Long Distance Runners

Join

Strange drop distance...

Options
DonPendergraft
DonPendergraft Posts: 520 Member
in Social Groups
I hope that this won't even be an issue, but I did check the website for final cut off information on the 50M race I'm running on Saturday the 22nd. I was originally told (on their FB page) that it would be 14 hours. But it's not. It's really weird. If I'm reading this correctly, they have a station at mile 48.1 of the 50M race and if you don't make it there in 13:15:00 you get dropped. That is bizarre. Can you imagine being told "sorry, you can't finish the last 1.9 miles". Wow. They ought to do it within sight of the finish line just to rub salt in the wounds!

http://www.bigcedar100.com/Race_Details.html#Cutoffs

Replies

  • SillyC2
    SillyC2 Posts: 275 Member
    Options
    Hey good luck at Big Cedar! I have two friends running that other than you, but doing the 100!

    Are those last 2 miles tough, though? If they are it makes total sense. I worked the Mile 97 aid station during the cutoff for an ultra once, and the people we had to cut off? Were not going to make it and we were genuinely worried about their safety out there.

  • DonPendergraft
    DonPendergraft Posts: 520 Member
    Options
    I don't know if they are tough or what the reasoning is. I just thought it's funny. I'm an optimist, so this won't be an issue for me since I will run it so much faster than this. Yeah, that's the ticket! :)
  • mamarundrc
    mamarundrc Posts: 1,577 Member
    Options
    Good luck!
  • DonPendergraft
    DonPendergraft Posts: 520 Member
    Options
    I later learned the reason for it and it makes sense. The RD wanted the finish line to be a place of joy. It's so tough when you have runners coming in just after cut off at the finish line. So they backed it up to the aid station just a few miles from the finish. They cut you off there instead of the finish line. The good part is that once you hit that last aid station, you can take all the time you need to finish it. The conditions were so horrible that they cancelled the 50M and I had to drop to the 50K and I made cut off literally with a minutes to spare. About 4.5 hours slower than my PR. But I'll always remember that mudfest!
  • fleetzz
    fleetzz Posts: 962 Member
    Options
    Don, congrats on finishing the 50K, probably good they cancelled the 50M. Sounds like it was tough. Race recap?
  • DonPendergraft
    DonPendergraft Posts: 520 Member
    Options
    OK, I haven't yet written a race report yet. Not sure I will or not. Maybe! I was DFL, but that's OK. 58% of those attempting the 50K were DNF so I beat them! ;) I've signed up for Rocky Raccoon 50M race in February so hopefully that will go well. :)
  • lishie_rebooted
    lishie_rebooted Posts: 2,973 Member
    Options
    DonPendergraft wrote: »
    OK, I haven't yet written a race report yet. Not sure I will or not. Maybe! I was DFL, but that's OK. 58% of those attempting the 50K were DNF so I beat them! ;) I've signed up for Rocky Raccoon 50M race in February so hopefully that will go well. :)

    DFL is better than DNF and waaaay better than DNS!

    I take it you guys got snow hence the 50M drop?

  • fleetzz
    fleetzz Posts: 962 Member
    Options
    Well if you write it I would love to read it. Congrats for finishing, doesn't matter what place, you did not quit. Great that you are signed up fo another already. Sounds like you have the bug :-)
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
    Options
    This is such an amazing accomplishment. Would love to read about it!
  • DonPendergraft
    DonPendergraft Posts: 520 Member
    Options
    603reader wrote: »
    DonPendergraft wrote: »
    OK, I haven't yet written a race report yet. Not sure I will or not. Maybe! I was DFL, but that's OK. 58% of those attempting the 50K were DNF so I beat them! ;) I've signed up for Rocky Raccoon 50M race in February so hopefully that will go well. :)

    DFL is better than DNF and waaaay better than DNS!

    I take it you guys got snow hence the 50M drop?

    No snow. The rain made the course almost so muddy it was crazy. Sucking peoples shoes off, crawling over the wooden bridges on hands and knees, slipping and sliding everywhere. The feeling was that it wouldn't be good to have the 50M start at 3:30AM and run for hours in the dark having never seen the course before. The 100 milers were allowed to continue since they had the previous day to familiarize themselves with the course. The 50K started at daylight so it was allowed to proceed. I would vote for starting the 50M racers at daylight and just have them finish later next year. I would certainly have DNF'd the 50M race as I don't think the cut off was realistic in those conditions. So I did the 50K. It was my 4th 50K, but my hardest I think. :)
  • Stoshew71
    Stoshew71 Posts: 6,553 Member
    Options
    Awesome job Don. I have amazing respect for all your ultra runners.
  • jturnerx
    jturnerx Posts: 325 Member
    edited December 2014
    Options
    I was wondering how your 50 miler went. I was in a race where the weather was so terrible one agency pulled their permit but the other one let us race. Much re-routing ensued. I felt more like a marine mammal than a land dwelling creature after that race. Good for you for sticking it out. I call it character building. lol

Categories