The runners usually take all the glory at Ultra Races. They are out there, working through the miles, struggling against the distance and the time. The stories of success and failure are written about time and time again. But the runners are only one small part of a successful ultra event. The whole event is much more then just the runners. Some of the parts are hidden - behind the scenes work from the race director for permitting and emergency management plans. Others are more visible - from the smiling faces hand out bibs in the morning to the volunteers scattered across the miles and the crew and family there to support the athletes. It’s a machine of many parts that when they come together create a wonderful experience for all.
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The loneliness of waiting for runners in the early morning hours
Photo - Jamie Reichler |
The Whole is greater then the Sum of the Parts. That was the theme of the Sangre de Cristo Ultras this year and it was on full display throughout the entire two days of racing. Friday evening, a village appeared in Music Meadows - from tents scattered around the field to cars neatly lined in rows. There was a quiet sense of excitement mixed with nerves as the tents flapped in the wind. It was an early night for most of the campers, with the events starting at 4:00 for the 100 mile and 6:00 for the rest of the Saturday races. At 3:50, when the 100 milers were lining up for their start, the rest of the racers were up two hours early to cheer us on. Each runner, just a small piece in the whole weekend, the events and the community.
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Colony Creek Aid station when the 50k racers came through.
Photo - Jamie Reichler |
I know I always talk about the volunteers at every race I've done this year. I've done plenty of racing, but not as much volunteering as I'd like. Course marking here and there and packet pick up a few times. But never the hard jobs like the overnight aid stations in the middle of nowhere. I haven't had to manage the hustle and bustle of runners coming and going, looking for drop backs, keep track of times and numbers and gently herding runners back out onto course as needed. With the double L out and back set up of Sangre de Cristo 100, the volunteers saw us at our best and at our worst. They cheered us on early in the day when we were still excited to be running, greeting the sun with a smile. Then they encouraged us to keep moving as the miles set in and the shadows grew long. Finally, they were there for us when the temperatures plummeted and our paces slowed to a crawl. As one of my friends put it "We became counselors, waiters/waitresses, concierges, cooks, and in some cases, just a friendly face to say “it’s ok, you got this” as we watched 100 milers push through the wall of demons that they were battling internally and externally."
How many of us runners in all the distances would not have reached our goals without the caring compassion of the volunteers at every aid station? From the little kids at Horn Creek 1, digging through the pickup filled with drop bags to find one specific bag, to the adults carefully crafting avocado-cheese quesadillas, there was more then the individual at play here. Every person we encountered along the course helped push us further in pursuit of the individual goals of reaching the finish line. I know that every single volunteer along the way influenced my race for the positive - even with me taking nothing more then a cup of noodles and some chicken broth. After a year of racing in 2019, going after a Transcendence Series finish - next year I need to give back. I need to return the gifts that all of the volunteers across the year have given me. The encouragement, the cheers, the welcoming hugs. We as runners cannot just take every year - we have to set aside our personal desire to race and become the people other runners can lean on during those tough moments.
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Nick hiking up Music Pass with me. He was my rock and my support - motivation every time I saw him at Music Meadows and then pushing me up that final climb.
Photo - Jamie Reichler |
And finally, I would be remiss in not mentioning all the crew and support staff there - friends and families who gave up their weekend to help their runner reach the finish line. Each runners was just a small piece of the achievement - as made clear by the cheers and hugs at the finish line. There were pacers (or as known in HPRS circles - Accountability Buddies, which really is a better term to describe the hard job of a pacer) running up to 43 miles with their friend, taking on a personal ultra to push someone else to the finish. Parents tackled the final ascent up Music Pass with their child, becoming another part in the greater event. I know that running is a solitary sport, but without the encouragement and support of loved ones, it's nearly impossible to finish these kind of events. The runners get the awards and the cheers, but the entire support system is drives them to the finish line. We as runners each bring something to the event, but the event is more then each individual runner. It is the sum of the runners, the crew, the support staff, the volunteers and pacers - all coming together to create something remarkable.
Great article, what I learned about this race is that a running partner makes the difference, I was struggling on mile 13 to 15, I registered for the 50 miles but at that point I was thinking about just doing the 50K, fortunately once I reached Colony Creek, I told them about my idea and they talked me into keep on going, actually Jaime had just met a first time 50 mile runner so he told me that my task was to make sure he finished. I decided to keep on going fortunately my new running baddie was a good talker, just like me and those next 18 miles we talked a lot and did not feel the time or distance. since he was stronger I let him go at mile 36 and found a new partner. All those miles I ran with someone else (hopefully a good talker) were for me the easy miles of the race.
ReplyDeleteThe friends we make along the trail are frequently the best friends. Even if we never see them again! We worked together to reach our goals and that's the important part.
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