The Promise Land 50K
First Time Ultra: Good Things … Bad Things
April 28, 2001
by David Horton
There are good things and bad things about running a first
time ultra, as well as directing a first time ultra. There is the excitement of running a new race and seeing new
trails, new areas and new experiences. There
is also the possibility of getting lost because very few runners know the entire
course, and the race might not be a good course or a fun race to compete in.
Time limits might be too short or too long, and aid stations might not be
in appropriate places.
In late 2000, I had contemplated starting a new 50K on
Liberty Mountain adjacent to Liberty University where I teach.
Not being able to come up with what I thought was a good course, I
suggested to Dr. George Wortley that he try to come up with a 50K course on the
trails in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Apple Orchard Mountain.
Within a week, George came to me with a course he had mapped out starting
and finishing at the Promise Land Youth Camp near Bedford, Virginia.
Mike Sandlin and I then tried to find the course that used
some established and non-established trails.
We presented the course to the Forest Service. They rejected part of our original course and we had to make
adjustments, adding in White Tail, Colon Hollow, Stove Hollow and Apple Orchard
Falls Trails. This made the course
much harder, more trails and much more scenic.
The Forest Service approved our new race course, and we were ready for a
new classic trail race in the east. Sandlin
made the comment that this was “Not your average 50K race” and therein the
race motto originated.
On Friday night, we had a pre-race meal at a local
restaurant in nearby Bedford. The
majority of the runners then traveled to the start/finish of the Promise Land
Youth Camp. It looked like “tent
city” as most runners camped and were within 50 yards of the start.
Many runners shared their stories around a giant campfire late into the
night.
At 5:30 a.m. on Saturday morning, April 28, 148 runners
began their journey in the dark. The
course went up a gravel road to the first aid station, gaining 1,400 feet in 2.6
miles.
I had marked the course by myself on Wednesday of race
week. After the start, I made my
way to different sections of the course to put down arrows, hang more streamers
and try to make sure runners stayed on course.
There were a few sections where runners made an out and back on the same
trail, and I was concerned about these areas.
In the end, areas I was more concerned about were not much of a problem.
But the areas I didn’t give much thought to, were a problem.
The Promise Land 50K is the second race in the Lynchburg
Ultra Series (L.U.S.). This, and
the fact that word had gotten out to many runners that the course was very
scenic and challenging, resulted in a very large starting field for a first time
ultra.
The men’s field was headed by the local Zealand young
bucks (Clark, 27 and Mike, 25), Michael Wardian (27, Arlington, VA) and crafty
old veteran Mike Sandlin (46, Lynchburg, VA) who new the course better than any
of the other runners.
The women’s field was the best I have ever seen at any
race that I have directed. It was
headed by Janice Anderson (Kennesaw, GA), Sue Johnston (Waterford, VT),
Francesca Conte (Charlottesville, VA), Kathy Youngren (Vestavin Hills, AL), and
local runners, Bethany Hunter and Rebekah Trittipoe.
There were also several other good runners among the 28 female
participants.
As expected, the men’s race went true to pre-race
predictions. Through 23.9 miles,
the two Zealand brothers, Wardian and Sandlin were back and forth in their pack
of four. At this point, they were
within two minutes of each other with Clark Zealand and Wardian having a
two-minute lead over Sandlin and Mike Zealand.
The 2.8 mile section on Apple Orchard Falls Trail to Sunset
Fields (26.7 miles), is by far the most scenic, but also the most difficult
section of the entire course. There
is a gain of over 2,000 vertical feet by a spectacular waterfall on some
beautiful footbridges.
Wardian forged a slight lead on Clark around the Falls, but
took a wrong turn above the Falls. It
was my fault as I had a section blocked off and I had been unable to unblock it
before Wardian got there. He made a
loop back down the Cornelius Creek Trail to where he had just come from !?!?!
Yet, he showed a lot of class by continuing on and climbing Apple Orchard
Falls Trail a second time and he probably ran an extra four miles and 3,000
extra feet of elevation change.
Clark flew down the last four miles (all downhill) and
finished in a great time of 5:08:27. I
had predicted a winning time of 5:30. Sandlin
pulled away from Mike Zealand and finished in 5:26, and Mike coming in third
with a time of 5:37:18. Scott Mills
(Alexandra, VA) finished in 6th place (5:48:37) to win the masters
division. Frank Probst (Burke, VA)
won the grand masters with a time of 6:22:46 and Robert Calabria (Cary, NC)
finished in 8:05:13 to claim the super masters.
The women’s race was just as exciting.
Anderson, Conte and Youngren went out together and were within one minute
of each other at Sunset Fields (11.9 miles).
After the big downhill to Cornelius Creek (16.1 miles), Conte made great
time and arrived there five minutes ahead of the young (22 years of age) Bethany
Hunter, who was five minutes back and Anderson and Youngren another three
minutes back.
Between Colon Hollow and the return to Cornelius Creek,
both Conte and Hunter missed a turn. It
was marked, but some streamers had been torn down and it wasn’t a real obvious
turn. These two ladies along with
seven or eight others, continued on a gravel (unmarked) road.
Conte probably ran three miles off course and Hunter two miles.
Anderson arrived at 23.9 miles at 10:01, with Youngren at
10:04, Hunter at 10:08 and Trittipoe at 10:09.
Conte didn’t arrived till 10:12. Anderson
arrived back at Sunset Fields (26.7 miles) at 11:02 with Youngren and Hunter
checking in five minutes later.
At the last aid station, Hunter was two minutes behind
Anderson, with Youngren another minute back.
Hunter was able to pass Anderson in the last mile and gain a small lead,
but Anderson’s experience and speed enabled her to pull back ahead and win by
37 seconds with a time of 6:10:18. Hunter
took second place with a time of 6:10:55 and Youngren came in at 6:14:23 to take
third place.
Trittipoe took 4th and the masters crown
(following some health and injury problems) with a fine time of 6:23:26.
Sue Johnston (also battling some sickness) finished one minute later at
6:24:18. Meredith Bonta (Riva, MD)
took the grand masters title in 8:52:04.
With only three of 148 starters not finishing the race, we
were very pleased with the results. A
cookout for all the runners and crews was greatly appreciated at the finish
line. My wife, Nancy, and friends,
Nancy Hesse and Laura O’Reilly headed up the cooking/serving staff and had all
the trimmings to go with some great hamburgers/hotdogs!
George Wortley (course designer and medical doctor)
finished in 9:11; how appropriate. Local
massage therapist, Jim McFarland finished his first ultra in a time of 10:01.
Around the Cornelius Creek area, Jim even saw a bobcat and bear?!?!
How lucky was he? I’m
jealous!
Will there be a Promise Land 2002? You bet! What
will be different? There will be
improved markings at certain sections of the course, as well as posting more
signs and possibly placing a volunteer at certain key intersections.
The time limit will be decreased from 11 hours to 10 hours, and there
will be cut-off times at two points, Sunset Fields (11.9 miles: 9:00am) and
Cornelius Creek (23.9 miles: 12:25pm).
The cookout was a great success and we will continue it …
that is, if my wife will continue to head up this huge undertaking!
How many hamburgers and hot dogs do you buy for 148+ runners, crews and
families? How much potato salad and
baked beans do you prepare?
I don’t know what we’ll do about the pre-race
meal/meeting for next year. The
situation wasn’t ideal this year, but Bedford doesn’t lend itself to many
eating establishments with meeting rooms for such a large group of people. Any
suggestions?
I feel like the Promise Land 50K was a success. Yes, there were a few problems, as with any first time race. But, I have heard lots of great feedback from many of the runners, and I encourage all of you to give your input on how to improve it. My wife asked me this question, “What’s missing in your life, that you have to continue putting on race after race? Do we not have enough going on without one more race?” It’s a whole lot of work and stress…more than anyone (other than race directors) can imagine! My wife puts up with a lot…and I definitely couldn’t do it without her support. She may complain…but she loves me…and she’s the luckiest woman in the world! It is my desire to put on a good race and encourage runners to do the best they can…and then some! I love to see runners (especially first timers) cross the finish line. It is very rewarding! If you weren’t there this year, you missed a very special race…just ask someone who was! The Promise Land 50K is “Not Your Average 50K Race!”