Burning River 100 Mile Endurance Run

Last night I volunteered at the first "running" of the burning river 100. I spent a little time at mile 50 early in the night, and then spent the wee hours of the morning at mile 91. E Speed ran an awesome aid station that was well organized and had the coolest music this side of the border. The event started in Willoughby Hills on the eastern rim of the Cuyahoga Valley at 5:00 a.m. Saturday morning and finished in downtown Cuyahoga Falls. Runners had a 30 hour time limit to complete the 100 mile course that traversed the most scenic portions of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, The Cleveland Metroparks, and the Metroparks serving Summit County.

What can I really say about a 100 mile footrace? I suppose words can't do justice as to what an accomplishment it is to race and complete these types of events. One observation that I took with me are that I have never seen people pushing themselves to such limits. At mile 50 there was a gentleman that was trying to change into dry shoes and needed help putting on his socks. He couldn't get them on straight and a motherly volunteer helped him get them on. He still had 50 miles left in the race. This sort of thing is pretty common. The faces of the runners as they passed through mile 91 (I was there from 1:00 a.m. until 6:00 a.m.) are embedded in my brain. Those faces of pain, determination, and occasionally, happiness. How could someone be making jokes at that point, I have no idea. But, some of the runners did.

One runner, in particular, stands out in my memory. He hobbled into mile 91 feeling awful, telling us he needed to lay down. He was met by a friend that had paced him through other parts of the race, and she sat with him for over an hour making sure he stayed awake and offering to pace him to the finish if he felt up to it. His stomach was in terrible shape and although he needed food the thought of eating was the last thing on his mind. Finally, his friend asked us if we could make him a grilled cheese (I was the grilled cheese chef :-) So, I quickly batched up all that a grilled cheese has to offer. It was a delectable dish....2 pieces of bread, a little crisco, and a slice of American processed cheese product over the coleman stove. We delivered the late night snack to the ailing runner.

About 20 minutes later, the runners friend emerged from the area of the cot, where her friend was laying, sprawled and ailing, with the words, "Congratulations, you got him to eat something!" We all cheered. But still he laid on the cot, and the longer he laid there, the more I began to think he would be there until the race was over, never to go those last 8.5 miles to the finish line.

And finally, he arose. After running over 90 miles, stopping for what was at least an hour to lie down, he set off again in obvious pain. His friend left with him to pace him the rest of the way to the finish. We all cheered as he hobbled down the path in the pre-dawn light venturing towards downtown Cuyahoga Falls. We were still on the bottom of the valley and the finish loomed more than 8 miles down the path, but also about 1000 feet above us on the valley rim.

Shortly after he left I returned to filling the water bottles and fetching food for the other runners passing through, and forgot about his journey. Each runner in this race was facing similar adversary, even if their bodies were cooperating better than his, this is not a pain free event for any of them. I though of the relationship ultra runners must have with their pacer, their friends who run with them through the night, many of them for 20 to 30 miles or more to help will them to the finish. I thought of the attachment the runners must have to their hydration and nutrition systems that they have wrapped around their hands, waist, or shoulders. These water bottles/stash pouches are full of their favorite food and beverage, and accompanies them through all of the tough training and racing miles. I think I know the joys of the right food and drink from my experiences of multi-hour bike rides.....but the joys of the right treats at hour 24 of a run I cannot even comprehend.

After the next shift of volunteers showed up at mile 91, I thought I needed to stop by the finish line before heading home. I needed to see a few runners reach mile 100, the final mile. As I munched on pancakes and sipped black coffee the runners jogged in, one at a time. I recognized the hat of the pacer who sat around our aid station force feeding grilled cheese to her friend. I watched as they both crossed the finish line, the registered runner in the finishers shoot, and his pacer alongside just outside the "official" finish line. I smiled. I approached her knowing she needed a ride back to mile 91 to pick up their car and told her I'd take her whenever she was ready. She said, "Lets go now!!" I suppose these ultra-marathoners are type-A people ;-)

As we rode to pick up her car she told me this was her friends first completed 100 mile event. He tried one previously and didn't make it. She told me how wonderful all the volunteers were and how happy she was to be able to share this day with him. I can only imagine. I could see how proud she was of him. I could see how proud she was of herself, staying up all night and logging quite a few miles in her running shoes by his side. I could see how appreciative she was of a grilled cheese @ 4:30 a.m. and a short ride across town. I couldn't have been happier to contribute these little things to the runners in this event. E Speed and the race organizers put in a ton of work for this. I stayed up all night doing very little, really. And today I walk away inspired by the human spirit, and inspired at how much the little things really can matter at the right time. For me, it was a night well spent.