Like it or not, the times are changing, and for some of it, all we can do is roll with it because in order to grow we must embrace change. But in the same respect, it is important to remember our roots; where we came from and what gave us the strength to get us where we are today.This all became quite apparent to me during the months leading up to and then the whole craziness of the 22nd edition of the Finger Lakes Fifties trail races. When this event began 22 years ago I was barely out of high school and knew absolutely nothing about this thing called ultrarunning. Now I am five years into directing this event that I have embraced and totally love. Each year, when I think what I learned from the previous events has me prepared for the next race, I find out that there is still more to learn. It’s an ongoing process and I hope that with each new thing I learn and put back into the race, the event will become better for the runners.
Since its inception, this race has seen three different venues, starting out as one of our local club races. We still get our loyal local contingency but we now see runners from all over the country and I love introducing them to the beauty of our area. This year we saw our biggest starting field of 250 runners (combined number in the 25K, 50K, 50Mile races), with a big shift in that the number of 50 mile registrants almost overtook the number of 50K registrants.
The 50K race has always been the most popular distance; back in 1994 there was a mere 47 finishers in the 50K and this year there was 118 finishers! So once again, from pre-entries to number of finishers, the 50K race remains the most popular distance. This year we had to make some late-stage course changes due to work on a section of trail that has been the nemesis of many runners over the years. Funny, there were no tears shed when it was announced that this section would not be part of the race course this year. After much thought and measuring, a new route was added onto the old course. The trails here were very nicely shaded and great to run on; however, when it came to piecing together a race course on trails it became very difficult to get an exact distance. There was just no way to get the 50K distance exact; the closest we could come turned the race into 32.9 miles. And in true ultrarunner fashion, I did not hear one complaint about the additional distance, only some confusion from a few runners who missed the announcement about the distance change. “Am I really getting that much slower? Maybe it’s because I’m getting older” was the comment from one runner, who was quite relieved to hear that the distance was longer than she had thought.
This year there was some confusion of the first two runners that crossed the finish line in the 50K race, where it was later discovered that they had gone off-course and were therefore disqualified. Despite how things have changed, one thing that I have discovered over the years remains the same: ultrarunners are very tolerant people. The man who was thought to be the winner, when he heard about his mistake and disqualification, was very apologetic and offered to even return the beer that he had received as winner! The graciousness of this running community never ceases to amaze me. I would like to thank Chris Bynum of New York, NY, and Amy Lane of Westfield, MA, for their patience as I investigated this issue, thus making them have to wait for the announcement that they were the actual winners of the race. I apologize that they were unable to get their due respects as winners on race day.
The 50K Masters wins went to Matt Wilson, Downingtown, PA, and Nancy Kleinrock, Trumansburg, NY. And these two Masters finished third and fifth, respectively, overall!
In 1994 there were only five finishers in the 50 mile race – all of them male! This year we saw a record number of 50 mile registrants (more than 80!) and a record number of finishers, ages ranging from 17 to 62! And 17 year old Matt Tillotson, who ran the 50 mile race last year, ran the entire 50 miles this year in his Vibram Five Fingers, smiling every time I saw him.
I would love to be out on the course, everywhere, watching the runners popping in and out of the woods, hurdling downed trees, and jumping rocks and roots. However, duty calls at the finish line/lap area/aid station and it seems that I never get to see the runners on the course until they come through my area. Fortunately, that means that I get to see the 50 mile runners come through here three times and witness their smiles when they finish. This year with the larger “main course” loop, this meant a much smaller “baby loop” of only a half-mile (as opposed to the old baby loop of 3.4 miles!). It was so cool to watch the tired runners come through and realize that they only had to run this very short loop; it brought new speed and spring to their steps. Smokin’ fast in the 50 mile race was overall winner Brian Rusiecki of Westfield, MA, and Frances Davis of Danbury, CT. As for the Masters – Jack Pilla of Charlotte, VT, once again tore-up the course finishing first Masters and second overall! Jack now owns the course records for the old and new course! Patty Duffy of Springfield, MA, was first Masters female.
In the “old days” there were no “finisher awards” and age group awards were handcrafted, if there were any at all. The only sponsorship was The Finger Lakes Runners Club, who created the race. Today each finisher is rewarded with a bottle opener to hang around their necks so that they can always access their favorite recovery brews. Age group awards are still hand-made by volunteers (when the Dollar Store lets us down) and much heart and soul goes into these. We now have wonderful sponsors for our overall winners’ awards and for our aid station fuels – they give so much so that we can continue to try to keep our registration fees reasonable.
For numerous years we have been so very fortunate to have our Wilderness Search and Rescue crew out on the course, keeping track of runners and providing super assistance to the injured and sick. They are our family now.
Despite the growth of the event, I have to say that my favorite part isn’t even the actual race. It’s what goes on around the race. The runners who step up to help with registration, help me get groceries, go out and mark the woodchuck holes to prevent potential disaster for other runners, do last-minute trimming of the cat’s claw, work aid stations when their races are over; the list goes on and on. And then there is the family reunion. Runners bring their families and hang out around the campfire. There is the camping the night before the race with no one wanting to leave the campfire but knowing that they have to get some sleep for the long run ahead. The shoulders that are there for me to cry on when, at the end of the long day, it appears that I may have lost a runner and then continue to help me “find” the runner who was never even on the course. It’s the dirty and bleeding runners who smile when they are done and relive their battles on the trail to anyone who will listen. And it’s the first-timers who can’t wait to do it again.
Congratulations to all those that ran what you could on this hot sunny day, even if you weren’t able to finish. I hope that you will come back and try again next year. Congratulations to the finishers and winners who just rocked the course and set the new course record standards! Without you runners there would be no race. And it definitely couldn’t be done without all of the wonderful volunteers!
When I entered into the world of ultrarunning I found that there is competition, but there is also a community and family like no other. Thank goodness some things never change.