Over Crowder's Mountain Six Times
Photo: Stretching my back after finishing Crowders. Mark Long demanded that I publish this photo. Why? Ask Mark.
Two weeks ago I was the guy who was too sick or injured to show up at six out of seven ultras on his calendar. After running 75 miles last weekend at the 24-hour Run for Africa and following up yesterday with Crowder's Mountain 50K I feel like an ultra runner once again. If I can make it three in a row on Saturday by finishing Promise Land I'll feel good enough about my fittnes base to start some rigorous training.
Crowder's Mountain is a detached outpost of the Appalachian range. It rises almost 1000 feet above the piedmont in Gastonia, NC. Nearby Kings Mountain was the site of an important Revolutionary War battle. The summit features some shear faces that are popular with rock climbers. You can see for many miles in all directions from the top of the mountain.
My goal for Crowder's was to finish in good form. Having run 75 miles the previous weekend I knew I was going to have a slow time. However, I wanted to run consistently. Several others at Crowder's were also running for the second weekend in a row. Brian Beduhn ran 90 miles the previous weekend at the Run for Africa. Mark Long ran the Boston Marathon less than a week earlier. Fred Dummar ran the Bull Run Run 50 the week prior. Crowder's is not an easy 50K. The course is a five-miles-out-and-five-miles-back lap which you repeat three times. Each out-and-back goes up and over the summit of the mountain. By the finish of the race you have climbed the mountain six times.
The trail is mostly single track with some dirt road at the beggining and end of each out-and-back lap. This year there were three aid stations on the course - one at the start of each lap, one near the summit, and one at the turnaround point. The aid was great, as one could carry a single water bottle and refill it along the way. Crowder's was directed for years by Claude Sinclair. Recently it has been directed by Sam Baucom, this year with Ray Krolowitz. This is a low-key event, as all ultramarathons should be. The rewards include the sweet trail, the veiw from the summit, and the camaraderie throughout the day.
The out-and-back nature of the course provides plenty of chances to see the other athletes and to know your relative position on the course. Byron Backer led early in the race but he was never more than a couple of hundred yards ahead of Annette Bednosky. Annette ended up winning the race in 4:42, a very fast time for 50K given almost 6000 feet of climbing and mostly single track. I knew Joe Schlereth by reputation - the 57 year old with several of the fastest times ever for the Umstead 50. I finally got to see him run at Crowder's where he finished fourth overall in 5:27.
Don Jans, the 75-year-old wonder, provided inspiration to all the runners during the day. He was putting to shame many folks less than a third of his age. Like many of us, Don fell on the course ended up with blood all over his leg. Its quite a sight to see a fit 75-year old athlete climbing up a mountain with blood all over his leg!
Melinda took the photos of the race, you can view the entire set on flickr. After the race Melinda said she wished she brought her ipod so she didn't have to listen to co-RD Ray Krolowitz talk about himself for over six hours. I agree she ran her own ultramarathon. Those of us who didn't have to listen to how great Ray K was and how much the sport today sucks and how easy we have it, really appreciated Ray's efforts to support the event.
I'm looking forward to returning to my previous fitness level and enjoying many more days like yesterday!
1. Annette Bedosky 1:31:13 3:06:28 (1:36:15) 4:42:36 (1:36:08)
2. Jim Cobb 1:37:09 3:17:26 (1:40:17) 5:01:59 (1:44:33)
3. Kent Gallup 1:31:48 3:11:22 (1:40:34) 5:13:18 (2:02:56)
4. Joe Schlereth 1:37:14 3:22:41 (1:45:27) 5:25:43 (2:03:02)
5. Byron Backer 1:29:36 3:08:38 (1:39:02) 5:40:53 (2:32:15)
6. Greg Paige 1:40:18 3:35:27 (1:55:04) 5:47:44 (2:12:17)
7. Bill Jordan 1:39:29 3:33:42 (1:54:13) 5:49:25 (2:16:43)
8. Marc Castleberry 1:31:34 3:39:12 (2:07:38) 5:56:21 (2:17:09)
9. Chris Cowart 1:37:05 3:32:31 (1:55:26) 5:59:08 (2:26:37)
10. Richard Sexton 1:55:06 3:51:47 (1:56:41) 6:07:53 (2:16:06)
11. Dana Collins 1:45:20 3:42:18 (1:56:58) 6:13:04 (2:30:46)
12. Lisa Arnold 1:51:53 4:02:58 (2:11:05) 6:33:47 (2:30:49)
13. Mark Long 2:01:04 4:11:29 (2:10:25) 6:37:00 (2:25:31)
14. Fred Dumar 2:03:12 4:20:00 (2:16:48) 6:46:22 (2:26:22)
15. Idlibi Mohammed 1:41:39 4:07:00 (2:25:21) 6:50:56 (2:43:56)
16. Tom Gabell 1:55:14 4:10:52 (2:15:38) 6:51:15 (2:40:23)
17. Mike Day 2:01:04 4:18:33 (2:17:29) 6:57:41 (2:39:08)
18. Leon Harmon 1:58:44 4:15:56 (2:17:12) 6:59:19 (2:43:23)
19. Brian Beduhn 1:59:08 4:22:12 (2:23:04) 7:26:04 (3:03:52)
20. Bill Keane 2:14:14 4:47:39 (2:33:25) 7:33:11 (2:45:32)
21. Robert Calabria 2:15:33 4:55:20 (2:39:47) 7:50:59 (2:55:39)
22. Donald Jans 2:45:10 5:55:41 (3:10:31) 9:34:04 (3:38:23)
NR John Bradley 1:40:11 4:04:56 (2:24:45)
NR Frank Sherrill 2:38:22 6:03:19 (3:24:57)
NR Doug Dawkins 2:38:24 6:03:19 (3:24:55)
NR Ernie Cornell 2:54:16 6:31:09 (3:36:53)
ultra+marathon trail+running crowders+mountain ncultra+series