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The 9th Annual |
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Race Report by John Remington |
results results with splits |
The 9th annual Sri Chinmoy 6-hour race was held on a measured one kilometre loop around the scenic grounds of Canada's Royal Military College and through the interior of old Fort Frederick. Although numbers were down a little this year from 51 to 45 the crowd was an enthusiastic one of old hands (Wally Herman, Paul Smith, Esmond Mah) and new ultra runners (John Turner, Vince Charbonneau, Jim Morrison).
The weather usually plays a factor here as over the years this race has seen blistering heat and dreadful mud. The 2001 race was to be no different! Starting temperature was 13C and reached a high of about 23C. Standing in singlets and shorts at the start the actual temperature felt well over 25C because of the humidity, the still wind and a blazing sun shining out of a clear blue sky.
With the absence of Ryne Melcher and Victor Hickey the prerace wisdom was for a slow and tactical race between John Culhane and Scott Turner. Well Scott lit out from the start at exactly 4 minute per kilometre pace and John Culhane hung back with me at my 4:30 minute kilometre pace. Ultra novice Ted Nagowski of Peterborough ran hard after Scott as the "Two Johns" circled the course. After about 3k John Culhane had had enough and went after Scott while I found myself stuck at 4:20 pace per kilometre despite trying to go slower! 4:30 per kilometre for 6 hours is 80k!!!
Every time I passed my counter Paula I gave her a big shout and she gave me support throughout the race. Each counter has 4 runners to check and they keep your lap splits and tell the leader board your position. The top 6 in each sex are displayed so you can see what's going on. This is good as you don't see those running or walking at your own pace very much. However you do get to see everyone faster or slower a whole lot which is why this is my favourite road ultra in Ontario. Passing people I always try to read the name on their bib (We aren't just numbers at this race!) and give them a friendly greeting. It is a major challenge getting the names right towards the end of the race but seeing people respond is always worth the effort.
The aid station is well stocked but I use an icebox filled with Gatorade (half strength) and Soya milk to supply myself. Cold drinks in the heat every one kilometre are a major tactical advantage and one I was pleased to see others starting to use. A recent thread on the OUS-L mailing list was on SUCCEED capsules and as my partner, Leslie Nigh, doesn't drink electrolytes we tried them out here. A major success for Leslie and a major improvement on her usual salt covered cookie midrace! I had two at the start and two in the middle and felt no negative effects and plan to give them a good trial on a long run soon.
I don't know if Les Michalak is using them yet but what a runner he is this Series! He blasts a 18:50 to win the Sulphur Springs 100 miler just two weeks ago and then runs like a train over the last two hours of the Kingston race. Les got just over 70k for second overall but he got my vote for most inspired runner. However I am getting ahead here. So Scott Turner flew from the start but never quite caught me though I did see him within 100 metres of me after a couple of hours. I was most perplexed as too why Scott, Ted, or John didn't lap me as I felt okay but was slowing 2 to 3 seconds a lap. Next I pass Ted who was badly flagging and I am in third overall after the first 3 hours. Barely a lap later I see Scott Turner sitting down looking very comfortable at the aid station after 51k. Next lap he's still there! So now I am second and very pleased to be there on this hot day.
John Culhane is invincible this year when he's on his game and blasted the field at the Sulphur Springs 50k just two weekends before. When I came up to him he stayed with me for a while and we chatted. Turns out he was tired and just couldn't keep pushing after trying to stay with Scott in the early going. So now I am in first overall and the marathon mark is coming up! I qualified for Boston in 3:11 but missed out on running around with the flag. The Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team has you carry a little Canadian flag for your marathon, 40 mile, and 50 mile laps. Great idea and really gets the other runners going.
So what to do now? Here I am leading an ultra I want to run relaxed! To add to my problems the shiny New Balance 829s are blistering my right foot in different places that the NB804s did two weeks prior! Both John Culhane and myself received New Balance sponsorship this year but I am having troubles getting my feet sorted out after a bout with plantia faciitis. I run on to 50k and stop to change shoes (NB1020!) which work but as I hobble out of the aid station worried volunteers offer to help me walk! No thanks I say! One kilometre later the kinks are ironed out and I zoom into and out of the aid station grabbing my bottle with one hand from the top of the icebox.
At the Buffalo 6 Hour Trishul Cherns told me to "think like a winner" which was great advice but I knew I could only run for 4 hours at Buffalo. Well two months of training had gone by and whattsup! It's been two years since I had won an ultra, maybe?! On I went now having targets to throw my used water bottles at each time I went through the aid station as runners wilted in the heat and took to drink yeast beverages instead of running! Gord England was having major trouble with his hip yet he came back later in the race to run hard again. Vince Charbonneau sat out after 36 painful looking kilometres but stayed and supported us all! Feeling somewhat tired I tried a beer to see if it would wake me up like last year's one did. Real bad timing! I ran next to the tourist bus swilling foaming Old Milwaukee all over myself for the whole of the seawall section. I kicked passed the bus going into the keyhole section and spent an anxious few minutes waiting to see if the RCMP would come and remove me from the base! Still the beer helped!
Pat Sommers ran just over 62k to set two Canadian age 45-49 records at this race. I saw Pat late on in the race hanging around the aid station selecting beverages. She thought she had the record and was in no mood to run hard for the last few minutes of the race despite my yelling at her to run! I got Scott Turner back up and he ran an easy lap with me before joining Pat to help push her through her 62nd kilometre and onwards into the record books!
I stopped at 72k and enjoyed watching the runners come through the line. The effort all had put in was very inspiring but I started to choke as it's been a while since I felt so good at the end of an ultra! Leslie found me and had got 4th with 52k as she continues her own comeback from injury. Suzanne Farla took second with 56k after her powerful 50k race at Sulphur Springs.
Aimee Runge took third female with a steady 54k and John Culhane ran a tired 69k for third overall. This was entirely fitting as these two got engaged a few weeks ago. Congratulations to John and Aimee from us all in the Ontario Ultra Series. Date will be set for next year.
The great Wally Herman, a veteran of 23 years of ultrarunning, finished with 44k and kept his gloves on the whole race. John Turner from Burlington ran his first ultra to finish metres shy of 60k. You know he is ready for these races when you see he made a beer towel into a neck protector from the sun! John has ran two hard marathons very recently and will be out again in the series.
Tony Martin arrived late but put in a good effort to keep the competition in the under 50 males OUS points division interesting. Jim Morrison is not running like a dead guy and ran very relaxed so soon after his first ever 100 miler. This division looks like it will go down to the last race at the Slough! In the over 50 males Les Michalak appears very strong and could win the Sarson Award for overall points champion even if he slows down!
The awards were pleasant in the sun eating vegetarian lasagna, caesar salad and ice cream with cake. The Sri Chinmoy race organizers provided 2 big cakes for all the runners and volunteers with birthdays in June. The last award was the Barbara McLeod award for the most inspiring runner. With Barbara at the race it was a major delight for me to receive the beautiful clock from her. Looking at the trophy with the previous winners names on it was great but I really didn't deserve the award. Talking to others during the race is part of the race and helps me more than it helped them! The only dark cloud? I really, really missed having the group photograph and I'd have loved to have hung a third group photo from Kingston on my wall!
See you all at Bechtel Park! Run smart at Niagara and Damn Tough!
pos kms age city
1 Remington John 72.000 36 Etobicoke
2 Michalak Les 70.037 50 Burlington
3 Culhane John 69.178 37 Toronto
4 Van Gemert Henry 66.290 40 Oakville
5 Morrison Jim 64.023 42 Thornhill
6 Ouellette Michel 63.067 45 Fredericton, NB
7 Sommers Patricia 62.375*F 48 Kitchener
8 Martin Tony 61.339 37 Kitchener
9 Gehl Ronald 60.083 53 Kitchener
10 Turner John 59.576 42 Burlington
11 Traynor Peter 59.290 31 Toronto
12 Martin Jim 59.210 51 Lindsay
13 Maier Hans 57.852 61 Markham
14 Hill Ian 57.256 51 Osgoode
15 O'Connor Gary 57.000 42 Fergus
16 Kingsford Colin 56.887 58 Ile Bizard, QC
17 Miller-Cushon Jim 56.268 44 Merrickville
18 Farla Suzanne 56.029 F 47 Woodville
19 Yearsley Michael 56.000 56 Kingston
20 Ashford Keith 55.155 51 Kingston
21 Runge Aimee 54.031 F 34 Toronto
22 Cleary Joe 54.023 61 Georgetown
23 Magee Brian 52.320 57 Kanata
24 White Bob 52.109 40 Owen Sound
25 Cowie Alex 52.000 63 Oshawa
Nigh Leslie Ann 52.000 F 36 Etobicoke
27 Adam Marjorie 51.056 F 57 Deep River
28 Turner Scott 51.000 40 London
29 Smith Paul 50.472 55 Brossard, QC
30 Lance Bob 50.318 44 Kemptville
31 Nagowski Ted 50.000 40 Peterborough
Malmberg Helen 50.000 F 55 Toronto
Paquette Mitzi 50.000 F 31 Oshawa
34 McLeod Barbara 49.470 F 63 S. Ste Marie
35 England Gord 48.000 48 Toronto
36 Mah Esmond 46.000 51 Toronto
37 Herman Wally 44.845 75 Ottawa
38 Aronoff Elliott 43.000 46 Toronto
39 Miller-Cushon Liam 38.268 11 Merrickville
40 Miller-Cushon Emily 36.318 F 14 Merrickville
41 Charbonneau Vincent 35.000 30 Burlington
42 Upshall Charlie 32.000 56 Schomberg
43 Potter Marge 30.000 F 63 London
44 Lance Courtney 29.887 F 15 Kemptville
45 Lance Fraser 22.000 11 Kemptville
SPLITS kms Mar 50 km 60 km 40 mile 1 Remington John 72.000 3:14:23 3:51:17 4:49:21 5:14:17 2 Michalak Les 70.037 3:29:36 4:12:02 5:05:02 5:29:07 3 Culhane John 69.178 3:20:36 4:01:54 5:06:01 5:31:21 4 Van Gemert Henry 66.290 3:41:00 4:28:40 5:24:56 5:49:40 5 Morrison Jim 64.023 3:48:41 4:37:01 5:37:32 6 Ouellette Michel 63.067 3:56:02 4:43:17 5:43:26 7 Sommers Patricia 62.375 3:51:34 4:40:25 5:40:16* 8 Martin Tony 61.339 4:02:34 4:46:42 5:52:21 9 Gehl Ronald 60.083 3:53:44 4:47:09 5:59:32 10 Turner John 59.576 3:56:24 4:54:35 11 Traynor Peter 59.290 3:55:46 5:04:47 12 Martin Jim 59.210 4:03:27 4:51:00 13 Maier Hans 57.852 4:09:36 5:06:59 14 Hill Ian 57.256 4:07:59 5:05:34 15 O'Connor Gary 57.000 4:03:27 5:00:25 16 Kingsford Colin 56.887 4:07:17 5:05:07 17 Miller-Cushon Jim 56.268 4:22:07 5:17:59 18 Farla Suzanne 56.029 4:20:04 5:16:00 19 Yearsley Michael 56.000 4:25:10 5:22:46 20 Ashford Keith 55.155 4:15:06 5:19:53 21 Runge Aimee 54.031 4:30:51 5:30:40 22 Cleary Joe 54.023 4:33:10 5:30:15 23 Magee Brian 52.320 4:43:07 5:42:35 24 White Bob 52.109 4:49:33 5:45:35 25 Cowie Alex 52.000 4:40:30 5:41:36 26 Nigh Leslie Ann 52.000 4:37:16 5:38:40 27 Adam Marjorie 51.056 4:53:35 5:50:15 28 Turner Scott 51.000 3:08:14 3:39:42 29 Smith Paul 50.472 4:54:24 5:56:30 30 Lance Bob 50.318 4:58:51 5:56:34 31 Nagowski Ted 50.000 3:15:23 4:02:28 32 Malmberg Helen 50.000 5:06:12 5:56:18 33 Paquette Mitzi 50.000 4:59:10 5:57:11 34 McLeod Barbara 49.470 5:04:33 35 England Gord 48.000 5:21:59 36 Mah Esmond 46.000 5:16:21 37 Herman Wally 44.845 5:37:16 38 Aronoff Elliott 43.000 4:57:10 39 Miller-Cushon Liam 38.268 40 Miller-Cushon Emily 36.318 41 Charbonneau Vincent 35.000 42 Upshall Charlie 32.000 43 Potter Marge 30.000 44 Lance Courtney 29.887 45 Lance Fraser 22.000
Results: Hladini Wilson, RD