Miscellaneous News
Mexico SkyRace
5/7, Hidalgo, Mexico
Full Story
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| Start of the Hidalgo Skyrace in Mexico |
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Ricardo Mejia established a 6' lead from the start which he retained to the finish, closing in 2h10'28". Fellow Mexican, Miguel Leon was second in 2h16'11", followed by Canadian World Mountain Running Champion, Jason Loutitt, 2h16'27". Italian Fulvio Dapit, third in the 2005 World Series, was in fourth place.
Jason reports:
"I was 16sec behind Miguel (22nd in 2005 World Trophy...I was 32nd) and we both got lost 3 times. A third of the way in we were 2nd and 3rd with Ricardo about 30sec in front of us. By the time we got back on the path we found ourselves in 6th and 7th place. 2/3rds of the way we were back in our spots again but still managed to go off the path twice and have to work our way back onto it."
Next up ... Ottawa marathon May 28th, then June 11th Skyrace in Switzerland
7 Sisters Trail Race
5/7, Amherst, MA
Race Website
Full Results
This is a very difficult course. Kelli Lusk won by 9 minutes on her third try, and Paul Low, in top form this year, won by almost 6 minutes setting a course record in the process.
Dave Dunham notes,
" 7-Sisters is a very tough 12 miles with 5,000' up/down. Very tricky footing throughout. My only goal was to make it through without getting hurt..."
Paul makes some interesting comments:
"My Course Record was a 8:30/mile pace. This must be the slowest per mile pace of any CR, at least in NE. You have to run this to really appreciate it. There's other rockier courses, but without this amount of climbing - the climbing is ridiculous. There are estimates of 5400' in 12 miles.
Sometimes I really flow over the rough stuff, sometimes there's more effort. This day I felt good.
Private Guided Climbs - Marshal Ulrich
Team Member Marshal Ulrich is leading private trips to Mt Kilimanjaro, as well as the Mexican volcanoes and Aconcagua. Marsh has done the Seven Summits - all on first attempts - all seven Eco-Challenges, and won a record 4 Badwater (across Death Valley) races.
New leaders as Trophy Series heads into summers
From Trail Runner Magazine -
Through the 2006 Series' one-third mark, newcomers have made their presence known. Many veteran trail runners seem to have been caught off guard by top point winners like Paul Stofko, Van Phan, Tracy Thomas, Hugh Davis and Deb Schopp.
Sponsored by La Sportiva and GoLite, the Trail Runner Trophy Series is the world's largest off-road running series. In this its third year, the 2006 Series encompasses over 110 races and more than 20,000 runners from March 1 to September 30. Trophy Series race participants earn points for completing events as well as bonus points for top age-group or overall placing. Runners clash in two divisions: (1) Marathon and Shorter, and (2) Ultramarathon.
For information on the 2006 Series--including a complete race schedule, rules, news and details on points scoring, visit www.trailrunnermag.com .
Heartlanders run away from field
In the Marathon & Shorter division, 42-year-old Hugh Davis continues to astound the Trophy Series field--and Series hopefuls may be advised to pick up the pace before he gets too far ahead. The Tell City, Indiana, native has a 92-point lead over his next closest rival, Brian Beckort, also of Tell City.
Thus far, Davis has followed the blue print laid out by previous Trophy Series champions Scott Dunlap (2004) and Dale Reicheneder (2005): he has shown a willingness to travel to garner early-season points. To date, he has fled the corn fields of Indiana for the swamps of Florida (John Holmes 15-Mile Trail Run), stormy hills of Kentucky (Land Between the Lakes 24K Trail Run), and the forests of Maryland (Seneca Creek Greenway Trail Marathon), in addition to Missouri's Double Chubb 25K and Virginia's Bel Monte 25K. With no Trophy Series events in Indiana, Davis could become the first athlete to win a Series championship without scoring one point in his home state.
The race for the women's title remains tight, with 25 points separating nine female trail runners. After winning her age group in the Double Chubb 25K and placing second in the 50+ division at the Land Between the Lakes 14.3-Miler Trail Run, 52-year-old Deb Schopp of Ballwin, Missouri, maintains a sliver-thin lead by mere decimal points over a crowd of marathon winners.
Top 10: Trophy Series Marathon & Shorter Division
1. Hugh Davis, Tell City, IN, 273.88 points
2. Brian Beckort, Tell City, IN, 181.28 points
3. Adam Blum, Los Gatos, CA, 145.8 points
4. Deb Schopp, Ballwin, MO, 104.96 points
5. Monika Brachmann, Comus, MD, 104.8 points
6. Courtney Campbell, Berryville, VA, 104.8 points
7. Lucia Davidson, Arlington, VA, 104.8 points
8. Eugene Gignac, New Cumberland, PA, 104.8 points
9. Jen Jacobs, Washington, DC, 104.8 points
10. Keith Moore, Washington, DC, 104.8 points
11. Suzie Spangler, Annapolis, MD, 104.8 points
Ultra Division
Maple Valley, Washington, resident Van Phan has rumbled off several solid races--including two wins--in the Northwest and leads her closest Ultra division rivals by 113 points. In March, Phan, 35, won Portland's March Mudness 100K and completed Washington's Chuckanut 50K. In April, she tallied a win at the tough Capitol Peak 50-Miler and a finish at the Peterson Ridge Rumble 34-Miler.
Two Midwest 100-milers trail Phan -- Paul Stofko (Chesterton, IN) and Tracy Thomas (Champaign, IL). Both Stofko and Thomas won April's McNaughton Park 100-Miler in Pekin, Illinois, thereby garnering 400 points in just one exhausting weekend of trail running.
World-class ultra speedster Uli Steidl of Shoreline, Washington, lurks slightly behind Phan, Stofko and Thomas, with 324 points. Few, if any, trail runners can match Steidl's legspeed and endurance and he could be one to watch as the summer rounds into full swing. In the Series' first two months, he has notched awe-inspiring overall wins against elite fields at the American River 50-Mile Endurance Run and the Chuckanut 50K.
Top 10: Trophy Series Ultra Division
1. Van Phan, Maple Valley, WA, 513 points
2. Paul Stofko, Chesterton, IN, 400 points
3. Tracy Thomas, Champaign, IL, 400 points
4. Uli Steidl, Shoreline, WA, 324 points
5. Scott Meyers, Oshkosh, WI, 300 points
6. Diane Van Deren, Sedalia, CO, 300 points
7. Sue Johnston, Waterford, VT, 274 points
8. Fred Roberts, Tucson, AZ, 250 points
9. Matt Daniels, Augusta, GA, 248 points
10. Christine Crawford, Whitewate r,WI,244 points
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