Laurel Valley Race Report

I will attempt to cut and paste the results here. They will surely be on
the website with some pictures later. http://www.claudesinclair.com

The 11th running of the mystical Laurel Valley ultra was held on August
13th. When I got up at 3:30 AM Saturday to prepare for the start I knew
that it would be a long day. It was already 72 degrees with near 100 %
humidity. I made my pre-race drive to the finish to ensure that everyone
would make it to the start. There I picked up Laurel Valley, Herb
Hedgecock, and Julie Hudson. I also met Bill Keane and the put 3
additional runners in his truck. The 50 minute drive back to the start
was uneventful until we past Bob's Place and the Community of Rocky
Bottom. Bob's place sells old vintage beer that is no longer bottled and
has an outside Road Kill open bar-b-que. Chills run down my spine
everytime I see Bob's place because it reminds me so much of the LV
course. We even have a picture of Bob's place on the finishers shirt.

Arriving at the start I met the runners and I overheard one runner asking
where the restrooms were? Someone politely pointed at the woods. Laurel
Valley is my favorite course. It is one of the few true single track trail
races in the East and it has also become the favorite of many
others. Because of the heat this year it became a survival run for
many. Yet all of the 60 runners finished the difficult and beautiful
course. The trail is pristine compared to many of the other local
trails. You cross over numerous foot bridges with one being a 225'
suspension bridge. You cross over numerous streams and 4 white water
rivers. The streams and rivers are the runners source of water for the
runners as each runner runs unaided. That probably explains why some
pampered runners stay away. There's no bailing out. You either have to
finish or turn-around.

The favorite among the men runners were Will Harlin and Brian
Kistner. Both have won previous races. The favorite among the females
were Annette Bodnosky, Laurel Valley, and Sally Brooking. Annette was
fresh off a win at Western States and Laurel had won the Vermont 100 in
2004. Sally had won several Laurel Valley Ultras and had the second fastest
female time for the course.

Reports from finishers include stories about runners taking short detours
to some of the waterfalls and cooling themselves and taking dips in some of
the rivers. Several reported the Timberback Rattlesnake that was sunning
it's self along the trail. One runner counted four rattlers and just
assumed it was dead. Another runner poked it with a stick and got it
moving. My favorite story (and the taser should have been used on the
guilty person) was a runner peeing in one of the streams while a group of
runners were filling their water bottle below him. That is why so many
males fall off of cliffs because they think if it is there, they have to
pee over or in it.

The heat saved both the records as Annette Bodnosky ran a fast 6'37:15 and
Will Harlin ran a 5'40:52. The records are 5'02:50 by Clark Zealand and
6'34:24 by Pattie Shepard. My sentimental favorite, Laurel Valley placed
2nd among the females with a time of 7:41:36