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Runners answer hard (rock) question

Endurance athletes embrace Hardrock

By Dale Strode

Video by Josh Stephenson

2009 Hardrock 100-Mile Endurance Run

Hardrock 100 Endurance Run

July 10-12

Silverton to Lake City to Ouray

to Telluride to Silverton

2009 Finishers

Place, Name, Home, Time

1, Karl Meltzer, Sandy, Utah, 24:38:02

2, Troy Howard, Walnut Creek, Calif., 26:01:18

3, Diana Finkel, South Fork, 27:18:24 (first women)

4, Scott Jaime, Highlands Ranch, 27:47:53

5, Andy Jones-Wilkins, Ketchum, Idaho, 28:09:29

6, Jarebell, Salt Lake City, 289:32:57

7, Sam Thompson Seattle, 31:03:13

8, Roch Horton, Salt Lake City, 31:09:39

9, Ricky Denesik, Telluride, 31:23:54

10, Aaron Denberg, Tucson, 31:47:32

11, Ted Mahon, Aspen, 31:59:20

12, Philippe Verdier, Nice, France, 32:15:50

13, Tyler Curiel, San Antonio, 32:42:15

14, David Wilcox, Dillon, 33:17:48

15, Jamil Coury, Tempe, Ariz., 33:19:56

16, Erich Peitzsch, Bozeman, Mont., 33:30:19

17, Mike Ehrlich, Steamboat Springs, 33:46:04

18, Ronda Sundermeier, Tigard, Ore., 33:56:29 (second woman)

19, Michael McCarthy, West Linn, Ore., 34:11:19

20, Billy Simpson, Memphis, 34:26:00

21, Scott Eppelman, Coppell, Texas, 34:37:55

22, Joe Lea, Chapel Hill, N.C., 34:40:19

23, David Coblentz, Los Alamos, 34:43:21

24, Helen Cospolich, Breckenridge, 35:13:56 (third woman)

25, Bruce Grant, Delta, BC, Canada, 35:14:45

26, Brett Gosney, Durango, 35:21:02

27, Betsy Nye, Truckee, Calif., 35:25;04 (fourth woman)

28, Steve Roark, Hereford, Ariz., 35:31:03

29, Betsy Kalmeyer, Leadville, 35:35:05 (fifth woman)

30, Bill Heist, Los Alamos, 35:50:10

31, Scott Brockmeier, Plainville, Ga., 36:24:18

32, Howard Cohen, Newbury Park, Calif., 36:33:05

33, Allen Hadley, Crested Butte, 36:33:16

34, Jon Teisher, Manitou Springs, 36:35:51

35, Devin Corcoran, Long Beach, Calif., 37:39:00

36, Will Vaughn, Durango, 37:21:07

37, Eric Pence, Eagle, 37:22:58

38, Fred Ecks, San Francisco, 37:29:49

39, Mohammed Idlibi, Carlotte, NC, 37:33:40

40, Charlie Nuttleman, Boulder, 37:47:07

41, Blake Wood, Los Alamos, 37:53:08

42, Patrick Fellay, Monthey, Switzerland, 37:56:52

43, Paul Ralyea, Arlington, Va., 37:58:27

44, Kristen Hern, Los Alamos, 38:06:13

45, Dennis Drey, Albuquerque, 38:17:02

46, Chris Labbe, Longmont, 38:21:16

47, Kirk Apt, Grand Junction, 38:29:44

48, Garry Curry, Boulder, 38:29:44

49, Chris Twiggs, Fernandina Beach, Fla., 38:26:58

50, Mike Burke, Portland, 38:53:44

51, Jeff List, East Falmouth, Mass., 38:54:43

52, Rhonda Claridge, Telluride, 39:06:33

53, Andrew Heard, Phoenix, 39:10:00

54, Bob Bachani, Tucson, 39:10:18

55, Roger Wrublik, Silverton, 39:10:18

56, Joe Clapper, Gaithersberg, Md., 39:11:09

57, Robert Rikoon, NC, 39:16:07

58, James Demer, Falmouth, Maine, 39:31:22

59, Julian Jamison, Pacific Palisades, Calif., 39:31:58

60, Scott Olmer, Westminster, 39:38:36

61 tie, Beat Jegerlehner, Berkeley, Calif., 39:54:20

61 tie, Dan Curley, San Diego, 39:54:20

63, Randy Isler, Albuquerque, 39;55:07

64, Ryan McDonald, San Clemente, Calif., 40:13:25

65, Rob Hacker, Boulder, 40:28:28

66, Mark Heaphy, Polebridge, Mont., 40:31:00

67, Brian Kent, Lyons, 40:31:25

68, Murray Schart, Salt Lake City, 40:33:24

69, Diane Van Deren, Sedalia, Colo., 40:35:50

70, Andrew Hewat, Geelong, Australia, 40:50:28

71, Mike Dobies, Lake Orion, Ohio, 40:56:11

72, Jeff Heasley, Gunnison, 41:08:53

73, Lance Johnson, Corrales, NM, 41:12:17

74, Chad Piala, Denver, 41:40:24

75, Jim Campiformio, Ashford, Conn., 41:41:22

76, Michael James, Billings, Mont., 41:47:20

77, Phililp Wiley, Durango, 41:49:39

78, Honey Albrecht, Colendale, Ariz., 42:08:21

79, Jed Burchenal, Golden, 42:12:53

80, Liz Bauer-Walker, Plainville, Ga., 42:52:40

81, Kimberly Holak, Duluth, Minn., 44:29:17

82, Jean-Francois Geiss, Lyon, France, 44:54:22

83, Michael Bur,Kensington, Md., 44:54:22

84, Larry Hall, Chicago, 45:05:32

85, Michelle Schwartz, Fort Collins, 45:18:03

86, Lori Bantekas, Jackson, Wyo., 45:18:56

87, Bob Combs, Warren, Ohio, 46:00:29

88, Rickie Redland, Salida, 46:01:57

89, Robert Andrulis, Chandler, Ariz., 46:02:24

90, Eric (Rick) Hodges, Ridgway, 46:02:44

91, Olga Varlamova, Portland, 46:09:19

92, Frank Banton, Portland, 46:18:09

93, Don Platt, Steamboat Springs, 46:42:33

94, Kerry Collings, Midway, Utah, 46:49:42

95, Thomas Schnitzius, Dillon, 46:57:03

96, Patty Bryant, Santa Barbara, Calif., 47:15:49

97, Pat Homelvig, Littleton, 47:16:22

98, Duane Nelson, Portland, 47:26:32

99, Andrew Barney, American Fork, Utah, 47:33:01

100, Wendell Doman, Pleasant Hill, Calif., 47;39:52

101, John DeWalt, Sarver, Pa., 47:47:17

102, Rick Pearcy, Durango, 47:48:47

103, Jennifer Roach, Bouldler, 47:54:53

104, Leonard Martin, Oak Ridge, Tenn., 47:55:58

105, Margaret Heaphy, Polebridge, Mont., 47:56:34

SILVERTON - Why?

The answer for these Hardrock 100 runners was obvious: Why not?

The simple question, posed by a Denver television reporter Saturday in Silverton, didn't faze Karl Meltzer or Diana Finkel or Troy Howard or Scott Jaime.

They responded, using different words, with the same answer.

They answered like a climber who had just summited Denali or a kayaker who had just run the Upper Animas, or a backcountry skier who had just climbed all day for one glorious powder run.

Seriously - why not?

Why not - if you can - run/hike 100 miles of backcountry trails in the spectacular San Juan Mountains? In less than two days.

Why not?

"I love the course. I love the San Juans. They're so beautiful," Diana Finkel said Saturday morning right after completing 100 miles and winning the women's division of the 2009 Hardrock 100 Endurance Run.

"There were waist-high columbines and mountain bluebells ... the wildflowers were amazing," she said, answering the "why" question a bit philosophically.

Of course, she said, it was hard to run 100 miles of trails - it's supposed to be hard.

"My legs hurt ... yes. But, when you've just run 90 miles, your legs should hurt," the 37-year-old South Fork resident said after winning her second consecutive Hardrock in record time (27 hours, 18 minutes, 24 seconds). She finished third overall.

Almost as an afterthought, and keeping a short television sound bite in mind, Finkel said (looking directly into the TV camera): "You do it for the personal challenge."

Ah.

"Just getting this done is a tremendous accomplishment," said Karl Meltzer, a living legend of ultra trail runners who won his fifth Hardrock title Saturday in a course record 24:38:02.

Meltzer, a professional ultrarunner, won his 26th 100-mile race with Saturday's victory. He's competed in 39 races of 100 miles or more. He's the only endurance athlete sponsored by Red Bull.

But the Hardrock is more than another race for the world's most successful 100-mile trail runner.

"It's the best of all the 100s," said Meltzer, from Sandy, Utah. "It's the best ... the altitude, the course. It's the hardest one."

Ah.

"It's a beautiful course," men's runner-up Troy Howard of Walnut Creek, Calif., said.

"And it's only a little over a day out of your life.

"I had three goals," Howard said.

"My first goal was to finish, period," he said.

"My second goal was to finish under 30 hours. My third goal was to win it. But I never worry about the third goal," Howard said, still beaming from his second-place finish in 26:01:18, well under his 30-hour target.

The joy of the completion of the long distance test was evident with Jaime, as well. The Highlands Ranch runner was fourth.

Like many of the runners, he shared a joyful postrace celebration with family and friends, who backed every step of his 100-mile journey and met him at most of the 13 aid stations.

Jaime, who ran with Meltzer in the early stages last weekend, eventually finished fourth overall, third among the men (27:47:53). It was the fastest fourth-place time ever in the Hardrock 100.

Similar family/friend celebrations were repeated Saturday and Sunday as runner after runner completed the Hardrock, running into Silverton and consecrating the race with a kiss of the finish-line rock. A total of 105 of the 140 starters completed the 2009 Hardrock 100.

Andy Jones-Wilkins of Ketchum, Idaho, finished fifth.

Ronda Sundermeier, 42, from Tigard, Ore., was second among the women (18th overall in 33:56:29).

Veteran trail runners Helen Cospolich of Breckenridge, Betsy Nye of Truckee, Calif., and Betsy Kalmeyer of Leadville finished 3-4-5 among the women.

John DeWalt of Sarver, Pa., was the oldest runner to finish the 2009 Hardrock. He's 73 (47:47:17). It was the 10th time he's completed the Hardrock 100.

Jamil Coury of Tucson, Ariz., was the youngest to finish at age 24. He was 15th overall (33:19:56).

Brett Gosney, 50, was the highest-finishing Durango runner. Gosney was 26th in 35:25:04.

Durango's Will Vaughn, 37, finished 36th (37:21:07).

Other Durango finishers included Philip Wiley (41:49:39) and Rick Pearcy (47:48:47).

Rodger Wrublik of Silverton finished his fifth Hardrock (39:10:18).

At the finish, they all shared their tales of the trails as they recounted 100 miles of Hardrock memories. They compared notes on their blistered heels, tortured toes and scraped knees.

Was it fun? Really?

Of course, Finkel said.

"Like I always say, it doesn't have to be fun to be fun."

dstrode@durangoherald.com