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Amy Sproston, shown here with Bull Run Run race
director Anstr Davidson after her April 18 win, is the
odds-on favorite to claim victory in the Massanutten
Mountain Trails 100. (Photo by Quatro Hubbard)
The Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 starts in less than 12 hours and around the ultrarunning world, the handicapping is well under way.
In this 15th running of the MMT 100, the female field looks to be an easier call, with only 23 women registered for the May 16-17 race through Virginia’s George Washington National Forest.
Among women, the smart money is on DC’s own Amy Sproston, a returning champion who won last year’s MMT in 26:08:57. She’s having a great 2009, with victories this spring including a 7:34:05 at the Bull Run Run 50-miler in northern Virginia.
On the men’s side, it’s a much deeper talent pool – and a much tougher call. Most MMT watchers figure the last two years’ champions, Karl Meltzer and Todd Walker, are probably destined for the podium.
Bryon Powell, a longtime DC-area ultrarunner who blogs at IRunFar.com has a different view, though. Beyond Meltzer, he’s calling Bradley Mongold, Joe Kulak and Glen Redpath “rock-solid” contenders for a win, with Walker on the list of those in contention for a Top 5 position. Be sure to check out his deep and well informed lists of the male and female contenders.
Meltzer has continued his tradition of race odds-making on his blog, noting that he has a 5-2 shot at winning MMT and calling Walker at 4-1 odds among his list of Top 9 male contenders.
Also weighing in on the odds is Greg Loomis, an ultrarunner from Arlington, Va., who’s signed on to run MMT. Along with Meltzer and Walker, he lists himself and two other former MMT runners-up -- Keith Knipling and Joe Clapper -- among the top contenders.
Those eager for news from the Shenandoah Valley can track live updates on the 175-runner field on the Virginia Happy Trails Running Club site – as runners arrive at the MMT aid stations, radio operators on the course will call results back to race headquarters at the Skyline Ranch Resort near Front Royal, Va.
MMT is among the tougher U.S. 100-milers, with steep mountain climbs totaling more than 18,000 feet. The race has a 36-hour time limit and with thunderstorms and 80-degree temperatures in the forecast, many runners will need all 36 to finish.
New to the race this year is the Stonewall Jackson Foot Cavalry Division, in which silver buckles will go to the top male and female finishers who complete the course without the support of pacers or crew. The name recognizes the Civil War commander's 1862 victories against numerically superior Union forces.
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