Subject: Zane Grey Highline Trail 50 - Race Report Race Stats Date: April 29th, 2000 Distance: 50 miles, (these are tough miles not wimpy!) Location: Payson, Arizona (2 hours drive north of Phoenix but don't let this fool you into thinking it's in the desert!) Highest point: Approx. 6800ft Lowest: Approx. 5400ft Results: 1. ian torrence 8:34 (another awesome performance, just 3 minutes slower than his record from last year of 8:31) 2. jonathan 9:07 (thoroughly dehydrated although happy with a PR of 40 minutes and 4th fastest course run) 3. eric clifton 9:58 (last year eric was 9:10 so he did it tough this year!) 4. paul bonnett castillo 10:33 (a minute faster than last year) 5. scott gordon 10:45 (4th last year with 10:38) 6. scott st john 11:09:24 (road resume that people dream of e.g. 2:15 marathon!!!) 7. valerie caldwell 11:17:47 (1st woman and a great run although slower than last year by 17 minutes) 8. tyler curiel 11:17:47 9. dennis poolheco 11:19:14 10. mark lisak 11:22:30 11. chase duarte 11:30:25 12. pam richter 11:33:19 (2nd woman) 13. andy roth 12:16:45 14. steve olsen 12:18:50 15. dave capron 12:24 (1st in age category and almost an hour faster than last year) 55 starters, 46 finishers Limited entry so get your entry in early next year For more information visit the race web-site at: http//home.earthlink.net/~gkilgariff/ Summary This is one of my favorite races in the states. It's for trail runners who like awesome scenery, fantastic flora and fauna, rugged terrain, using navigation skills and a low-key organization. Also if you enjoy running on the lesser trodden trails then this is the race for you as I saw only a handful of hikers over the 9 hours I was out on the trail. If your lucky, as I was this year, you come across herds of Elk, a 5ft+ Gopher snake (lucky because it wasn't a rattler!) and other wildlife. The start is just north of a town called Payson which is just below the imposing cliff face of the Mogollon Rim. The race follows a meandering trail below the rim but high enough that you are above the rest of the valley. This allows some great views of the pine forest to the south and the rim immediately above. The race entry is limited due to park regulations so a hardy group of 55 people started out in the dark at 5:00am. I left the finish line at 7:30pm and there was still a few people out on the trail so be ready for a long day..... My race turned out pretty much to plan, basically I knew I would be chasing Ian Torrence. I set a time of 9:00 hours loosely following Eric Clifton's splits from last year. By half way everything was going well as I was only 5 or so minutes behind him. I knew Ian would gain on the next section as there was a long climb (which doesn't seem to interrupt his stride as much as it does mine!!!). This section was worse than I imagined as I forgot to pick up my 2nd water bottle ending up having to conserve every drop. I kept going and attempted to rehydrate as much as I could at the next aid. I then ran (slowly) the final miles to the finish. Ian had another great day only a few minutes slower than his last years record time. After a couple of hours recuperation I began knocking back some beer, chili and corn bread. Geri, one of the race directors producing a large bottle of Tequila which a few of us were forced to drink not wanting to be refused entry in future years!! The next few hours were spent chatting with the various people at the finish line including radio hams, aid station volunteers, crew and spectators as the runners continued arriving. It turned out another great day, thanks to all volunteers and of course Linda and Geri for putting on an awesome trail run. Here's some tips/course notes for would be competitors: Navigation Some mountain sense is helpful. The course is marked by grey triangular markers or ribbon at difficult intersections, the trail markers can be easy to miss as I found out, losing 3 or 4 minutes, (some people lost a lot more). The reason I initially missed the turn was that the marker was nailed to a fallen log of a similar color and also there was an animal trail leading off in a different direction. So stay alert and keep looking around you. Good advice was given by the organizers at the race briefing that if you don't see any markers after 5 or 10 minutes then retrace your route until you get back on track which is exactly what I did and wondered how on earth I missed the marker! What to carry There were some long stretches in-between aid stations (for me the longest being 2.25) hours. At least two bottles were necessary in fact 3 would be preferential. I made a mistake by not picking up my 2nd bottle (drop bags are allowed) and ended up running for 1 hour with only a few mouthfuls of water. Its worth mentioning this was my own fault as the race director had given out warnings. The aid stations were well stocked but taking some additional nutrition is definitely a good idea, I carried a cliff bar and some sports gel, restocking at the aid stations. The race is at elevation and the sun is strong and there is a stretch of about 15 miles through a burnt area that offers little shade so be prepared with hat and sunscreen. A suggestion would also be to wear light leg and arm cover such as orienteers use as many of us finished looking like we had been thrashed with a 'cat-o-nine-tails'. Although it usually gets warm during late morning and afternoon it can be very cold in the morning (this year being the exception) so gloves and maybe long sleeves are necessary. Also couple of years ago the day after the race it snowed! As the race starts at 5:00am a flashlight is useful but not necessary for about 30 minutes and can be dropped at the 7.5 mile aid. Pace yourself This race is a lot longer and tougher than it looks on paper for example my time was almost exactly the same as my 100km time at Catalina this year. You very seldom get into any rhythm as the trail is windy, rocky, covered with fallen trees and overgrown vegetation. Enjoy yourself Plan to stay awhile after the race as there is great chili, beer and other goodies as well as good conversation also you can cheer in the runners. Bring warm clothes as it soon cools down and the finish line is in the shade. Crew Most of the aid stations are accessible by car with a little dirt road driving. You can use a dirt access road to cutoff a few miles or stay on the main road following directions supplied in the race pack. Written by: Jonathan Worswick