2012 Chuckanut 50k Results
March 17, 2012 by Bryon Powell · 34 Comments
Rain, snow, sun, lead changes, lost leader, close finishes. The 20th running of the Chuckanut 50k saw it all. For now, all we’ve got time for is a pure results article, but we’ll update this tomorrow and throughout the next couple days. You can also read the play-by-play on our live coverage page.
Over 500 runners covered 30 miles of trails and dirt roads through a variety of conditions. The start saw chunky rain coming down in 35F temps. The first third of the race were run on mostly lower elevation, which meant a mix of drizzle and rain in just above freezing temps. Once the race starting climbing to and above 1,000′ as it does for most of it’s middle third runners faced between 1 and 3 inches of snow on the ground as snow showers left more on the course. By the final third of the race for the leaders, temperatures were moderating slightly up to the low 40s and the rain became much more sporadic with the sun occasionally peaking through. While the low temps and variable weather were a challenge, traction proved even trickier on the course. Many (or most?) runners went down at least once whether on the ubiquitous mud, obscuring snow, or moisture slickened rocks, roots, or bridges.
Men’s Results
- Adam Campbell (Salomon, Arc’teryx) – 3:48:55 (post-race video interview, race report)
- Sage Canaday (Brooks) – 3:49:28 (post-race video interview, race report)
- Jason Schlarb (Hoka One One) – 3:50:00 (race report)
- Christopher Kollar – 3:51:07
- Dane Mitchell (Rock/Creek) – 3:51:16 (race report)
- Peter Ellis – 3:54:06
- Dave Mackey (Hoka One One) – 3:55:10
- Mike Foote (The North Face) – 3:55:28
- Jason Loutitt (The North Face) – 3:55:37 (brief race report)
- Jim Rebenak – 3:55:43
Top men at Chuckanut 50k (l-to-r): Dusty Caseria, Chase Parnell, Jason Schlarb, Timothy Olson, Adam Campbell, Mike Foote, Mike Wolfe, Gary Gellin, Dave Mackey
Women’s Results
Ellie Greenwood (Montrail) – 4:09:28 (pre-race and post-race video interviews, race report)- Jodee Adams-Moore – 4:33:47
- Joelle Vaught (Montrail) – 4:35:15 (race report)
- Pam Smith (La Sportiva) – 4:37:59 (race report)
- Melanie Bos – 4:44:03
- Stacey Cleveland – 4:45:38 (race report)
- Hannah Ager – 4:46:45
- Jenny Capel (La Sportiva) – 4:57:03
- Sara Wagner – 4:59:41 (race report)
- Nicholle Sellon – 5:05:23
Other Resources
- Michael Lebowitz’s photos
- Glenn Tachiyama’s photos
- Bellingham Herald photos
- Joe Grant’s photos
- A Mere Glance photos
- Bellingham Herald article
- Max King’s race report (including discussion of missed turn)
- Joe Uhan’s race report
- Ian Torrence’s race report
Call for Comments
So how you do at Chuckanut? How about your favorite runner?
Thanks from iRunFar
iRunFar’s race coverage wouldn’t happen without the help of others. For Chuckanut, we’ve got to thank:
- Craig Thornley and Travis Trampe for their generous financial donations in support of our race coverage;
- Joe Uhan, Dan Olmstead, and Jim for letting me crash in their hotel room; and
- Fred Abramowitz for a great meal in Seattle.
Updates
3/18 – Added Pam Smith’s race report, added weather narrative
3/19 – Added links to Adam Campbell and Ellie Greenwood post-race interviews, added Lebowitz, Tachiyama, and Bellingham Herald photo galleries; added Bellingham Herald article; added Joe Uhan and Ian Torrence race reports
3/20 – Added link to Sage Canaday video interview; added race reports from Sage Canaday, Dane Mitchell, Jason Loutitt, Stacey Cleveland
3/21 – Added Adam Campbell race report; added Thanks section; added Jason Schlarb race report
3/22 – Added Ellie Greenwood and Joelle Vaught race reports
3/23 – Added Joe Grant’s photos; added Sara Wagner race report
3/25 – Added Max King’s race report; added A Mere Glance photos
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- 2012 Chuckanut 50k Preview A preview of the 2012 Chuckanut 50k....
Filed under Races ·
Bryon Powell is the Editor-in-Chief of iRunFar.com, which he founded five years ago. Also the author of Relentless Forward Progress: A Guide to Running Ultramarathons and a contributing editor at Trail Runner magazine, he's quickly approaching 10 years as an ultrarunner and 20 years as a trail runner. These days he calls Park City, Utah and its trails home.
All posts by Bryon Powell
Man thats a big gap after EG.
And… of course… she’s smiling!
First finisher over age 50 was 84th!
2010 I ran 4:17:54, got 12th overall, 1st Masters- 2012 ran 4:17:30, got 29th overall, 5th Masters. This race is more stacked than Western by far. Amazing to see so many Ultra stars in one place. Krissy runs a great event.
Adam: 1993….I ran 4:56 and got third in the first year of our event. Never did we EVER dream it would get to the level it is now…the largest and most competitive 50 km in North America! Ellie’s performance today was truly outstanding, considering the snow and slippery conditions and the competition. She was 30 seconds behind Jodee at our “3.5″ aid station, yet won by a bunch. What a bunch of classy folks we saw today.
There’s a typo at Men’s 3rd place time.
Thanks. Fixed.
I don’t know how far Max ran down Cleator Rd. past the Fragrance Lake Rd/trail. But I noticed it was NOT marked when we passed it at the beginning of the race. I even asked another runner, doesn’t the course turn down there on the way back?! What a run by Sage, and Adams Moore. Two runners who just showed up to the ultra scene, recently.
I think Max probably made it an extra 1 to 1.5 miles down Cleator. He lost at least 20 minutes, maybe significantly more. All three of the leaders missed that turn. The second place guy was told by other runners that he was off-course (there were still dozens of runners on the way up to aid station 3 at this point that the leaders passed on the way down) and the third place guy didn’t make it too far past the turn before he was told he was off course. Not sure who was in 2nd and 3rd at that point but I’m guessing they were still in contention when they got back on course,
I guess Max didn’t have anything left to give, if Sage, who I understand was with Max off course, came back for #2. What a race.
Sage went approximately 1/2 mile too far down the road while Max went about 2 miles too far down the road.
Definitely an unfortunate error — indeed, there were no arrow markings on the at the junction (all arrows went uphill). Presumably the top 3 outran the course marshalls to the turn.
Next year they might consider putting stand-up signage (visible only from the downward side) for that turn…
Didn’t WTC 50K have 704 finishers making it the largest 50K in the country?
Yes, Way Too Cool was the largest 50k in the country so far this year. Please let me know if I or someone else misstated that fact somewhere in the Chuckanut coverage.
Bryon, it was probably my error on a post above in saying the Chuckanut this year was “the largest 50 km and most competitive 50 km in North America.” It would have been the largest if we went by numbers of finishers for 50s last year compared to the number of entrants and probable finishers for Ch50 this year , but WTC jumped up quite a bit this year. But Chuckanut could be the most competitive. I am going to have to overhaul the Top Twenty list….glancing at it, I doubt that any man over 4:00 will be on the list, and no woman over 5:00.
An interesting question becomes whether that ‘most competitive 50km’ is bound to this race or whether another race – and on the same calendar date – can simply offer more prize money and the the elites with them.
… and it could be a brand new race not necessarily one already on the calendar.
Prize money is a factor, but not the only one. The relationship the RD has with community, the quality of the course, location, history, ease at which elites can enter (HUGE) are all part of the equation.
I am pretty confident $600, $300 and $100 was not the biggest factor for the top 20 entrants, and fairly trivial for a good number of the trully professional runners. If new race put up $20K or more, yeah, you might be right, but that isn’t real easy to do (permits, good course, advertising, sponsors and then $$$). I do think that the days of highly competitve lottery based, limited or no elite entry, with no prize $$ races are either over or on the way out for the most part.
Schlarb, while not elite myself, from talking to many elites, I’d put competition in your great list. Yes, level of competition comes about in a chicken and egg situation, but for races that have competitive fields, those fields beget more competition. (This may fall under your history category.)
I think the fact that a number of elites (Roes, Jurek, Steidl, Grant, Draney, etc) showed up to Chuckanut not to run, speaks to the non-financial draws of such a race.
What happend to Jenn Shelton?
I’m not sure although folks on the course mentioned she had a recent injury (turned ankle, I think).
I passed her around Florence Lake. She was stopped and seemed to be putting snow on her ankle or achilles. (Or maybe she was digging snow OUT of her shoe — I dunno) Said she was doing fine, however, and seemed cheery. When she didn’t pass me back as I was shuffling up Cleator, I suspected she dropped.
Minor correction: it is Fragrance Lake.
Fragrance, indeed. My brain must still be on ice.
Bryon,
I sprinted to get that 3:49:59, not 3:50… can I have that second back please?
:)
Thanks for your awesome work and see you soon!
Schlarb, I’m consistent with rounding tenths of a second up or down. Officially, you ran 3:49:59.8. ;-)
Fun fact of the day: If you trust the finishing splits (which, for a big chunk of the runners, were dubiously large), Ellie split a 1:04:xx from the Ridge AS to the finish — easily among the top 10.
The race report: looks like I needed that 4WW after all…
http://joeuhan.blogspot.com/2012/03/2012-chuckanut-50k-race-report.html
Bryon,
Were you taking photographs of people at Mile 13 as they ran down a slick rock? If so, any way to have a look at those shots? There may be one of me making a fool of myself that I would love to get a hold of!
Thanks in advance, and for your coverage.
A slick rock at about mile 13 sounds like ” Slippery As Slug Slime Slab.” Last year the Northwest’s semi-official race photographer, Glenn Tachiyama, took pictures there, but based on his photo locations this year, it must have been another photographer if indeed this is the spot you are talking about. Here is Glenn’s site, and if you go to the 2011 Chuckanut gallaery, you might see yourself having fun on the slab if you ran in 2011.
http://www.pbase.com/gtach/chuck2012
Thanks! I saw Glenns, but was actually looking for these photos which I found here: http://gallery.longrunpictures.com/Ultras/Chuckanut-50K-2012/21999204_8G8gJj#!i=1754951919&k=jLFHfpF
Andrew,
That’s may have been Michael Lebiwitz or Glenn Tachiyama if they had a real camera. I’ve linked to their photo sets in this article.
With splits…
http://www.buduracing.com/raceresults/20120317_821.pdf
Would like to say that Jodee Adams-Moore had a great race, and I am curious about her taking the lead on Ellie early. 2nd ultra, 2nd place, I think she’s a huge talent and should be supported in that. Also a great ceramicist/painter and co-op grocer employee, Jodee is a great person to talk with on a training run! I hope she chooses to race EG again!
I am not sure the race results are totally accurate. I know of four people who DNF’d who didn’t make it on the list (myself included). Interesting almost 140 people didn’t show up who were registered as well, that is almost 20% of total registrants.