American River 50 Mile Endurance Race

Location: Cool, CA

Distance: 50 Miles

Elevation Gain: 4,900 ft

Race: American River 50 Mile Endurance Race

This was my first AR50, my second 50 mile race and my fifth Ultra in the last 2 years. I also completed 2 half and one full IRONMAN races in that same time frame. I finished this race in 11 hr 33 min. This was a PR for 50 miles by almost 2 hours. I was 173 of 416 finishers (500 registered), 127 of 254 males and 26 of 62 M50-59. This was a point to point race with an elevation gain of 4,900 and Elevation loss of 4,100…so we ended 800 ft higher than we started. The route was about 19 miles on the American River Parkway bike track and the rest on mostly single track trails. The race was preceded by 24+ hours of moderate to heavy rain and the trails were VERY muddy. The temperatures for the race were moderate to warm.

The race started with a bus ride from the hotel to start at 4:00 am in the driving wind and rain. We arrived at the start line at 4:30 and unloaded in a torrential downpour and 500 runners stood for 1.5 hours under eight 10x10 canopies waiting for the 6am race start. We started on time and the driving rain continued for the first hour. The rain eventually stopped and ultimately the sun came out and it was nice weather….except for the MUD. Did I mention it was muddy? My socks stayed dry for about a quarter mile before we ran through ankle deep water for 20 yards.

The first 25 miles of the race were easy as it was flat to downhill most of the way. You really had to be careful not to over run this section. There were three bag drops for the race (you left bags at start and they delivered them to mile 25 and mile 41 aid stations and to the finish. I had some dry socks and put them on…and my feet were dry for at least 15 min before more water. Oh well, I tried. My pace over the first half was faster than expected due to good trail conditions and mostly flat to down hill running. The next 20 miles were up and down (more up than down) on single track trails much of which were along Folsom Lake and fairly scenic. The cruel part of the race started at mile 45….with a 5 mile, totally uphill 1,500 ft ascent to the finish. It would have been runnable at the start but that was not possible for me at the end so it turned into a power hike to the finish.

Overall, I was pleased with my effort. I was hoping for 11 hours but two stops for sock changes and my power hike at the end dashed those hopes. I did run most of the course with very limited walking and did not experience any blisters, stomach issues, cramps, etc. The course never felt too crowded except maybe the first mile or two (as to be expected) and the other runners were typical ultra runners…supportive, courteous and friendly. The race was well managed with good aid stations, good volunteers, and the three bag drops really helped as well. The swag at the end was an embroidered fleece finishers jacket, one of the best swags I’ve received…this was in addition to a nice tee shirt and buff. Oh yea, I also finished an 8hr Audible book (Eat and Run by Scott Jurek, ultra running legend) during the race!

One of my big learnings from this race and the training leading up to it was the importance of core strength in endurance running. My legs had the typical fatigue during my long runs but my back and lower abs were where I was the most sore. My next Ultra will the the Tamalpa Headlands 50K in August. My Rim to Rim to Rim Grand Canyon run is planned for mid-October….in case anyone wants to join me?