Tag: 100-mile Run

Preparations are in full out running mode — and 25 hardy men and women mountain endurance runners already enrolled — for the 7th Annual “High Five” 100-mile mountain run starting 6 a.m. Friday, August 8, and continuing until mandatory cut-off at 6 a.m. Sunday, August 10.According to organizer Logan Rhodes — who this year happens to again be one of the race entrants — the informal race route starting and ending at Lake City Town Park remains essentially the same, with each of the qualifying runners required to reach checkpoints on the summits of each of the county’s five 14,000’ elevation peaks, 14,309’ Uncompahgre Peak; Wetterhorn, 14,015’; Redcloud, 14,034’; Sunshine, 14,001’; and Handies, 14,048’.Rhodes, who initiated the hardcore endurance run with his wife, Lake City preschool instructor Caitlin Rhodes, in 2019, emphasizes that there is no pre-set route for the 100-mile run and is instead up to the individual runners to set their course which, in addition to the five 14,000’ peaks, also includes mandatory proof of summiting a variety of other lesser elevation 12,000’ and 13,000’ peaks, including 12,933’ elevation Crystal Peak near the race’s start.Among the 25 ultra runners already registered for the High 5 as of Tuesday this week, local runners include both Logan Rhodes and two other well- known mountain runners, Wade Wandrey, who came out of running retirement for this past June’s 50-mile San Juan Solstice, and School Teacher Doug Eby.Both Rhodes and Wandrey finished this year’s Solstice, Rhodes’ first among local runners in 44th place overall with a time of 11 hours, 34.16 minutes for the strenuous 50-miler, and Wandrey 61st overall, time 12 hours, 14 minutes in the Solstice.Also running in June’s San Juan Solstice — and also registered for this month’s 100-mile High Five is Gunnison middle school teacher Dustin Simoens. Simoens is a past High Five winner, taking first place in the inaugural 2019 High Five with time 32 hours, 51 minutes and in this year’s June San Juan Solstice loped a somewhat slower pace for the 50-miler, finishing 74th overall, 12 hours, 35.09 seconds.First time runners for this year’s August 8 High Five will line up on a Silver Street starting line adjacent to Lake City Park at 6 a.m. Friday; experienced runners who have previously competed in the race one time prior begin the race an hour later, at 7 a.m., and for High Five runners with two prior races under proverbial belt, the start time is 8 a.m.As earlier stated, the mandatory cutoff is 6 a.m. Sunday, August 10, with Caitlin Rhodes and other race organizers predictably camped out in the park throughout the night to greet runners crossing the finish line.A preliminary High Five race meeting for runners and volunteers is planned at the Rhodes’ Gunnison Avenue residence starting 6 p.m. Thursday, August 7.