2016 North Face Endurance Challenge San Francisco Race Report (official)
Dec 3, 2016 is a date etched into many ultra-runners' feeble minds. It's the date of the Western States and Hardrock lottery draws, and the date of the 2016 North Face Endurance Challenge - San Francisco. This report is the official (-ly stupid) race report for the event. What gives me the right to write a race report for something I didn't race in, pace, crew or volunteer at? The Internet, that's what.
This might be the largest ultrarunning event in California. It's huuuuge with 1,500 runners between the 50 mile, 50km and marathon distances. They start 2 hours apart, so many runners finish around the same time. Ok, maybe not the leaders, whom you've read about somewhere else, like Zach's Miller sub-6 hour 50 mile finish. But most mortals take far longer, so we all tend to finish at the same time, plus or minus a couple of hours.
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| 50k route burrito |
The course is another Taco Bell special of the Marin Headlands. There are so many races there that many of us have tasted all the ingredients. Create a new combo, put them in a different order, and voila, you have the North Face Endurance Challenge. String together 4 to 6 mile sections, each with 1000 ft of gain, and you'll end up with a 50 mile course with +9 to 11,000 ft, or 50k with +6 or 7,000 ft. The main variable seems to be climate and weather. This race being held in December it had the potential to be worse than MUC or Miwok were this year, cold, windy with freezing rain. For a change of pace, it was perfect running weather. Cool, mid-50’s, sunny, no wind. Shirts off for a lot of the men. That or I just saw John Burton everywhere. If you know Big Johnny, then you've probably had one of these moments after his speedo covered ass passed you going uphill, where you start to question your sexuality. No? Is it just me? Really?
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| Stupid, sexy Burton |
It was still dark by the time we drove into Rodeo Valley. The 50 mile runners started at 5 AM and were now strung along the RV trail descent like a Christmas light for trails. Boy, there sure were a lot of early rising dummies out there. At least I was in a warm car. If you're a 50k runner, there is no parking at the event. There is a shuttle from a parking lot a half hour away. With a personal chauffeur, you can be dropped off at the event area. I found a spot to park for an hour and saw Ramiro off on his 50k journey. I kept my eye open for familiar faces, but mostly it was my usual weekend crew, Ramiro and Ashley. The event area itself is big league with a dozen tents, gas fire pits and a line of porta potties suitable for a hillbilly mansion. Skywalker Ranch is not far away - I think they got the announcer from the Star Wars Phantom Menace pod races.
The runners set off in waves - there were so many of them. Speaking of waves. I now had a few hours to kill. I made my way to Rodeo Beach and caught a few rollers before my toes went numb. The surf - well, as we always say, "it's never as good as it looks, but it's also rarely as bad as it looks". The steep beach sent backwash into the surf coming in, making the waves tricky to catch, but it's always fun no matter how much I kook out.
After a leisurely break at Equator Coffee, I made my way over to Tennessee Valley aid station. The parking situation, as you might expect, was no joke. Fortunately I had my running shoes on. I arrived shortly before 10 AM, just before any of the returning elite runners. I only needed to wait a few more minutes and I could have witnessed Zack flying through. I took off on my own run before he came by, I'm sure, as he made no mention of me on his interview for irunfar.com. I had an enjoyable solo duck shaped run. This was my first time running the Headlands outside of a race. The first section was a repeat of my death march when I finished Headlands 100. It went a little better this time. By the time I ran past Rodeo Beach, it was shirts off for me, too, though not quite Burton-eqsue in baggy surf shorts. Most of the route was quiet and isolated but the end of my run into TV was the downhill on Marincello trail while the racers were slogging up. I have to admit there is a certain evil satisfaction watching other people suffer. Heh heh.
By noon, I figured I should make my way back to the finish area. I got to the final section of trail just shy of 8 hours into the 50M, 6 hours into the 50k and 4 hours into the marathon. Too early to see most of my loser friends who are much slower on the 50M - I'm in the 12 hour range myself in this terrain - but just in time to catch the bulk of 50k and marathon runners. It was hard keeping track of who was running which distance - but identifying Ramiro's diesel gait from any distance is a piece of cake.
The runners set off in waves - there were so many of them. Speaking of waves. I now had a few hours to kill. I made my way to Rodeo Beach and caught a few rollers before my toes went numb. The surf - well, as we always say, "it's never as good as it looks, but it's also rarely as bad as it looks". The steep beach sent backwash into the surf coming in, making the waves tricky to catch, but it's always fun no matter how much I kook out.
After a leisurely break at Equator Coffee, I made my way over to Tennessee Valley aid station. The parking situation, as you might expect, was no joke. Fortunately I had my running shoes on. I arrived shortly before 10 AM, just before any of the returning elite runners. I only needed to wait a few more minutes and I could have witnessed Zack flying through. I took off on my own run before he came by, I'm sure, as he made no mention of me on his interview for irunfar.com. I had an enjoyable solo duck shaped run. This was my first time running the Headlands outside of a race. The first section was a repeat of my death march when I finished Headlands 100. It went a little better this time. By the time I ran past Rodeo Beach, it was shirts off for me, too, though not quite Burton-eqsue in baggy surf shorts. Most of the route was quiet and isolated but the end of my run into TV was the downhill on Marincello trail while the racers were slogging up. I have to admit there is a certain evil satisfaction watching other people suffer. Heh heh.
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| Looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, runs like a duck |
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| Ramiro's triumphant finish |
The lottery! There is no cell reception in the Headlands except on the ridge. I didn't find out until leaving that I did not get selected
in the Western States lottery. Poop. A quick scan did not show anyone I knew
either. Double poop. Big Johnny got selected for Hardrock though, stupid sexy Burton, so that gives
Kilian an added incentive to run fast and not get stuck climbing behind
him. Congrats to Johnny and his wife Amy, and condolences to everyone else at Hardrock. I wonder how many beers he can consume over 100 miles....
In the aftermath, between NFEC, the California International Marathon, the aforementioned underground fat-ass run (that I skipped), and my failed lottery, there was some feeling that I missed out. I had a serious case of ultrasignupängstlichträumen, literally "ultrasignup, fearfully (of spouse, implied) dreaming". I began scouring ultrasignup looking for other races but avoided pulling the trigger. I spend enough time away from family for other people's races, much less my own. Besides, I have my own fat-ass event in a month to kick off 2017. Until then, there's Ultralaufennächstenjahrträumen - dreaming about ultra-running next year.
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