2021 JFK Race Report 11/20/21

The JFK 50 is now  the longest continuously run distance race in the U.S. since the Boston Marathon took a year off due to Covid. This year was the 59th annual and I signed up last March which gave me a low bib number of 399.

Mrs Bio drove  me to Hagerstown, MD for packet pickup Friday afternoon. I likely should have taken the afternoon off work, but I hate to take time off from teaching. Packet pickup was easy and there was a small expo featuring clothing and shoes from Brooks. We headed to our hotel about 10 minutes away and ate some pasta with butternut squash I had cooked the day prior.

I slept fitfully and finally got out of bed around 4am. We were on the road to the race a little before 6am.

Boonsboro is a sleepy little town, but not that morning. There were just over 1,000 starters and there was a lot of excitement on Main Street. It was in the mid 20’s at the start. I was wearing Viouri shorts, a technical t-shirt, arm sleeves, and a Saloman jacket I purchased at an REI garage sale for $40 a few years ago that is terrific. I wore Topo trail shoes which I planned to switch out once I got off the Appalachian Trail.

Race starts and I was well at the back of the pack as I knew that I have a tendency to start too fast and that a really big hill is right in the first couple of miles. Mile one was 11:44. Very  long climb to the South Mountain Inn that I power hiked while having a nice chat with a 70 year old woman that turned out to live just an hour from me. We hit the AT and the single track stuff began. The first ½ mile isn’t so bad, but the trail devolves quickly into tons of rocks. Your foot never comes down the same way twice and you need to to be very aware of your steps. I trained three times on this and fell each time at least once. Goal today was not to fall. Leaves were all down so the rocks and roots were obscured. I passed a woman who had fallen who was being tended to by medics, one who said, “Don’t look at your leg,” and the other was saying “Squeeze my hand.” I can still hear her moaning in my head. Later I passed a group of medics with a runner on a litter carrying them down the trail.  I heard later at least four people were carried off South Mountain by medics. Had a number of pleasant conversations with people otherwise. My AT portion included a lot of 16-17 minute miles with a best of 12:39 and a worst of 23:00 at Weverton.

Got to Wevertown Cliffs, a series of narrow steep switchbacks marked with caution tape. This was a  slow single file except for a few (imo) jerks who thought they needed to run it. Once at the bottom a big crowd was waiting, including Mrs Bio who had my bag with road shoes. I was 45 minutes ahead of the cutoff. I switched shoes then set out to the C and O Towpath.

It felt nice to get on a flat, rockfree surface. I started with a 9 minute run/1 minute walk plan. I was sub 12 for a number of these and really resisted trying to run faster knowing we had to run 26.3 miles on the towpath. At the 27 mile aid station I high fived my son who I didn’t know was coming and saw my daughter’s mother-in-law who came to cheer as well. Aid stations were amazing; they were placed every 3 miles or so and all were sponsored by local hs cross country teams or charity groups. A virtual smorgasbord. I was no longer carrying my own hydration but was replenishing easily in cool temps. I think the high for the day was 47.

At mile 31m disaster struck. My left hamstring suddenly seized into what felt like a stabbing knife. It nearly doubled me over. I tried rubbing and walking a bit and it eased, but I kept feeling a slight grabbing sensation in it. Next aid station I wolfed a couple bananas and some Gatorade.

The pain eased, but there was still a niggle so I settled into a shorter run/walk interval. My daughter and two grandkids were at the 38 mile aid station and it was nice to hear “Go Grandpa Joe!”

The towpath gets pretty boring after a bit and we were really strung out by now. Finally I hit mile 41.8 and the towpath ends. I was however relegated to wearing the “vest of shame”. Volunteers put a reflective vest on you as the last 8 are on country roads where the traffic still runs. To add insult to injury, coming off the dead flat towpath is a really steep quarter mile hill.

I was running (slowly) the downhills and bits of the flats, but walking all the ups. A nice psychological  bit the race does is that  from here the mile markers count down. No headlamp, and car headlights were pretty blinding. Finally hit the last turn and could see the glare for the finish and hear the crowd. I actually ran the last bit as they  video  your finish and announce your name and age. Official time 12:28:31. 850th place and 32nd in my age group. 

I am a tad sore today, but this is definitely a race I’d consider doing again.

I can't even begin to wrap my head around this.   Congratulations, great report too!!

Thank you Bio, what an amazing day you had!

Wow bioguy - you are tough!  How nice to have some family support along the way, and hopefully that hamstring will be okay.  Thanks for sharing your "adventure" with us!

Excellent race, bioguy.  Great training, planning, and perseverance. That hamstring issue sounds nasty.  I hope there are no aftereffects. You really should take some pride in this accomplishment; it's very impressive.

BTW, our former local race-timer who runs this race every year is in your age group and you beat him handily!  Vic Culp, he was 39th to your 32nd. I wonder if your paths crossed at some point.

Congratulations, Bio!!  What an excellent first 50 miler!  Good job!

Hope the hamstring is nothing serious, but be very kind to it.  Is there a massage in your immediate future?

Great race, Bioguy and thanks for the write up. Seeing the fallen on the AT portion must've been a little nerve-wracking, but you made it through. Hope the hamstring is ok and you recover well. Great job!

Congratulations on this huge accomplishment, Bio. You make it sound (almost) easy--which it definitely is not. Here's to a quick recovery for you!