Bull Run Run 50 Miler
Battle Report

April 12, 2003

The 2003 Bull Run Run 50 Miler was held in beautiful weather on April 12 in Northern Virginia. Sean Andrish and Michele Burr were the overall winners. The results are available. The finish line photos are now available along with the first group of pictures from the stream crossing. Still to come is the updated all time finishers data. It will all be linked from this page, so come back again later!

The pictures that are up now, are from the stream just a mile down river from the first aid station on Centerville Road. The concrete cylinders at the normal crossing were under water. So we crossed the stream at a different point. The result was wet feet and a lot of mud.

Order Your Picture: The professional photographer guy did not show up. But there are over 300 pictures in digital form and you can have yours for free. See: How to get a copy of an individual photo.

BRR 2003 Resources

• Results (corrected April 14)
• Age Group Results
• Updated All Time Lists and other data
• Photos I -- the Stream Crossing
• Photos II -- the Finish Line
• Report by John Dodds
• Report by John Prohira
• Wildflower Report from Gary Knipling
• Famous Wolf Run Shoals Crew
• Division Winners
• Team Results
• Photos by Keith Knipling (off site)
• Photos of Buzzards and RATS (PA) (off site)
• BRR Home Page

If you have any comments or suggestions about the Bull Run Run, Scott Mills would love to hear them at ScottEMills@aol.com.

Gary Knipling's Wildflower Report

The harsh winter of 2003 in the mid-Atlantic area affected Nature's preparation for spring just as it affected most runners' preparations for the 11th Bull Run Run. Although the trademark wildflower of BRR, the Virginia Bluebell, wasn't in full bloom and the late course change reduced runners' access to the "Bluebell fields" further upstream, there were still some beautiful wildflowers to be seen.

The pre-dawn cool temperature vanished with mid-morning sunburst, and the wildflowers responded to the sunny sky after several days of cool, cloudy conditions. The "star" of the day for me (other than Michele & Sean) was a single Round-lobed Hepatica plant seen near one of the wooden bridge crossings on the white loop after Fountainhead on the return trip. I believe the flower was not open in the morning during my trip toward the Do-loop. The wildflowers I observed along the course with the standard caveat "as long as I remember" :

• Virginia Bluebells – blue; growing in clusters where the habitat was right in the northern loop and approaching the last climb along the floodplain
• Spring Beauties – 5 white petals with pink veins; common
• Rue Anemone – 6-10 white petals and 3-lobed leaves; near Civil War trenches on northern loop and on white-blazed loop near Fountainhead
• Cut-leaved Toothwort – 4 white petals; bird foot shaped leaves; common
• Violets – blue/lavender; near Bull Run Marina and in soccer fields
• Early Saxifrage – small white 5-petal flowers at tip of hairy stem; growing in shale soils and other rocky habitat; common
• Round-lobed Hepatica – beautiful blue flowers with 6-8 petals; saw one plant on white-blazed loop near Fountainhead
• Pussytoes – small white puffballs at end of short stem; trail close to Bull Run after soccer fields on return trip
• Bluets – 4 dainty blue petals with yellow center; near old dam site 1 mile from finish
• Periwinkle – 5 blue petals; at base of climb to Hemlock

As always at BRR, the fantastic aid station volunteers push, pull and encourage each runner's progress toward the finish line. And, while out on the course no runner is ever alone if we take the time to enjoy and appreciate Nature's own decorations and trail markings. Thanks to Scotty and all VHTRC helpers for a wonderful day.

Happy trails, Gary (#165)

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