Looking back - 30 years ago

 

30 years ago: September 1993 – The month started for me with the final race of our European mountain racing tour.  The US squad headed to Gap France for the World Mountain running championships.  This was the first year that the worlds were either “up only” or “up & down”.  Previously both events were held on successive days with the up/down being a shorter multiple loop course.  Due to funding issues the decision was made to alternate each year.  I did not consider myself to be and up/down specialist, my downhill running was “fair to poor”.  However, this course was in my wheelhouse.  If I were to design and up/down course that’d suit me this would be the course.  The uphill was very steep and very difficult.  The downhill was much longer and had great footing (read: FAST).  Kilometer splits ranged from well under 3 minutes to low 6 minutes.  This also meant there was a lot of passing on the multiple lap course.  On the final climb I looked ahead and was disappointed that I couldn’t see anyone in front of me.  I thought “wow, they have buried me”.  I could have sworn there were 2 or 3 guys who had slipped away.  What I had not realized was that there was no one to see.  I was leading the World championships!  About halfway down the final downhill I was passed, I latched onto him as best I could.  He just had a little more turnover than me and he crossed the finish line a couple of seconds ahead of me.  He also must have been confused as we both started asking people what places we got.  I was shocked to learn I’d just taken second place.  I don’t think knowing my position would have helped, I gave all I had and in return I took home a silver medal.           

 

Me, Jay Johnson, and Matt Cull – Susa Italy           Lyndon Ellefson, Matt Cull, Jay Johnson, and me in Zermatt Switzerland

Course profile

Top 10 finishers – World Mountain Running Championships 09/05/1993

1 51:43 Martin Jones – ENG

2 51:48 Dave Dunham – USA

3 51:54 Michel Humber - FRA

4 51:57 Robin Bryson – IRE

5 52:09 Michael MacDermott - RSA

6 52:12 Constantino Bertolla – ITA

7 52:19 Renatus Birber – SUI

8 52:32 Ueli Hrisberger – SUI

9 52:43 Sylvain Richard – FRA

10 52:50 Dieter Ranitl – GER

World championships podium pictures

On 09/12 I took on the Wapack Trail 17.5 mile trail race.  This is a very tough race heading over a bunch of mountains as you make your way from Windblown to the Mass border and back.  I took it easy for the outward bound section handing with the leader then picked it up (but didn’t run much faster) on the way back.  I topped the field of 44 runners in 2:26:11, which was a course record at the time.  The following weekend I ran a very hill leg of the Lake Winnipesauke Relay.  My leg was 10.7 miles from Laconia and although I felt “lousy”, I managed the fastest time of the day (55:21).  A week later it was back to the roads, this time the NEAC 5km championships. It was rainy and 50 degrees in Manchester NH and the course had a lot of turns which made it challenging.  I battled with teammate Eric Morse, but he had more speed at the end outkicking me 14:29 to 14:30.  CMS put nine runners in the top 24 including six in the top 9.  Mike Casner was ninth man running a 5:00 pace!  Three days later I ran an easy CMS series 5k in 19:07 as I closed on my goal of 26 CMS series races in one year.    

New England 5km road championships

1 14:29 Eric Morse M28 CMS

2 14:30 Dave Dunahm M29 CMS

3 14:40 Rachid Tbahi M27 BRC

4 14:53 Craig Fram M35 WRT

5 14:57 Tony Bates M34 CMS

6 15:00 Rich Marion M31 CMS

7 15:04 Roger Jenkins M26

8 15:05 Dan Verrington M31 CMS

9 15:06 Scott Clark M27 CMS

10 15:07 Mohammed Mounawar BRC

11 15:08 Francis Burdette M28

18 15:22 Paul Hammond M33 WRT

19 15:24 Rod Viens M26 CMS

20 15:25 John Noland M30 CMS

21 15:26 Larry Olsen M46 TVFR

24 15:33 Mike Casner M31 CMS