Ever Faithful, Thirtieth Annual Old Dominion 100-Mile One-Day Endurance Run
Elite athletes called Ultrarunners come to the Shenandoah Valley the first Saturday in June to race in The Old Dominion 100-Mile One-Day Endurance Run. It is, officially declared Endurance Run Week by Shenandoah’s County Board and this June 7th some of the finest came for the 30th Annual running of this legendary event. At Old Dominion’s founding, in 1979, there had been only one other such running challenge in the world and that far to the West in California. The Old Dominion’s 100-mile race was created to enable East Coast athletes to train, compete and surpass all others and especially never let the West outshine Virginia. The Old Dominion is Virginia’s nickname and means Ever Faithful.
Getting set for the start of the race, 4 a.m., at Shenandoah County’s Fairgrounds, the humidity is so thick, wipers are moving on windshields and 99 degrees is promised for the day. This day will be a fierce test for all in the race who will ask themselves, did I train correctly to adapt and endure?” A mountain of a man steps to the Start and leads in asking for God’s blessing. Roy Marshall, owns THE GYM in Woodstock, also an O.D. buckle and The Gym’s weightlifters power-up O. D. in many ways each year.
Blue lights flashing, the Town police cruiser disappears in a humid haze. O. D. has lift-off. It is 72 degrees.
When the history was taken from the runners this year, it was found that many in the field are making a first attempt at the 100-mile distance, cross-country, with the goal of beating the one-day clock. Always, the challenge has been to race the day and claim victory. 100-Miles, One-Day for the Buckle. There are more than ten first-time 100-milers among the 49 starters in the race this year. Words of wisdom and experience are heard from the “seasoned” runners on the trail, sharing tips, hints and knowledge of critical points throughout the day. Frank Pollard and Kristina Irvin come the furthest distance from California. He is strong and ready. She is prepared, determined and also a survivor in “The Last Great Race”. For Denise Davis, a Virginian, now teaching in N. Carolina, who has finished this race before, quitting is never an option and any runners with her today are surely benefiting.
On the trail at 05:15 it is 68 degrees in the hollows at Boyer. It’s 90+ by the 50-mile point. Today will be one that verifies the Medical Comment in Old Dominion’s “bible”, The Red Book, which all who enter the race receive and many memorize. “The Old Dominion is traditionally held on the first truly hot and stinkingly humid day of the year, in Virginia”. Woodstock’s town clock registers 100 degrees at mid-day and will make front page news. By 1:15 p.m., two men, who have been in the lead from the beginning, are off the hottest part of the trail on the ridgeline of the mountain and have crossed into the woods at Edinburg Gap. They are, Keith Knipling, 2007’s First-To-Finish defender and Jason Lantz, PA, who is seeing O. D’s course for the first time. All who run today are testaments to the, almost unbelievable, physical value of training for endurance. Keith and Jason will battle, not only the vicious weather and the trail but will shift back and forth for the lead, staying within minutes of each other all day. Before the last runner reaches the Edinburg Gap Station at 56.57 miles, the hands of the clock will pass 7 p.m.
Mudhole Aid Station is again very energized as the runners come streaming in during the night. Donny Golladay and his crew camped out two nights to ensure they were ready and no runner was without support at their station. One was particularly blessed. Abigail Meadows from Texas, herself a mother of seven, firefighter and EMT, came rolling in. They asked what she needed. “I would like to have beef hamburger on a fajita”, not expecting it at all. “Well we just happen to have that cooking…on the other side of the stream!” She crossed the stream and was fixed-up and ready to head for the 75-mile point, Elizabeth Furnace at the base of the Sherman Gap climb and going over Sherman she repaid that blessing with one of her own. A runner has begun the Sherman Gap climb and is having a hard time getting down the steep East side. It is dark, he is very tired, scared and feels bad. She stays with him and his safety runner, encouraging him all the way to the bottom where the paramedics are waiting to check him over. Meadows, being an EMT herself, provides a complete medical status and enables them to quickly ensure he didn’t get into an emergency situation. Then she is on her way.
The second Medical Check is at Elizabeth. Thomas Worthington, MA, has just arrived with 75-miles behind him, in his first 100-miler. The medical team Lead, Wayne and Pat Botts’ daughter, Kelly Clement, asks questions to determine alertness and condition. Worthington has sparkle in his eyes and thinks his condition is “great”! Exactly the response we’re looking for. The Vermont 50 prepared him well. Just five minutes pass until another first time 100-miler, Philip Hough from Maryland, crosses the clearing and checks in. It’s 8:45, getting dark, chemlights mark the trail. It’s time for them to tackle Sherman. Neal Jamison, Roanoke, VA is in front of Worthington and Hough. This is not his first 100-miler. He holds his lead and arrives at Veach West, 86 miles, at midnight, just in front of Worthington. Liz Bauer-Walker, who was O.D’s First Woman in 2007, has been thrown multiple curve balls this day. She has an injury to one of her ankles and is the next one in at 1:32 p.m. She has had more fun days for sure but against this no mercy day there’s no quitting here. Liz crosses the Finish Line just 79, formidable, minutes over 24 hours.
The small, high moon fails to light up the dark and it is still 80 degrees at the Fairgrounds, just before midnight, 11:49 p.m., when Jason Lantz comes in strong and crosses the Finish Line as Keith is entering the gate to begin his circuit around the Fairgrounds half-mile track. Keith makes the Line at 11:56. They have raced each other for nearly 20 hours and 7 minutes separate them at the Finish. Denise Davis is still out on the trail, running smart, adapting to a day that required full use of her abilities. She calculates right and crosses the Finish with 18 minutes to spare. Denise, a schoolteacher, takes that determination and resolve back home and passes it on to her students – you can count on her. Kristina Irvin, Saratoga, CA, is a western states runner. She’s a fighter and a veteran endurance racer. For her too, this was a brutal day, which, nevertheless, she outsmarted and finished the race with 5 minutes to spare. Jamey Groff and Neal Gorman threatened each other throughout the race for 3rd and 4th to Finish Line. Groff, behind by an hour at 50 miles overtook Gorman on the Veach climb and PHEW!!, over the final 14 miles to the Fairgrounds, built a 55 minute lead. Four of the twelve buckles awarded Sunday morning are to first-time 100-milers.
In the words of several veteran runners, “The day was brutal!” We have not had temperatures this high in almost 2 decades. Those who started this race and endured, finishers or not, are stronger for it. For race management…mission complete.
by: Race Management.
