Karl Meltzer, shown here with Massanutten Mountain
Trails 100 race director Stan Duobinis, easily won the
ultra race with an 18:29:57 finish. (VHTRC photo)
This weather in the George Washington National Forest was foul and wild this weekend, but it didn't stop Karl Meltzer and Amy Sproston from adding to their list of victories in the Massanutten Mountain Trails 100.
Meltzer crossed the finish line just before 11:30 p.m. Saturday, logging an 18:29:57 that is the fourth fastest time in the 15-year history of the MMT 100.
And right about sunrise, Amy Sproston was the first woman in, completing the course in 24:59:55, according to early results posted by the Virginia Happy Trails Running Club.
That time was good enough to put her across the line nearly two hours ahead of the next female competitor and in the Top 10 overall. Though she didn't surpass Sue Johnston's 22:38:29 course record, the win puts her fourth in all-time women's MMT finishes and marks a repeat victory. Sproston, 35, of Washington, D.C., bettered her 2008 time (run on a different version of the MMT course) by more than an hour.
Meltzer, 41, of Sandy, Utah, also easily improved on his 2007 winning time and finished more than two hours ahead of his nearest competitors.
There actually was more drama in the fight for second and third place. As of about 6 p.m. Saturday afternoon, Glenn Redpath, Todd Walker, Mike Mason and Chris Reed were all within 38 minutes of one another. But in the end, Redpath took second with a 20:42:44, mere seconds ahead of Mike Mason, who crossed third in 20:43:04.
Rounding out the Top 10, in order of finish, were Keith Knipling, Adam Casseday, Chris Reed, Todd Walker, Joe Kulak, Neil Gorman and Sproston. Of the Top 10, nine ultrarunners earned the silver buckle of a sub-24 finisher. The weather was far worse on this MMT course than the last time this version was used, in 2005, but only eight finishers came in under 24 hours that year.
Behind Sproston, the second female finisher was Sheryl Wheeler, whose 26:47:16 earned her 19th overall. Robin Meagher came in just a few minutes behind Wheeler, with a 26:51:15 that placed her 21st.
The 173 runners who started the MMT 100 at 5 a.m. Saturday endured a weekend that threw just about every weather condition imaginable at them. Thunderstorms, heat, humidity, cold, golf-ball sized hail and near-miss lightning strikes punished runners as they navigated this tough course in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. A final tally wasn't immediately available, but at least 60 runners dropped out or missed mid-course cutoffs.
As of Sunday afternoon, dozens of runners were still gutting it out to cross the finish line ahead of the 36-hour course limit.
Comments