Hal Koerner wins Angeles Crest 100 Miler!

Hal after his 2006 Angeles Crest victory. Photo courtesy of Larry Gassen.

I got a call a little after midnight last night from a very excited young man; Hal has done it again! In 18 hours and 29 minutes, Hal has won the Angeles Crest 100 Mile Endurance Run; a full hour ahead of his nearest competition. Improving on his 2006 winning time by eight minutes, he again cements his name in this southern California race's history. He raced back and forth with Jorge Pacheco for the first half of the race and then, in the heat of the day, Hal made his move. He was able to gap the rest of the field and run alone through the night to the finish line outside Pasadena, CA.

Here's a great description taken from the event's web site of what Hal experienced during his 18 and half hour win:

"From Wrightwood to Pasadena. 100 miles includes 90 miles of trails and 8 miles of dirt road in the Angeles National Forest including portions of the Pacific Crest Trail, and 2 miles of paved road. The race starts on Park Street in downtown Wrightwood and finishes at Johnson's Field in Pasadena. There is a 21,610 ft. accumlative elevation gain, 26,700 ft. accumlative loss, resulting in a 48,310 feet total elevation Change. The highest point is Mt. Balden-Powell at the 9,210 ft. level."

Congratulations Hal!