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FLRC Newsletter - August 2004 |
| Finger Lakes Trail Fifties: Sweep by the Virginia Trio | |
It's called the "Leesburg Sweep."
David Bolton, Courtney Campbell and Sean Andrish, training partners from Leesburg, VA, each won one of the three respective races July 3 at the 16th annual Finger Lakes Trail Fifties, held in the Finger Lakes National Forest, Hector.
Bolton, 20, won the 25K race in a course-record 1:53:24.
Rochester's Nathan Huckle, 28, placed second in 1:53:53, and defending champion Tim Ingall, 45, of Lansing claimed third, setting a masters course record in 1:54:29. An unprecedented six men broke the two-hour barrier.
The difference between first and second place was determined by a mere 19 seconds and knowledge of the course.
"I went out slowly, and caught up to everybody as we progressed through the race," said Huckle. "I came up on Dave in the last mile, but I didn't realize it was the last mile. I thought we had two miles left. I came around the corner, and he was on the hill ahead of me. He looked back, saw me, and I spooked him. He took off. When I saw him standing under the finish tent, I was kicking myself because I didn't know where the finish was, so I didn't put it all on at the end."
Bolton had taken a practice run on the course Friday afternoon.
"I knew the last part of the course, but I was dying coming up around the pond," said Bolton, a kinesiology major at James Madison University. "When Nate came up behind me, I was hoping and praying the finish was right around the corner. I thought the horse trails and cow pastures were tough, and near the end I had two nasty falls because my legs were getting tired. But I had fun."
In the women's 25K race, defending champion and course-record holder Audrey Balander, 47, of Cortland won the overall title in 2:20:22. Christine Reynolds, 34, of Newfield was second in 2:24:47, and Marie Kearns, 46, of the Bronx, was third and first masters in 2:31:42.
Lansing's Nate Lockett (2:09:01), and Corning's Keely O'Connell (2:26:22) set new 19-under age-group records in their respective races. Lennie Tucker, 65, of Baldwinsville also set a new women's senior record (3:09:01).
The Finger Lakes Trail Fifties, sponsored by the Finger Lakes Runners Club, started and finished at the Potomac Campsite. The 25K racers circled just one loop. The 50-mile runners completed an initial 15.6-mile loop, two 15.5-mile loops and a final 3.4-mile "baby" loop. The 50K runners circled the challenging course—which passed through pastures, around ponds, through pine forests, up and down dirt roads and along winding trails—twice.
A record 90 runners completed one of the three races, which are all part of the Finger Lakes Trail Runners Circuit. The 50-miler also is one of four events on the inaugural Western New York Ultra Series.
In near-perfect weather conditions, defending champion Courtney Campbell won the overall 50K title in 4:26:27—his second straight victory.
Patrick Higgins, 29, of Hamburg, NY, was second in 5:04:26, and 27-year-old Sarah Almodovar, of Stratford, Conn., placed third overall and first among women in 5:08:22.
A national-class 50- and 100-mile ultra specialist sponsored by Patgonia, Clif Bar, Montrail, and Petzl, Campbell arrived at the Fifties intent upon reclaiming the 50-mile title, which he won in 2002 in a course-record 7:03:38. He began the race with Andrish, but called it a day at 50K.
"I felt awful, but it's nice to drop out and still win," said Campbell, a high school math teacher and coach in Virginia. "Sean and I came through the first 25K in 2:03 or so, and I thought we'd get the course record. But then I fell off, and later died. I was slowing Sean down, so I told him to go ahead, and go after my record."
To claim victory in the women's 50K race, Almodovar had to chase down early leader Anne Gutmann, 25, of Ithaca, who would finish second in 5:14:01. Locke's Lorrie Tily, 43, placed third and first masters in 5:42:12.
"I had planned to do the 50-miler, but my hamstring tightened up on the second loop," said Almodovar, who is preparing for the Mount Hood 50-miler in Oregon. "Then at an aid station someone told me the first woman was right in front of me, and if I felt like it, go for it. So I did."
In the 50-mile race, the 34-year-old Andrish, who won the Massanutten 100-miler in May in Virginia, fulfilled at least one of three goals. He won the overall title for the second-straight year, four minutes faster in 7:05:21.
Dan Dominie, 40, of Canton placed second in 9:10:46, and California native Stephen VanDenburgh, 38, was third in 9:51:01.
Andrish's hopes to break the seven-hour mark and Campbell's record were dashed on the third 25K loop. Plans to run with Bolton on the first loop were foiled when Bolton bolted for the 25K lead. Then a "nice and easy run in the woods" with friends was cut short when Campbell cut his day short on the second loop.
"We went out too fast in the first loop, and that might have hurt us," said Andrish, an environmental consultant and coach. "But on the second loop, that 2:22 split killed us and put me so far behind I felt I didn't have a shot at the record. Finishing the third loop, I knew I couldn't go under seven hours, or get Courtney's record. But once I started the fourth loop I was feeling good. Halfway, I looked at my watch, and knew it would be close. I worked as hard as I could, but coming up the final climb, the time said 7:03, and I knew I didn't have it. But wait until next year."
Diane Jozefski, 40, of Rochester was the one and only woman in the 50-miler, claiming that title in 12:23:37. Running the entire race with her husband Chester, Jozefski was determined to never, ever give up.
"I used (WNY Ultra Series director) Tom Perry's advice," said Jozefski, who has finished the Bull Run Run and JFK 50-milers. "Run, walk often, stay hydrated, eat plenty, and don't go out too fast. And, I train with my husband, and he says, 'Diane, get used to anything and everything.' I work a factory job. I came here to try and do the best I can. (When it gets tough) I say to myself, 'Diane, ya know what? You can do this. You've trained hard; you've worked hard. Come on, stick it out!"
[This article originally appeared in the Star Gazette and Ithaca Journal.]
[Trivia: The average age of the FLT50s participants in all three races was 43! A record 90 runners finished one of the three races.]
Plus race director Chris's thoughts on the Fingerlakes Fifties course: It was a new challenge this year since the trails were not in the usual good condition that Joe and his coworker Al always kept them in. Particularly, the trails through the horsecamp. Anyone who has ever seen Most Extreme Elimination on Spike TV would agree—it was like playing sinkers and floaters. You never knew if your next step was a solid or mushy one! All-in-all, a great day. Thanks so much to all of you who participated and especially those of you who gave your time to volunteer.
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