Was so excited to see Keith Straw come through. What a nice guy, posed for a pic with me. Sadly, he lost his wand on the course before this.
Very few runners dropped at ALT and no major problems, which the medical folks said was unusual, probably due to cooler daytime temps. I'm sure the sleet at the start wasn't exactly welcome, though.
Any comments or complaints from anyone out there that ran through ALT? It was our first year -- happy to improve anything that needs improving.
5/11/24 Grizzly Peak Marathon, Berkeley, CA
7/20/24 Tahoe Rim Trail 56 miler, NV
9/21/24 Mountain Lakes 100, OR
Believe
Timothy Olson wins in 14:46:44 roundly shattering Jeff Roes record of 15:07. . . . . . . dang . . . . . . .
That is fast and freaking amazing.
Um, now how is it that I didn't even notice that this RA group existed before? Oops. Thanks for tracking me, guys.
I didn't have the day I wanted; I thought I was definitely in sub-24 shape, and with the weather, maybe 23 or even 22. I don't think I did anything really wrong during the race. I think probably I was light on volume coming in, and didn't have enough downhill training (though I thought I had a lot). Or maybe I'm just realizing how inexperienced an ultrarunner I really am. I wrote a summary here.
I'm proud of my bronze buckle, but can't help feeling like I've wasted the chance of a lifetime, running with the best (though not the most comfortable) conditions ever.
I ran with him a bit early; he was sans-wand for the entire race this time. Looks like I must have passed him in the dark on Cal 1.
Very few runners dropped at ALT and no major problems, which the medical folks said was unusual, probably due to cooler daytime temps. I'm sure the sleet at the start wasn't exactly welcome, though. Any comments or complaints from anyone out there that ran through ALT? It was our first year -- happy to improve anything that needs improving.
Well... Pam Smith (F10) was held at ALT for 2+ hours due to weight gain and puffiness. She was not a happy camper. Finally talked her way out after signing an additional release form, finished in about 29. Her bloodwork was normal.
I think a lot of the scales were way off. I weighed in at 168.2 at the start, 180 at first med check, 171 at the next.
One more point about the course records. These were set on the "real" course, with Duncan Canyon restored. No argument about snow/fire courses requiring any asterisks.
The killer is right in the middle. It doesn't look like much, but those big wavy lines in the middle of the race were killers. I thought the first climb out of the canyon was the toughest climb I have ever done. Pure super steep switchbacks. ... That first climb goes up to Devil's Thumb. That's where it gets to be 110 degrees. They have popsicles at the aid station!
The killer is right in the middle. It doesn't look like much, but those big wavy lines in the middle of the race were killers. I thought the first climb out of the canyon was the toughest climb I have ever done. Pure super steep switchbacks. ...
That first climb goes up to Devil's Thumb. That's where it gets to be 110 degrees. They have popsicles at the aid station!
That was maybe my favorite part of the course. Not remotely runnable (2,000 ft gain in 1.5 miles), so just dial it back to as low a gear as necessary and cruise on up. I passed lots of people. I guess it might help that it was more like 55 than 110 this year.
The descent into that canyon, on the other hand... that was brutal. Oh. My. God.
Kalsarikännit
My quads were already fried by that point. I had beat up my quads before (I've done other 100's with enough drop, the decent at Pike's Peak Mara, the pavement pounding of St. George Mara), NOTHING was even close to this. I came in so unprepared for it. After 35 miles I couldn't run down gentle declines. At Green Gate I put a good effort into squatting while holding onto something to help me out. I was crazy. I couldn't go down. Nothing has ever felt like that.
Bhearn, were those the best aid stations ever? You are greeted by someone as soon as you run in, and they are all yours for the extend of your visit.
Those finishing times were unbelievable. I thought Olson had raced too much lately. Ellie Greenwood is just in her own league.
I want to do it because I want to do it. -Amelia Earhart
So, I worked the 2nd aid station at Chuckanut (aka, apparently the ultrarunning all-star game this year). I saw Bob there. I also saw everyone else. You see a variety of personalities and personae in a big event like that. Some people super serious, some cranky, some cracking jokes, some spacey (JENN SHELTON). Ellie was intense, and strangely unlike *anyone* else that came through, even the other intense people. It was very interesting. Her own league indeed.
Go Bob!
People in the swamp thread were asking about the name "Cowman".
Anyone who wants to know more about Western States or Kona Ironman NEEDS to know about Cowman. Because the old man with the weird name and the Flintstones Water Buffalo hat was the second dude ever (first was, of course, Gordy) to run the Western States course as a single thing. And is an Ironman fixture. For real.
He lives on the big island. I've had the privilege of running with him many times, my favorite being at the Honolulu Marathon in 2002. Because no matter how many people came up to say "Go Cowman!" and make him the center of attention, he managed to turn it around and make the interaction be about the other person. That was super cool. It is the rare person (Badwater Zach being another) who can do that well.
As I noted earlier in this thread, both he and Gordy dropped early this year. The weather sucked.
Here he is, circa 2004. I'm not a member of the swamp (nor will I be), so someone link the pic over there ifn you want.