Organizers of the Western States Endurance Run (better known
as the Western States 100) touted that 35 people ran the course in under 19
hours Saturday.
Brian Peterson, of Minneapolis, was the 35th.
He covered the storied 100.2-mile course from Squaw Valley to Auburn,
California, in 18 hours, 50 minutes, and 51 seconds, making him the fastest
Minnesotan ever on the course after Proctor native Scott Jurek (who, according
to his recently-published memoir, lived in Minnesota while training for his
first WS100 in 1999).
“I hoped I could be capable of breaking 19 hours out there
on a real steady day, and with the help of the cool weather and two great
friends to crew and pace and keep me moving, I just made it,” Peterson said.
Saturday’s unusually cool weather – the on-course
temperature typically breaches 100 degrees in the canyons – propelled many
runners to fast times. Timothy Olson, of Ashland, Oregon, became the first
runner ever to break 15 hours on the current course, clocking a 14:46:44, and
runner-up Ryan Sandes, of South Africa, also went under Geoff Roes’ 2010 course
record in 15:03:56. Ellie Greenwood, of Banff, Alberta, became the first woman
to break 17 hours with a 16:47:19, and Dave Mackey, of Boulder, Colorado, broke
the master’s record with a 15:53:36 (good for fourth). For context, Jurek only
broke 16 hours once, clocking a then-course record of 15:36:27 in 2004; his
first two victories were slower than Greenwood’s time this year.
“A lot of people complained about the cold early on, but the
weather couldn't have been much more perfect for me,” said Peterson, who ran
over 100 miles per week in preparation for the race. “Maybe it was the
Minnesotan in me and the fact that I have been paranoid about the usual Western
States heat for over 6 months. Yeah, it was windy and sleeting on top of the
first climb, and it was cold and raining for most of the first 35 miles, but I
was just so thankful to be kept cool that I was loving every minute of it.”
Peterson’s training also included a double crossing of the
Grand Canyon, running Wisconsin’s Ice Age 50 Mile in May, and doing hill
repeats up the ski slopes at Hyland Hills in Bloomington. This was his third
100-mile race; Peterson won the Sawtooth 100 on the Superior Hiking Trail in
2010 and was fourth at the Cascade Crest 100 in Washington last August.
“Most of the race I really did enjoy, and tried to even out
the highs and lows,” he said. “I really liked the first half with the cool
weather early and especially coming down out of the high country into the base
of Devil's Thumb. The steep downhills started taking a toll by then, but
the climbs out of the canyons were actually welcome breaks and a chance to hike
a little without feeling too guilty.
“I loved the section coming through Foresthill at mile 62,”
he continued. “I had just picked up my first pacer, Brian Soller, which I was
looking forward to all day. There were so many people cheering at
Foresthill, and I felt really strong going into the nice gradual downhill once
we hit the trail.” Peterson was also paced by fellow Minnesotan and Western
States veteran Tony Kocanda in the final 20 miles.
Still, Peterson says, low points are all but unavoidable in
a race that long.
“My lowest point was probably between about mile 70 and 80
or so, when I got a little pessimistic about how I was doing and the rest of
the race,” he said. “I just got caught up in trying to think about the finish,
when in reality there were just too many miles to go, and I forgot the
important rule of just taking it one section at a time. I knew there were
a lot of other people out there suffering way more than I was, but that doesn't
mean it isn't hard.”
In the end, Peterson said, he was thrilled to take part in
the storied event, which was the first ever 100-mile ultramarathon.
“Western States is the Big Show,” he said. “It's a great
event with so much history, the volunteers take care of you like you wouldn't
believe, and the course is a great combination of challenging and runnable…I
feel like Western States is one of those events that if you enjoy the 100 mile
distance and are lucky enough to get in, it's a great life experience.”
“There's something about running in the same race in the
footsteps of some of the best ultrarunners in the world that makes for a really
cool experience,” he said.
Other Minnesotans in the race included Ely’s Dale Humphrey,
who finished under the vaunted 24-hour mark in 23:50:57, and Ethan Richards, of
St. Paul, who finished in 27:27:51.
Complete results of the 2012 Western States 100 can be found
HERE.
Photo of Brian Peterson(right)and pacer courtesy of Ultra Runner Podcast
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