| Last year I completed the 50k run at Elkhorn so this year I figured I had to do the 50m! The 50mile run consists of a 20 mile loop and then the same 30 mile loop run by the 50k runners. This is a pretty tough course and although I felt good all day long, I seemed to be running very slow. The first few miles of the run were uphill and I found that I (along with 3 others) were at the very tail end of the group! Even the 82-year-old entrant was ahead of me! I thought that maybe everyone else was starting out too fast, but oddly, I ended up holding onto my last place standing for the entire 50 miles! The scenery along the way is gorgeous with a view of mountains, conifer trees, and cow pastures. The trail was rocky most of the time, sometimes soggy, and sometimes loaded with cow pies. There are many difficult climbs and the down hills were often steep and not easy to run down. The 30 mile loop starts you out on a 8 mile climb that seems never-ending. About halfway up I ran into Bob Janiak who was running the 50k and on his way downhill the opposite direction. He informed me that he and Charlene were both there for the event. Bob warned me that I still had lots of uphill to endure before reaching the next aid station. I watched with envy as he proceeded downhill and I continued to climb.
Overall the aid stations were well stocked with fruit, chips, crackers, gels, candy, water and heed. Volunteers were friendly and encouraging. In past years the time cutoffs were not strictly enforced however this year, some runners were surprised to be eliminated from competition when they missed the cutoff times. For some the course markings were confusing and a few people were disqualified for missing parts of the trail. The 50 mile consisted of 36 starters; 14 people did not get an official finish many due to the time cutoffs or disqualifications. So I was pretty proud when I crossed the line at 15:32:32 as the last person to get an official finish. Unfortunately the 82-year-old entrant missed a time cut off at 28 miles. I am sure that Bob and Charlene finished their 50k but am not sure on their times as they were long gone by the time I reached the finish area at 8:30pm. Overall the event was worth it and I recommend others give it a try in 2010! |