Heat greets Tahoe Rim Trail Endurance Runners

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — In a sport as physically and mentally demanding as ultrarunning, record-breaking heat is no one’s friend.

The largest field in the 13-year history of the Tahoe Rim Trail Endurance Runs faced just that this past weekend, as the mercury soared into the low 90s at the hottest points, while the typical afternoon wind that cools Lake Tahoe and its surrounding peaks was non existent.

“We’ve had a couple of hot years, but it definitely was record-breaking,” Race Director George Ruiz said. “I don’t know if it was 90 (degrees) up high, but it felt like it to the runners. It was just hot with no breeze. Normally we get that signature breeze here, but we just didn’t get it.

“It just wiped everyone out during the day. The 100-milers actually managed it fairly well, but after the 50-mile aid station, they just seemed like they were dropping left and right.”

The heat did not seem to slow 39-year-old Bob Shebest of Santa Rosa.

Despite a low 59 percent finish rate in the 100-mile race — only 118 of the 200 starters reached the finish line within the 35-hour cutoff — Shebest posted the second-fastest time on record, in 18 hours, 3 minutes, 55 seconds. The course record is 17:47:09, set by Thomas Crawford in 2010. The average finish rate is between 66 and 70 percent, Ruiz said.

“He ran a very, very smart race,” Ruiz said of Shebest, who gradually picked off frontrunners after sitting in fourth place at mile 30, and second place at the halfway point. “He was keeping it in check. The two guys that were out in front early, Josh Brimhall (from Henderson, Nev.) and Chikara Omine (from San Francisco), they’re real tracksters and were below course record pace, but they just blew up.”

Brimhall dropped at mile 80. Omine managed a 13th-place finish in 23:29:43.

Michael Stadnisky, 30, of Ashland, Ore., finished runner-up with a time of 20:18:50, Eric Toschi, 44, of Carmichael was third in 21:07:11 and Peter Broomhall, 34, of Truckee was fourth in 21:32:24 in his first-ever 100-mile race.

On the women’s side, 31-year-old Emily Judd of Whitefish, Mont., claimed the victory while finishing ninth overall in 23:19:29 — posting the sixth-fastest women’s time on record (Nikki Kimball owns the course record, at 20:18:00). Ruiz called Judd a “very seasoned ultrarunner.” She won the Wasatch 100 in Utah last year as well as the Bighorn 100 in Wyoming in 2011.

“So it’s no surprise that she did well here,” Ruiz said.

Fresh off her finish in the Western States Endurance Run last month — also a scorcher weather-wise — Amber Monforte, 35, of South Lake Tahoe placed second in the women’s field and 14th overall in 24:04:10. Former champion Roxanne Woodhouse of Weaverville, Calif., was the third woman (18th overall) in 25:24:33.

Among the Tahoe-area contingent, Shane Johnson of Incline Village placed 57th with a time of 29:14:00, and Amy Lapierre of Incline was the 22nd woman in 32:46:22. Paul Sweeney (Truckee), Rachael Woods (Tahoe City), Alan Barichievich (South Lake Tahoe), Francesca Stone (South Lake Tahoe) and former Western States champ Kathy D’Onofrio (Truckee) dropped.

AUSTIN, MCDOWELL EARN 50-MILE TITLES

In the 50-mile run, 29-year-old Mark Austin of Boise, Idaho, outdistanced the large field, posting a winning time of 8:38:29.

Austin was trailed by Brian Engleton, 33, of San Luis Obispo, who was second in 8:57:42, and Petra McDowell, 41, of Los Alamos, N.M., who was the first woman and third overall in 9:01:43. McDowell’s time was the second-fastest ever (Devon Yanko holds the women’s record, at 8:39:00; Thomas Reiss has the men’s record, at 7:52:00).

Truckee’s James Johnson, 25, finished fourth with a time of 9:11:54.

Defending 50-kilometer champ Rachel Barth of Incline Village finished runner-up in the 50-mile women’s field and fifth overall in a time of 9:26:52. Ryan Weibel of South Lake Tahoe was sixth overall in 9:32:40, and Jamie Adams of Kings Beach finished 13th in 10:20:13.

Truckee’s Gretchen Brugman was the sixth woman and 23rd overall in 10:59:13, Caroline Barichievich of South Lake Tahoe was the eighth woman and 26th overall in 11:08:14 and Helen Pelster of Truckee was 13th (35th overall) in 11:39:12.

Among other Tahoe-area runners, Kevin Schrage of Incline was 41st in 12:19:53, Ron Nageotte of Stateline was 65th in 13:17:50, Janice Pilkington of Tahoe City finished in 15:35:51 and Avril Harcourt of South Lake Tahoe finished in 15:35:52.

A total of 146 runners completed the 50-miler while 32 dropped, including Truckee’s Peter Fain — the 50K record-holder — and South Lake Tahoe’s Charles Lincoln and Daniel Constantz.

JON OLSON, TRUCKEE’S ANNIE RUTLEDGE WIN 50K

Unfortunately for Incline Village’s Ross McMahan and Berkeley’s Christian Fitting, Jon Olson entered the 50-kilometer run again.

The experienced ultrarunner from Modesto, winner of several 100-milers over the years, defended his 50K title with a time of 4:55:09. Fitting settled for second, in 5:15:37, while McMahan, who was runner-up to Olson last year, was third in 5:17:45.

“Ross McMahan is legendary up here,” Ruiz said. “It would have been a great feat to beat Jon Olson, because earlier this year he set the U.S. record at the World 24-Hour Championships (covering 167-plus miles in 24 hours).”

Truckee’s Annie Rutledge, meanwhile, captured victory in the women’s race and placed eighth overall. The 33-year-old posted a time of 5:57:05 to take the win ahead of Jennifer Benna of Reno, who finished one spot back in 6:09:36. Elisheva Verdi of Auburn placed third in the women’s field and 14th overall in 6:51:15.

Geoff Quine of Truckee was 13th in 6:31:46, JP Prince of Truckee was 16th in 6:56:28, Sara Holm of Incline was sixth among women and 19th overall in 7:07:04, Susan Reynolds of Truckee was the 10th woman and 30th overall in 7:32:10, and Renee Rintala of Tahoe City finished 11th among women and 38th overall in 7:51:13.

Other local finishers include Koren Pollitt of South Lake Tahoe, who finished 20th in the women’s field and 54th overall in 8:14:32, as well as Javier Castellar of Truckee (9:18:50), Kimberly Bullock of Truckee (9:22:40), Matthew Gelber of Incline (9:35:14), Sheree Ganske of South Lake Tahoe (9:43:21), and Sharon Fong of Truckee (10:17:55).Only eight runners dropped out of 148 starters.

Fain’s course record from 2007 stands, at 4:33:00. Mary Coordt owns the women’s 50K record, set in 2001 at 5:22:03.

All three races started and ended at Spooner Lake State Park.