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Run on the Sly 2003 - After race note to Volunteers & others...
Sorry that it’s taken so long for me to write my thanks to all of you for your invaluable help with Run On The Sly this year. We had special challenges with a new course to learn and adjust to; with even more runners than before; and with weather that was extraordinary for California in August!
I’ve learned over several years of helping out at ultras that one thing is far more important for a Race Director to do than anything else. That is of course, find or luck into good volunteers and then stand back and let them run the show. It makes one look good! By that measure, I was especially fortunate as you all did an incredible job. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
The word attachment to this message is a summary of (unedited) e-mails I received after the race. Please read them and glow in their praise, as you are the ones responsible for the good times people had. And below, I am copying the document I recently sent runners about the race and results. If you can not open the attachment, let me know and I’ll cut and paste it to an e-mail to you.
Please forward this note to others who helped out. In particular, I am hoping that someone at Search & Rescue (Cass, Paul, Linda?) will forward it to all your countless volunteers. And that the aid station captains will send it on to your helpers.
Thanks again,
Barry
Thanks to all of you for joining us for our 10th Anniversary. To celebrate, we reached new heights of participation with 405 runners registered between our four events. You can access the results page at our website by clicking on http://www.runsly.org/03_race/03race_main.htm We will also be posting a link for overall and age-group records eventually.
I apologize for the delay in sending this note to you. After this year’s event finished and we did the 101 things that needed taking care of, I devoted myself to catching up at my job, helping a friend at a 100-mile trail event (Rio Del Lago), getting in some training myself and then, this last weekend, running a 100-miler myself (Angeles Crest). Now that all this is over, I am wrapping things up for this year’s Sly.
The weather celebrated our anniversary as well. At 6.15am, when the 50/50 runners started we were seeing flashes of lightning to our west over the Valley. The day started cool and then heated up significantly. By mid afternoon the clouds were gathering and then suddenly all hell broke loose and at the Finish Line we were hammered by a thunderstorm with some fair-sized pieces of hail. California in August – what’s going on? This let up after about an hour, giving us a brief respite and then returned to complete the job a little later. All this made rather a mess of our Finish area, but the wonderful helpers stayed out there, recording finish times, giving out awards, keeping the BBQ and music going and massaging sore muscles. Unfortunately, we had to power off our laptop and the results posted on the board instantly became a soggy mess, but we managed to piece together a fairly complete picture of the results.
Out at the aid stations an interesting situation developed. The last two aid stations, Overlook and Tank Stop, were also abused by the weather. Thanks to our intrepid aid station people there, led by Ken Ellis and Mike Matus respectively, for sticking it out in the bad weather and getting countless compliments from the runners. Meanwhile, just a few miles away, Greg Soderlund and Bob Dickinson, at the Mormon Emigrant and Evergreen Island aid stations, reported just a few sprinkles! Go figure!
Our new course, which included about 2/3 single track trails for the three longer races, seemed to be popular – at least for the scenery, if not the relative ease. When devising this new course, along with Glenn and Christine Powell-Millar, I had thought it would be a good deal easier than the old one. I gradually lost that impression as I ran around it several times before the race – and nearly everyone who spoke to me, confirmed that it was tougher than the old one. Bob Pearson, using his altimeter, estimated the elevation gain at just over 7,000ft for the 50-miler, compared to the old course’s 5450ft gain. No one said that they disliked the new courses, which must prove that ultrarunners and trail runners value scenery over an easy run!
Because the courses were all new, each of you who won your event or your age division, is a record –holder for at least one year! Joe McDonald won the 50-Miler, but only with close pressure from Julie Fingar, who was the first-placed woman. Likewise, Mike Sweeney kept up his row of great races over this and the past few years, by winning the 50K – in third place was the Female winner, Robin Priddin, just 15 minutes behind Mike. Both Julie and Robin are from our sponsoring Fleet Feet store in Fair Oaks / Roseville.
Kenny Brown repeated his success from last year by winning the 20-Miler by just under 15 minutes. Margarita Perez held off Karen Thernka to win the women’s race by 36 seconds.
The 8-mile race was won by Mitch DeShields ahead of 10-time Sly finisher, Jay Aliff. In third place was the Women’s winner, Darcy Lee.
Congratulations to all winners and to everyone else who finished or started these races. And a special congratulations to those who have run all 10 Run On The Sly events – Glen Millar, John Dewey, Leslie Nacanisi, Jay Aliff and Howard Ferris.
Finally, a word of thanks to all our sponsors and to the many volunteers who gave up their day to allow the runners to enjoy theirs. This includes countless Search and Rescue volunteers, who spent the day at the race set-up, take-down, parking control, radio communications, sweeping and medical watch. And once again, special thanks to Glenn and Christine Powell-Millar for all their invaluable support, creativity and time. Thanks to all of you – without your efforts, no race could be held.
Barry and Lucinda Fisher
Many of you will “definitely be back”
That’s great, we will welcome you!