Lithia Loop Trail Marathon Wrap-Up and Photos

Well, we have finally had a moment to catch our breath and unbury ourselves from the leftover and dirty aid station equipment here at Rogue Valley Runners. However, while that was happening, we've accumulated some photos and some links to some stories about our trail marathon last weekend.

Ten Interesting Lithia Loop Trail Marathon Facts and Tid-bits:
1) Seven of the top fifteen finishers were women!
2) 86 of 88 starters, finished! A 97.7% finisher rate!
3) We got real lucky with the weather. Rain started to fall only after the awards ceremony wrapped up.
4) 43 volunteers helped you get to the finish line. That's a volunteer for every two runners!
5) You didn't drink as much water as we had thought.
6) You liked the food at the finish and at the aid stations because we didn't have much left to deal with.
7) Most of you stayed for the awards, we thank you for your patience.
8) You came from Oregon, California, Washington, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and Ohio to run our event.
9) You're all good sports and fantastic runners. We thank you for your participation.
10) Make plans now for this race next year! We'll find out in early December if we've won the USA Track and Field Trail Marathon Championship bid.

Let's direct your attention first to the Mailtribune and a story Andy Atkinson wrote about the race. Go to the story and take a look at Andy's photo gallery as well.

Here's Krissy Moehl's account of her run in the Ashland Watershed. Krissy, from Bend, finished in 3:24:54 and 15th overall.

Here's Heather Daniel's account of her day on the trails. Heather, from Portland, finished in 3:36:28.

Here's a post from the Bend specialty running shoe store FootZone. It discusses their central Oregon running heros' results at the LLTM.

Sean Meissner, the second place finisher, wrote about his experience. Find this Sisters, Oregon resident's account here.

Off they go!

Sean Gordon works the radio at West Fork.

Home Sweet Home; West Fork Aid Station awaits runners.

Ashland's Kim Larson smiles. She finished in 4:37:51.

Yamhill, Oregon's Dean Heuberger is all arms. He finished in 5:36:35.

Jacksonville's Ali Miles (3:15:41) and Bend's Katie Caba (3:09:26) match each other's stride into Windburn Ridge Aid Station.

RVR employee Darcy Kleinman, 3:53:26, discussed her issues with RVR employee and Windburn Ridge Aid Station Captain Chris Rennaker.

Ashland's Jenn Shelton (3:13:24) refills at Windburn.

Medford's Adam Seibert (3:02:04) speeds through Windburn Aid Station.

Sister's Sean Meissner (2:53:09) looks for refreshment at Windburn.

Tailgate Party! Katie Schubert and Jenny Gunter have all the fixin's at Windburn Ridge Aid Station.

White Rabbit Aid Station; The Invasion of the Brits. Dog Tipper, Rob Cain (in the hat), Erin Keller and John Price inspire racer Sarah DeMulder (6:12:14) to the finish.

A special thanks to all the volunteers that made this event possible and to Lithia Motors for all there transportation help!

Until Next Year!!!

Full Lithia Loop Trail Marathon Results

Photos coming soon!!!

Lithia Loop Trail Marathon Preliminary Results

Full results will be posted very soon. Hang tight! Congratulations to all finishers!

The weather cooperated. Everything clicked and fun was had by all.

Top 3 Men:
1) Jeff Caba (2:47:31)
2) Sean Meissner (2:53:09)
3) Josh Brimhall (2:54:33)

Top 3 Women:
1) Susannah Beck (3:00:29) fourth overall
2) Katie Caba (3:09:26) seventh overall
3) Jenn Shelton (3:13:24) eighth overall

The New Ultrarunning Magazine Cover and the Lithia Loop Trail Marathon Odds

After ten years of running and countless victories at distances over the marathon distance Hal Koerner (owner and manager of Rogue Valley Runners) has received, perhaps, one of the most coveted honors for an ultramarathoner. Hal has finally made the cover of Ultrarunning Magazine. This is Hal on his way to his victory during September's Angeles Crest 100 Mile Endurance Run. Congratulations Hal!!!

Switching gears now...

Let's bring a little of Las Vegas to southern Oregon shall we? After countless hours of research and information gathering, odds for this weekend's Lithia Loop Trail Marathon have been posted on World Class Ultramarathoner Karl Meltzer's web site.  Follow this link to find out who's got a chance at winning the first ever marathon in Ashland, Oregon.

Lithia Loop Trail Marathon Entrants Updated

Here's an updated list of this weekend's participants. For those running this weekend, please see the previous blog posting discussing marathon day's final instructions. Good luck everyone!

Adam Cortell 36 M Talent, OR
Adam Seibert 39 M Medford, OR
Ali Miles 24 F Jacksonville, OR
Amy Nangle 38 F Talent, OR
Anne Crispino-Taylor 50 F Ashland, OR
Anne Hitchcock 30 F Auburn, CA
Ben Benjamin 61 M Ashland, OR
Beth Lori 47 F Ashland, OR
Bill Montgomery 48 M Eugene, OR
Bob Coll 47 M Eugene, OR
Brendan Holmes 29 M Klamath Falls, OR
Brian McKinley 22 M Flagstaff, AZ
Brooke Bouer 34 F Talent, OR
Bruce Mauldin 61 M Fort Jones, CA
C.B. Fralich 35 M Grants Pass, OR
C.J. Hitz 35 M Findlay, OH
Chad Harris 32 M Roseburg, OR
Chris Foster 42 M Medford, OR
Chris Rowe 39 M Newcastle, CA
Christian Fuller 33 M Dallas, OR
Clem LaCava 60 M Corvallis, OR
Courtney Mooney 32 M Philomath, OR
Courtney Pickett 40 F Ashland, OR
Dana Bandy 54 M Ashland, OR
Darcy Kleiman 31 F Talent, OR
Darrin Bolz 41 M Medford, OR
Dave Marshall 44 M Phoenix, OR
David Jordan 41 M Medford, OR
David Kamp 61 M Corvallis, OR
Dean Heuberger 57 M Yamhill, OR
Desiree Barnes 26 F Ashland, OR
Eric Dinger 34 M Medford, OR
Erin Fralich 38 M Grants Pass, OR
Frank Searfus 58 M Coos Bay, OR
Freeborn Mondello 29 M Talent, OR
Gerad Dean 31 M Bend, OR
Greg Burnett 58 M West Linn, OR
Grey Hecht 36 M Talent, OR
Heather Daniel 26 F Portland, OR
Hillary Noel 26 F Henderson, NV
J.C. Callans 41 M Eagle Point, OR
Jeff Caba 38 M Bend, OR
Jenn Shelton 24 F Ashland, OR
Jennifer Callans 35 F Eagle Point, OR
Jennifer Sallee 38 F Ashland, OR
Jinny Brown 55 F Ashland, OR
Joe Griffin 48 M Central Point, OR
Joe Mosley 54 M Eugene, OR
John Bott 50 M Eagle Point, OR
John Diehm 63 M Weed, CA
John Lotts 45 M Central Point, OR
Josh Brimhall 32 M Henderson, NV
Julie Peterson 53 F Ashland, OR
Justin Adams 34 M Portland, OR
Kaija Staley 33 F Jacksonville, OR
Katie Caba 37 F Bend, OR
Kelly Bradbury 38 F Smithfield, UT
Kelly Cronin 31 F Yosemite, CA
Kim Larson 37 F Ashland, OR
Kouba Sayre 37 F Talent, OR
Krissy Moehl 31 F Bend, OR
Krista Peterson 37 F Medford, OR
Leonard Farr 44 M Newburg, OR
Lisa Bach 42 F Ashland, OR
Lisa Dean 38 F Fort Jones, CA
Lisa Norvell 42 F Ashland, OR
Luanne Park 48 F Redding, CA
Luke Frechete 30 M Ashland, OR
Megan Heuberger 28 F Ashland, OR
Michael Scott 23 M Medford, OR
Michael Sotos 33 M Ashland, OR
Mike Richmond 50 M Ashland, OR
Molly Holzshu 35 F Ashland, OR
Nikki Dinger 32 F Medford, OR
Phil Finch 58 M Reedsport, OR
Priscilla Anderson 32 F Murphy, OR
Rene Millan 35 M Ashland, OR
Rich Blink 33 M Vacaville, CA
Richard Vander Stucken 69 M Torrance, CA
Rick Haase 63 M Shoreline, WA
Rob Reckard 37 M Grants Pass, OR
Sarah DeMulder 29 F Medford, OR
Sean Meissner M Sisters, OR
Shahid Ali 23 M Ashland, OR
Sharon Mosley 46 F Eugene, OR
Stan Potocki 52 M Ashland, OR
Stephen Hamilton 66 M Sunriver, OR
Stephen Itano 49 M Fairfield, CA
Steve Waxmonsky 34 M Ashland, OR
Steven Greuel 52 M Etna, CA
Susannah Beck 40 F Eugene, OR
Suzy Stone 38 F Talent, OR
Tamara Ellis 39 F Ashland, OR
Terri Libert 40 F Eugene, OR
Tina Ure 49 F Mt. Shasta, CA
Win Goodbody 41 M Portland, OR

Final Lithia Loop Trail Marathon Instructions

Dear Lithia Loop Entrants,

Hope your training has gone well and you're getting some much needed rest before Saturday's big test. Just checked AccuWeather and right now it looks like we'll have ideal conditions next Saturday with a high of 60, a low of 40 and partial sunshine. The experienced runner will tell you to come prepared for anything, however we will have an outstanding crew directing the marathon making sure everything goes smoothly so that all you have to worry about is getting across that finish line.

We have created a list of last minute reminders, however we want to make sure that everyone is aware of the shuttle service to the start. If, however, you do not wish to utilize the service you may be dropped off at the start at the south end of Lithia Park where Granite St. turns to gravel and intersects with Glenview Drive. We will also be happy to direct you there at registration.

1) Registration and packet pick-up starts at 6:45am at Rogue Valley Runners (161 East Main Street, Ashland, OR 97520) on race day morning (Saturday November 8th, 2008) and closes at 7:45am. Registration will also be held Friday November 7th from 10am to 7pm.
2) The Shuttle Service to the start will be available at the store at 7am-7:45am to drive entrants to the start line two uphill miles away at the top of Lithia Park. We encourage all entrants to use the shuttle service provided by Lithia Motors.
3) Please abide all parking sign regulations in Ashland. They do ticket if you extend your stay in a two or four hour spot.
4) Drop bags will be collected at the start line for warm-ups. Please no valuables in the bags and make sure they are clearly marked with your name. Drop bags will be waiting for you at Pioneer Hall, near the finish line of the race.
5) Cut Off Times will be enforced for your safety as well as the safety of our volunteers. There are two Cut-Off points in the race. At Four Corners (approximately mile 20) runners must be through by 2:30pm. At White Rabbit (approximately mile 23) runners must be through by 3:30pm. All runners who do not make the cut-offs will be brought back to the finish.
6) You MUST let race officials know if you plan to drop from the race. We need to account for all runners at the day's end. Missing runners will initiate the Emergency Response System.
7) Do not litter and do not short-cut the trails. You will be pulled from the race if you do.
8) Post race festivities, the award ceremony, catered food and beverage will be held at Pioneer Hall (73 Winburn Way) after you have finished the race. Upon crossing the finish line you will be directed there to collect your drop bags, eat, drink, socialize and warm-up.
9) Aid Stations will provide limited first aid supplies, water, a electrolyte drink (Gu2O), fruit (oranges or bananas), soft drinks (Coke, Mtn. Dew), potato chips, assorted sugar candies (like M&M's), some will have soup, some sandwiches (like PB&J or Turkey and Cheese), some, not all, will have Gu and Clif Shot. If you need something special, you should pack it yourself. We highly recommend that you carry at least one, if not two, water bottles.
10) Clearly display your bib number on your front side, so we can properly track you as you pass through aid stations.
11) We will be trying to track runners as they progress along the course at the finish line (located at the Band Shell in Lithia Park).
12) Aid Station volunteers are just that. They are here on their own time to help you. Treat them with respect and thank them as you roll through.

There will be age group awards for males and females 29 and under, 30-39, 40-49,50-59,60-69.

We look forward to seeing all your smiling faces Saturday morning.

Hal Koerner, RD
Ian Torrence, RD

RogueValleyRunners.com
(541) 201-0014

At present there are about eight remaining spots left for the marathon. They are going quickly.

Central Oregon, Central US, and Central Southwest

Vegas wasn't the only thing going on lately. During the past few weeks several other Rogue Valley Runners took it upon themselves to travel to races far from home.

John Leuthold

John Leuthold made the trip to Eugene to battle it out in a large masters' field at the Pre's Trail Cross-Country Challenge. John took the lead early in the Five Kilometer Masters/Seniors Race and won in a commanding 17:02; 22 seconds ahead of his closet rival.

Joe Griffin

Joe Griffin made his way a little further north to Corvallis and the Peavy Arboretum for the MacDonald Forest 15 Kilometer Trail Run. Joe placed 17th out of 275 runners in 1:06:05. That time placed Joe third in the masters division.

New Rogue Valley Runner store employee, Kyle Skaggs, travelled further than anyone else this past weekend. Kyle jumped a plane to Springfield, MO for the Dogwood Canyon 50 Kilometer Trail Race. Kyle tied for first with his good friend Tony Krupicka in 3:48:58. They happily split the $1000 in prize money.

Here a photo of Kyle (wearing green and looking down) and Tony (wearing black) from Travis Liles Blog report of the race.


And though it wasn't a race Jenn Shelton, after her win at the World of Hurt 50 Kilometer Trail Race, celebrated at the equinoctial epicenter of geology; The Grand Canyon. Here's a good picture of her performing the infamous Grand Canyon Leap as she traveled from the Colorado River and back.



Nice work everybody!

Hurtin' in Las Vegas

Morning sun on the first climb.

Hal Koerner wins again.

Hal Koerner makes it look easy on his way to victory.

Jenn Shelton cheers as she leads Jurek and Torrence over the first climb.

Carly Varner is all smiles on her way to prize money.

Far from the bright lit, sky-scraping, air-conditioned casinos is a place called Bootleg Canyon. You can see The Las Vegas Strip from Bootleg, but as this band of Rogue Valley Runners experienced first hand, it's a far cry from the plush hotel rooms that await most visitors when they arrive in southern Nevada's Sin City.

The objective was a race called the World of Hurt. The race lived up to it's name. Thirty-four miles of rocky, volcanic, technical single track. For those who were smarter, a 25 Kilometer loop was offered. The Mojave Desert heat added to the difficulty of the event. Temperatures would reach 85 degrees, and without any vegetation higher than your knees, shade would become a long lost dream.

In the women's 34-mile event, Jenn Shelton and Carly Varner, both from Ashland, would tackle the course with success. In fact, they would be the only lady finishers for the distance. That earned them $500 and $300 respectively in prize money.

In the men's 34-mile race a small, but competitive field gathered. Ashland's Hal Koerner, RVR store owner and last year's World of Hurt winner, would attempt to defend his title. Trying to unseat the thrown sitter were last year's runner-up, Josh Brimhall, Seattle's Scott Jurek, Colorado's Justin Ricks and Ashland resident and RVR employee Ian Torrence.

After the dust had cleared Koerner retained his crown, earned $500 in prize money and watched as most of the competition fell to the wayside during the second lap of the race. Jurek would continue to hang in for third place.

Scott Jurek leads Ian Torrence on a rocky section during the first lap.

Maria Clementi runs the 25K.

The Group. (standing l to r) Race Director Eric Herdman, Josh Brimhall, Scott Jurek, Hillary Noel, Hal Koerner, Carly Varner, Jenn Shelton (kneeling l to r) Maria Clementi, Ian Torrence

Full race results can be found here.

A special thanks to Tarl and Carrie Norman for most of the photography.

Mt. McLoughlin VS. Team RVR

Early Wednesday morning...I mean real early, a hardy crew of Rogue Valley Runners ventured north in hopes of summiting nearby Mt. McLoughlin. Rising high out of the verdent landscape below McLoughlin tops out at over 9,000 feet. In hopes of getting a few flat warm up miles Team RVR parked just off Highway 140 at a trailhead offering direct access to the Pacific Crest Trail. Fueled with coffee, Mountain Dew, and hope the team did eventually summit and the view from the top was fabulous. Presented below are several key photographs which capture the spirit of the endeavor as well as some good lookin' Ashlanders.


Danceparty!...Jenn and Kyle break it down on the summit


Man, Kyle's hair looks good...and he knows it


PCT...the "T" got confused

Going the Distance in October

A number of Rogue Valley runners went the distance this month. Here's a recap of some of this month's major marathons, and we'll throw in an ultra just for good measure.

More than 7,800 runners braved the rain at the Portland Marathon (10/5/08).
Here's a list of the local finishers:

1012 DANA BANDY ASHLAND, OR 3:38:12
1217 CHAD WIKANDER ASHLAND, OR 3:42:44
1279 DANA DUVIVIER ASHLAND, OR 3:43:49
1477 JOSHUA WIESEN ASHLAND, OR 3:47:45
2104 DESIREE BARNES ASHLAND, OR 3:59:00
2124 JEFFREY PROULX ASHLAND, OR 3:59:17
2255 STAN POTOCKI ASHLAND, OR 4:01:53
2442 MICHAEL SOTOS ASHLAND, OR 4:06:04
3061 ALINA SQUIRES ASHLAND, OR 4:17:54
3077 KAROLINA WYSZYNSKA, ASHLAND, OR 4:18:26
4397 TOM PELSOR ASHLAND, OR 4:46:01
4648 ROBIN DAWSON ASHLAND, OR 4:53:05
5039 TESSA BENEDICKTUS, ASHLAND, OR 5:03:26
5564 CAMILLE SIDERS ASHLAND, OR 5:26:50
5565 LORI FLEUTER ASHLAND, OR 5:26:50
6296 AUDREY THOMPSON ASHLAND, OR 6:05:59
6372 JANA CAROLE ASHLAND, OR 6:10:13
6373 MICHELLE ZUNDEL ASHLAND, OR 6:10:13
6883 KRISTIN JULBER ASHLAND, OR 6:41:18
7163 DONNA MARKLE ASHLAND, OR 6:59:08
7430 SARAH BRECKENRIDGE,ASHLAND, OR 7:20:22
7431 TONI RICHMOND ASHLAND, OR 7:20:22

450 DANIEL HOUGH TALENT, OR 3:22:03
943 FREEBORN MONDELLO TALENT, OR 3:36:37
1427 CHRISTI WATTS TALENT, OR 3:46:40
1544 ANDRE ANDERSON TALENT, OR 3:48:52
5361 LINDA MURPHY TALENT, OR 5:17:10
5506 JOHANNA HOBART-CRANE TALENT, OR 5:24:17
5950 ERIN OXENDINE TALENT, OR 5:44:45
6482 ALI LIVELY TALENT, OR 6:15:29
7477 DANI PISORS TALENT, OR 7:23:59
7478 ERIN DICKEY TALENT, OR 7:23:59

6746 VICKIE HELFRICH PHOENIX, OR 6:32:55

128 SCOTT STEMPLE MEDFORD, OR 3:04:06
344 KEITH MINOR MEDFORD, OR 3:18:06
505 STEVE WYATT MEDFORD, OR 3:24:28
510 GEORGE JOHNSTON MEDFORD, OR 3:24:36
1185 JENNIFER NIDALMIA MEDFORD, OR 3:41:51
1372 JARED LEEPER MEDFORD, OR 3:45:42
1745 DAVID JORDAN MEDFORD, OR 3:52:58
1971 RYAN RACKLEY MEDFORD, OR 3:57:09
2419 THOMAS BELL MEDFORD, OR 4:05:42
2942 RON GASSMAN MEDFORD, OR 4:15:28
2986 JASON SLAUGHTER MEDFORD, OR 4:16:13
3076 MICHELLE CHRISTIAN MEDFORD, OR 4:18:26
3829 KEVIN TULLY MEDFORD, OR 4:33:53
3879 NATHAN HARP MEDFORD, OR 4:34:56
3888 DUSTIN CLARK MEDFORD, OR 4:35:09
4018 EDUARDO LEDESMA MEDFORD, OR 4:38:11
4115 DEAN LEWIS MEDFORD, OR 4:40:21
4802 TED ADAMS MEDFORD, OR 4:56:37
5083 SARAH DEMULDER MEDFORD, OR 5:04:59
5462 NANCY FADLING MEDFORD, OR 5:21:56
5470 DALE MEADOR MEDFORD, OR 5:22:10
5493 MIVEN DONATO MEDFORD, OR 5:23:12
5572 HENRY BARRUETA MEDFORD, OR 5:27:07
5724 DANICA CRUMLEY MEDFORD, OR 5:33:30
5744 NATHAN GAOIRAN MEDFORD, OR 5:34:39
5925 INGRID MATHEWSON MEDFORD, OR 5:43:21
6446 RHONDA COLLINS MEDFORD, OR 6:13:42
6447 TERESA GALLAGHER-HILL MEDFORD, OR 6:13:43
6448 TARA BEHNKE MEDFORD, OR 6:13:43
6573 MOLLY CLARK MEDFORD, OR 6:20:34
6708 CHRISTIE SANDERS MEDFORD, OR 6:30:27
6763 LINDA JACKSON MEDFORD, OR 6:34:26
6823 LORNA BOLTON MEDFORD, OR 6:38:00
6824 CLAUDIA VIETS MEDFORD, OR 6:38:00
6902 CHRISTINA SAUNDERS MEDFORD, OR 6:42:50
6903 ROBIN MCMILLIN MEDFORD, OR 6:42:50
7156 DIANE SANDLER MEDFORD, OR 6:58:27
7201 LINDA VANBUSKIRK MEDFORD, OR 7:03:00
7203 STEPHANIE SMITH MEDFORD, OR 7:03:01
7479 HEATHER AYERS MEDFORD, OR 7:23:59
7658 SARA ENRIQUEZ MEDFORD, OR 8:09:23
7659 MARIANNE ROBISON MEDFORD, OR 8403 8:09:24
7746 LINDA DUFFY MEDFORD, OR 8:15:17

50 JC CALLANS EAGLE POINT, OR 2:53:35
2076 LANCE COOPER EAGLE POINT, OR 3:58:35
2523 JENNIFER CALLANS EAGLE POINT, OR 4:07:52
6799 MICHAEL GOHDE EAGLE POINT, OR 6:36:35
7021 ANNE MURPHY EAGLE POINT, OR 6:50:14
7022 JANE LEONARDO EAGLE POINT, OR 6:50:15

1954 RUSS SMITH CENTRAL POINT, OR 3:56:48
3348 JIM COOL CENTRAL POINT, OR 4:24:35
5630 JANET GROUT CENTRAL POINT, OR 5:29:30
6593 CHELSEA BROESDER CENTRAL POINT, OR 6:21:53
7142 ALICE CUSHMAN CENTRAL POINT, OR 6:57:18
7717 VALERIE MCMEEKIN CENTRAL POINT, OR 8:12:49
7771 LOIS SHANKS CENTRAL POINT, OR 8:20:38

3817 DAWN KERWIN ROGUE RIVER, OR 4:33:44


It was another warm one at this year's Chicago Marathon (10/12/08). Temperatures reached into the low 80's as more than 31,400 runners made their way through downtown Chicago.
Local finishers were:
205 IAN TORRENCE ASHLAND, OR 2:50:36
8787 MARIA CLEMENTI ASHLAND, OR 4:13:01


In Utah, more than 5,000 runners encountered rare wind and rain at the St. George Marathon (10/4/08). Local finishers were:

47 NEIL OLSEN CENTRAL POINT, OR 2:52:54
195 JIM BRENDLE CENTRAL POINT, OR 3:06:59
2827 JOHN LOTTS CENTRAL POINT, OR 4:16:43
3099 CHRISTOPHER FOSTER MEDFORD, OR 4:24:48
3227 MAUREEN MITCHELL CENTRAL POINT, OR 4:27:59
4181 DAVID DEVILLENENUE CENTRAL POINT, OR 5:02:33

The Twin Cities Marathon (10/4/08) went off in Minnesota. Our lone local finisher was:
7603 NANCY WILSON MEDFORD, OR 5:30:40

Now for a little Ultramarathon news:



The Dick Collins Firetrails 50 mile trail race was held on Saturday (10/11/08) in the Berkeley/Oakland hills of California. Southern Oregon and the Rogue Valley Runners were well represented on this course that gained more than 7,800 feet. Hal Koerner, the owner of Rogue Valley Runners, continued his winning ways (after his victory at the Angeles Crest 100 Mile three weeks ago) with a winning time of six hours and 43 minutes. Rogue Valley Runners employee Chris Rennaker had a strong sixth place showing, and Siskiyou Outback 50 Kilometer co-race director John Price finished in 10th place and first in his age group (50+). Ashland's Aaron Brian, a newbie at this distance, finished with a strong 8:58. On the women's side, Carly Varner finished with a personal best 9:11. Jody Waters finished in 9:22 and Erin Keller in 9:59.

Cross Country Comes to Ashland!

Thirty-two high school teams from Southern Oregon and Northern California will converge on Lithia Park (a stone's throw from downtown Ashland) this Saturday (October 11th) for one heck of a cross country meet. The highly-anticipated State of Jefferson Cross-Country Invitational will pit the best local high school running talents against one another. Junior Varsity races will start at 11:15am. Varsity races begin at 12:45pm. The shaded five-kilometer course will run throughout Lithia Park's wood chipped, dirt and paved trails. Come out a support your favorite local teams!

Wagner Glade Trail Work Redux

Work continues on the new Wagner Glade Trail. See a write up on the trail work in this Mailtribune article. All the downed logs have been removed and another 1/3 mile of tread has been laid down in the last two weeks. However, roughly 2/3 miles of tread still needs completion on the highest portion of the trail.

The view from Wagner Glade Gap and the terminus of the Wagner Glade Trail.

Here are few more opportunities for you to assist in the trail work going on in the region. The events are sponsored by the Ashland Woodlands and Trails Association.

October 11th: Time Warp Trail, a 3 mile downhill bike trail up by Mt. Ashland. Work with other downhill cyclist on key eroded areas. Meet at Ashland Ranger Station on Washington St. at 9am. See the following link for background information.

October 25th: Wagner Glade Trail in Ashland’s Watershed. Meet at Ashland Parks Department office in Lithia Park at 8:30. We will carpool into the gated watershed approximately ten miles then walk from there. We are reclaiming a trail that hasn’t been used for almost 40 years. See the following link for more information.

November 15th: Either Ostrich Peak Trail or the Pacific Crest Trail. Meet at the Ashland Ranger Station at 8:30. Check the AWTA website for further information.

December 6th: Ostrich Peak Trail. Meet at Ashland Parks Department Office in Lithia Park at 8:30. Check the AWTA website for further information.

Questions regarding the trail work mentioned above can be directed to Rob Cain at robrcain@yahoo.com.

Kyle Skaggs is happy to be putting time in on a trail he'll no doubt be running on in a few weeks.

Rogue Valley Goes to Xterra Nationals

On Saturday several Rogue Valley Runners traveled to Bend, OR to take part in the Xterra Trail Run National Championships. The 21 kilometer trail course was set along the scenic Deschutes River that meanders through town. With a $5,000 prize purse available, some of the country's swiftest trail runners came to race. When the dust cleared, 225 runners would complete the race. Max King (Bend, OR) would take the lead at mile three and win the men's race in 1:08:01, that's roughly five minute mile pace. Eugene's Susannah Beck would win the women's race by see-sawing back and forth several times with Bend's Kami Semick. Beck would outdistance Semick by 19 seconds at the finish line, winning in 1:23:07.

(l to r) Jenn Shelton, Ixel Sanchez and Susannah Beck at Xterra Bend.

Rogue Valley had some stellar performances as well. Leading the pack was Ashland's Brian McGuire in 1:22:23. Brian missed winning the 50-54 age group by 30 seconds. Central Point's Joe Griffin finished in 1:29:44; 44th overall and fifth in the 44-49 age division. Ashland's Jenn Shelton blazed the course in 1:30:04, winning the 25-29 age division and finishing sixth lady overall. Winning the 20-24 age group was Rogue Valley Runners store employee Ixel Sanchez in 1:33:31. Jeff Pons and Melissa Glatte, both from Central Point, also represented the Rogue Valley by finishing in 1:46:19 and 1:46:44 respectively. Medford's Jodi and Wayne Marthaller finished in 1:53:42 and 2:23:31 respectively. Running across the line together were Jennifer Patterson (Medford) and Pennie Pons (Central Point) in 2:12:41. Nancy and Mark Fadling of Medford ran in 2:24:47 and 2:28:38 respectively.

Full results can be found here. Some photos can be found here. Congratulations to all runners!

Northwest Mountain Running Championships

Driving in from eastern Oregon, the horizon gave nothing away. It was going to be cold and wet. And it was.

Rain on the verge of snow at the finish line.

However, the drizzle and 40 degree temperatures could do nothing to cool the hot competition lined up for this year's Northwest Mountain Running Championships. The line-up would prove to be one of the best in the region this year. With $6,000 (supplied by END) in prize money (open, master's, team) runners with mountain running talent were bound to head for Mt. Hood. The headline duel was between Joe Gray, fresh off his stellar performance at the World Mountain Running Championships in Switzerland, and Olympic Trials Steeplechase Qualifier/TransRockies co-winner, Max King. However, if they were to falter, a strong secondary group of runners would be there to scoop them up. In that group were Erik Skaggs (co-team member of King's at this year's TransRockies and 2008 Mt. Ashland Hill Climb winner), Erik's brother, Kyle Skaggs(winner of the 2008 Hardrock 100 Mile Endurance Run), Richard Bolt(Team Leader for the Teva US Mountain Running Team and fierce mountain running competitor), John Howell (2:29 finish at the 2006 Austin Marathon), and Anthony Rinck (2:35 finish at the 2007 Portland Marathon). To add even more dimension to the race, Portland's Team Red Lizard Running Club and southern Oregon's Team Rogue Valley Runners would bring to the table two tough teams that would compete for the Men's Team Title.

The sign says it all.

The course, now wet, started at Mt. Hood's Timberline Lodge at 6,000'. Runners ran six miles across, up and down ski runs, the Pacific Crest Trail, dirt access roads and technical single track to determine who the best mountain runners were. Runners ran to over 7000' and above tree line, across snow fields, climbed 2000', all while buffeted by a few 30 mph wind gusts.

Joe Gray leads Max King and Erik Skaggs early in the race.

Max King burns the downhill.

Erik Skaggs in pursuit.

Kyle Skaggs digs in.

Ian Torrence leads a chase pack up the slopes of Mt. Hood.

At the finish line, Max King would start his final sprint too late. Joe Gray (Team Rogue Valley Runners) would win the NW Mountain Running Championships in 39:23 (taking home $1,150 for his first place, top of the mountain course premium and team wins). Max (Team RVR) would follow two seconds later. Erik Skaggs (Team RVR) would finish third in 41:35. Richard Bolt would finish first for Team Red Lizards in 42:58, fourth overall. Kyle Skaggs and Ian Torrence came across the finish in 7th and 8th places respectively to round out a winning Team Rogue Valley Runners.

Lisa Nye, of Bend, Oregon would win the women's title in 50:45, less than a minute ahead of fellow Bend runner Katie Caba.

Team Rogue Valley Runners (left to right; Erik Skaggs, Max King, Ian Torrence, Kyle Skaggs, Joe Gray not pictured)

***More awesome photos, top ten men's and women's results and another write-up can be found on Richard Bolt's Oregon Mountain, Ultra & Trail Running web site.

Lithia Loop Trail Marathon Entrants

Here's the current list of runners (as of September 17th) who have entered the LLTM. That means 57 athletes are entered. This leaves 43 available slots to fill before the race on November 8th.

Please let us know if you see any glaring mistakes with our current information.
Name Age Gender Origin
Michael Sotos 33 M Ashland, OR
David Jordan 41 M Medford, OR
Luke Frechete 30 M Ashland, OR
Kelly Bradbury 38 F Smithfield, UT
Eric Dinger 34 M Medford, OR
Nikki Dinger 32 F Medford, OR
J.C. Callans 41 M Eagle Point, OR
Jennifer Callans 35 F Eagle Point, OR
Freeborn Mondello 29 M Talent, OR
Darcy Kleiman 31 F Talent, OR
Amy Nangle 38 F Talent, OR
Rick Blink 33 M Vacaville, CA
Rob Reckard 37 M Grants Pass, OR
C.B. Fralich 35 M Grants Pass, OR
Erin Fralich 38 M Grants Pass, OR
Brendan Holmes 29 M Klamath Falls, OR
Shahid Ali 23 M Ashland, OR
Kim Larson 37 F Ashland, OR
Chad Harris 32 M Roseburg, OR
Adam Cortell 36 M Talent, OR
Reeger Cortell 42 F Talent, OR
Stephen Itano 49 M Fairfield, CA
Lisa Dean 38 F Fort Jones, CA
Leonard Farr 44 M Newburg, OR
Courtney Pickett 40 F Ashland, OR
Phil Finch 58 M Reedsport, OR
Jennifer Sallee 38 F Ashland, OR
Brooke Bouer 34 F Talent, OR
Molly Holzshu 35 F Ashland, OR
Rene Millan 35 M Ashland, OR
Steve Waxmonsky 34 M Ashland, OR
Kouba Sayre 37 F Talent, OR
Luanne Park 48 F Redding, CA
Dean Heuberger 57 M Yamhill, OR
Megan Heuberger 28 F Ashland, OR
Darrin Bolz 41 M Medford, OR
Clem LaCava 60 M Corvallis, OR
Kelly Cronin 31 F Yosemite, CA
Rick Haase 63 M Shoreline, WA
Ali Miles 24 F Jacksonville, OR
Anne Crispino-Taylor 50 F Ashland, OR
Jinny Brown 55 F Ashland, OR
Lisa Bach 42 F Ashland, OR
David Kamp 61 M Corvallis, OR
Joe Mosley 54 M Eugene, OR
Sharon Mosley 46 F Eugene, OR
Grey Hecht 36 M Talent, OR
Susannah Beck 40 F Eugene, OR
C.J. Hitz 35 M Findlay, OH
Anne Hitchcock 30 F Auburn, CA
Hillary Noel 26 F Henderson, NV
Josh Brimhall 32 M Henderson, NV
Priscilla Anderson 32 F Murphy, OR
Win Goodbody 41 M Portland, OR
Terri Libert 40 F Eugene, OR
Stephen Hamilton 66 M Sunriver, OR
Kaija Staley 33 F Jacksonville, OR

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!