Stories

Ed sports his Christmas present while talking to RD Greg Loomis at Woodstock Tower. Photo: John Nelson

Boyers Furnace 40/43 Miler: Greg Loomis came back from the desert to put on what, by all accounts, was a great event -- the Boyers Furnace 40/43 miler held on December 30. Report and results

Hellgate: While you were warm in your bed, some people playing with less than a full deck were in the mountains doing David's Hellgate 100km on December 9. There were a few VHTRC finishers including the deadly duo of Vicki and Barb, who won their age group. Also winning their age groups were Bob Anderson and Sophie Speidel. The top VHTRC finisher was Jeff Wilbur in 10th place who was just ahead of Steve Core. What more could you want in a run? Cold, dark, and long. It doesn't get any better than that! ...Results | Martha Wright's report | Sophie Speidel's report

On the AT just South of Route 55

Dickey Ridge Training Run: Russ Evans led a small group over the AT and Dickey Ridge Trails on December 27. Photos on Flickr

Gary Knipling Wins 2006 VHTRC College Football Contest: In the last week of the contest, Karl Knipling only missed one game on the picks for last week of the VHTRC football contest. In the overall season's standings, it came down to a contest between Gary Knipling and Bunny Runyan. Gary came from behind and took the win by one game. Quatro Hubbard was third. Congratulations! Thanks to all who played. Final Season Standings.

Magnus Gluteus Maximus 50km -- Update: We have issued a reprimand to the VHTRC.org employee who transcribed the results and who whined about your bad handwriting. Our employee has recanted had has issued this apology: "Sorry, but your handwriting still sucks." Anyway, we will make any changes you like to the results. We have already made a few changes. Additionally, Rob Saraneiro has posted many pictures on his Flickr site. MGM Report, Results, Photos

Vicki Death March: Quatro Hubbard led his annual "Vicki Death March" training run in the Shenandoah National Park on November 25. John Nelson took some pictures. It looks as if they had a lot of fun and more of us should have been there!

Carolyn Gernand at the High Desert 50km. Photo: Ben Jones

OTHTC High Desert 50K Ultra: If you want to run with a group of lunatics that is right up there with the VHTRC, Buzzards, Trail Dawgs, and GACers, then you want to go to California and run with the Ridgecrest folks. December 2 was the High Desert 50km but on by the Over the Hill Track Club. At least two VHTRC members participated -- Carolyn Gernand and Howard Cohen (a member of the California chapter of the VHTRC). Results | OTHTC Web Site | Photos by Ben Jones [on Webshots]

Frank Probst Wins Division at JFK: Frank broke 8:30 to win the "Veteran division" (age 60-69) at the 44th JFK 50 Mile run on November 18. Many other VHTRC runners finished. Michele Harmon and Lucia Davidson placed second in their respective divisions. Ed Demoney finished the race for the third time as a 70+ year old. Many other VHTRC members finished. The results are now available on the JFK 50 Web site. You can also find articles in the Hagerstown Herald-Mail

Mother Road 100: At the Mother Road 100 held on November 11 in Oklahoma, John Shepard finished 5th overall and 4th male and Jaret Seiberg finished 19th overall and 17th male. Other VHTRC finishers included Jeff Washburn, John Dodds, and Carl Camp. Jaret reported: "The course was very hilly and got pretty dangerous. But it was very well organized for a first time - and only time - event. Wind was not a big factor, but it hit 25 degrees at night, which was about 20 degrees colder than forecast." Results are now available on the Report by Jaret Seiberg | Mother Road 100 Web site.

VHTRC Veterans Day Run: Eleven people participated in the annual VHTRC Veterans Day run. As usual, we started at the Iwo Jima Memorial and toured the monuments of Washington. New this year, we took in the Air Force Memorial. Unfortunately, none of our VHTRC "Zoomies" were along so we looked in puzzlement at the jets depicted at the memorial wondering, "Are those the F-14s that Tom Cruise flew in Top Gun?" We ended the run with a Tour d'Arlington that took us by a building with very big antennas, a lot of barbed wire, but no sign saying what it is. Probably a National Park Service building. We actually ran much further this year. It might have been seven or even eight miles! There are some photos on the Flickr site.

Bill Gentry and Michelle Huston get Finishing Congratulations from Horton

Masochists: Many VHTRC members participated in David Horton's Mountain Masochists 50 miler on November 4. Leading VHTRC men finishers were Sean Andrish who was second and Derrick Carr who was 11th in a very tough field. Bethany Patterson was first VHTRC woman and fourth woman overall while Justine Morrison was the second VHTRC female. There were many other good performances by VHTRC members. Overall, Eric Grossman won the men's race and Nikki Kimball won the woman's. We are very happy to hear that Vicki is ok after what sounds like a very scary experience. Results on David's Web site.

Stone Cat 50 Miler and Marathon: In what was, apparently, warmer weather than at Masochists, a small VHTRC contingent participated in the Stone Cat 50 Miler and Marathon held in Ipswich, Massachusetts, north of Boston. Bob Phillips was the only VHTRC finisher in the 50. Jeanne Christie, Larry DeHof, and Anstr Davidson finished the marathon. Leigh Schmitt won the 50 with Todd Walker second. VHTRC member Jeff Washburn was the race director and put on a great event. Thanks to all the GAC'ers for a good time. Sort of Results | Photo of Bob Phillips | Stone Cat Web page

Ron Knipling on Strickler Knob

Strickler Knob "Trail": Ron Knipling reports on an upgrade to the Strickler Knob bushwhacking trail in the Massanutten Mountains. Strickler Knob has a long history with the VHTRC. There have been several documented assaults on the short, but rugged route. Ron reports on the latest. Stricker Knob Trail Report

Big Schloss: A huge thanks to Amy and Steve Platt and their wonderful volunteers for putting on a great Big Schloss 50km on September 30. The course was beautiful and the support fantastic. We understand that Mike Mason and Justine Morrison won, though that was hearsay and we heard it after at least one post run refreshment. By the time the VHTRC.org reporter finished, they were long gone. Big Schloss Web Site

Jamey Groff, left, with Dennis Herr as Jamey is about to leave for fourth loop at TWOT

Groff Finishes the Wild Oak 100: On October 8, Jamey Groff finished The Wild Oak Trail 100 Mile run in 37:10, becoming only the fifth person to do so. Jamey is now third on the all time list, behind Dennis Herr and Sue Johnston. The fall version of the run, the "Hot TWOT," was held in wet and cold weather thus becoming the "Wet TWOT." There were 34 starters, but only four did a second loop. Of those, only Jamey went out on the hardest loop, the third. The TWOT 100 is composed of four, 26+ mile loops of the Wild Oak National Recreational Trail southwest of Harrisonburg. We were all happy to see Dennis Herr at the event he created. Results including Sue's butterscotch finger recipe and the TWOT all time finishers list, are now available.

Great Eastern: Results from the Great Eastern 100km on September 23 are now available. Top VHTRC finisher was Steve Core who was seventh overall. Dave Snipes and Lisa Demoney also finished. Bethany Patterson took the women's title in the 50km. Other VHTRC 50km finishers were Don Padfield and Amy Leigh Brown. ...Results

Margie Hughes Takes Women's Crown at Youngstown: There were several VHTRC finishers at the Youngstown Ultra Trail Classic 50K held September 23 in Ohio. Among the other finishers was the East Coast's greatest, John DeWalt. Results and photos are now available on the event Web site.

Keith Knipling opens the box and finds that there really is a trophy in there. Photo: John Nelson

The Slam--What's in the Box: As we saw previously (see pictures linked below), the Grand Slammers proudly received -- a box. All that work, and they just get a box. But it seems that there was something in the box. Keith Knipling finally opened his to find an eagle. Cool. Anyway, we congratulate all those who dedicated their summers to this objective. A photo of all the slammers is on Stan Jensen's Web site. Photos: Keith Getting His Box | Gary Getting His Box

Neilsen Second at Angeles Crest: Tom Nielsen took second place in the Angeles Crest 100 on September 16-17. AC goes from Wrightwood to Pasadena and is, in this reporter's opinion, the best 100 miler in California. Sue Johnston and Bill Losey also finished, as did former VHTRC member, Harry Bruell. Tom won the event in 1999 and 2000. AC 100 "Live Finish" Home

Sunset over Guitar Lake

High Sierra Trail: Chris Scott follows his report on the John Muir Trail with one on the High Sierra Trail, which is also in California's southern (i.e. "high") Sierras. This report includes great pictures.

The Plain 100: Mike Bur reports:

"The VHTRC comprised a quarter of the entrants and a quarter of the finishers at the Plain 100 this past weekend. Don Padfield finished 3rd in about 33:30 and Leo FitzHarris finished a little over an hour behind him. Scott Brockmeier missed the cutoff at about 90 miles and I decided to bail at about 70 miles when it was clear that I wasn't going to make the 80 mile cutoff. This event is not for the faint of heart...It's actually somewhere in the 105-107 mile range in length and there are no aid stations. You carry all your food with you and drink out of the streams. You have access to your drop bags one time, at 57 miles. The course was beautiful but the trails were very, very dusty...more dust than W$ and Wasatch combined."   Plain 100 Web site

Laura Nelson Wins Women's Half Marathon: There was great weather for the 185 starters in the Fourteenth Women's Half Marathon on September 9. Laura Nelson, Amy Sproston, and Susie Kinnecome took the top three places. Results and many pictures are now available. It's all linked from the WHM Results and Report Page.

First Father-Son Grand Slam Team, Gary and Keith Knipling.
Photo: Rob Saraniero at Leadville Start

The VHTRC at Wasatch: Scott Mills finished Wasatch in 13th place. Gary and Keith Knipling finished the race and the Grand Slam, the first father-son team to do so. Marty Lindemann and Janet Vincent also finished. After his finish, Gary said that Wasatch is hard -- harder than MMT. He should know because he and Keith did the Slam+ -- the Slam plus MMT. Photo of Blue Train at Wasatch | Gary and Scotty | Results on the Wasatch Live Update page | Slammers (on Stan Jensen's site).

Sean, Kerry, and Sue Thompson at Superior Trail Start. Click for larger.

Owens and Andrish Win Superior Trail 100: Sean Andrish called to report that Kerry Owens was the woman's winner at the Superior Trail 100 in Minnesota. After prodding, he admitted that he won the men's division. This gives the VHTRC a sweep of the race. Both Sean and Kerry set course records because it's a new course. Sean said that course is as tough as MMT. Superior Trail Web Site

C'villers Do Well at Lean Horse: Russ Gill reports that he and Francesca Conte braved cold elements and constant rain, but enjoyed beautiful scenery at the Lean Horse runs on August 26 in South Dakota. Francesca won the 50 km outright, while Russ was second in the 50 miler. There was also a hundred miler. (John Dodds got second at the 100 last year.) Lean Horse Web site.

Utakis Wins Cascade Crest 100 Miler: Mike Mason reports that Donna Utakis was the top female finisher at the Cascade Crest 100 Miler held in Washington on August 26-27. Mike was third overall. Right coaster Todd Walker was second. According to unofficial (or at least not very fancy) results Susan Baehre was second woman. Mike Day also finished. Check out his pictures on Flickr. Report by Mike Mason | Cascade Crest Web site

Headlands 50km: Lisa Demoney finished the Headlands 50km in beautiful Marin County, California on August 26. Results.

VHTRC Cabin Weekend: For the second year, a group of VHTRC members spent a weekend at a cabin, in this case, just outside of the Shenandoah National Park. The weekend was arranged by Kerry Owens, Mike Bur, and Quatro Hubbard. Photos in Flickr

King Jordan with 1,000 Mile Buckle

Bryon Powell Leads Blue Train at Leadville: Bryon was sixth over all, finishing in 20:42 at the Leadville Trail 100 miler on August 19-20. He was also the first flatlander, as all the people ahead of him were from Colorado. The Knipling boys, Gary and Keith, kept their quest for "the Slam" alive, though Gary, just barely. According to our correspondent on the scene, Bunny Runyan, both Gary and Keith had very tough runs. She also noted that the weather was a big problem -- cold, rain, and thunderstorms. Other VHTRC finishers included Stuart Kern, Dave Quivey, Rob Saraniero, and Joey Anderson, who just beat the cutoff by 10 minutes. Results are available on the Leadville Web site. See also: Picture of Pre-Race Festivities | Rob Saraniero's pictures

Mills at Mt. Disappointment: Scott Mills tied for 13th place at the Mt. Disappointment 50km in Southern California on August 12. Mt. Disappointment is 2.6 miles northwest of Mt. Wilson, in the mountains above Pasadena. Those are the mountains you see in the background when you watch the Rose Bowl game. Scotty lost the seniors competition to Rob McNair who set a course age group record. Results

Diana Widdowson after her encounter with a bear. Photo submitted by Diana

Yet Another Bear Story: This from Diana Widdowson: "On August 4, about 25 of us came down to Front Royal. We spent the night in town then on Saturday morning we rode our bikes into Big Meadows on Skyline Drive (51 miles). It was a beautiful and difficult ride. We spend the night at the lodge then on Sunday morning we, or maybe I should say "they," rode back to Front Royal. I only rode about eight miles. I was riding alone at the time and was going about 30 mph down a hill when a bear decided to run across the road. I did not have time to avoid him. I went straight into his side. I came out of my pedals and flipped over him and tumbled on the road. All I thought about after I hit the ground was, where is the bear? Luckily he kept on going. My bike is totaled and my helmet cracked, and I have lots of road rash."

First Woman, Bethany Patterson. Photo: Linda Wack

Catoctin 50km: Bethany Patterson was first woman at Catoctin. Many other VHTRC members finished on what was not a bad weather day. Catoctin Web site | News articles about: Kevin Sayers | The run

White River 50: On July 29, Derrick Carr and Annette Bednosky finished the White River 50 Miler in Crystal Mountain, Washington. Results

Dennis and Sue Herr Receive James Moore Award: On Sunday, July 30, James Moore gave the James Moore Award to Sue and Dennis Herr. The award goes to a VHTRC member who is both a tough, though not necessarily fast, runner and also gives to the community. Sue and Dennis Herr are the sixth and seventh recipients of the award. Prior winners are Rebecca and James Moore, Ed Demoney, Gary Knipling, and Ed Schultze. The inscription on this year's award reads:

Sue and Dennis with James Moore Award. Click for larger.

Presented to honor both your many years of support of trail running and your determination, perseverance, and dedication to family during one of life's ultra challenges. Your struggle, strength, and commitment to the community represent the best in the spirit of helping others and promoting trail running.

Dennis looked great. He was going for a bike ride after the presentation of the award. It was to be a tandem ride, but we know that he will soon be on the bike by himself!

Catherine's Fat Ass: Mike Mason and Bethany Patterson took the top honors at a warm Catherine's Fat Ass 50k on July 29. RDs Jeff Reed and Bill Van Antwerp and their wonderful volunteers put on a great event. It was really not a "legal" fat ass as there was not only aid, but they filled your bottles! As usual, the Purple Trail was the highlight of the event. Everyone loved it! There were, however, some issues with the bugs and there were sightings of snakes and bears. The most frightening part of the run was on Ant Road. If you had fallen there, you would likely have been eaten alive by ants like in a cheap horror movie! Results | Catherine's Web site | Bill Van Antwerp's Photos

Bursler and LaDieu Finish; Dean "Double Chicked" at Badwater: VHTRC members Dave Bursler and Bill LaDieu finished the Badwater Ultramarathon that goes from Badwater in Death Valley to the base of Mt. Whitney. Bursler finished in 44:55, while Bill reports his time at "somewhere around 54:50." Monica Scholz, a former member of the VHTRC and a MMT finisher, as well as Monique Muhlen, a 53-year old woman from Luxumbourg, beat Dean Karnazes, who was in 10th place overall. Monica captured the women's win. Bill LaDieu's charity is Water for People. Links: "Mug Shot" of Bill | Badwater Web cast | Death Valley Weather | Dave Bursler's report | Bill LaDieu's report.

VHTRC Summer-Volunteers Party a Great Success! The VHTRC put on its annual party on July 22 to honor its volunteers and to give out awards. Kerry Owens graciously hosted the party at her house. Despite a bit of rain, everyone had a good time. The top two awards -- Male and Female Runner of the Year -- went to Sean Andrish and Sue Johnston as they did last year. The James Moore Award, given to honor community service and tough running, went to Sue and Dennis Herr. Award Results | Party Pictures on Flickr: Anstr and Brenda's (and a couple by Q) | John Nelson's

Tahoe Rim 100 Miler: Jaret Seiberg has submitted his report on the Tahoe Rim 100 Miler. This run may be the best of any last weekend. Hardrock may be a bit over the edge for some, and others might be a bit bored with Vermont's green tunnel. How about 100 miles with Lake Tahoe on your side? Tahoe Rim Trail 100 Web site | Report by Jaret Seiberg.

Some of VHTRC contingent in Vermont. Click for larger.

Vermont: Knipling Boys Keep Slam Quest Alive; Conte Leads VHTRC Finishers Francesca Conte was the fourth woman and first VHTRC finisher at the Vermont 100 held on July 15-16. Both Gary and Keith Knipling finished the second race in the Grand Slam. Linda Wack and Kirstin Walcott finished their first 100 milers. Dean Karnazes won the race in a time that was the third slowest in Vermont's 18 year history. Beverly Anderson-Abbs was second. VHTRC Results at Vermont | Vermont Results | Vermont Home Page | Kirstin's Photos on Flickr (warning, lots of pictures of feet) and her Report | Report by Linda Wack | Report in Kansas newspaper.

VHTRC Hardrockers -- Click for larger

John DeWalt Finishes 11th Hardrock: Seventy-year-old John DeWalt finished his 11th Hardrock 100 Miler. He capped a very tough day in Colorado. Here is our correspondent's latest report: "Early and mid-day temps yesterday (just a tad below 100 at Ouray) plus freezing temps at the pass last night contributed to several pendulum shifts in on-course performances, and there's still 18 more hours to go!! E.g., one of the leaders thru Ouray yesterday spent more than a couple hours unlining his stomach at Engineer Pass last night; Nate McDowell spent over 3 hours recuperating at Grouse Gulch before pressing on... Gorgeous country, but not someplace I'd prefer to test my legs over 100 miles in 48 hours. And yet Dewalt has done it 10 times..." Results for all VHTRC Hardrock runners

There are some pretty amazing performances out there. Peter Bakwin finished his "double" and thus ran 200 miles. Our correspondent, Chris Scott also hooked up with the founders of Catoctin, Rick and Nancy Hamilton. ...VHTRC Hardrock runners with results | Hardrock Web site | Report by Scott Brockmeir | Report from Ron Ely [offsite].

Report from Italy: As befits a world news organization, we will balance our reporting from France on the World Cup with a report from our correspondent in Italy. Darin Durham reports: "We were in Florence the night of the World Cup Final. Around 10pm, we turned the t.v. off from boredom, but less than an hour later, it was obvious that Italy had won. The city of Florence didn't go too crazy or anything as there were no riots and the city was not set on fire. The next morning, I ran to a park where Michelangelo's statue is, and it must have been the center of the partying because the beer bottles and other trash was about a foot deep all across the place. I have it from an unnamed source that the toll booths were completely free because no one was there to operate them during the World Cup."

Meanwhile, our Paris bureau chief, Joe Clapper, is in France with his expense account. In two weeks, he has filed a second report. This report appears to be the result of some actual news gathering. That, or Joe had too much of that French wine and made the whole thing up. Anyway, after you read this report, you will ask yourself:

• Is Joe on drugs after all?
• Wow, does it suck, or what, to be a bear or, worse, be around a bear?
• Why didn't Gary tell us about this?
• Can I get one of those plug things at Rite Aid?

Read: Bear Report from France

Gentry Runs the Greenbrier River Trail: Read Bill Gentry's report of this 77 mile run. Greenbrier Trail Report

Run und Fest Pictures: Here are a few from Quatro

Browntown Loop: A slightly smaller group than last year enjoyed the Browntown Loop on the Fourth of July. The highlight of the run was the surprise aid station that Kerry Owens had for us. It hit the spot. As usual, the run was a great way to start the Fourth. John Nelson took some pictures of the festivities and here are Quatro's.

Finger Lakes 50k: Mike McCumber reports that Sean Andrish won the Finger Lakes 50km in New York. Mike also finished the event which marked a long road back for him from serious health issues. Mike is a regular volunteer at both BRR and MMT. The leading VHTRC finisher in the 50 mile was Susan Baehre. Sean won the 50k by almost 10 minutes. Finger Lakes Web site | Results.

Hawk Second at Mohican: Terry Hawk was second at the Mohican 100 miler held on June 17-18, in Ohio. Darin Dunham also finished the run on a hot day. You can read Darin's report on his Web site. You will note that Mohican had a lower finishing rate than Western States and weather that was probably nearly as hot when you consider the humidity. The results are on the Event Web site.

Some of the VHTRC gang at WS

VHTRC Survives Brutal Western $tates: On a very hot day when almost half the field dropped out, nine of ten VHTRC starters finished the Western $tates 100 Miler. Tom Nielsen was first master, fourth overall, and the last runner to break 20 hours. Scott Mills and Bryon Powell finished together in 22:11. That's Scotty's 13th sub-24 hour finish at W$ and it made him the second senior. Bryon was the first runner under 30 to finish. Meanwhile, Keith Knipling was the third runner under 30 to finish. See how all VHTRC members did. As usual, Western States put on a great show and earned its reputation as the biggest game in town. Webcast | W$ Home Page | Scott Crabb's pictures | Sophie Speidel's report and pictures | Quatro's photos | Scott Mills's view of the race | Scott Crabb and Sophie at the finish.

To see how the VHTRC boys prepared for the race, here is a report from Dr. Keith Knipling:

The 49er Cheer Leaders join the Furbutt Training Table (Click for larger)

"Yesterday [Thursday] was the big day of seminars. We made Scott Crabb and Q attend the mandatory 'Fulfilling a dream - finishing the Western States Endurance Run.' Everyone is here now in Squaw Valley. Today is the weigh-in and the mandatory pre-race meeting. It is supposed to be near-record heat this weekend - 107 in Sacramento. So far the highlight of the trip was seeing the San Francisco Gold Rush (cheerleaders) in Tahoe City at a restaurant called Jakes. Many of us fulfilled a dream of our own."

VHTRC Members Claim Top Prizes at Highland Sky: Brian Schmidt and Annette Bednosky won the male and female divisions at at the Highland Sky 40 Miler held in West Virginia on June 17. Marty Lindemann was the winning masters female, beating David Horton in the process. Reports are that it was hot in West Virginia. ...Results

Lucia Davidson and Kerry Owens

VHTRC Women Excel at Bighorn: Kerry Owens was second woman overall at the Bighorn 100 Miler in Wyoming on June 17-18. She ran a great time on the difficult course. Other VHTRC 100 mile finishers included Russ Evans, Bill Turrentine, and John Prohira. In the 50 mile, Lucia Davidson won the 60+ age group, avenging her loss of last year and dragging Anstr through in the process. Karl Knipling finished the 50k and several other VHTRC members did the 30k. Overall, there was a large contingent of the Blue Train. The weather was great and the wildflowers wonderful. Event Web site | Scott Crabb's Photos | Quatro's photos [includes WS photos, too] | Bill Turrentine's photos | Report by John Prohira

Laurel Highlands: Don Padfield, Rick Kerby, and Donna Utakis led VHTRC finishers at the Laurel Highlands 70 mile run on June 10. Other VHTRC finishers included "old man" Jim Cavanaugh and iron woman Vicki Kendall who was under the old cutoff time of 18 hours. That is two tough runs in a row for Vicki. Laurel Highlands is one of the purest trail runs on the East coast and has been a favorite for many years. There were several other VHTRC finishers. It was reported to be a very good weather day. Photos from Kirstin Walcott (who was among the finishers) | Results

Vicki Wins at Kettle Moraine: Vicki Kendall was the first senior masters woman at the Kettle Moraine 100k on June 3-4. Francesca Conte was the overall female winner of the 100k. Farouk Elkassed finished the 100 miler. Results are on the Kettle Moraine Web site.

Karen Sandt with Miles. Photo: Evan Sandt

The Old Dominions: Jay Finkle repeated as third place finisher at the Old Dominion held June 3-4. Other VHTRC finishers included Dave Snipes and Joey Anderson. Meanwhile, at the Old Dominion held a week before, Karen Sandt came back from child birth to be the second woman and second Pennsylvanian. Other VHTRC finishers there were Dave Snipes, Bill Gentry, and Clarence Wilson. Old Dominion Web Sites: First | Second

Powell Wins Rocky Mountain Double Marathon: Bryon Powell reports that he got his first ultra win at the Rocky Mountain Double Marathon east of Laramie, Wyoming in the Vedauwoo area of Medicine Box National Forest. Bryon did the 53 mile course in 7:45. The course had pine forest sections along a stream, snow capped mountains in the distance, and unique rock formations in the Vedauwoo section. Photos: The Rocks | The Rocks in Distance | Results

Winner and New Course Record Holder, Sim Jae Duk

Record for Korea at MMT: The 12th Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 Mile run saw a record field and a new course record. Thirty-six year old Sim Jae Duk of Korea outlasted Karl Meltzer for the win, new course record, and first finish under 18 hours. Meanwhile, Sue Johnston won the women's division for the second year in a row. The rain held off until the very end giving this year's MMT one of the best weather years ever. Results are now available. There are now many photos available. To see everything, go to the 2006 Report Page

Typical scene of Cross County Trail near Wakefield Park

VHTRC Helps Dedicate CCT: On May 6, four VHTRC members -- Jaret Seiberg, John Shepard, Brian O'Conner, and Quatro Hubbard -- ran the entire Cross County Trail in Fairfax County as part of the celebration of the trail's completion, Trail Fest. It was a beautiful day. The trail finds many miles of secluded forest in the suburban county. Thanks to Mike Bur for organizing the trek and to Barb Isom, Ed C., and Gary for helping the runners. Here is a picture of the lead pack and of the two beautiful ladies who were in the group.

VHTRC's AARP Division Shines at Capon Valley: VHTRC swept the coveted "oldest finisher" awards at the Capon Valley 50km held on May 6 in West Virginia. Jim Cavanaugh was oldest male and Lucia Davidson oldest female. We understand that Serge Arbona won the event. Capon Valley 50km Web site

Wedemeyer Third at Miwok 100k: Our man on the scene, Chris Scott, reports that Mike Wedemeyer was third at Miwok behind Phil Kuchik and Scott Jurek. Mike only lost to Jurek by a minute. Tom Nielsen was the first master. Nikki Kimball and Krissy Moehl were the first and second women. Scott Mills then called to report that other VHTRC finishers were Joe Clapper (with bonus miles), Rob Saraniero, Dave Quivey, and Alex Papadopoulos. Scotty was second senior. Miwok is held in beautiful Marin County, California on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. Miwok Web Page

24 Hour Trail Run: The Athletic Equation held its inaugural 24 hour trail run in Prince William Forest Park on April 29. Dave Snipes led VHTRC finishers in the solo division. He ran 80 miles and was fifth overall. The "Dream Team," composed of three ringers -- Steve Burton, Bryon Powell, and Mike Mason -- and Gary, was the highlight of the team competition. The team won despite Gary. The results are on the Athletic Equation Web site.

Going to the Promise[d] Land: There were wild weather conditions at David Horton's Promise Land 50km that almost sent runners to the real Promised Land. Mike Mason, third, and Derrick Carr, fourth, led VHTRC finishers. Bethany Patterson was the top VHTRC female finisher. Derrick and Caitlyn Ramsey were age group winners. See: Pictures on Sophie's Flickr Site | Martha Wright's Flickr site | Results on David's Site

From Our World Travelers -- Michele and Mike: Hi everyone! We have now been traveling for 320 days and just returned from one of the most awesome places on earth - Torres del Paine National Park in southern Chile. We hiked through some beautiful fall colors as you can see by this photo of Mike. Here we are at the foot of the famous towers. After spending a month in Chile we will travel through Peru and Ecuador before coming home on July 1st. You can see more on our travels at [their blog]. See everyone this summer!

Sue Johnston Wins 10th Annual Trail Animals Don't Run Boston 50K: Steve Pero was second and Gary Knipling and Mike Dobies were is a multi-way tie for third. There are some Photos on Flickr. Deb Pero, also a finisher, had this report:

My brother, Drew, from Texas, ran with Gary most of the way. He related to me later, in a sort of conspiratorial whisper, "I think Gary is a dirty old man!" Well, DUH, I replied! Gary had his panties out, as usual, and Drew, a consummate gentleman (he can never join VHTRC) struggled the entire time with whether to warn the ladies he met on the trail about the "man with the panties coming up behind me." He opted for pretending he'd never seen Gary before in his life. It seemed a safer option.

Chocolate Bunny Run: No official word, but Kirsten has some pictures on her Flickr site and John Nelson on his. You need to see the picture of Vicki dressed like a bunny. Or maybe you don't.

Schmitt Repeats as Bull Run Run 50 Champ; Conte is First Woman: There were 271 finishers of the wet, muddy 2006 Bull Run Run. Leigh Schmitt won his second BRR in a row and was way out in front of his nearest rivals, Barry Lewis and Todd Walker. Francesca Conte had a tougher fight to best Bethany Patterson and Justine Morrison. The overall and age group results are now available. BRR 2006 Results, Reports, and Photos | BRR Home Page.

BRR Pick the Winners Contest Results: Congratulations to Rob Saraniero who won the 2006 BRR Pick the Winners Contest. Bryon Powell and Derrick Carr were second and third. Rob's very valuable prize will be on its way to his doorstep any day now. The results were interesting as some who had done well in the football and basketball contests didn't do too well in this one. This reporter beat Scott Mill and crushed Gary Knipling. At least I can beat Gary in something! Contest Results

Sean Andrish on the Tuscarora Trail

Sean Andrish Sets Tuscarora Trail Record: At 11:08 Saturday night, Sean Andrish completed the Tuscarora Trail, lowering Joe Clapper's time by about five hours. Sean had been behind Joe's pace, but ran very fast on the last day to get the record. ...More Information and Pictures

Dennis Herr in the BRR Entrants Shirt
Click for Larger

Dennis Herr: Dennis is now home from the hospital. Dennis Photos Collected by Mike Bur | Rehab Photos.

Wedemeyer Wins on Left Coast: Mike Wedemeyer won the Peterson Ridge Rumble 60km in Oregon on April 9. The run was shortened due to snow. Mike is one of the many VHTRC members who have moved to the west. Results.

Anita Finkle Leads VHTRC Crowd at Umstead: There were several VHTRC finishers at the Umstead 100 Miler in North Carolina on April 8-9. Among them was Carolyn Gernand who completed her first official 100 mile race, though she had previously done an unofficial 100 miler on the C&O Canal in 2003. ...Umstead Results

Groff, Speidel, and Ryan Take Top Spots in VHTRC March Madness Contest: Jamey Groff won the contest to rank the 64 teams in the NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament. Sophie Speidel and Larry Ryan were close behind in second and third. Hopefully, everyone enjoyed the fun. And how about the Final Four? Three games that weren't even close. Aren't you glad you didn't pay for a ticket? VHTRC March Madness--Final Standings.

Johnston First Woman; Carr Third Overall at Bel Monte 50km: Sue Johnston was the first woman at the Bel Monte 50km held near Charlottesville on March 25. Derrick Carr was third overall. Jeff Wilbur won his age group and Barb Isom and Vicki Kendall were one-two in theirs. ...Results.

Barry Lewis Wins Again at HAT: VHTRC member Barry Lewis won the Hinte Anderson Trail 50km Run on March 25 for the umpteenth time. Barry, who is also a former BRR champ, is 46 years old. He proves that trail runners improve with age! Several other VHTRC members were there enjoying the good running weather. Linda Wack and Goat Powell won their age groups. Photos in Flickr | Results

Scott Mills and Tom Nielsen at Crown King Scramble. Photo: Jack Andrish

VHTRC Turncoats at Crown King Scramble: VHTRC members Tom Nielsen and Scott Mills took second and ninth at the Crown King Scramble held on March 18 in Arizona. Former member Ian Torrence won the race. VHTRC member Jack Andrish also finished the event. It was Jack who reported that, despite their sponsorship agreements with the club, Tom and Scotty wore shirts from some running club you never heard of in San Diego. Unfortunately, this ends the lucrative endorsement deal the pair had with the VHTRC. How sad. Frontal Shot of Tom and Scotty | Results

VHTRC Work Party: We did fewer total hours work this year, but what we did was important. We blazed the MT from Edinburg to Woodstock, cleaned up Kerns Mountain, and cleared out the Picnic Area off of 211 for use at MMT. Finally, one team put a sign at the Fort Valley Overlook on the Signal Knob Trail. The sign helpfully says, "Fort Valley Over Look." Thanks to all for their great work! To see the "work," go to Ed Brimberg's photos [click "View Album as Guest"]. To see the party, go to Kirsten's Photos in Flickr.

VHTRC Bowling Team members: Rayna, Linda, Sue, and Gary

C4P Report: Linda Wack has submitted her Coyote Fourplay Report. (There are links to several sets of photos from the report.) During the week of February 21-26, the JABOYS put on the ninth Coyote Fourplay in Ventura County, California. In beautiful, dry weather, runners from all over the world played in the mountains behind Ojai and the Santa Monica Mountains. Several VHTRC members participated in the event as well as two GAC'ers who, on the last day, celebrated Gilley's birthday.

Top of Hill at Potomac Overlook Runs

Potomac Overlook Trail Runs: A record starting field enjoyed great weather at the annual Potomac Overlook Trail runs held at Potomac Overlook Park in Arlington on March 11. Results and photos are now available.

Andrish Wins in Arizona: Sean Andrish won the Old Pueblo 50 Miler held in the Santa Rita Mountains of Arizona on March 4. Sue Johnston was 10th over all and second woman. Results | Event Web site

Greenway Trail Marathon and 50k: By all reports Ed Schultze put on another great edition of the Greenway Trail Marathon and 50k. The weather was cold and windy but many VHTRC members participated and did well. The highlight of the event was the return of Courtney Campbell who won the marathon. VHTRC member Monika Bachmann won the marathon. Results

Pictures Now Available from Reverse Ring Quatro Hubbard has made pictures from the Reverse Ring available on the Flickr site. Here was Mike Bur's initial report: On February 25-26, the "Reverse Ring" went off really well without a hitch. There were 13 starters and 10 finishers. Mike Broderick completed the loop fastest with a blistering time of 19:26. Splits, photos and a report to follow this week. A special thanks to Tom Corris, Bob Phillips and Bill Wandel who volunteered to help and were all over the place. Thanks also to Dru Sexton and Charlie Isom who pitched in and helped out as well.

VHTRC Olympic Coverage Ends: VHTRC.org concludes its non-stop coverage of the Olympics from Torino. Read the wrap up and final medal count. VHTRC at the Olympics

Michele and Mike, Divers

More from Our World Travellers: Michele Harmon reports...."Hello VHTRC friends! We have been traveling the world for almost nine months now and although we are not running, we have been involved in a lot of other fun activities. (Yes, there are other activities besides running! Who knew?!) Here is a picture of Mike from our caving adventures in Laos, and a picture of me from our day of sand sledding in Vietnam. Check out the picture above of our new passion. We got our PADI dive certification in Thailand and plan to do more scuba diving in New Zealand and Ecuador's Galapagos Islands. We are currently in Malaysia where we will soon begin four days of trekking in the Taman Negara jungle. Life is good!" You can read more about Michele and Mike's adventures at their blog.

Cold TWOT Lives Up to Name: A small group described as "more women than men" (actually, it was 50-50) started The Wild Oak Trail 100 Miler on February 11. None did more than one loop (25 miles) although one runner got several bonus miles to go over 25. There was a bit of snow out there. TWOT is the epitome of Virginia trail running. Only "real men" and "real women" do TWOT. Results | Sophie Speidel's Pictures in Flickr.

Holiday Lake 50km: Several VHTRC members finished David Horton's Holiday Lake 50km. Aaron Schwartzbard was second overall and Francesca Conte was the second female. Interestingly, Janice Heltibridle finished Holiday Lake while sister Jean was at TWOT. Results on David's Site

Frank Probst at Rocky Raccoon 100 Miler

Strong VHTRC Performances at Rocky Raccoon 100: Dave Bursler and Sue Johnston lead several VHTRC finishers at the Rocky Raccoon 100 Miler in Huntsville, Texas. Jorge Pacheco won the race in 13:16:56, just 53 seconds off of Eric Clifton's course record. Connie Gardner was first woman in 17:07, Sue Johnston was just behind as second woman and seventh overall. Kevin Bligan, Jeff Holdaway, and Frank Probst were 12th, 17th, and 18th, with Frank apparently taking the sixty and over win (the RR Web site still has no age group results). Dave Yeakel, Mike Campbell, and Ed Demoney also finished. Our on-scene reporter, Chris Scott, has filed his photos | Results | Rocky Raccoon Web Page | Report by Mike Campbell | Dave Bursler's report on his Blog.

Team VHTRC Wins at Uwharrie: The VHTRC won the team competition at the Uwharrie 40 Miler in North Carolina. VHTRC members took first (Sean Andrish) and third (Steve Burton) in the men's division and second (Kerry Owens) and third (Vicki Kendall) in the women's division. Barb Isom was the fifth scoring team member. Several other VHTRC members finished the race. The results are now available on the Uwharrie Web site.

Gary Knipling Wins NFL Playoff Contest: Gary Knipling led all players in the VHTRC Web site contest to pick the NFL playoff winners. NFL Contest Final Results.

Hard Luck Hardrock: Check out the winners and the losers in the Hardrock Lottery

Eagle Run: A large crowd turned out for Eagle Run XV. For the most part, the rain held off. We saw about seven eagles. A huge thank you to Gary for all he does to make this great event happen. Eagle Run Report | Photos on Flickr

Quatro Rests After Hard Day's Run

MLK Weekend Runs: Mike Bur has provided a report of the two training runs held on MLK weekend in the Massanuttens. These runs are "what the club is all about" to use a trite, but true, phrase. New! Now there are pictures! ...Report

Group at Start of Moonlight Run (Click for Larger)

Moonlight Run: The rain held off for most of the Moonlight Run on January 13. There were 28 runners, probably a record, especially considering the crappy weather report. The temperature was warm and the rain only started when most were on the last leg of the course, on the logging road. Most seemed to have a good time.

VHTRC Election Results: Valerie Meyer has certified the results of the first election in VHTRC history. If the old Soviet Union can start having elections, we sure can. ...Election Results

Washburn Wins Football Bowl Picks Contest, Knipling Second: The Texas win gave Gary Knipling sole possession of second place in the VHTRC Bowl Picks contest. The Rose Bowl was a great game with neither team being able to stop the other's offense. The result was that Walter Cronkite's alma mater beat John Wayne's alma mater. Final scores of the VHTRC College Bowl Contest. Also see the final report on the Mid-Atlantic ACC Championship.

Redeye 50km: The annual Redeye 50km was held on New Years Day at Prince William Forest. Results and a report are now available. Also see the photos by Linda Wack and Anstr Davidson on Flickr.

Hunting Season: Here is information on the 2005-6 hunting seasons. Be careful out there and try to not look like a deer. Ed Brimberg of the PATC has again provided information on the 2005-6 hunting seasons in the George Washington National Forest (Lee Ranger District) in Virginia and West Virginia [Offsite PDF files]. General hunting information: Virginia | Maryland | District of Columbia.