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Wolfe, Skaden Share Men’s Title, Kimball Takes Women’s at USA 100 Mile Trail Champs
Posted July 21st, 2008 at 9:44 AM by Adam Jacobs
Section: News & Results, Trail / Ultra
Mike Wolfe (Missoula, Mont.) and Eric Skaden (Folsom, Calif.) combined efforts through the last 25 miles for a “shared” victory in 18:59:10, while Nikki Kimball (Bozeman, Mont.) won the women’s title in 20:18:12, Saturday at the USA 100 Mile Trail Championships. This year’s event was hosted by the 2008 Tahoe Rim Trail 50K/50M/100M Endurance Runs.
The course included two loops, both beginning at Spooner Lake (7000ft. elevation), crossing over the high point of the course at Snow Valley Peak (9214ft.) and into the low point of the course in the Red House Loop (6800ft.) and turning at the aid station at Mt. Rose (approximately 8700ft.). The course sees a cumulative elevation change of 22,000 feet over the 100 mile distance.
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USA 100 Mile Trail Champs Set for Tahoe Rim Trail Run
Posted July 17th, 2008 at 9:00 AM by Adam Jacobs
Section: News & Results, Trail / Ultra
The next stop on the USA ultramarathon championships circuit will be beautiful Lake Tahoe, Nevada, this Saturday for the USA 100 Mile Trail Championships. This year’s event will be hosted by the 2008 Tahoe Rim Trail 50K/50M/100M Endurance Runs.
The 2008 championship field includes some of the Nation’s top ultra runners in both the men’s and women’s competition. Leading the women’s field is 2006 champion Connie Gardner (Medina, Ohio), who has also recorded national championships wins in the 100-mile run in 2003 and the 100-kilometer run in 2002; and Nikki Kimball (Bozeman, Mont.), the USA 50 Mile Trail champion in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006, and added the road race title in 2005.
Read the rest of this entry at our partner site: TrailFit.com
El Scorcho 50K/25K Ultra Races in Fort Worth, TX
Posted May 30th, 2008 at 8:30 PM by Cheryl Lowe
Section: News & Results, Marathons, Trail / Ultra
The 2nd annual El Scorcho “Dos” 50K and 25K races are being held in Fort Worth, Texas on July 20, 2008 at midnight. Runners will complete a 3.1-mile crushed gravel loop on the Trinity Trails a total of five times for the 25K (15.5 mile) race, and ten times for the 50K (31 mile) race.
Yes–you read that right–the race starts at midnight. Don’t expect the runners competing in the event to lay down their heads for sleep anytime earlier than 7:00 AM that morning. Ryan Valdez, the race director, does not expect to catch any shut-eye for hours that weekend, either. “Body rhythms are going to be off. Most runners are used to going to bed early and waking up early for races,” said Valdez.
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Josh Cox: Miracles 50
Part II - The End of Faith
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #9)
Posted May 18th, 2008 at 1:30 PM by Josh Cox
Section: News & Results, Marathons, Motivation, Trail / Ultra, Elite Athlete Blogs, Josh Cox
Welcome to the official blog of U.S. marathon runner Josh Cox. Every other Wednesday visit http://joshcox.thefinalsprint.com for Cox’s latest blog entry and for more information, also please visit: www.joshcox.com
Faith – noun: strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual understanding rather than proof.
“Those who wish to succeed must ask the right preliminary questions.”
- Aristotle,
Metaphysics, II, (III), I.Pascal’s Wager
“Belief is a wise wager. Granted that faith cannot be proved, what harm will come to you if you gamble on its truth and it proves false? If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation, that He exists.”
- Blaise Pascal, French Mathematician, physicist, and religious philosopher
The 1997 Mountain Masochist 50 Miler started just before dawn. The leaders and I passed 3 miles in under 18 minutes. Six minute pace, easy, I could do this all day, only 47 more to go.
During “ultras” – that’s runner nerd for “ultra marathon” – there are aid stations about every four miles. If athletes are hungry – they eat, if they’re thirsty –they drink, if they need a rinse – their crew douses them with water. A crew is essential; all the top runners have one. Crews, typically, are buddies who enjoy running but aren’t dumb enough to actually race beyond 26.2 miles. My crewman was Chad Davis, a walk-on from Sacramento, a cool guy – particularly since he rented out our attic.
Through 20 miles everything was going according to plan.
Only 25 more miles before I unleashed my secret strategy, I thought. They won’t know what hit them. (See last blog for secret strategy.)
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Josh Cox: Miracles 50
Part I - A Boy Named Sue
(Elite Athlete Blog - Entry #8)
Posted May 1st, 2008 at 4:00 PM by Josh Cox
Section: News & Results, Marathons, Track & Field, Elite Athlete Blogs, Josh Cox
Welcome to the official blog of U.S. marathon runner Josh Cox. Every other Wednesday visit http://joshcox.thefinalsprint.com for Cox’s latest blog entry and for more information, also please visit: www.joshcox.com
“I believe in miracles.
I believe in a better world for me and you.
Oh, I believe in miracles.
I believe in a better world for me and you.”
-The Ramones,
I Believe in Miracles“Son, this world is rough
And if a man’s gonna make it, he’s gotta be tough
And I know I wouldn’t be there to help you along.
So I give ya that name and I said good-bye
I knew you’d have to get tough or die
And it’s that name that helped to make you strong.”
- A Boy Named Sue
(A song written by Shel Silverstein made famous by Johnny Cash. A song about a dad who names his son Sue and leaves - the son vows to exact his revenge for his awful name. He finds his dad, fights him, his dad gets up, smiles, and explains why he named him Sue. )“The secret of man’s being is not only to live but to have something to live for.”
-Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Russian literary giant & Casino fiend
Somewhere around 41 miles, in the high hills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains the race came undone. I could no longer run; a humbling experience for a self-assured 22-year-old college senior who, several hours earlier, had thought running a 50-mile race was a good idea. For the first time in my life I wished I were jogging – oh the horror – anything but the “J-word.” But alas, I was doing the S-word. Shuffling. Shuffling is what we runner’s do, we bypass the jog and enter straight into the shuffle. It’s part of the unwritten code – run slow, shuffle, but never, ever jog.
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Podcast 112: Two-Time Spartathlon Champion & Premier Ultramarathon Runner SCOTT JUREK
Posted January 7th, 2008 at 7:15 PM by Adam Jacobs
Section: News & Results, Marathons, Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts, Trail / Ultra
Episode 112 of TheFinalSprint.com Podcast, the most listened to running podcast in North America, features my interview with America’s dominating ultramarathon runner and premier vegan athlete SCOTT JUREK.
In the interview Scott evaluates his historic 2007 season, including a course record despite an ankle injury at the Hardrock 100 and his second-consecutive victory at the legendary Spartathlon.
Download the podcast to hear Scott discuss these topics, as well as, his 2008 racing plans, the mental aspects of successful ultra-running, pain perception and tolerance for endurance athletes, Sri Chimnoy’s Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race, his volunteer work and passion for the sport, potential post-athletic career plans, and much more!
Listen In
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Host: Adam Jacobs | Guest: Scott Jurek
Producer: Greg Cherniet
Musicians: Ryan Ahlwardt, Darnell Perkins
File Size: 22.4 MB | Length: 32:38 MIN
Episode Sponsored By: Nike +
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TFS Shoe Review: New Balance MR790 Trail Running Shoes
Posted January 6th, 2008 at 11:00 AM by Paul Petersen
Section: Gear & Apparel, Running Shoes, Product Reviews, Special Features, TFS Reviews
Product: New Balance MR790
Price: $80.00
Shoe Type: Lightweight Trail / Racing
Fit: Half a size small
Weight: 7.9 oz
Pronation Factor: Neutral
Best for: Lighter runners with access to softer surfaces
Many trails near my home in northern Utah are steep, rocky, and foreboding, requiring heavy tank-like trail running shoes that can withstand the punishment of the terrain — and protect my feet as well. Many of these dedicated trail running shoes weigh up to a pound apiece in order to offer high levels of support and protection.
However, there are times in my trail running when I don’t quite need that level of stability and “armor”, but rather, I want speed and agility. In other words, I want a lightweight trail shoe, the trail equivalent to a road racing flat.
Fortunately, New Balance has come through with this wish, with their MR790 model trail shoe. At a feather-light 7.9 ounces, this trail shoe is lighter than my road-racing flats! But how will they perform on a trail?
Janicki, Sakurai Win IAU Trail World Challenge 50 Mile
Posted December 11th, 2007 at 12:07 PM by Jeremy Sussman
Section: News & Results, Trail / Ultra
This year’s Sunmart 50 mile event served as the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) Trail World Challenge. Runners representing twelve IAU federations ran side-by-side with the Open field to vie for the overall championship. The men’s winner Jaroslaw Janicki hails from Poland and broke the tape in 6 hours, 7 minutes and 46 seconds. The women’s winner, Norimi Sakurai from Japan, clocked in at 6:34:58 at the 18th Texas Trail Endurance Runs on Saturday.
Read the rest of this entry at our partner site: TrailFit.com
USATF announces 2007 Mountain/Ultra/Trail
Running Awards
Posted November 30th, 2007 at 10:00 AM by Jamal Walker
Section: News & Results, Trail / Ultra
The Mountain Ultra Trail (MUT) Council of long distance running has chosen the 2007 USATF Mountain Runners of the Year, Ultrarunners of the Year, and Contributor of the Year. The following will receive their awards at the annual USATF National Convention in Honolulu, Hawaii on Saturday, December 1 at an awards breakfast.
Rickey Gates, 26, Boulder, CO, (Pictured)is the mountain runner of the year. This is the first time Gates has received this award. He had a stellar year winning the USA Mountain Champs and USA Trail (10km) Champs on back-to-back weekends in June, and made his second consecutive Teva U.S. Mountain Running Team.
Read the rest of this entry at our partner site: TrailFit.com
Elite Endurance Athletes Brace for The North Face Endurance Challenge Championship
Posted November 25th, 2007 at 10:25 AM by Jamal Walker
Section: News & Results, Trail / Ultra
The North Face Endurance Challenge, a four-region, nationwide running event for outdoor athletes seeking to explore their personal limits, culminates in grand fashion on the Pacific shores north of San Francisco on December 1, 2007. The event, which offers distances of 10K, Half Marathon, 50K, and 50 Miles, is also the series’ championship event, where 50-mile participants will compete for the largest prize purse in trail ultrarunning. The male and female winners will each receive $10,000.
Many of the world’s most elite endurance runners have registered for the event in hopes of going home with the big prize. The entrant list is highlighted by several members of The North Face Endurance Team as well as many other legends of the sport that have never competed toe-to-toe.
Read the rest of this entry at our partner site: TrailFit.com
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