The Vancouver 100

What?

A trail run on the famed and gnarly Baden Powell Trail.
Known as The Double in 2005.
Due to the challenging nature of this event accepted application only.
Challenge yourself to the hardest 100 km run in Canada (or anywhere!).
Eight versions: 12.1 km, 24.2 km, 37.5, 50, 62.5, 75.8 km, 87.9 km, Custom, 100 km.
99% trail, 100% fun, 110% challenge!
16,300 feet vertical climb and 16.300 descent, out and back.
Bring your bear bells!
No wimps, no whiners, no hassles.

When and Where?

Saturday June 6, 2009 - 5:00 am start.
Start and finish at Deep Cove, Panorama Park, North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
See agenda for details on how to get there and course description.

How Much?

Free for Club Fat Ass members ($50 for annual membership, $20 online or $25 cash single day membership)
To keep hassles on the morning of the run to a minimum and allow the host to prepare an exciting event for you that will run smoothly, applications will be accepted up until 2 weeks prior to the event. We ask you to please sign up for the club membership and apply for an invitation for the event online and in advance.

Results

Vancouver 100 Results

Of 15 starters for the full 100 km we had 8 finish. That's the most out of 4 years. It was an incredible day on a slightly challenging course. Thanks to everyone for participating and especially the crews!

Name	Distance	Time	Pts	Distance /split times	Crew (1 pt each)
Bill Dagg	100 km	15:07	3	Full course 7:30/7:37	Pacers: Susan Reynolds, John Neels, Terry Bushnell; Crew: Nicki Decloux, Mike Bjelos
Colin Freeland	100 km	16:20	2	Full course	John Freeland, Patricia Jensen
Michael Wardas	100 km	17:57	2	Full course	Cheryl, Ethelyn
Neil Ambrose	100 km	17:57	2	Full course	Carolyn, Marla
Karl Jensen	100 km	24:40	2	Full course /13:47	Lorraine
Gilles Barbeau	100 km	24:40	2	Full course /13:47	Lucinda
Craig Moore	100 km	24:40	3	Full course 10:53/13:47	Ethelyn
Jessica Bassil	100 km	28:04	2	Full course 12:00/16:04	Richard Rose, Baldwin, Sukhi, Michelle, Bill Dagg
Brian Vanoene	87 km		2	to Lynn Headwaters, pipeline bridge	Daniel Probst
Shannon Wilford	85 km		2	to Mountain Highway	Daniel Probst
Sylive Jorger	75 km	17:57	2	to Cleveland Dam 10:54/	Mike
Michael Spagnut	50 km	7:50	2	Deep Cove to Nelson Canyon Park
John Machray	50 km		2	Deep Cove to Nelson Canyon Park	Linda
David Crerar	50 km	8:26	2	Deep Cove to Nelson Canyon Park	Julia
Monty Watts	50 km	8:30	2	Deep Cove, Cleveland Dam return
Randy Rankin	38 km		2	Deep Cove to Cypress Bowl	Andrea Riddell
John Barron	38 km	7:52	2	Cypress Bowl to Deep Cove
Ron Adams	38 km	7:52	3	Cypress Bowl to Deep Cove
Patricia Jensen	38 km		1	Cypress Bowl to Deep Cove, pacing Colin
Desmond Mott	33 km	4:05	3	Deep Cove to Cleveland Dam, to home
Rod Hatfull	25 km		2	Deep Cove to Cleveland Dam, to home	Cheryl
Kyla Adams	25 km	4:40	2	Deep Cove to Cleveland Dam	Cathy Adams, Kari Badley, Warren Badley
Chad Hyson		1:00	2	Deep Cove to Old Buck
Ean Jackson		1:35	2
15 Starters	8 finishers

2007 - Year 3

Craig Moore 4-1/2h into the Vancouver 100

For a slideshow of some early morning photos, please click here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/Vancouver1002007/show/

You can add your photos of the Vancouver100 to the slideshow by uploading them to Flickr and tagging them with Vancouver1002007. For your photos to show in the Members In Action section, please also join the Club Fat Ass group on Flickr and add your event photos.

To participate in the online post event survey please click here. It only takes a couple of minutes of your time and helps us and the EH in planning future events.

Run Report: Still the hardest 100 km run anywhere ...

Something worth doing is worth doing well. Anything done well is worth the effort. Greatness is gotten by passionately following your dreams …

Okay, enough with the banal quotes. This was one bugger of a tough run and the people that did all, or even part, of the 2007 Vancouver 100 did what they had to do and are most certainly stronger for the effort.

Our day started early at 4:30 am on Saturday and was quite mild and calm even for early June in Deep Cove. The past V100 starts have brought us cooler temperatures and even a bit of rain. But because all of the people have lots of experience running on the North Shore we knew that a mild morning meant hot weather to come. And we weren’t disappointed.

The course was modified once again from the start. We ran to the end of Panorama Drive and only straight back to the trailhead instead of to Gallant Drive before starting our first of many endless climbs. Tim Wiens had done a GPS of the Baden Powell Trail recently and figured this small change would give us our 100 km total just fine. Less is definitely better in this case!

One thing that never fails is that the quick runners were chatting up a storm and were ready to pounce on the trail with their excitement. That covers nearly everyone in this event. But I’m sure there were others like me that were willing to spare their energy in Karl-Jensen-fashion and get into a quiet steady pace in preparation for the enormous distance to come. By the time Gilles, Monty and I were crossing through the first Deep Cove section of trail together, the nine other runners had scurried ahead and were nowhere to be seen. Monty and Gilles kept the chatter going and I simply was amazed that I dared to start this gigantic run once again. It had been two years since I completed it the first time and I was trying not to talk too much or think too hard.

I was able to keep pace with Monty and Gilles until just past Riverside Drive but after that I was on my own. It was nice to see the crews again at Lynn Valley Headwaters: Ethelyn, Cheryl, Rod Hatfull and now Ron Adams had joined in as well to cheer us on. On the way to this point I noted some early birds on the trail. I saw 10 people walking, 3 dogs, and a biker, all before what I thought was way too early for anyone but us to be out there.

Along the way to the ¼ mark at Cleveland Dam I saw some familiar faces that I’m sure all of the runners also saw. Curb Ivanic (Ultra Fitness) was out with his small gang of runners and I recall bumping into Jenn Mar (North Shore Athletics) near Skyline at Mosquito Creek. They were happy to cheer me on but I think Curb made some tongue-in-cheek remark about the need to pick up a headlamp along the way. For some reason he thought I wouldn’t make it to the end before dark I guess. And of course we all saw Sibylle, Pat and Judy making their way on the Grouse section toward us. All the cheering was very welcome, thank you ladies.

So all was well until the mid point at Cleveland Dam. That’s when I got a severe case of an itchy back. I’ll chalk that up to the increasing heat and the intense amount of sweating I was doing (Ethelyn said I was stinky already). It couldn’t have been much past 9:00 am at this point but it was already warm and humid. My duct tape had fallen off the critical chest points and I tried to replace that with Ethelyn’s help. But I was far too sweaty for it to stick any longer so I reverted back to my old favourite Body Glide. For my itchy back I had Ethelyn rub it with a large towel. That was heaven and I was getting some strange looks from people as I moaned in ecstasy at the relief.

By this time I had found out Rob MacDonald had dropped. He was using his better judgment in preparation for a new job on Monday. Rob had some technical crew difficulties to this point and felt he was already behind the 8-ball. Having done this run twice before and also knowing his own limits for heat frustration he felt it was best to pack it in and not tempt fate. So off I went with cheers from the crowd to keep on going. Little did I know what we all were heading into from this point onward and upward.

After a normally wet and cool winter and spring, it seemed to feel awfully warm heading up the British Properties and onto the Hollyburn Chute. Fyi, here’s a little weather comparison of the three years we’ve been doing this run:

June 4, 2005
Temp: mean / max / min 14 °C / 18 °C / 10 °C
Humidity: average / max / min 64 / 82 / 36

June 3, 2006
Temp: mean / max / min 16 °C / 20 °C / 12 °C
Humidity: average / max / min 69 / 88 / 51

June 2, 2007
Temp: mean / max / min 18 °C / 25 °C / 12 °C
Humidity: average / max / min 69 / 88 / 53

It’s worth noting that there was no recorded precipitation on any of these days. However, the maximum recorded temperatures were set in 2007 for both June 2 (25 °C) and June 3 (22 °C). Can you say, “global warming”?

All the way up the Chute I was thinking I would cool down by just laying down on the snow once I got to the ski runs. But of course I cooled down enough once I was there so I didn’t need to experience the shock and awe of the ice. I did however get a much needed refill on the water at the Ranger station. That was sooo nice and cold and refreshing. Cheryl suggested later that we should encourage crews to head up there to help out their runners. It really is a long way from Cleveland Dam to the next aid at Cypress Bowl. I think this is a great plan Cheryl. I was getting hungry by this point and new it was going to still be a long haul up and over to the next check point.

Not too far from the ranger station I met up with our Knee Knacker friend Jeff Trigg who was running in the opposite direction. Jeff saw a few of the others and the way he described things was not encouraging. Jeff knows that I know that we both know what the BP can be like at the best and worst of times. And yet, with the snow on the ski runs, the sun high and bright in the sky, and the knowledge that I was heading for the hurricane zone in the trees, he was shaking his head and wishing me well. And I have to add that I asked Jeff if he had some spare food. Clearly neither of us was well enough prepared because all Jeff had was one gel along with his water. I knew we’d both be fine ultimately but I also knew we were both about to get very hungry. We headed our separate directions and motored on.

So I’m chuggin’ up the ski runs on Hollyburn, slowly but surely, sun beating down, getting a sunburn on the back of my neck but not realizing it, and who should I see but Monty running toward me out of the bushes. I had finally reached the top of the ski runs where the BP meets up and was ready to make my way down to the creek crossing. Monty was shaken and stirred and very politely said “no thanks” to my offer to guide him to the trail. After spinning his wheels for about ½ hour he just wanted to get out to the road and head for home. C’est la vie my friend! But I did take Monty’s serious advice to use my best instincts to find the trail because there were footsteps in the snow all over the place. So I did just that and also followed my own instructions to head for the sound of the creek. Thankfully I went straight for the gully and made my way across quite quickly. The little bridge was once again at the foot of about 7 feet of snow with no safe way to pass so we all had to make due.

And then there was the trail, once again. Now, how’s this for irony? In 1999 when I ran my first ultra trail run, the Knee Knacker, we had nothing but snow to run on from Black Mountain to the top of Hollyburn Chute (about 8km worth). It was truly an exceptional year and quite amazing for the first week of July. Although I’ve been trying to forget this section through the trees of Hollyburn ever since, it was the most troubling and frustrating time of running for me the whole event. Basically, with my slick road shoes and my lack of experience at the time, I was in hell. So now I found myself back in the trees, with severe snow peaks and valleys once again. The only differences being it was June, fallen trees were everywhere and the trail wasn’t marked nearly as well. Oh ya, I had better shoes too. But the best part was that I was having the most fun of the day so far. I have been through that area in both directions many times, including at night. And getting off the ski runs and into the cooler forest was now heaven! My smile came back and I new I was close to food and water and the crews. So I, like the others no doubt, picked my way around and about through the trees, risking life and limb, mostly downhill to the Cypress Bowl parking lot. Along the way the most unusual thing I saw was a dead vertical wall of snow, coming out of a creek, with what looked like foot holes dug in. I was thinking, “they can’t be serious!” Those guys climbed up this thing? It wasn’t very tall but it was horribly awkward. I chipped away at it with bare hands and then a rock but couldn’t make it work for me. So I followed the creek down to the left and made it up the snow bank the same as at least one other person that day as I could see by their tracks. And did I mention that almost every place the snow had actually fully melted there was a stream or puddle of water? Eventually I saw the buildings through the trees and then saw the gang of Ethelyn, Anne-Marie, Sebastien, Georgia and also Monty and Cheryl. They had food and water and, oh oh, a chair ;( That’s when I knew I was in trouble. I had already decided I wasn’t going to go further than ½ way but would see how I did at this check point firstly. I had been drained without enough food after that long climb and needed to feel the spring back in my step before going on. It was almost 10 hours to this point and my head was clear enough to realize what this day could become. Not wanting to wreck myself for the near future I decided to stop. It hurts but it was important for me.

Monty also stopped after planning to go half way. We had the same notion that Black Mountain was going to be no fun in the heat and snow. The others later confirmed that just the thought of coming back up Black was daunting enough let alone actually doing the climb. They had to contend with a trail that was covered in blow downs and tree limbs so much so that you could hardly find the dirt in places. Not to forget they also came very close to a mother bear and at least one cub on the lower reaches of the trail.

For the return trip, Bill Dagg joined in the fun as did Ean Jackson. Ean wanted to lead the way for David Crerar but David apparently had energy to spare still. Bill was there to help Tim but Tim eventually bagged it a Cypress Bowl. Bill went on to hook up with Glenn Pace at Cleveland Dam and they finished up together.

After heading home with Ethelyn to get cleaned up and have a bit of a rest, we went to Cleveland Dam to find Sibylle and the others. Ean and David had arrived already and David was getting “refreshed” with the help of his wife Julia and their kids. David was well in the lead at this point with a strong and steady pace.

Not too long after though, Glenn came in to fuel up and put some dry and funky toe socks on for good luck. A big swig of milk and some pizza and he was ready to go again. Bill arrived fresh and just in time to go out on the last ¼ with Glenn. Glenn didn’t think he needed the company but relented. I think he realized that having a pacer for the next 25km was probably a good thing especially at night as it was about to get dark soon. Thanks to David for ordering up Pizza and thanks to Ran Katzmann and his two girls for bringing the awesome potatoes and chicken soup for all. But I have to confess … after everyone left, Ethelyn and I covered the leftover box of pizza and potatoes with towels and a chair and went for a walk over the dam. I thought this would surely be enough to thwart the birds from attacking, but not so! Ugh. We came back to a couple of crows that had pecked a giant hole in the box and were gorging on gourmet goodies. So sorry but they were happy birds!

By way of some phone calls, we found out much later that Gilles Barbeau, Sylvia Jorger and John Machray were only leaving Cypress Bowl around 9:00 pm. So we decided to head over to Lynn Headwaters and find the others. At the Lynn Creek pipeline bridge we had just missed David but Glenn and Bill came along soon. Rhonda had joined Cheryl as a crew member at Mountain Highway and we had a short visit with them in the dark. The boys quickly headed on to the Cove of course but were looking fine. That was essentially the end of the night for us but to make the day just that much more exciting, we realized that we were locked out of home by our own mistakes. Doh. In the end it wasn’t a problem as we were able to stay at my parent’s place in West Van until I could get my landlord to let me in Sunday morning.

To round out the stories about the others, Ryan had this to say: “Wow that was a tough run, especially without my dog to sniff out the trail for me. I thought that the trail down Black Mountain seemed a lot worse than last time until I realised I had taken the Donut Trail down. Do not ever go on the Donut Trail! Unless you like rock climbing and slipping off of cliffs covered in pine needles and branches.” John decided that 76 km was enough for him with a load of chaffing to boot. Loger Aure was helped by Rod Hatfull to get up and over Black Mountain before a planned end to their day. And Ron Adams joined in with Gilles and Sylvia at Cleveland Dam to escort them through the final 7 hours or so. Both Gilles and Sylvia said how much they appreciated Ron’s chatter, jokes and pokes. It was tough enough setting a new record for being out there longer than anyone in the past but Ron made the time slip by quicker they said.

There were some firsts this time as you can see:

> First woman to finish: Sylvia Jorger
> Longest finishing times ever: Gilles and Sylvia 25:56:00
> Lowest 100km finishing rate (4/8 - 50%)
> Most blow downs on the course after many severe winter storms
> Most lost people (on Hollyburn and Black Mountain, almost everyone got lost at some point)
> Most wildlife seen on any trail run by Glenn Pacé
> The most bears seen during the event: a mother and cub(s) seen at the bottom of Black Mtn.

If you can think of some others please let me know.

By the way, Bill Dagg said, “It was by far the easiest 50 km I've ever run (should have been) and could have kept going for a lot longer. It is amazing how much of a difference that extra 50 km makes. Those times for Gilles and Sylvia are amazing. That’s persistence! They must have seen the sun come up!”

And I agree with Bill. In fact, all of the runners that finished left me in awe. I know for sure they decided that nothing was going to stop them. And I remember at one point very early on in the day when Gilles and I were giving sage advice to younger Monty about running these distances, we both agreed that the ability comes with age and only after a few brain cells have already disappeared. But I have to take that back. The more I do the runs and meet the people, the more I realize that all the runners (and crews) are interesting, intelligent and articulate people. They are out there for the love of the sport and challenge of the adventure at any age, just like me.

I heard that Glenn has done his fill of V100 runs but I’m not so sure about the others. Are there any takers for next year yet? Hmmm, well, rumours have started already about Ryan, Tim, Karl, and if the weather cooperates, me too.

Thanks for a great event and an awesome after party!

Craig

Please find results below:

Points	Name	Crew	City/Town	Event	Time
2	David Crerar	Julia Lawn	North Vancouver	100km	18:59:59
2	Glenn Pacé	Cheryl Johnson	North Vancouver	100km	19:52:00
2	Gilles Barbeau	Lucinda Barbeau	Vancouver	100km	25:56:00
2	Sylvia Jorger	Mike Heiliger	North Vancouver	100km	25:56:00
2	John Machray	Linda Machray	North Vancouver	76km	18:00:00
2	Tim Wiens	Maureen Wiens/Bill Dagg	Vancouver	63km	12:39:00
2	Ryan Conroy	Dave Seabrook and Nick Knowlden	Vancouver	52km	10:44:00
1	Loger Aure	Rod Hatfull	Vancouver	52km	11:57:45
1+1	Bill Dagg		Vancouver	pacer/50km	10:30:00
2	Monty Watts	Anne-Marie, Sebastien, Georgia	North Vancouver	38km	09:14:00
2+1	Craig Moore	Ethelyn David	North Vancouver	38km	09:44:00
2+1	Desmond Mott		North Vancouver	35km	04:19:00
2	Rob MacDonald	Margaret James	Burnaby	26km	~04:30:00
1	Ron Adams		North Vancouver	pacer/25km	07:15:00
2	Ean Jackson		North Vancouver	pacer/25km	04:20:00
1+1	Rod Hatfull		Vancouver	pacer/13km
2 (+1)	Sibylle Tinsel		North Vancouver	custom	03:10:00
1	Pat Barry		Vancouver	custom	03:10:00
1	Judy		North Vancouver	custom	03:10:00
1	Ran Katzmann			crew
1	Cheryl Johnson			crew
1	Ethelyn David			crew
1	Anne-Marie Coté			crew
1	Sebastien Watts			crew
1	Georgia Watts			crew
1	Margaret James			crew
1	Maureen Wiens			crew
1	Julia Lawn			crew
1	Dave Seabrook			crew
1	Nick Knowlden			crew
1	Mike Heiliger			crew
1	Lucinda Barbeau			crew
1	Linda Machray			crew

2006 - Year 2

The trail chewed them up and spit them out....Rob MacDonald at the finish

Photo: Rob MacDonald having a well deserved rest at the finish of the Vancouver 100

It was cruel and unrelenting. “This is the hardest run I’ve ever done”, repeated several runners including one of the most experienced and the fastest runner this year, Rod Hatfull. “Thanks very much but you’re an evil Race Director”, to paraphrase Geoff Palmer. “This is the hardest 100 km run anywhere” according to Glenn Pacé.

I get the feeling runners weren’t necessarily happy with me this year but they certainly felt they had accomplished a great task whether or not they completed the full event. Full of newbies and veterans alike, the 2006 Vancouver 100 is shaping up to be in a class of its own quite simply because of the unexpected nature of the snow in the hills and the persistently technical course that runs across five giant mountains on the North Shore of Vancouver. And there was no shortage of excitement to fill in the gaps between gasps.

The day started with runners awakening to rain with their alarms around 3:00 am. They were already unhappy campers hearing that wet sound outside but definitely past the point of no return with many being committed to the event for several months prior. By 4:30 am we were all gathered at the start line in Deep Cove with the crews ready for what lay ahead. I reiterated that the start would include a 2.7 km warm up on Panorama Drive to stretch the distance to 100 km and clarified the route directions for Cypress Provincial Park including Hollyburn Mountain and Black Mountain. By the way, ya gotta like a race briefing that can skip over about 35 km of trail because the participants already know the route very well or will stick with someone that knows the route well.

So at about 4:34 am the runners started down the road. I and the crews were so excited for them after all the anticipation that it seemed like forever until they made it back to the starting point (after 2 km) only to turnaround again and head for the Baden Powell trailhead. But they did and they were already damp when we saw them with the rain drizzling down. Thankfully the rain didn’t last long and it was only a matter of a few hours before the sun was starting to peak through the clouds.

Since the first part of the trail is straightforward to Hollyburn, it was a matter of going through the turns and getting settled into a good pace. There was no clear leader and the front 8 were closely bunched. Rod made it to the halfway point first with Bill, Dan and Tim in hot pursuit. Everyone was running well and the custom runners had mostly finished their day by this time. All except for Baldwin who was just getting going at Cleveland Dam, ready to chase the back of the pack. Baldwin was close behind them going up Hollyburn Mountain and managed to make it all the way to the top of the Hollyburn ski runs before turning around. He was also well coordinated with matching wild blue shirt and gators. At the top, Baldwin decided not to go past the turning point as It did not look pleasant. The 100 km runners confirmed he was right. That section has endless slippery roots and gnarly footsteps with all the rain, wear, and tear in recent years.

After sending all of them off at Cleveland Dam, I did some grocery shopping for the return trip burgerfest and delivered the goods to Ethelyn who kindly offered to cook it up. Actually, before going to the Dam, I drove custom runner Chris Benn back to Deep Cove from Lynn Headwaters since he was done early due to groin pain. Chris was supposed to be meeting up with Desmond later at Cleveland Dam. But just to show the spirit of our runners, Chris offered to walk back to Deep Cove from Lynn Valley, with a smile. Like, right. Chris, are you sure you didn’t mean to do the full 100? Also, Berglind went on to do her out and back to St. Georges from the Cove and by this time, Sibylle, Michele, Pat, Faith and Claudia had started at Grouse to manage a mid trail meet up with the runners coming their way. There was no end of opportunity for club members to join in the fun for this daylong event.

So while the big guns were hauling ass up the Hollyburn Chute, Ethelyn kindly cooked up burgers and macaroni to be served at Cleveland Dam for our picnic. And eventually I headed out in a hurry to beat them to the ½ way point at Nelson Canyon Park just East of Horseshoe Bay. Part of my rush came from a frantic short phone call from Lucy Barbeau (Gilles’ crew) about Linda Machray’s car being on fire up at Cypress Bowl. A bystander called the police and fire and there was lots of excitement. They drove all the way up that long road to help mom Linda with her three kids in need. Thankfully it turned out to not be a fire but a loose hose that caused a lot of steam. One tow truck later and a round-about ride from Ron Adams and all was taken care of. Ron stopped at Cypress because he has Western States 100 in a couple of weeks and didn’t want to push it. Ron and Gilles are both heading down to California for the big one on June 24. They’ll have some good stories to share from this one.

Back in Nelson Canyon Park at the ½ way point, I almost made it up the new section of trail and out to the BP to do a little bit of marking before seeing the first runner come down off Black Mountain. Rod got to me firstly, then Bill, Dan and Tim. It felt like they were in a hurry somehow. Was there pizza waiting for them like last year? Like, no. It was just that mid race focus and the end of the free-fall trip down short little Black.

But I did make it out to the sharp corner and hung some flagging tape for the unaware still to come. That was also my first trip up this part of the trail. It actually follows the Trans Canada Trail for a while and then veers off through old growth lush forest green from new ferns and thick moss. I had a great time seeing the others come down and then have all the runners (except John and Gilles) pass me again for the trip back to Deep Cove. Nobody was in a hurry to do the 3500’ climb to the top but they sure were focused. I ran with Glenn and Mike for a few meters and clearly they were in the middle of a 100 km run. They were focused, determined, and ignoring the pain the best they could. And Mike was glad his 11 pound pack was getting lighter.

When I got back out to the parking area at the halfway point, Lucy and Gilles’ friend Steve were patiently waiting for Gilles and John. Lucy was knitting and Steve was preparing to join Gilles for the return trip. Earlier, I saw Cheryl and some of the other crew people biding their time. It takes special people to hang out for a very full and long day to help their loved ones and good friends. And we had the best crews being patient and helpful to see their runners through as far and fast as they could go.

I knew the runners had their work cut out for them at this point. Having done this run before myself, the climb back up Black Mountain is the hardest section of ‘running’ around these parts. It was the only time I remember hallucinating last year during this event and it is an incredible physical challenge after running 50 km over more than 8 hours. And to top it off, the snow above would be softer and even more difficult in the afternoon to slug through than on the first time through. Tim packed it in at Cypress after giving it his best shot. A general uneasiness had overcome him along with wandering runner syndrome. Those darn snow-covered trails were not easy to follow.

When I got to Cleveland Dam around 4:30 pm with Ethelyn, Ean and Sibylle were already settled in with their kids and a couple of others; I remember Rick Arikado and Desmond Mott in particular were there. And Baldwin hung around after his run with the hot soup he had prepared. The sun was shining and the day was glorious. The Lions were in plain view with lots of snow still and the mostly clear blue sky and warm temperature was perfect. I was preparing to run out with the last person and either go home in Lynn Valley or on to Deep Cove.

As the runners came in, they told us with their words and expressions that the third quarter was just plain hard and tiring. They were punching through the snow on Black and slipping on the roots on Hollyburn. Each one of them arrived with a persistent but slow pace and sat down for a major break. Clothes were changed including Glenn’s funky toe socks. And the extra food we prepared was appreciated but not eaten by everyone since stomachs were sensitive and at this point people didn’t want to take much of a chance. Rod was going strong but shaking his head about the last 24 km. Bill and Dan came next and were equally drained. Bill sat down on the grass eventually for a break. Dan headed over to the parking lot to see his faithful crew of mom and brother. I got a chance to see Dan’s support box and it looked very good. I think that he was well prepared and that helped him to keep up with fast moving Bill. Elke joined these two for the last quarter and learned what being a good pacer is all about.

Rob MacDonald was having a tough time at the ¾ mark and he seemed to be not sweating enough. But after some food and a couple of rough moments, his wife and crew, Margaret, helped him on his way. Glenn was greeted by his crew, Cheryl, and his wife, Manon, and their kids, and I think that felt like a breath of fresh air for him (not them though, whew). I think Geoff came in at the same time and headed over to the parking lot to meet his crew of girlfriend Lisa. Glenn and Geoff stuck together the remaining distance.

Eventually Mike wandered in and also recounted his struggle on this quarter. I learned afterward that Mike was ready to stop but I guess he saw me ready to go so he decided to keep moving after a burger and a sit down. I decided to join Mike rather than wait for Gilles and Steve. We had gotten a call from Lucy around the time Mike came in and the last two boys were just at Cypress Bowl. They were doing well but it was going to be a couple more hours before they would make it to Cleveland Dam at which point they decided to call it quits anyway. So I finally got a chance to hit the trail for some badly needed exercise. Mike set the pace of course. He didn’t promise to be chatty but I think a bit of conversation helped to keep him going and then to make the clear decision to finally stop at Mountain Highway. We were able to call fiancée Melissa on the cell phone and get her and her girls to pick us up around 9:30 pm. Mike was very satisfied with his 85km run and feels he’s lived to tell another tale in good health.

While Mike and I were on the trail I got a call from Rod Hatfull (15:52). He had finished with an amazingly fast time for the second half. I believe it is officially a negative split since it took him a full 8 hours to get half way and then less than 8 hours to go back. And Rod said he felt great and was very strong coming into the Cove. He sounded good and was also very happy to be done. I’m sorry we couldn’t have been there to provide a better welcome but it was nice talking on the phone at least. Considering the snow conditions I think he would have come close to matching Randy’s time from last year. Rod made it home and was in bed asleep by 10:15 pm by the way. What a fantastic run Rod, congratulations.

Melissa gave me a short ride down the hill to my home and I posted Rod’s time. I finally did head out to Deep Cove around 10:30 pm to see most of the remaining runners come in. When I got to the finish line, Bill and Dan were done. Bill was sitting again but on hard pavement this time. Dan was already long gone. And by the way, Dan told me he left his identification with his mom so he didn’t have it when crossing the border back into Washington State. The border guards then made him get out of the car and go tell his story to someone that cared. It seems they weren’t fooled by the drawn look and beat up emotions. He tried to explain what he was doing but they likely didn’t believe it anyway. But Dan got through and admitted to me later that this was the hardest thing he’s ever done in his life (the run that is). Don’t worry Dan. You’re young. You’ll have lots of chances still to top this one. Maybe next year on the same course?

When Rob MacDonald arrived (18:28) all he wanted to do was lie down. So he did right in the middle of the parking lot. His wife Margaret was there to bring him a pillow and blanket. Rob was thrilled to be finished and even knocked off significant time from last year. Rob is now only the second person to complete this wicked run twice (2005 and 2006), along with Randy Hunter (2000 and 2005).

I also saw Glenn and Geoff (18:59) happily saunter up to the darkened parking area with their headlamps beaming and where we sent them off a minute short of 19 hours earlier. It was great to have both of them complete the run since Geoff had wanted to do it last year but couldn’t due to a cross-training injury. And Glenn seemed to need this notch on his belt badly. It’s a fine day when you can say you’ve crossed the North Shore Mountains twice.

It was now midnight and the day was done. I headed back home and the only person remaining on the course was John Machray, determined as ever to do something great. Ron Adams had been helping him from Cypress Bowl since his wife Linda’s wheels had given up. John took a big break in the middle to avoid the big climb up Black with wise intentions. And although he had no one to talk to anymore that didn’t stop him from yearning for the Cove. He arrived at 12:40 am in good spirits as always.

After a night of mostly good sleep, we had the post-event potluck party at my place. Dan didn’t chance another crossing of the border and rockin’ Rod stayed home to do house renovations. But many others came to share their stories and war wounds, especially Gilles. We all agreed that Gilles’ leg chaffing is the worst we’ve ever seen. Man, that’s gotta hurt. Please take good care of it Gilles.

Ya know, one thing I didn’t do at my post-event presentation was give out awards. So how is this:

Rod Hatfull
Most steady runner with strange eating habits

Bill Dagg
Most determined to finish without looking over his shoulder too many times.

Dan Probst
Dug deepest and came up strong

Rob MacDonald
Felt crappiest but couldn't stop running

Glenn Pace
Most thankful for an awesome run

Geoff Palmer
Second time lucky, yearns for new RD

Michael Wardas
Most satisfied self-supported runner

Gilles Barbeau
Best large round leg wounds

Tim Wiens
Most challenged with great potential

Ron Adams
Most determined to have a shower but couldn’t

John Machray
Best attitude, most talkative as always

For me, this is the first time I’ve been on the other side of a big run. Watching these guys put themselves on the line of pain and suffering for the simple act of being able to say they did it is amazing. I also got to see the dedicated friends and close family members show their love. Their support was beautifully unconditional and it was ultra-clear this event was something the runners had to do for themselves. Thanks to everyone for making it a great day.

Craig Moore

Some Photos are posted here (more to come)

100km
Rod Hatfull     15:52:00        - 2 points
Bill Dagg      17:48:00           - 2 points
Dan Probst 17:48:00           - 2 points
Rob MacDonald 18:28:00      - 2 points
Glenn Pace     18:59:00         - 2 points
Geoff Palmer   18:59:00      - 2 points

Custom:
John Machray    87 km - drove from 1/2 way back to Cypress Bowl then ran back to Deep Cove      - 2 points
Michael Wardas   85 km to Mtn Hwy 17:10      - 2 points
Gilles Barbeau     76 km to Cleveland Dam      - 2 points
Tim Wiens   67 km   stopped at Cypress Bowl   - 2 points
Ron Adams 42 km stopped at Cypress Bowl   - 2 points
Steven Lee   24 km Horseshoe Bay to Cleveland Dam with Gilles      - 2 points
Elke Bauer 25km Cleveland Dam to Deep Cove with Bill and Dan    - 1 point
Desmond Mott   Deep Cove to Cleveland Dam then home             - 2 points
Chris Benn 12.5 km stopped at Lynn Headwaters Pipeline Bridge   - 2 points
Berglind Hafsteinsdottir   40km St. Georges return to Deep Cove 6:01:48 - 2 points
Baldwin Lee   Cleveland Dam to top of Hollyburn ski runs return      - 3 points
Pat Barry    Grouse to Mosquito Creek return 2:30                           - 2 points
Michele Sherstan     Grouse to Mosquito Creek return 2:30               - 2 points
Claudia Bullington    Grouse to Mosquito Creek return 2:30                - 2 points
Sibylle Tinsel    Grouse to Mckay Creek return 1:25                        - 3 points
Faith Wells    Grouse to Mckay Creek return 1:25                            - 2 points
Craig Moore   1:45 Cleveland Dam to Mtn Hwy with Mike Wardas      - 3 points

Crew
Maureen Wiens - 3 points
Cheryl Johnson - 3 points
Manon Pace - 3 points
Lucinda Barbeau - 3 points
Dan's Mom - 3 points
Margaret MacDonald - 3 points
Linda Machray - 3 point
Cathy Adams - 1 point
Dan's brother - 1 point
Baldwin Lee - see above
Sibylle Tinsel - see above
Ethelyn David - burger/macaroni cooker! 1 point
Ean Jackson - 1 point

Photo: A peaceful view from Cleveland Dam (km 76) west towards the Lions, just before the last participants, Gilles Barbeau and Steven Lee, arrived at the aidstation. Looks can be deceiving...there was snow in those mountains!

The 2006 Vancouver 100 Run Report

2005 - Year 1

"I've done lots of 100 milers and for some reason this course really tears you up ... it's harder than most 100 milers." Randy Hunter (echoed by Rob MacDonald)

Saturday June 4 and Sunday June 5, 2005

The Double Custom Runners

Randy "You Can't Hunt Down The Hunter" Hunter

14:48:00 (6:37 first half, 20 minute pit stop)

Rob "I laughed, I cried, I puked" MacDonald

18:45:00 (8:10 first half, 8 minute pit stop)

Karl "I love the night" Jensen

22:51:37 (9:22 first half, 24 minute pit stop)

John "Hallucinating can be so much fun" Machray

22:51:37 (9:22 first half, 24 minute pit stop)

Ron "My son was even more excited than me to do The Double" Adams

22:51:37 (9:23 first half, 21 minute pit stop)

Gilles "This pace is just right" Barbeau

22:51:37 (9:22 first half, 22 minute pit stop)

Craig "Black Mountain makes everything else look easy" Moore

22:51:37 (9:22 first half, 22 minute pit stop)

The Double Section Finishers

Brad Misak (to Lynn Headwaters return with dog Pepper, 27.2 Km)