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Haliburton Forest
Trail Runs |
| Race Report by John Remington updated 08-Jul-2001 |
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6 am Saturday September 2nd, 2000 saw 99 ultrarunners line-up to challenge one of the three great races Helen Malmberg organizes in the 51,000 acre private forest south of Algonquin Park. With 38 of us electing to run the 100 miler the 5th edition of this race was set to be the most popular yet. 22 runners lined up with us to do the 50 mile and 38 for the 50 kilometre "wimp" runs which have been held for 7 years. The noise as we set off after prayers was loud enough to disturb the Haliburton Forest wolf pack, truly a great way to start a race! The day dawned cold and gray after a hot week but the green forest lay before us and most people's mood was light.
Quickly the lead 50 kilometre pack took off after pre-race favourite John Culhane from Toronto. 3 hours and 59 minutes later John had his victory. Interestingly female winner Cori Hutton from Peterborough took second overall in 4:20:31. She recently moved to Ontario from Western Canada and looks capable of winning an ultra outright. Ross Inglis from St. Catharines produced a solid third in 4:31:14. In all 35 of the 38 fifty kilometre runners completed their journey. Eleven year old Taylor Harthurn from Hamilton finished in 25th place in a time of 6:20:39!
Meanwhile the 50 milers and the 100 milers continued onwards towards the 25 mile turn around point. I led for a while until bowel problems and general lethargy slowed me. Luke Hohenadel from Guelph then led us all in a very impressive way until his race ended at the 65 mile mark. As I saw Luke standing mournfully by Ed Alexander's fire I remembered my own DNF in 1997 at the 70 mile mark. Some things are worth trying again and the Haliburton 100 miler is definitely one of them.
The 50 mile race gave the event its first surprise as pre-race favourite Scott Turner dropped out due to an ankle injury. David McConkey then led the race back to base camp and looked invincible. Well it’s an ultra and he took a wrong turn, got dehydrated, got back on course and had to settle for third in 8:13:45. Brad Arndt from London was second only 10 seconds ahead of David. Jay Myatt was victorious in 7:52:54. Women's winner was Paula Burchat from Ottawa in a course record 9:19:09. Suzanne Farla from Woodville took second in 10:46:11. Leslie Nigh from Etobicoke was close behind Suzanne in 10:51:32. Leslie ran in with Jennifer Dick from Waterloo who was precociously doing her first 100 miler. She only started running this year!
Miles 25 to 50 on the return to base camp felt very difficult. First I ran with new 50 miler Gary Arsenault and then Doug Barber. Doug was having a bad day as well but left me to run hard up the steep Krista Trail to finish in 8:36:08. Doug didn't seem to feel that I'd be starting out again and very nicely came out in his van to check on me when he realized I was trying to do the 100 miler. Thanks Doug.
As I ran along the road into base camp John Culhane came out to me in his car and gave me a stern talking to about DNFing and how bad I’d feel if I dropped out again. He was right so I continued, much to my surprise. Running into the 60 mile aid station I saw fresh bear prints. Seems that eventual 100 mile victor Wesley Finnemore from Boston was lucky enough to see the bear earlier on.
I pushed onward and onward. This point in the race saw about 4 or 5 runners go past me. As I sat in the 60 mile aid station staring at my socks Rich Urbanski came in and out. From him and others there came a series of reports that I had dropped out. Meanwhile I was jogging along in the rain looking at all the trees that had gone into fall colours over the day, just beautiful. Into Ryne Melcher's Brewski Aid Station as night fell and time for my last beer (Rickard's Red, one of three I had during the day). "Now's the time to zoom" Ryne informed me without actually telling me how! So I did and took off up the hill as fast as I could.
The Osprey trail was dark, real dark. Took me a bit to realize there were no glow sticks marking the trail. Helen usually has the course lit up like Christmas. I fell twice trying to find the day glow ribbons and ran in a darkness so complete I couldn't see my hand in front of my face. Next year Helen will make sure her supply of glow sticks arrives! Made it real interesting during the night.
After hugging my partner Leslie at the 75 mile station I powered along the road seeking to use my new energy to catch Steve Govier. About a mile out I see lights and hear a woman screaming for help. I assumed it was Ron Gehl's pacer Karen Westfahl having a joke on me. It was Pat Sommers who had been running with Monica Scholz until making a wrong turn. She had heard a rustling sound and shined her light towards it. A black bear stepped out onto the road and growled and reared up on her. Pat ran off the wrong way and shouted for help. Realizing none would be coming she charged passed the bear and then inched her way along expecting the bear to return any minute. She was very upset by this and it took me a while to calm her. I talked her into walking back to the aid station with me.
Monica and her brother came walking along and Pat started shouting for help again. What they thought was going on I'll never know! I explained about the bear and Pat returned to the aid station with Monica's brother. I thought Pat's race was over but she left with her pacer Mark Bomhower and finished in 26:21:45.
Monica and I ran together along the road and into the 79 mile aid station before the start of the Osprey trail. Monica left me and was about 200 metres ahead when she met Jenn Dick coming along. Jenn shone her flashlight through the forest to find me. Twenty feet on my left I heard "GROWL" and off I went after Monica. I was badly scared by this and Monica generously slowed to let me cross the Osprey trail with her. She offered to run the rest of the race with me which is truly classy as it was obvious to me I was going to slow even more. I talked her out of this, claiming Ryne Melcher could pace me from the next station. Monica finished 5th overall and first woman in 23:42:28 in her record 11th 100 miler this year! Wow.
Ryne was roused from his tent but couldn't pace me as a hard day working the aid station had tired him out. The bear stories also seemed to shake his usual confidence!
I ran alone along the road to Ed Alexander's aid station where I realized I only had 25 kilometres to go. Ed informed me Rich Urbanski was just ahead and faltering. Vengeance time for the "John's dropping" rumour!
The King and James trail had mysteriously got very, very steep during the day but eventually I got to the 90 mile station to find Rich sitting down. Leslie got me going and Rich and his pacer, Daniel Boon, walked with me along the road to climb Krista and finish.
Near the top of the Krista trail we found Vincent Swendsen sitting down four hours after his flashlight failed. He couldn't see to move in any direction. We left him with Daniel and jogged down the trail. Near the 5 mile aid station we saw a large white animal running away from us. After a few minutes Rich finally got his can of mace out which didn't make me feel any safer! It seems likely we saw a badger. The wildlife don't normally put in so many appearances at this race!
Daniel informed us a runner's lights were flickering behind us on the trail. We both figured it must be Aimee Runge who is known for her patented fast finishes. We started the final 5 miles at a brisk pace. Two miles later I died but Rich refused to abandon me. The next three miles were painful but Aimee didn't catch us! With 500 metres to go Daniel informed us we could have broken 25 hours but we would never make it now. I looked at Rich and he at me. We zoomed and finished in 24:56:20. I will treasure forever the beautifully designed new belt buckle.
Wesley ran a great race to finish in 19:10:39 closely followed by Peter Koehli from Orillia running his first hundred in 19:46:00. (Peter's sister, Helga Rinneard, also did well in her first hundred, clocking 26:18:20.) Joe Hewitt from Burlington got third in 20:44:49. It is to be noted that Hans-Dieter Weisshaar from Germany finished in 25:52:11 for 11th place overall despite getting a bit lost and running a few extra miles. This was number 14 in year 2000 for Hans-Dieter who is on his way to smashing the record for number of completed 100 mile races in one year. Art Moore of Ohio celebrated 45 years of marriage by finishing the 100 with his wife as support crew.
Helen Malmberg did an amazing job and she was everywhere during the night keeping us and the aid station crews going. Her races are the jewel in the crown of the OUS and you must spend some time in the Forest next year.
With 9 races completed, the 2000 OUS is winding down with the likely points winners in various categories becoming clearer. Pat Sommers in the under 50 women looks invincible. Unless Helen Malmberg can pull out an exceptional race at Ottawa, Marion Landry is favoured to win the female 50+ category this year. The 50+ male category looks like Ron Gehl's unless an act of God intervenes! In the under 50 male category (immature boys!) Steve Govier remains the clear leader as he seeks to defend his title from 1999.
Time Age Bib 100 mile 1 Wesley D Finnemore Boston MA 19:10:39 37 28 2 Peter Koehli Orillia 19:46:00 45 18 3 Joe Hewitt Burlington 20:44:49 46 14 4 Steve Govier Kitchener 21:51:29 36 22 5 Monica Scholz Jerseyville 23:42:28 33 f 12 6 John Remington Toronto 24:56:20 36 13 Richard Urbanski Coldwater 24:56:20 53 36 8 Aimee Runge Toronto 25:18:38 34 f 11 9 Rolly Portelance Chelmsford 25:30:59 57 23 10 Tom Restoule Embrun 25:33:35 50 24 11 Hans-Dieter Weisshaar Germany 25:52:11 60 1 12 Helga Rinneard Orillia 26:18:20 53 f 20 13 Patricia Sommers Kitchener 26:21:45 47 f 17 14 Ron Gehl Kitchener 26:38:04 53 5 15 Barbara Bellows Ithaca NY 26:58:33 46 f 34 16 Roy Heger Medina OH 27:04:50 46 32 17 Kurt Kelly Oregon WI 27:29:00 28 37 18 Suzi Cope Southlake TX 28:51:32 52 f 7 19 John Prohira LeRoy NY 29:00:32 46 27 James Miner Dryden NY 29:00:32 51 38 21 Jennifer Dick Waterloo 29:17:17 24 f 19 22 David Meisner Dearborn MI 29:17:41 46 25 23 Howard Parker Toronto 29:19:22 50 4 24 Art Moore Strongsville OH 29:24:46 63 15 25 Brenda Hann Winnipeg MB 29:28:30 49 f 8 26 Marla K Hendricks Waco TX 29:49:59 45 f 29 27 Jim McKee Interlaken NY 30:02:55 62 26 David Hughes Kokomo IN dnf 54 2 Vincent Swendsen Fayetteville NC dnf 38 3 Peter Moore Dorset VT dnf 43 6 Long Vu Oklahoma City OK dnf 50 9 Frederick F Davis III Cleveland Hts OH dnf 52 10 Peter Suomela Ottawa dnf 51 16 Luke Hohenadel Guelph dnf 41 21 Darrell Thompson Waco TX dnf 39 30 Les Michalak Burlington dnf 49 31 Colin Kingsford Ile Bizard QC dnf 57 33 Mario Martinez Ithaca NY dnf 46 35 (38 starters, DNFs ran at least 50 miles) 50 mile 1 Jay Myatt London 7:52:54 30 106 2 Brad Arndt London 8:13:35 35 111 3 David McConkey Peterborough 8:13:45 45 102 4 Henry Van Germert Oakville 8:21:02 39 121 5 Scott Myers Burlington 8:21:35 27 107 6 Doug Barber Owen Sound 8:36:08 53 109 7 Jim Newin Chambly QC 8:40:37 47 116 8 Jim Martin Lindsay 8:58:12 51 112 9 Gord England Toronto 8:59:59 47 114 10 Gary Arsenault Orillia 9:18:07 35 123 11 Paula Burchat Ottawa 9:19:09CR 29 f 101 12 Drake Sladky Sackets Hbr NY 9:23:32 29 120 13 Joe Cleary Georgetown 10:28:57 60 105 14 Peter Juknys Komoka 10:32:40 48 115 15 Suzanne Farla Woodville 10:46:11 46 f 124 16 Leslie Nigh Toronto 10:51:32 35 f 100 17 Dan Riggenback Seville OH 11:07:57 41 110 18 Martina Orth-Demczyszyn Mississauga 11:19:37 33 f 113 19 Esmond Mah Toronto 11:25:20 50 104 20 Mari Bliss Painted Post NY 13:26:27 33 f 119 21 Ruta Mazelis Sherrodsville OH 13:53:25 41 f 117 (22 starters) 50 km 1 John Culhane Toronto 3:59:33 37 56 2 Cori Hutton Peterborough 4:20:31 29 f 95 3 Ross Inglis St Catharines 4:31:14 30 90 4 Roger DePlancke Orillia 4:34:50 50 77 5 Marketa Myatt London 4:44:27 28 f 59 6 Henri Ragetlie Niagara-OTL 4:50:29 41 94 7 Paul Appleman Port Hope 5:02:03 48 73 8 Paul Raymond Orillia 5:04:08 45 75 9 Bill LaDieu Harrisburg PA 5:08:58 50 103 10 Tony Martin Kitchener 5:10:39 36 81 11 Ricky McRobert Whitby 5:11:01 45 61 12 Jim Miller-Cushon Merrickville 5:13:13 42 83 13 Hans Maier Markham 5:21:13 60 50 14 David Cannons Peterborough 5:22:13 33 54 15 George Sarson Kitchener 5:24:16 53 65 16 Hellaina Rothenburg Barrie 5:24:53 30 f 62 17 Sharon Hewitt Burlington 5:44:05 39 f 55 18 Joanne Murray Ottawa 5:48:15 53 f 80 19 Art Weaver St Catharines 6:00:09 49 93 20 Bob White Owen Sound 6:05:55 39 69 21 David Bishop Haliburton 6:11:29 91 22 Tim Krug North East PA 6:15:41 56 84 23 Moe White Burlington 6:18:15 49 122 Jim Glen Hamilton 6:18:15 33 68 25 Taylor Harthurn Hamilton 6:20:39 11 67 26 Gord Harthurn Hamilton 6:20:40 46 66 27 Daryl Howse-Jones Kitchener 6:23:04 48 89 28 Thomas A Dembinski Fredericktown OH 6:36:50 51 53 29 Robert Clifford Perry OH 6:38:02 47 71 Cheri Clifford Perry OH 6:38:02 39 f 72 31 Marion Landry Montreal QC 6:50:38 56 f 63 32 Donald Landry Montreal QC 6:50:39 55 64 33 Leo Lightner Rocky River OH 7:18:37 71 92 34 George Wood Peterborough 7:44:54 88 35 Rev John Riley Notre Dame IN 8:21:35 43 60 (38 starters)
Results: Esmond Mah for Helen Malmberg, RD