Red Hot 50K

Most trail races run along established roads or trails that are defined by the landscape. The Red Hot 50K runs across the middle of the desert. Sometimes the trail is obvious through dirt or sandy sections, but most of the time the flagging is the only clue as to where to go. The race connects several jeep roads in the Gemini Bridges/Golden Spike/Poison Spider area and provides some unbelievable views of Canyonlands and the LaSal mountains. The Red Hot 50K is wild, unpredictable and beautiful.

The weather forecast for race day was wind and rain. We got both. When the gun went off we headed up the trail in a nearly direct headwind. Right from the start one guy took off and was out of sight within twenty minutes. From what I can gather his name was Mike Smith and he's an Olympic-Trials marathon qualifier from Flagstaff who has only done a few ultras. I didn't see him for the rest of the day after he disappeared, because apparently he took a wrong turn at about mile 15 and then dropped. If that hadn't happened I predict he would have set a course record, but it just wasn't his day. Hopefully he'll come back soon.

Anyway, I settled into third place behind Mr. Smith and Tim Parr on the first big loop that climbs up an anticline to overlook the race start and Arches National Park. During the first half of the loop the wind was pushing either at my back or side, but generally pushing me in the right direction. But that changed at the top at about mile 11, when the course, though going downhill, took a turn into the wind. By the time I got down to the flat section between miles 13 and 17 the wind was directly in my face at a constant rate of probably 15-20 mph, with rain besides. And that sucks. Running into the wind is like trying to accelerate in a car while pressing the brake pedal. My only consolation was the knowledge that everyone was out there dealing with the same conditions. Does that sound vindictive?

After the third aid station (roughly mile 17) the course drops into a low section for a few miles before climbing up to another rim, and that's when the weather started to improve. A lull in the storm allowed most of the front runners to get through to the end of the race in relatively mild conditions. The wind was still blowing, but it now came in sporadic gusts from all different directions. From about mile 22 to 29 the course winds about on a seemingly random course across the slickrock, weaving up and down on a completely off-camber surface. This is where people get lost the most, but this year the course was marked far better than in the past. I just cruised along by myself all the way across the mesa.

I spent the majority of the race running alone, and it didn't feel competitive at all. I felt like I was just running along through the desert on a long training day. The whole run just seemed really relaxed and mellow for the entire second half. From about mile 20 to the finish the 50K course is the same as the 33K, so I was continually passing people. Near the end of the race I looked up and saw someone who appeared to be sitting down stand up and stagger back into a running position. I didn't think much of it until I came level with him and saw that it was Tim Parr. This took me completely by surprise - I was expecting to cruise into third place. Apparently he hadn't eaten enough and fully blew up. When I reached him I thought we were going to race neck and neck to the finish, but he just let me go and I ran downhill to the finish. And won.

The Red Hot 50K is a great gauge of early season fitness. But mostly it's just a lot of fun. The race is organized really well and has a great vibe throughout. I mainly like going back home and running with all my friends, no matter the competition. Yet now I'm confident in my fitness and looking forward to continuing the momentum into this year.


The top three men from left to right (except for my cheering squad, far left): Dakota, Tim Parr, Ryan Burch