5-6 MAY, 2001 - Eldridge, Iowa
Race Final
Place Runner Age St Sex No. Miles 50 Mile 100k 100 Mile
1 Gary Fortune 50 MI M 18 122.37 08:06:13 10:32:18 18:47:15
2 Bill Seldomridge 50 IL M 19 116.18 09:57:01 12:23:07 19:54:29
3 Paul Schmidt 42 IA M 31 113.06 09:28:40 12:10:15 20:43:31
4 Sandy Powell 43 VA F 47 111.55 08:49:33 11:09:15 20:56:36
5 David Luljak 45 MD M 39 105.07 07:25:23 09:27:08 20:11:47
6 Ron Warner 44 IA M 33 104.34 10:01:31 13:25:00 23:02:34
7 Terry Crompton 39 IA M 32 101.03 09:32:16 12:21:31 23:18:47
8 Scott Hoag 34 IA M 1 96.44 11:06:39 14:52:23
9 Tim Johnson 43 WI M 48 94.23 09:05:50 12:32:03
10 Klaus Thiedmann 46 IL M 44 93.96 10:08:56 12:59:32
11 Bonnie Busch 43 IA F 11 89.41 11:01:59 14:10:55
12 Kent Towler 39 IL M 49 83.35 09:37:41 12:17:16
13 Allan Holtz 51 MN M 35 82.73 10:53:05 14:12:50
14 Gasper Pulizzi 61 IL M 14 81.13 12:19:04 15:47:28
15 Karen Libsch 40 MN F 58 80.82 08:51:55 12:00:25
16 Joseph Yoder 57 NC M 28 78.48 14:01:37 18:18:45
17 Tom Possley 49 IA M 59 76.02 10:00:57 16:37:51
18 Ronald Grimes 54 IN M 10 75.27 10:05:20 13:27:22
19 Jim Ingalls 56 MI M 13 74.00 13:02:50 16:56:17
20 Ashish Sen 45 MI M 24 71.85 14:29:26 19:38:52
21 Vasilios Mantis 36 IL M 8 71.54 12:01:52 20:41:45
22 Cristina Werling 27 IL F 25 70.21 10:46:53 18:13:05
23 Glen Zierbel 70 IA M 52 70.21 13:03:40 17:27:53
24 Robert Finin 41 IA M 12 68.45 15:40:52 22:00:35
25 Leon Hodges 49 IL M 43 68.19 13:55:10 19:54:59
26 Jeff Snicker 41 IA M 6 65.16 13:39:38 22:37:05
27 Cindy Heisdorffer 43 IA F 23 63.90 11:50:58 17:46:00
28 Justin Koby 20 IN M 45 63.56 14:03:29 23:47:57
29 Jim Bys 45 IA M 20 63.14 12:20:00 15:11:28
30 Michael Hartmann 42 MO M 21 63.14 14:09:49 23:28:42
31 William Nauseef 50 IA M 41 63.14 10:33:48 14:47:14
32 Dick Hogan 54 IA M 38 60.62 14:05:28
33 Eric Berg 38 IL M 5 60.62 09:58:50
34 Lynn Hawbaker 52 IA M 16 60.62 10:50:20
35 Tom Kenneke 48 IA M 26 60.62 12:13:48
36 Mark Lucas 41 IA M 42 60.11 13:05:39
37 Al Edmunds 61 OH M 34 55.57 12:06:55
38 Gary Day 53 OH M 29 55.31 11:43:44
39 John Mahon 63 IL M 4 53.04 13:39:01
40 Julie Lucas 40 IA F 57 51.52 16:20:20
41 Lowell Snicker 73 IA M 53 51.27 21:24:05
42 Ted Braggans 58 MN M 46 47.23
43 Tim Phillips 51 IA M 37 46.22
44 Kevin Kepley 47 MO M 9 45.46
45 David Hughes 55 IN M 2 44.45
46 Bill Dodd 49 IA M 27 44.20
47 James Mercer 31 MO M 17 44.20
48 Aziz Uras 40 IL M 50 43.95
49 Bruno Fioretti 59 NY M 15 43.69
50 Tammy Vinar 40 IL F 22 42.18
51 Paul Martin 55 WI M 36 26.77
52 Dave Jessen 43 IA M 7 25.51
53 Junco Uras 42 IL M 51 24.50
54 Susan Rozanski 47 IL F 55 20.96
55 John Rozanski 53 IL M 56 20.71
56 James Krip 43 MN M 30 13.89
The rain had started well before the race and continued into the race for the first 90 minutes. The forecast promised more rain but better temperatures for running than what the area had seen all week. Instead of unseasonal temperatures of 85 degrees, the runners would see temperatures dipping barely below 50 up to 70 degrees, with only a few brief appearances of the sun. Wind was a near constant companion, pushing another storm of rain through the area by late afternoon. Strong winds and buckets of rain, forced many to leave the track for drier, warmer conditions. Within the hour, the rain would let up some and most runners returned to take up their task. Rain continued for several hours and the temperatures dropped as those circling the track adorned rain coats or plastic cover.
Fifty-five runners listened to the Star Spangled Banner as they stood in a light rain waiting for the race's 7:00 a.m. start. Entrants ran the gambit from deeply experienced to the first timer and everything in between. Last year's top mileage winner, Tim Johnson, was back. Five time winner Bill Seldomridge made a return trip as did prior winner Gary Fortune. Speedster Terry Crompton had made the trip. Several local runners were due for 100 mile finishes. And a couple of new runners to the track for 24 hours were present, David Luljak and Sandy Powell. This was going to be interesting!
No surprise that we watched David Luljak closely. His smooth running, modest demeanor, gentle voice, and consistent laps made for a good first chapter to get the story going. Several runners followed in chase and the rest of us let the momentum pull us along too. Quickly the laps added up for David Luljak, reaching 50 miles in just 7 hours and 25 minutes. Gary Fortune played by the same rules of smooth, consistent running and made it to 50 miles just 40 minutes later. The next to reach that milestone would be women, Sandy Powell in 8 hrs 49 min and just 2 minutes later the up-on-her-toes, trail running Karen Libsch would get there, too. Before 10 hours had passed four others would be at 50 miles also, Tim Johnson, Terry Crompton, Paul Schmidt, Kent Towler, Bill Seldomridge, and Eric Berg.
It would take David Luljak just additional two hours to reach the 100k mark in 9 hrs 27 min. Gary Fortune would achieve that same mileage about 65 minutes later. And just 40 minutes later Sandy Powell would be there too. That left alot of time and running to do! Karen Libsch, Paul Schmidt, Kent Towler, Bill Seldomridge, Terry Crompton, Tim Johnson, and Klaus Thiedmann would all have 100k also before 13 hours were up.
The rain seemed to bring trouble for most - blisters, stomach woes, chills, flare ups of prior injuries, and dampened spirits. We saw most runners trying to manage calorie intake, most trying to stay comfortably dry but warm, we saw many disappear from the track and others talked of changed goals. The clouds brought an early night and hid what would have been a full moon. We saw David Luljak walking slowly.
It would be the old Gary Fortune that we used to see running fast, smooth and lots of miles that we haven't seen in years be the first to 100 miles in 18 hrs 47 min and he showed no sign of slowing. At 50 and a recent past of injuries and surgeries, it is nice to have Gary back! Over an hour later the lap counters would celebrate another 100 miles this time with Bill Seldomridge, 19 hrs 54 min. Then, finally, it would be David Luljak's turn after hours and hours of walking he too would get to 100 miles in 20 hrs 11 min, before getting off the track for a break. At 20 hrs 43 min the lapcounters would enjoy the moment that local runner, usually trail runner, Paul Schmidt would complete his first 100 miles on the track. Sandy Powell would be the first and only woman runner to make it to 100 miles in 20 hrs 56 min, also her first 24 hours on the track. In the last hour of the race, two more runners would be added to the 100 mile club bringing the total to seven for the event. Ron Warner, another local runner, after years of crafting improvements on the track, bested his prior effort by some 8 miles, making this his first 100 miles on the track and Terry Crompton rounded out the group with his 100 in 23 hrs 18 min. All of them would push on to use the remaining hours for more miles.
Several runners were saving themselves for other upcoming races. One young, new-comer Cristina Werling showed promise and poise with her 70 mile effort and the wily, greatly experienced, 70 years young Glen Zierbel ended with the same mileage. Lowell Snicker at age 73 joined his son Jeff Snicker, a several year participant , and managed a combined total of 116.5 miles. The race celebrated Robert Finin's participation of 20 years at this race with recognition of his over 1500 miles. The only Eldridge native in the race, Scott Hoag completed his 13th consecutive 24 hour and completed the achievement of 1000 miles at this race along with Bill Seldomridge and Ron Grimes, all participants this year, and Marty Sprengelmeyer who continues to assist with the race organization.
We thank the runners and walkers that come from so many different states, the armies of volunteers, and the many sponsors (one of which ran the event, probably a first for this race!) and all our families that let us sneak off to indulge ourselves and our dreams - whatever they may be.
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