One-Hundred Miles of Misery—and Success

Strange weather swept across the southern Orange County on Saturday. The day began with heavy rains before revealing occasional spurts of sunshine. It ended with perhaps the lowest temperatures of the year.

It wasn't exactly the best day for a run in the park, much less a hundred-mile run.

Still, in the shadows of the freshly snow-dusted Saddleback Mountain, nearly 150 runners overcame Mother Nature’s mind games and a myriad of other obstacles as participants of the Rocky Road Endurance Run. The competitive athletes, who hail from various corners of the world, committed themselves to either a half-marathon, marathon, 50-mile or 100-mile trek along the well-groomed horse trails of a community largely comprised of equestrian enthusiasts.

Race director Charlie Alewine and his wife, Debbie, manned the primary aid station at the Coto de Caza Sports Park, which served as the start and finish point for each of the races. The site had the look of a festival, featuring tents (for changing out of sweat-soaked clothing) and tables filled with food (for maintaining the stamina of supremely spent athletes).

For the second time in a six-week span, Ben Hian dominated a sprint through Coto. The ultra-marathon legend, who finished ahead of the pack in a 50K race on Jan 8, shattered the 100-mile course record late Saturday night.

Hian, a resident of Carlsbad, CA, completed his 13th century sprint in 16 hours 42 minutes. It was his best race time since February, 1998, when he finished the Rocky Raccoon 100-miler in Huntsville, TX in under 15 hours.

Just how dominant was Hian on Saturday? Halfway through the treacherous jaunt, his time was 35 minutes quicker than 50-mile winner Craig Bronstein’s 8:08.

But Saturday’s storyline delved much deeper than Hian’s sensational performance. The communal atmosphere between the determined runners showed through in every way imaginable.

Look no further than Suzy Degazon and Ray Mena, who remained camped out by a space heater near the finish line hours after completing their own 50-mile endeavors. Degazon, an accomplished ultra-triathlon star from Glendora, CA, described the surrounding setting perfectly.

“As a whole, ultra-distance people are great,” Degazon said. “You don’t get the snootiness you might see at a marathon or 10K because you know by mile 60 or 70 or 40, you’re going to be hurting. Everybody is hurting. In that aspect, it’s a very close-knit community because we all appreciate each other’s pains.”

Pain never hurt so good.

Emilie Lincoln, a 28-year-old newbie to the long-distance lifestyle, was enthusiastic shortly after wrapping up her first 50-miler in 9:07. She traveled from San Francisco for the race and described the draw of a sport that so many are quick to scoff.

"Running is definitely addicting," Lincoln said. "I’ve continued to progress to longer distances recently and it has truly been self-therapy. It seems to save me in every stressful situation."

Lincoln certainly didn’t appear stressed as she gingerly limped toward a group of friends.

Hobbled by a potential torn patellar tendon, Lincoln had lost her once-spry step. Nothing, even the knee injury, could erase her proud post-race smile.

While some enjoyed the conclusion of a day’s worth of running, others prepared for a challenging evening.

Michelle Larson stood nervously near the aid station. The Fresno native prepared to join her husband, David, for the finish of his first 100-miler. The funny thing about a race of this magnitude is that the final 40 miles can be considered “the finish.”

"This is a lifelong goal for him and I want to do whatever I can to support him," Larson said. "It's going to be a bit of a challenge to continue pushing him throughout the night because I'm usually more of a nurturer and I know there will be times when thoughts of quitting cross his mind. I hate to see some of these runners go through this alone so I'm happy I'll get to be right there with him ‘til the end."

Larson was shivering already at dusk with the prospect of her husband running another 12 hours. “Hopefully, we’ll finish sometime around 6 a.m. (Sunday),” she said.

David Larson’s journey began at 6 in the morning on Saturday.

Moments after helping her husband into fresh, dry sportswear, Michelle—who is also a runner—joined alongside David on the trail they hoped would lead them to sunrise.

“It’s all about the personal challenge,” Degazon asserted. “To see how far you can push yourself to reach that finish line.”

Personal accomplishment is all relative. Some of us view a 30-minute session on the elliptical trainer as a source of pride. For others, ambition simply can’t be confined.

"I'd love to eventually run across the United States," said 100-mile participant Edward Lyell. "It has been a dream of mine for a long time. Runs like this motivate me even more."

Lyell traveled from Guam to join in the Endurance Run. The bottom of his left calf is adorned with a tattoo that features the inked phrase ‘Marathon and Beyond’ accompanied by an indelible image of a turtle strapped to a rocket.

These intrepid ultra-distance runners aren’t superheroes. They’re simply everyday people using their weekend to travel far from relaxation.

Turtles, strapped to a rocket.

Race results

100 miles—1. Ben Hian, Carlsbad, CA, 16:42:29; 2. Christopher Mercaldi, 18:51:57; 3. Buddy Jones, 19:14:51; 4. Brian Myers, 19:43:16; 5. Andy Kumeda, 20:39:06.

50 miles—1. Craig Bronstein, 8:08:54; 2. Armando Alvarez, 8:43:59; 3. Carilyn Johnson, 9:05:52; 4. Emilie Lincoln, San Francisco, 9:07:25; 5. Lindsay Mayfield, 9:11:59.

Marathon—1. Lilian Maeda,  4:19:04; 2. Rebecca Rogoff-Bartis, 4:49:18; 3. Michael Voris, 4:51:55; 4. Chuck Struckness, 6:08:30; 5. Jim Simpson, 6:14:06.

Half-Marathon—1. Ramon Valdez, 1:33:40; 2. Allison Bernhardt, 1:47:14; 3. Christian Fairing, 1:50:34; 4. Lewis Layton, 1:56:01; 5. Hector Angulo, 1:59:58.

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