Pauline and Greg conquered the Finlayson Arm 50K trail race.
By Leslie Ann Bent
This weekend our STARR trail threesome raised the bar in distance racing for our club, tackling and succeeding grueling 50km ultra races.
A reward for finishing.
Finlayson Arm may be familiar to some of you. The ultra race took place on September 6. Starting at Goldstream Provincial Park, the race boasts a nice mix of single track, double track, coastal mountain trails, at least one river crossing, and steep climbs while offering 3 race distances – 28k, 50k and 100k. My understanding is that Greg coerced Pauline in joining him for the 50k option.
The race is extremely tough. Of the 182 runners who started the race, nearly a third dropped out before completion. Pauline Nielsen was our first STARR runner to cross at 10:26. Yeah, Pauline! Greg trailed 10 minutes behind Pauline clocking 10:36. Setting a course record, the first male runner was Andrew Russell with an amazing time of 5:34 – 51 minutes ahead of the second-place finisher. He is no stranger to those runners who do the Vancouver Island race series. The first woman was Meagan O’Brien with a time of 7:15. Here is what Pauline had to say about the race:
“It was great! I can’t say enough about how helpful and supportive the volunteers were. They would take my pack and fill my water and electrolytes while encouraging me to utilize my time to eat. At one point while changing my socks I was getting terrible leg cramps and a volunteer actually offered to put my socks on for me. Of course, I said “no” and continued to struggle. Greg was much worse off in terms of leg cramps. While running, he collapsed twice onto the ground because his leg would lock. At an aid station, I could see his leg muscles twitching. We pushed on often jockeying with familiar faces along the way. I left Greg in the last 5k. I felt bad but figured he could manage the last bit. I came in in 10 hrs 26 min. I had enough in the tank for a sprint. Greg was in 10 minutes after. I snapped a photo of him crossing the finish. You could see the discomfort on his face.” As a reward, Pauline said they received lovely beer glasses at the finish line with Driftwood Brewing filling them.
Anyone wishing to join them next year, should mark September 11-13, 2020 on their calendar!
Meanwhile further north east in Nelson BC, Jonathan was endeavouring in his own 50k challenge – Tackle the Toad. Earlier this summer he told me that he was very excited about racing an ultra in his home territory. “I grew up in there and know the landscape. It is steep and hard. They said to expect a 30% longer time than for a normal 50k.” (Is 50k normal?, I ask!)
The race takes runners on an epic journey through lush ancient Cedar Hemlock forests and up into the rocky spruce alpine climb that towers over Kootenay Lake. It is well known for its jaw dropping mountain bike trails on which the race takes place. The 50km option has 2,530 meters (8,000+ feet) of climbing. Jonathan did amazingly well, placing 6th overall. He said that the race was incredible. As of race report print time, the race results had yet to be posted.
Congrats to all of our ultra racers! Amazing performances were done by all.
