Lean Horse Ultra-Marathon Ultra Tales "I heard you two were battling it out for first place," Elaine Doll-Dunn remarked the morning after the 100-miler. It was a wet, drizzly morning when June Gessner pulled up next to me on the Mickelson Trail. As ultrarunners do, we started chatting to pass the time. At mile 50 we were still laughing and carrying on to make the miles go faster. We waited for each other on bathroom and foot maintenance breaks. The sun set over the Black Hills and we were still yakking it up. Mens 100 Mile Champion Ryan Loehding Writes: When I learned about this new run in Hot Springs, SD, I started making plans. I had gone to college in Rapid City, so this would be like a homecoming for me. My parents, who have never seen an ultramarathon, came from Montana. I brought my wife and three kids with me from Texas. I knew everyone would have a good time while I was running, and they did. There is a lot for the family to do in the Black Hills. If you are familiar with the Black Hills, you will know that a 100 mile race could be as tough as a race director wants to make it. If you look at the course profile, however, you will see that this is a flat and fast course. The course follows a formerly abandon railroad known as George S. Mickelson Trail. It runs straight through historic mining towns of the Black Hills. The steepest climbs are railroad grade. The fine crushed granite is easy on the feet. Much of the course is protected from heavy wind. Everything about this course tells you that you should be able to go faster than ever. I think that is what makes it a tough course. As you can imagine, everyone in the lead pack went out too fast including me. There are mile markers along the way. I was timing my splits. I had planned on 10 minute miles, but I kept hitting splits below 9 minutes. It felt so easy. Of course, that all changed. It got tougher. I watched my splits take more and more time. I slowed coming back through Custer and even more after Pringle. The aid stations at this race are great. The people working in the aid stations were friendly and helpful. These are not all grumpy ultrarunning burn-outs. The people were mostly just friendly people from around the Black Hills who were there to help everyone have a good race. It reminded me of Heartland in Kansas. I had prepared for a hot and sunny day. I was pleased to have a cool day with a few sprinkles along the way. I heeded warnings about the sun, but it spent most of the day behind the clouds. I thought the weather was very nice after the rain subsided. The evening was cool and comfortable. When I got up to eat breakfast around 6:00 am, I looked out the hotel window in Hot Springs and stared at a steady rain. I knew there would be a lot of people still on the course after only 24 hours. My heart went out to them. Congratulations to all finishers and everyone else who had the courage to start. Mens 50 Mile Champion John Bernhisel Writes: My idea of a romantic get-away with my wife is to drive 500 miles to Hot Springs, South Dakota and have her stand in the rain for 8 hours while I run through the beautiful Black Hills. I’m not sure why she stays married to me but I couldn’t have finished without Sally’s help. She is the perfect “crew”. A complement every wife dreams to hear I’m sure. The temperature at the starting line was about 50 degrees with a light rain. Everyone sat in their cars and left them running to keep warm. As I got out my car to get a bit to eat and drink, the combination of exhaust, fear, rain and headlights made me nauseated. Clearly not the best was to begin a 50 mile race. I started out easy, sometimes forcing myself to slow down. The strategy paid off and didn’t bonk until I had about three miles to go. By then I could force myself to “endure to the end”. Ultrarunning legend Jerry Dunn knows how to put on a great race. The course was spectacular, the organization was fantastic and the weather was about perfect for the 50k and 50M runners. The 100 mile runners would undoubtedly feel less enthusiastic about the weather. The course is deceptively difficult. You would think that a railroad grade of three percent or less will make for an easy race, but mile after mile of a gradual climb slowly started to turn my legs into mush. Luckily I finished before they gave out altogether. Ladies 50 Mile Champion Heather Burcar Writes: About 4 months ago I decided to run my first 50 mile race, which is a far cry from the distances I used to regularly compete in. As a matter of fact, most of my former collegiate teammates wouldn't believe me if I told them I ran an ultra-marathon. The truth is I did, and as crazy as it sounds, I enjoyed it! I believe it takes a certain kind of person to claim they enjoy running 50 miles. It takes the kind of person who likes to push the limits of what is known to be physically and mentally comfortable. The challenge of running an ultra-marathon is what brought me to the starting line that day and the desire to complete it, is what got me to the finish. I am pretty sure most of the runners Saturday morning were ecstatic about the cooler temperatures and lightly falling rain. It wasn't until I reached the mid-point of the race that my original exuberance on the weather started to dwindle. I wore a sopping wet jacket through most of the race and was thrilled to see the sun break through the clouds by mile 45. Aside from the weather, the scenery was breathtaking. So much so, I didn't even have to resort to my MP3 player to distract me from the underlying throbbing of my feet. Along my 50 mile journey to ultra-marathon status, I came across quite a few amazing people, each with a story to tell. It seemed as though every runner I engaged in conversation had an impressive racing resume, yet had such modesty in the way they described their accomplishments. I soon realized that ultra-runners, stereotypically speaking, are pretty incredible people. They have a passion for running, a zest for life, and a willingness to pursue and reach the goals they set for themselves. I suppose I am biased, but I truly enjoyed the company of every person I met on the Lean Horse Ultra course. In addition to the wonderful people I met along the way, I have to acknowledge one special person who helped me get through the miles, literally. My boyfriend, Thomas Pietrykowski met me at every aid station, always offering words of encouragement. Knowing he would be at the next station down the trail really helped me cover the distance. By the time I reached the finish I was in a state of delirious excitement, if there is such a feeling. I was so eager to cross the finish line I mustered every ounce of energy I had left. To those waiting for me at the finish I’m sure it looked more like a brisk jog, but to me the last 100 meters of the race felt like an all out sprint. I achieved what I had set out to do, and as a bonus, have some great memories to take away with me. Many thanks go out to everyone involved in the Lean Horse Ultra and for making my first ultra-marathon a wonderful experience. Women’s 50k Champion Francesca Conte Writes: The Lean Horse 50K was a real surprise for me. What I loved the most was the scenery. I had never been in the Black Hills, and the view was unlike anything I had ever seen. The most challenging aspect of the course was its gradual uphills, which many times lasted for several miles. Actually, the first 50 miles are pretty much all uphill! I only ran the 50K, but I had a very good time. Seeing my first wild buffalos and prairie dogs made it all worth it… what an amazing sight! Thanks for a great race !!
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