Sacramento Running News

Meghan Arbogast on her way to the win. (Photo by Sean Dulany/Freeplay Magazine)

While Jed Smith is the opening day of the NorCal ultra-running season, the Way Too Cool 50K is undoubtedly the opening day of the ultra trailrunning season. It is the first major trail-ultra in the region and the day folks get to test their fitness and see the trails after hiding out in the cold winter months.

Old friends get an excuse to hang out and visit, and rivals get to check out the competition.

There is a soft spot in my heart for this race, as it was the first ultra I ever ran–way back in 2000. It’s grown a lot over the years, and is a lot harder to get into, but still feels like a local event. The organization is tight and the volunteers are beyond outstanding.

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Big news in science!

You should be aware of two important, running related studies that have come out recently.

The first analyzes why running in the rain and cold is miserable.

And the second tells us about how ultrarunners are different from normal people.

Read and be amazed!

Amy Halseth wins the 50 mile race. (SRN photo)

The green grass and warm sun of spring still seem far away on these cold and damp Valley mornings. But there are harbingers of happier times!

There are occasional, cheerful, sunny afternoons that remind me of how much easier it is on these old bones to run when it’s warmer, and how much easier it is to get out of bed when it’s daylight already when I wake up for work.

One such harbinger of spring is the Jed Smith Ultra Classic, put on by the Buffalo Chips Running Club each February since I was a wee lad in short trousers. (Actually, since 1979.) For as long as I can remember, it has been the first race in the Pacific Associations Ultra Grand Prix.

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Locally, most of us are fixated on tomorrow’s weather and the California International Marathon. Meanwhile, many locals are already racing over on the coast in the North Face Endurance Challenge San Francisco Championship.

Due to the rain, the State Parks Department has mandated a course change so now it will be totally easy. (Serious about the course change. Just kidding about it being easy. Those trails–Marin Headlands–are intense!)

This is one of the most competitive ultras in the United States, and it offers $10,000 to the top male and female finishers in the 50 mile race.

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Sold Out!

If you are running the American River 50 next April, I look forward to seeing you out there.

If you were waiting for after the holidays to sign up, you can now join the ever-growing wait list.

The race sold out yesterday!

Christopher Tori Smith (photo courtesy Washoe County)

Christopher Smith, the driver awaiting trial for the killing of Robert and Linda Mathis in Incline Village on December 30th of last year, has been arrested this past Sunday for allegedly assaulting a man in the restroom at ATT Park, during a Giants game.

According to reports, Smith approached his victim and started hitting him, knocking him to the ground. Smith allegedly continued attacking the man even after he had fallen to the ground.

Smith fled the scene but was captured by police who have stepped up patrols in response to prior violence at the park.

There is no information as to a motive for the assault. Smith is being held for battery, vandalism, and public intoxication.

Smith’s court date for the death of Robert and Linda Mathis is scheduled for next May.

Robert and Linda Mathis were local race directors, who managed a large calendar of road and trail races.

After a few run-ins with way too much litter on the trail, I was inspired to write an essay about it for Ultrarunning Magazine.

You can read it in the September issue, which should be in your mailbox by now.

You’ve got a few hours to kill so you find your way to a favorite trail. You lace up your shoes, grab a water bottle, and disappear down the single track. Fir needles and dirt crunch under your feet as the troubles you took home from work slip your mind. You relax into the run and your breaths come easier.

Then you round a bend and see something crumpled on the ground next to the trail: the spent wrapper of an energy gel. Instinctively, you touch the pocket in your shorts and feel for the gels you’ve packed along for the run. You no longer feel so much a part of nature as you feel a part of a dysfunctional family.

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Aaron Mulder and Quintin Barney work their way up to the Devil's Thumb aid station. (SRN photo)

With a race as long and challenging as the Western States Endurance Run, it is hard to strip it down to the essential kernel of a story that everyone should know.

Every single runner, finisher and non-finisher alike, has a compelling story to tell–about the race itself or the long journey that brought them to the starting line at Squaw Valley.

An astonishing field was assembled, the weather was perfect for running fast times, and records were destroyed.

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If you are pacing someone this weekend, you might want to check out this great write-up by Tim Long on the rules of pacing. Not really rules, per se, but more like guidelines.

One of the most selfless acts a human can perform is pacing another person in an ultrarunning event. Mother Teresa never paced, nor did any of the popes.

Good stuff! Read it (parts I and part II) and you’ll be ready to tackle this challenge!

The Countdown: (L-R) Luis Alvarez, R.D. Greg Soderlund, Assistant R.D. Craig Thornley, and Mike Saling are getting ready for the big day. (From the WS Facebook page)

Of all the many races in the region, there is only one of international importance: The Western States Endurance Run.

Even though there are bigger races, and faster courses, the Western States 100 has history and prestige by the bucket-full.

The race gets more media coverage than any other in the region.

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