Hunter S. Thompson Fear and Loathing 50 Miles/50 Kilos Origin

And so it came to pass in the late summer of 1985, amid the haze of the taverns in Haight Ashbury, that runners contemplated the fantasy of running the 49 Mile Scenic Drive. The details of any such discussions have long since been lost to history. But one fact is known for certain, one morning a young and stupid Mike Fanelli, a force to be reckoned with at short distances and who lived just beneath the very top of Twin Peaks, just “kinda went out one morning and plowed through”.

Mike wasted no time in sharing his accomplishment with his pals John Medinger and Hollis Lenderking. A few weeks later, they started the Hunter S Thompson Fear & Loathing 50 Mile Run because they thought “it was a Gonzo sorta' thing to do”. This first run included Bruce LaBelle, an accomplished ultra runner with several top-5 Western States finishes. Lore has it that Bruce was recruited by Mike because he wanted someone of comparable talent in the run.

Mike and Bruce tied as the first 'winners' and record holders (7:58:43) until, as Mike puts it, “the super duper ultra gal, Ann Trason, came out and cracked said record by 4 or 5 minutes”. Okay, Ann's time may have been a bit faster than that (6:13:54), but it's always easier when you're not the first to try something. Credit should also be given to Carl Andersen who finished with Ann.

The run has been held pretty much every year since 1985, including the pandemic edition in 2020. It was not held in 2005 for lack of a  coordinator. The years 1986 and an early 2000 are in question. The early 2000 run was scheduled but was washed out by particularly heavy rain, so technically just a case of 0 finishers.

We lost Mike Fanelli in 2023, shortly before that year's Fear & Loathing run. This is Mike back in the day (1988) and shortly before his passing.