Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 Mile Run
Massanutten Mt Trails 100
2008 Report, Results, and Information
All 2008 MMT information -- including results, splits, reports, and photos -- will be linked from this page. Come back to check them out.
- Results
- Splits
- Reports
- Final VHTRC.org Report
- Jon Parker
- D. Ray Smith Part One | Part Two [OakRidger.com article]
- Joe Galioto
- Darin Dunham [on his blog]
- Alan Gowen
- Ed Cacciapaglia
- Leo Lutz
- Rick Moyer
- Rande Brown
- Bedford Boyce [on his blog]
- Amy Sproston [on her blog]
- John Lacroix [on his blog]
- Photos [About the Photos]
- Aaron Schwartzbard -- many high-quality photographs from several places on the course (Milford, Jawbone, Edinburg, and the finish). They are indexed and searchable.
- Tom Sperduto -- great, professional pictures from several parts of course. He has special pricing for personal use. E-mail Tom for his special deal for volunteers.
- D. Ray Smith -- many photos from all over the course that focus on Zane Smith
- Brian McNeill -- a few, very nice photos of the MMT scene
- Darryl Schaffer -- from Habron Gap aid station
- Angelo Witten -- from Wildflower Trail intersection (e-mail Angelo if you want a high resolution copy of a picture)
- John Lacroix -- from all over the course. Taken by his crew/pacer as he was running.
- Anstr Davidson -- from Shawl Gap and Edinburg
- Entrants List (to identify a runner by race number)
- Updated Data
- Course Records and Multi-year Finishers -- Todd Walker lowered his masters' record and Dave Snipes joined the five time finishers club
- Visitors List -- Craig Sandstrom leaves; several join
- All Time Finishers Lists sorted by:
- Data Page -- It's all been updated now.
- Updates Posted During the Event
RD Stan Duobinis gives race winner Todd Walker his award
Carl Newby (center) with the Moreland Gap Aid Station Crew
Report
Volunteer Eric Levy-Myers fixes feet
at Edinburg Gap Aid Station
Photo: Aaron Schwartzbard
Who would have thought that a meeting at the IHOP in Arlington, Virginia in 1994 would lead to all of this? But from that inauspicious beginning has come a great undertaking, the Massanutten Mountain Trails 100.
This year's MMT was a huge success because so many contributed to something much bigger than any individual.
As usual, weather played a staring role. We again had rain on Friday, but Saturday started clear. It was generally cool and breezy over the weekend. There was some rain, but its severity seemed to depend on where you were on the course. Gap Creek was the wrong place to be during the storm. Edinburg Gap was a better place to be. But to be at the latter location during the rain, you had to have run pretty fast.
Two "Nice Guys" Battle, Neither Finishes Last
Speaking of running fast, there was an exciting battle for the male win between Todd Walker and Keith Knipling. Each had prior good performances on the course but had never won the top prize. Todd had two prior second place finishes (in 2005 and 2007) and a fourth. He was clearly out for the top prize.Keith is another story. In 1999, a 23-year-old Virginia Tech student entered MMT. He was dead last, but he finished. Since that time, Keith has moved up the field. Last year, he had a very impressive third place finish behind Karl Meltzer and Walker. (Keith then went on to win each of the Old Dominion's on the next two weekends.)
Keith Knipling
Photo: Aaron Schwartzbard
The race was won on the last downhill. Todd pulled away for the win. He was unable to break Keith and had to worry about him all day. He said with very good nature, "I'd just as soon punch you in the face then race you again!"
As one observer pointed out, the good news was that, whoever won, it would be a nice guy whom you wanted to see win. Our guess is that Keith will, one day, pull off the win. But this year's strong second was a long way from 1999's DFL.
Sproston Takes Women's Title
Female Winner Amy Sproston
Photo: Aaron Schwartzbard
Change
Among the constants at MMT has been that Tom Sprouse finished. He was the only person to have finished all of them. This year, we jinxed him.
Our practice is to give the returning champions bib number one (and two if both winners return). Neither of last year's winners returned. So who should get number one? Tom Sprouse was the obvious answer. So what happened? He missed the cutoff at Gap II.
Tom had persevered over the years. Joe Clapper and this reporter have always felt responsible for his string. One year he wanted to drop out at Edinburg. We wouldn't let him. He reluctantly left the aid station and finished. But it was not to be this year.
Tom Sprouse
The other big change among the multi-year finishers was just behind Tom on the list. For many years, the other finisher of all MMT's was John Geesler, the winner of the first MMT. John stopped at 10 finishes. This year, the VHTRC's favorite veterinarian, flower guy, and "ambassador," Gary Knipling, finished his 11th MMT. The only year he didn't finish? 1999 when son Keith finished DFL. Gary is now in sole, undisputed second place for number of MMT finishes.
Speaking of Geesler, the man who battled John at the very first MMT, Joe Clapper, got 11th this year. That's pretty good for an old guy whose vision in one eye goes uot over the night time parts of the race.
Lost
There were two famous wrong turns this year. Both were made by front-of-the-pack runners. Our policy is not to name people who screw up like that so we will use code names -- Tall Guy and California Guy. Tall guy went 12 miles out of his way, but preserved until he came into Edinburg Gap and crashed. He had taken the "going down to Gap Creek" wrong turn. Then there was California Guy. Forgetting that the course goes south of Route 211, he decided to go north at the bottom of Waterfall. But how would California Guy know that? He only won the race in 2003.
You will notice a pattern here. Fast people screw up more frequently than slow people. My theory is that they are used to the motorcycle cop leading them around. They get in the Massanutten Mountains and they have to find their own way. They don't know how to do that.
Volunteers
Terry and Brenda at the Edinburg Gap Aid Station. Everyone who had the Edinburg soup finished
Quatro delivered a great post-race party. Everyone, runners, pacers, crews, volunteers, and just about any one who wandered by, could have great food at the finish line. MMT's one weak spot, the finish line, was no more. It was a great party. Thank you to Q and all of his volunteers.
Bill Sublett supervises the drop bags
Critical "regulars" who came back include Bill Sublett who drives the truck around to deliver drop bags and Valerie Meyer who produces timely and accurate results. And, of course, there is Stan Duobinis who puts it all together.
Many of the aid stations are very difficult to supply. Probably the most difficult is Milford Gap. Jean Whitman, Janice Heltibridle, and Brian White got all the aid up a washed out road on an ORV. Here is how.
It is really impossible to thank all of these volunteers properly. But you can be comforted that all of them, except for those whom the Vermont 100 coerced into being there, were happy to do it. Somehow, it's very rewarding to be part of this great enterprise. It is so heartwarming to watch you puke in our aid station, then go on and finish and to know that we are part of that!
Conclusion
The great thing about MMT is that it is bigger than anyone person or group. No one "owns" MMT, everyone owns it. Everyone contributes to its great success. You can make it yours too. Just come back and see if Massanutten really rocks!
Anstr Davidson
If you have any comments on the race, RD Stan Duobinis would welcome them. You can send an e-mail to Stan
Note: We welcome the submission of reports and photos that we will either post here or link to. Contact Anstr Davidson at anstr@vhtrc.org in this regard.
Finishing Rate
Year | Starters | Finishers | Percent |
---|---|---|---|
1995 | 58 | 31 | 53% |
1996 | 72 | 37 | 51% |
1997 | 56 | 38 | 68% |
1998 | 100 | 67 | 67% |
1999 | 101 | 60 | 59% |
2000 | 128 | 61 | 48% |
2001 | 119 | 77 | 65% |
2002 | 131 | 82 | 63% |
2003 | 117 | 71 | 61% |
2004 | 136 | 88 | 65% |
2005 | 143 | 93 | 65% |
2006 | 151 | 113 | 75% |
2007 | 145 | 94 | 65% |
2008 | 156 | 101 | 65% |
Totals | 1613 | 1013 | 63% |
This year's MMT had the same finishing rate as 2007 and was just 2% greater than the overall average. Year in and year out, with all the many factors in the event, the number of people who finish is about the same.
An interesting data fact. The average of the 160 entrants to the event was 42.89 years. The average age of the finishers was 42.17 years. Age was not a predictor of success.
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