Carpenter “gets it right” this time and hands Ulli Steidl his first Ultra loss! Now they are 1-1 against each other. Perhaps $20,000 next year to settle the score. Having the top 4 within 10 minutes makes this easily the best race of the Year!
And don’t forget Kami Semick for putting herself on top once again. She ran stellar, very smart passing me at about 15 miles and running away from a charging Susannah. I wish I could have stayed closer to the two of them to watch…but I was fried. Full results here
There is no doubt, this race is the one to watch for 2008. The $30,000 purse brings us the fastest and deepest fields. Both the men’s and women’s races should come down to the wire….although I’m thinking the men’s race is already over…if no late entries show up…there may be a few. Hit this link for further info on the race of the year.
The Men’s Race will be fast!
Ulli Steidl 3-2. Ulli won last year in his duel with Matt Carpenter. He knows the course better than anyone else when running it top speed, and Ulli’s top speed is easily faster than all the rest. He’ll win by at least 15 minutes! Marathon best….2:13. Without Matt Carpenter on his heels, Ulli’s record will remain intact. Winning time around 7:10. Kyle Skaggs 3-1. This is Kyle’s chance to take Ultrarunner of the Year without any hesitation from the voters. He’s proven everything in the mountains, and although this race is hilly, it still suits Ulli better in terms of technicality and raw speed. Look for Kyle to stay ahead of Mike Wardian because of his hill strength. He could scare Ulli, but Ulli runs scared alot….out front! Mike Wardian 7-2. Mike has the best speed amongst the others in terms of road marathon speed. He knocks them out with ease under 2:30, but Ulli will have to get lost for Mike to hang with him,and Kyle will have to crash (which he does alot cuz’ he’s going so fast). This is a hilly smooth course, like White River where Mike won with an impressive 6:55ish. He was still 23 minutes behind Ulli’s record there. If he wins it, he takes Ultrarunner of the Year from U-mag. Hal Koerner 4-1. Hal is on a roll, his injuries have subsided and running around Ashland with all those fast young kids has taken his speed to another level. Leigh Schmitt 9-5. Leigh was 3rd last year, and has all the tools to crack the top 3, if he’s ready my 9-5 odds could be off a bit. Geoff Roes 5-1. Geoff is the newcomer to the scene…sort of. He ran fast at the Miwok 100k (8:32) and the Wasatch 100 (20:01) to put his name on the map, now’s his big chance to make it a household name. Phil Kochik 5-1. Phil knows Ulli, and knows Ulli will run away. If Phil runs smart, he could easily slip to 2nd. He has scary fast speed, and has posted some sick times. Look for Phil to be a mystery man this weekend. It doesn’t look as though he’s raced much, this could hurt him a little with this field. Zach Miller 6-1. Zach has posted very fast times at Masochist and other tough east coust races. He too, could run a smart race and slip into the money. He should be fresh and ready to rip after Tussey Mountain. Adam Lint 8-1. Not as well known as some others, but he’s shown great speed breaking 7 hours at the White River 50, only a few minutes back of Wardian this year. Guillermo Medina 12-1. The Southern California representative will run top 10, but doesn’t carry the speed weapons to hang up front. The NF’s best finisher this time. Joe Kulak and Topher Gaylord 15-1. The last two North Face hopes to slip into the top 10. Speedgoat Karl 40-1. He’ll be lucky to be chicked only 3 times.
Who’s missing? Matt Carpenter, Dave Mackey (broken), Anton Krupicka (broken), Erik Skaggs (just won the Quad Dipsea 28.4 and broke Andersen’s record yesterday) Scott Jurek, Erik Skaden, Graham Cooper, Jon Olsen, Jasper Halekas, Matt Estes, and Brian Morrison. They still have time to enter, this is an elite race and fast guys get in at the end.
The ladies race, should once again, be the most interesting to watch:
Susannah Beck 2-1. Susannah has all the tools for the smooth hilly course. She’s only lost once this year at the NF Bellingham to Nikki Kimball. Her only downfall is 50 mile experience, and if she’s not on her game she could go down. We’ll see if she can hold top form all year long. She should make the 10,000 bucks for the ladies. Lizzy Hawker 3-1. The North Face Team is the strongest at this race and Lizzy seems to be the number one girl here for the North Face Team, she won it last year and if she can handle the pressure of the 4 behind her, she’ll make some cash this weekend. Kami Semick 7-2. Kami was very impressive this year at the World 100k. Her speed is intact and this is some of her home turf. She’ll also make some money this weekend, and with a little luck, she could knock out the fastest time. Nikki Kimball 7.1-2. Nikki, Kami and Lizzy are so close it seems wrong to put Nikki fourth in this list, it could go either way. She had a tough early season, and hasn’t raced as much as she normally does. If she is real fit, she has the chance to knock off the three ahead of her on this list. Anita Ortiz 4-1. Anita is the best “shorter distance” mountain runner in this field…hands down. She smoked Moab (2nd behind Susannah by only a few minutes), and smoked the Speedgoat 50k course. But at this race, altitude doesn’t matter. Her experience at 50 miles is also somewhat limited, so I put her 5th. She could, on a great day run away with the win too, if her mountain strength works for her at Sea Level. La Sportivas’ hope to take the big prize. Jean Coulter 8-1. Jean also has great mountain prowess, but is a rookie amongst the rest. The stars will have to line up…during the day… for her to win, but if she can keep her head in it, she could mop up the last $1000 of the day. La Sportiva’s number 2.Other fast girls to watch:
Prudence Le’Heuruex, Helen Cospolich, Justine Morrison, Carol O’hear, and Kathy D’Onofrio. All these women, in some rotation, should round out the top 9.Who’s missing? Susannah Beck, that’s about it.
Speedgoat 50k Applications online December 1st!!
….that’s tomorrow….Monday. Limited to 200, I doubt it’ll fill up like Way Too Cool, but check back regularly if you’re interested in running (and sometimes hiking) the hardest 50k on the planet.
And finally after battling the crowds at Walmart yesterday, why not just shop online at Backcountry.com to avoid the hastle of being trampled. Let the boys and girls in the warehouse do the running this time! Use coupon code: 3PU-1-R38LT for 20% of some stuff.
Oh yah, I ran a 5k on Thanksgiving…18:19! Watch out people, my speed is returning!!
See you in San Fran
That is one incredible field of runners in both the men’s and women’s race! This field of runners makes next years western states field look slow.
I think it would be cool for North Face to change next year’s championship race from a 50 mile race to a 100 mile race. They can still have the regional races stay 50 miles but the endurance championship should be 100 miles. A 100 mile race with $30,000 on the line would be my dream race. As we have discussed before a 100 mile race is a much better indication on one’s endurance compared to 50 miles.
2nd on having the championship race be 100 miles!!!
I’ll 3rd that Andrew!
ditto on the 100 mile idea.
karl, you might want to check out this story to add a few more HUGE names to your odds: http://www.active.com/running/Articles/Trail_Running_Titans_Converge_at_The_North_Face_Endurance_Challenge_Championship.htm
people seem to be popping out of the woodwork for this race.
go lint, he’s the man!
really looking forward to this race
best lineup in quite some time
I, duh, like the 100 mile championship idea as well and would be willing to get out on the road to do that. 50’s just too short. Good to see Kyle will be there to give Ulli a run for his money. And, watch out for Geoff, dude’s tough. And, oh yeah, I did a 5K on Turkey Day also, 17:30.
I’m sticking with Uli amd Lizzy as repeat winners. Didn’t see Matt Carpenter or Dave Mackey on the list but it would be fun to see them in the mix. All in all lots of fast men and women this year.
Hopefully the course will be better marked than what Uli and Matt stated last year. Uli will win unless he gets lost or gets injured. It will be a fun race to see who wins regardless. You guys are busting some good 5k’s!
Last year Ulli went there in advance and scoped the course out. Matt stayed on his heels. One of the reasons he never got lost too. It’ll be interesting knowing last year the guys behind Ulli and Matt got lost for a bit. We’ll see how close they come this time. I am trying to go too. I don’t want to miss standing on that start line. Chances are noone will get lost this time.
I was excited to run 18:19 for 5k. It was the first one I’ve run one since 1991. I thought I would run at least over 20 minutes, seeing as my legs are still slow from the AT. I also pulled my hamstring slightly and slowed down the last 1/2 mile. I may even have broken 18 had I run hard to the finish.
I forgot that Uli did go in and scope out the course - I do recall though, seeing somewhere that he had difficulty on his weekend scouting. I think it’s Uli’s to lose but the runner up spot should be exciting. Hopefully this race will stay in place and continue to set a standard for elite guys to show up at years end ready to show their deck of cards.
I like seeing when ultra guys race road races; it makes it easier to compare. 18:19 is good, especially after your fun filled summer on the AT. I imagine that will take a good 7-8 months to fully rejuvenate. Those long adventures can alter your running forever; ask David Horton about his race across america - he was never the same runner afterwards; Karl, some people were remarking on a group run this weekend in Asheville about how amazing your posture was and how much turnover you had on trails; I pointed out that I recall reading you were a stud high school runner with fast times.
Hey Karl,
Hope you get to come join the fun out here. The North Face has done a good job reaching out to the ultra community this year, and last year’s problems should be remedied with our crack crew of course markers and volunteers(barring any vandalism, which isn’t too prevalent in these parts). We’ll have course marshalls at all the crucial spots and will be double checking the marking and having rovers out during the run. Ideally anyone going off course will have only themselves to blame.
BTW, anyone coming in to town to watch the action is welcome to help out, we can still use some volunteers. They can email me at hippietrainer@yahoo.com. Hope to see you Sat.
Karl - I am the guy who talked with you at the 5k start. It had been about 10 years for me since I did a 5k. My lungs haven’t burned like that in awhile. Lucky for me I had been doing some road work in prep for the Goblin Valley 50k last month. You mentioned too me that you don’t train on the roads at all. Just curious where you run during the winter. I do a lot of training in Corner Canyon but once the snow falls it is total post holing out there so I switch to the roads. Guess I need to find some trails that get used and packed down.
I will be at the NF 50, I’m psyched to run it. I guess the 5k inspired me. I certainly won’t be too fast this weekend, but it’ll be an honor to stand on that start line. Rarely do we see this many elite runners line up.
Jeff, I train mostly in Bells Canyon once the snow flies. It gets packed down hard. Also behind the University, Pipeline in Millcreek, and Mt. Olympus.
Nick, thanks for the kind words, this weekend’s run will be a great indicator of how I’m recovering. I’m getting chicked for sure!
Karl,
When you heading out? I get into SFO Friday morning and red-eye it back Saturday night.
Cheers.
Joe
I’m driving 2/3 of the way Thursday, arriving Friday, not sure where I’ll be staying….maybe a pub parking lot
I’ll leave either Saturday evening or Sunday, depends on how things go. I have to be home Sunday night. This is my final “Stealth” race of the year.
glad you’re going to be there karl. being back in slc by sunday night is going to be tough. i did that after miwok and the drive proved to be more challenging than the race. i hope this means HURT is still hopeful for you as well.
Yah, the drive is tough, but I’ve done it at least 30 times like this. I drove home from Massannutten in VA one year, that was a long one. HURT, unfortunately is out. My race budget has no room for it. This race is a “stealth” race and I can do it on pennies. Pennies are good. Kick some arse, I’ll be watching from the back!
Hey Karl,
Is Matt Carpenter registered now after all? Some kind of fun (from a fan’s perspective) to have him back in the mix at the front.
FYI Another man under the radar is Phillipe Rolly. He won TNF challenge WI. I know the some if the times don’t look so impressive, but the top packs of us went on a 2 mile detour due to course marking vandalism. He’s a 2:23 marathoner. I won’t pick him to win, but I think he’ll be top 10.
And, Joy, right on with the 100 mile idea! I’d also like to see some technical merrit to the course, given that it’s a trail championship. Still, as it is, it’s a great opportunity for people who are fast roadies. As smooth trails and roads aren’t my thing, I certainly respect people who can run them well.
Don’t know about Matt, but I’d sure like to see him back. It’ll put me another slot behind. I’ll watch Phillipe Rolly too, there are always guys we don’t know.
The 100 mile championship is of course the great idea. Isn’t that what the USATF is trying to do at TRT. 10,000 bucks would entice a better field.
I’m off now for the weekend. I may not be able to post here, so if there is a comment, log-in so I don’t have to “moderate” it. To the car!
Matt Carpenter is in! He left Manitou a few days ago. Gonna be a lot of fun watching that race.
Well if Matt’s in, everyone bump one spot down except Ulli. Now the pressure is on Ulli to repeat. It’s Ulli’s to lose.
Matt goes to a race for one reason only. As one of the best mountain runners in history, this will be worth watching.
Dave Mackey sprained his ankle 10/29 racing the First and Third Flatirons in Boulder so is out.
Anita is uninjured so should be fit.
Don’t count out local favorite Cliff Lentz to place in the top 10. He finished first in the Stinson Beach 50K over much of the same terrain.
Well Carpenter showed and proved! i just posted what i know and will update my blog as more info comes in.
Thanks Hart, nice work on getting the story out, I’ve been refreshing sites for hours on end here!
GR
top 4 women: kami, susannah, anita, nikki in that order.
thanks matt
Way to got, Matt Carpenter. Wow, must have been an awesome race! Amd congrats to the Speedgoat on a great finish as well against such a deep field!
Best,
Mike V.
great job karl….you blew your own prediction by only getting chicked twice. awesome job buddy…
dr. woodstock
He got chicked three times, Kami, Susannah, and Anita. Quite the stacked field for sure. Can’t wait to see some race reports! That’s an amazing run from TSUYOSHI KABURAKI for 3rd, and he’s over 40 to boot!
GR
Just arrived home. Yes,chicked thrice, the girls ran a great race. It was cool to be amongst those women for some of the race…till they dropped me. I should have registered as a women and gave myself a chance.
Actually Matt beat Uli head to head at Pikes Peak Marathon a few years back - beat him by 26 minutes.
http://www.skyrunner.com/ppresults/2006ppm_m.htm
When Matt is on, not too many people in the world have a chance. You showed up, you ran, you finished … can’t argue with that, well done … and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Yah Brett, I know that, Ulli was not even a factor at Pikes Peak. I was referring to the NF race only. I should have mentioned that. Sorry,
Heading towards the Grand Masters at 41
I did not know Matt was going to be there until I saw him at the hotel. Right then I switched my decision and felt Matt would win. I still remmeber seeing Matt at LT 100 the yera after he crashed. He ran with a vengeance and blew away everybody’s expectations. Kami was on a mission as well. It was fun watching the top men and women duke it out.
What an ultra celebration and party, thanks for joining, Karl! I posted a story of my run with Michael, as well as 170+ pictures of runners and surrounding views. Looking forward to December 2009 already!!
Jean.
Something tells me this race will be the climax of every season. The timing is good, and the cash is big. If only the race had a few rocks to deal with. I’ll be back for sure…on fresher legs.
Race could have used better trail markings, though! Wardian got lost for a long while at the unmarked, and sporadically-manned out-back point, and there was the bunch of us (me, Adam Lint, Joe from Portland, the two front-running Brazilian women, plus a few others) who added 7-8 minutes and an extra mile to our race about 4 miles in. Oh, the horror. Totally changed the women’s race, OMHO,
Must have been others going astray in other various places, too.
the course markings were a bit random. in some spots i thought it was great and then all of the sudden you’d come to a junction with nothing. i read over the route description about 30 times leading up to the race and in a couple spots that was the only thing that kept me on course… and in a couple other spots i was lucky to be running with about a dozen other guys because between all of us we were always able to figure things out with almost no delay. overall though i thought it was a very well laid out course and limited trail marking just adds to the fun in my mind (as long as the route is described on the race website). i think it’s a more fun route to run than the route that the miwok takes through those same trails… but yeah, like you karl, i wish it were a more technical trail, and not such a damn hard surface.
I had no problems following the course. As a middle of the packer, I just followed all your footsteps. Geoff explains it perfectly though, some places all the sudden had nothing and I had to guess. If there is a race of this caliber, it should be able to be followed blind. Like I did, I didn’t know where the course went at all times.
hey you guys are forgetting about Sal bautista, a new runner and will be present at the north face 50 miles championship in san francisco. he has a best time of 3:39 at the bulldog 50k and has only ran one 50 miles at the 2008 50 miles at the san francisco chamionship. he ran 7:29 and without training. He was juat training for the 5 miles since he rans for college. He has promisseed the top 3 for next year. he is only 24 years old
nice write up @ the northface website.
http://www2.thenorthface.com/endurancechallenge/races/2008/sca_recap.html
for a group of people who claim ultrarunning isn’t about the money, you sure seem to be putting a lot of emphasis on the cash prize in this race
once upon a time running distance was not about the money or the ridiculous marketing claims of innovation and technology in shoes. it was just about running. what happened?
The fastest Ultrarunners should be paid to be stars. I have never said Ultraunning isn’t about money. Yah, for most it’s about getting to the finish line and enjoying the outdoors on trails or roads, and that’s what keeps the core of the sport coming back.
For top runners to be on top, they must train hard, and that takes time and effort, and if they are representing a company or sponsor, they should be compensated for that. It doesn’t have to be a huge 20,000 check with every win, but every little bit helps to pay the bills.
The real reason top Ultrarunners aren’t making real money is because the media can’t put it on the idiot box for couch potatoes to watch it.
Had there not been a cash prize at the NF 50, Ulli, Matt, the Japanese runner, and a few others right behind them, would have likely stayed at home and gone for their own run. Think about it, money brings competition. You have no idea how many people have asked me how much I won at the last 100. When I tell them nothing, just a rock on a piece of wood. They fall off their barstool in disbelief.
I thought it was also a shame to see two guys “tie” at the TRT 100 this year. They were racing for money and decided to split it and tie for a national championship? Were they just both kind of tired and didn’t want to race the last 25? Most Ultrarunners thought that was very cool….I just think they should have raced the thing to make it far more interesting. I would have leaned at the line to take the extra money.
For some of us who choose to “attempt” to make a living at it, get a little frustrated when sponsors want all these things, but don’t compensate for our efforts. Realistically we should have taken up a different sport to make money, perhaps bowling or snowboarding, where the media can watch. Granted, these guys are good at riding the halfpipe, but there’s no real endurance there, just a bunch of beer afterwards…amongst other things. And they are laughing, and they should be. I would be too.
For the record you caught me on a very sarcastic afternoon, all about timing.
I’m going bowling…………
just realize that TNF is probably the only company out there willing and able to put that kind of money down. other companies either can’t afford it, or don’t think it’s worthwhile. get yourself and your races sponsored by TNF and you’ll be all set, making a nice living. work with the other niche brands who specialize in trail running shoes, and you’ll be supporting the real forces behind the sport and it’s innovation, but you won’t be making much. after all, you’re a trail runner. what do you really expect?
the real reason top Ultrarunners aren’t making good money is not b/c the sport is too dull for TV, but b/c the companies behind the sport are small (and the big ones don’t want to put their eggs into the trail ultra market), overall interest in the grand scheme of things is very low, and ultra runners make up a miniscule percentage of the active population. nobody cares outside of other ultrarunners. harsh but true
go bowling
Perhaps making a 100 mile mountain trail race an olympic sport would open some eyes, but it won’t happen in our day. As a spectator wouldn’t it be cool for mr costas to check in once in a while to see the lead peleton 10 hours into a 100. The media might just eat that up, or they may not.
You are exactly right saying noone cares but other ultrarunners. Even people that run 5 and 10ks…most have never heard of a 100 miler.
The NF put down lots of cash for this one, but as an RD, they don’t just throw down 30,000 for any race, it has to be there own….very understandable, why give me 10,000 to give away for some brutal 50K. Not worth it to them. I still wonder if they think it’s worth it to throw down 30 g’s…probably not worth it, they’ll have to sell lots of shoes and gear to an relatively cheap crowd :)..
Yah, I’ll go bowling, at least it’s cheap!
aspzazathzllgzjrwell, hi admin adn people nice forum indeed. how’s life? hope it’s introduce branch