VHTRC - The Club

Our friends at the West Virginia Mountain Trail Runners' club held the West Virginia Trilogy over the past weekend, October 7-9.  Described as a "triptych of runs on the Eastern Continental Divide", runners are able to run a 50 km race, then a 50 miler, and then finish their long weekend up with a trail half marathon.  That is roughly 95 miles of running in the Spruce Knob and Seneca Rocks area over three days.  Sounds like fun, and the overall winner this year was the VHTRC's David Frazier, in just under 14 hours.  First VHTRC woman to finish was Adele Fenwick.  15 runners managed to finish all three events - it would have been 16 if President Alan Gowen had not been too sick to make it to the starting line.  Results

Jack Kurisky was the only 100-mile finisher at the "Hot TWOT" on October 1, finishing in a time of 37:50.  As has become the norm for those seeking to actually finish the full 100 miles, Jack started on Friday September 30.  The weather was chillier than experienced at most runnings of The Wild Oak Trail 100 in the Fall, with some snow swirling on the Big Bald section of the trail on Jack's fourth loop.

By finishing the Wasatch Front 100 miler in Utah on September 10th, David Snipes became the 36th confirmed finisher of The Last Great Race.  The Last Great Race consists of the Grand Slam 100 milers (Western States, Vermont, Leadville, and Wasatch), and Old Dominion and Angeles Crest.  Sniper is the only runner to complete the LGR this year, the first to finish it since 2007, the first Virginian and the first VHTRC member to complete it since Mike Bur in 2003.  For extra grins and giggles, Sniper also completed MMT and the CAT 100 this year, and rumor has it he will be running Grindstone, and then one or two more before he shuts it down for this year.  Congratulations, David! -  Last Great Race site

Matt Woods and Annette Bednosky were sixth man and woman, and Amy Sproston was 11th woman at the World 100km Championships in Winschoten, The Netherlands. We understand that the U.S. men's team was first and the women's team second.  Michael Wardian of Arlington, Virginia was second overall. Results

The VHTRC gathered in the Shenandoah National Park over the July 4 weekend for three days of mountain running and fellowship. Over 40 runners came out for the Summer Death March on 25+ miles of trails near Old Rag and White Oak Canyon, including new-to-the-VHTRC friends as well as the Old Guard (they know who they are!). On Sunday, another energetic group met at Q's Jeremy's Run for 20 sweet miles of single track and streams, and on the Fourth of July, Gary hosted a large contingent for the annual Browntown loop.

Mike Campbell ran 27:45 to win the 60 year-old age group at the Bighorn 100 Mile in Wyoming on June 17-18. We believe that Mike's time is an event age group record.  The course was adjusted to account for the snow that the Bighorn Mountains had received this year.  Results

Dan Rose led the VHTRC contingent at the Laurel Highlands Trail run on June 11-12 in PA. Dan was third overall. The event covers the 70 mile Laurel Highland Trail, but there were bonus miles to account for the lack of a bridge across the PA Turnpike. Laurel Highlands has a long history and, with Old Dominion, is one of the traditional early summer runs on the right coast. There is also a 50km and two relays. Results | LHT Web site

Eva Pastalkova broke the female record at the 2011 Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 held May 14-15 in Fort Valley, Virginia.  For the third time, Karl Meltzer (photo right) won the race.  There were 132 finishers out of 195 starters.  Despite the rain and mud, the new setting, with all activities in a very big tent, seemed to provide a great atmosphere.  Photos, reports, and results are available. Thanks to Bobby Gill for the photo at right. 2011 MMT Results

Matt Woods set a new event record and Annette Bednosky took the women's division at the 19th Bull Run Run 50 mile held on April 9 in Clifton, Virginia. It was a cool, overcast day. Almost perfect for running except that overnight rain led to very muddy, sloppy conditions. Despite the slow track, Matt lowered Leigh Schmitt's record of last year by almost two minutes.  A large field of 344 started the event, with 320 finishing officially by 13 hours. We now have results, photos, a report, and updated all time lists. Go to the BRR 2011 report page.

You can't understand how Bull Run Run got that way if you don't know Chris Scott. He is responsible for both the goofy and the serious parts of the run.  Chris has moved on, but he is still at it on the Left Coast.  Several VHTRC members have participated in his former Coyote Fourplay and current Coyote Two Moon.  This year's C2M was stopped mid-race by "epic" weather (in Southern California!).  There is a pretty good local newspaper article about it from the Ventura County Star.