IMTR Race Report, 2007
Perry Edinger
I made the trek from Arizona to run this event after conversations with Eric and Annette Bednosky. After running quite a few events this summer there was allot to look forward to with this race.
Friday’s pre race meal was very good and Eric’s description of the course was very detailed and helpful. He did indicate that it is not the easiest course developed, so I was able to prepare for the race well the day before.
Saturday morning was nice. The race starts just late enough that you do not need to bring lights, very n ice!! It was cool enough to wear a long sleeve shirt at the start but the weather was predicted to be in the low 80’s, so like must others, short sleeves were all that was needed.
The first 5 miles are on flat smooth surface and allow everyone to get warmed up and a chance to get to know who you are running with. At this point the course crosses the road and makes a nice climb. The course becomes either a single track or unpaved road surface the remaining distance. This year proved to be very dry, with little rain over the summer, so there was no water on the course. I would not expect that each year this would remain true. Being from the desert, this was a very nice touch for me!!
Once you make the first climb, there is never much more than over a mile that is flat, but there is only one climb of any real length, and that starts at 28 miles. This long climb ends about 33 miles but is never so steep as to make the climb very difficult. The wide variety of climbs and descents make the adventure very nice.
The trail conditions are very good. There are a number of sections that are run on gravel or dirt roads but once again never very long in length and do provide some nice relief to the single track conditions. The single track trail varies greatly in relation to smooth, rocky, covered with roots and a ditch for the water run-off. There are no sections that cannot be run and with a little concentration you won’t even fall.
There are an abundance of aid stations and the people working them are terrific. I had my struggles during the last half of the race and the aid station workers were very positive and encouraging. I only carried one water bottle with me and that was plenty of fluids between the aid stations. They sure made the run a great experience.
Once you get to the 33 mile mark, the majority of the challenges are complete. There are a small number of climbs after this point (This is a point of contention with Eric. He says it is all downhill from this point on, don’t believe him). If you get to 33 miles, you can finish the race. That is a very comforting thought as the race progresses.
At the finish, there is a nice meal waiting and a very special finisher’s shirt. Handicapped awards were presented but I was unable to stay for that portion of the event.
I have run a number of ultra and running events in my career. This is one of those events that is just a great event to be involved with. The race is difficult but very fair. The course conditions are great, nothing ever lasts too long so you have a chance to recover from a climb, descent, single track or gravel road. This event is run just before the leaves fall so the trail is not covered. We had warm conditions but even then it was not uncomfortable. This quite little race will become a major attraction in a very short period. Run it while you have the chance, you will have a great time!!
Perry