Death Race 2010 – Run or be bust is what one of the racer says!!

Bragging rights is what it is all about! With 17000ft of cumulative elevation change, 4 summits, and dangerous rock edges, it is one heck of a race where only 149 of 418 solo runners get to brag about finishing under 24 hours this year.

Just being there allows one to appreciate the pain a runner suffers through, and the grit they show when a 16000ft elevation change is ready to defeat them. It certainly is an honor when one of those runners asks you to crew for them. It means they put their trust in you, believe that you will support and worry for them, prod them along when the next mile seems like a hundred, and comfort them if they face the demoralizing DNF.  My runner, yes, you do feel a kinship pre and post the race, Mike Ryan, has been looking forward to take on the trails since December 2009, when I first met him at one of my races. He didn’t finish the DeathRace last year, and was using every race he entered after the 2009 DNF (Did Not Finish) as training ground. He started 2010 with some races back to back, and some very dizzying races, running in circles of 1560 meters for an entire 12 hours Ok, so he might have picked some crazy races, but his goal has been to finish and hang in there till the buzzer went off! Having entered the 2010 Death Race, he now had only one choice. Do or Die! Since death was not an option, or was it, he encouraged his fellow Thar Race participant Torsten Meir to enter the Death Race as well, challenging him to a duel!

Fast forward and many months later, with my trip home coming up, during a chat, Mike asked me to crew for him, and I jumped headlong in to it. What better than to crew to support one of your favorite runners? Mike has impressed me during his Thar race with his character, compassion, and self-assured nature. I couldn’t think of a anyone else who will appreciate my contribution to the miles he will cover. I have crewed in a 24-hour run and a 48-hour run before, and was sure I could do it. Was I in for a surprise? Out in the remote town of Grand Cache in Alberta, people lived and breathed the race for 5 full days. Every store, every hotel and every convenience store participated in full force in race activities offering extended store timings, race specific goodies, and displaying their support through banners, posters, and yes, a painting such as the one below!

GR Photofile: A beat DeathRacer: I took a picture of this painting hung in the town's grocery store!!!

GR Photofile: A DeathRacer in the making 🙂 I loved this, and got permission to take this picture!

GR Photofile: Cheers all over the place

GR Photofile: Cowbells, bear bells and all you can think of made it to the cheering lines 🙂

GR Photofile: A few signs that told the story!

We lived camp style, and despite preparing for cold weather and piling on many layers of clothing, I felt ridiculously cold as Sun played hide-and-seek behind clouds. Temps fell to a low of 4 degrees during some nights, and the chill messed with my bones uncomfortably, depriving me of sleep. As I lay there pulling my legs to my chin, trying to stay warm, I wondered how the runners slept. They woke up a few times in the middle of the night, and later I would learn that they couldn’t get warm fast enough to get a good night’s sleep.

GR Photofile: Camping in Grande Cache

We took in the sights the day before the race, and hung out at the beach. I hoped that the day’s relaxed mood prepped them enough for the brutal 24 hours ahead.

GR Photofile: Words of wisdom for the DeathRacers 🙂

GR Photofile: Hanging out (literally 🙂 ) on the beach

It was time anyways, and by 7.30am, we set out to the start line where about 418 solo runners lined up aside relay teams to challenge their fitness, both physical and psychological. I caught Mike in a contemplative mood throughout the day as can be seen below, and Torsten was in his usual casual mood. We cheered, clicked a few customary pre race pictures, slapped backs, and stepped aside so runners can get in to their zone. Surely there seems to be a zone they get in to as legs start to stretch out and eat up miles.

GR Photofile: Mike in a contemplative mood, and Torsten all smiles at the start line.

GR Photofile: DeathRacers and the crew team.

Race director done with his mandatory last minute speech and Canadian National Anthem, flagged off runners as clock went past scheduled 8am start time. We watched our runners Mike, Torsten and Denis shoot through the start line, stepped out of the crowd to grab a cup of coffee to wake us up, and to prepare to meet our runners at the first aid-station. There was food to be sorted and kept ready, energy drinks to mix, and pep talk to be handed out! If you have experienced the high voltage levels at an aid station, you probably feel the energy coming through right now! Mix of high energy and a sense of calm among the crew members is a devilish mix, and makes one want to lace up and head out on the trail and be one among the runners!

GR Photofile: Start line crowd. Seen here is Torsten

While we waited for our runners at the first aid-station, we cheered every time a runner went by! I could hardly believe that the first runner who came around the bend hardly took an hour plus to cover the first 19kms. Race Director likened them to stupid runners in his race briefing. Sure he wasn’t one as he looked strong, and steady. Denis reached us first, and then came Torsten, followed by Mike. With this being their first aid-station stop, they neither hurried not relaxed, taking only as much as they needed in energy replenishment, and water. Mike only needed a ¾ bottle refill, and that I made a mental note of. He wasn’t drinking enough. Three quarters of 200ml water consumption for a 19kilometer distance when Sun started to beat down and a full 24 hours of running ahead, is a sure shot way to dehydrate. Told him so gently. He nodded and set off. We packed up and moved out of the first aid-station. Estimating each of our runners’ arrival time at the next aid-station, we gave ourselves time to refresh and stock up on a few essentials needed by our runners.

GR Photofile: Can anyone guess his age? He was our neighbor at the camp site, and he went through every aid-station looking strong. I had a chat with him after the race. I am quite impressed.

GR Photofile: Denis at the second aid-station

Again, Denis flew by looking cheerful, Torsten made his way like clock-work falling behind Denis a little more than the first aid-station, and Mike gave me a full field to cheer for. As I was checking in with the medical team (this being the second toughest legs of the race) for any medical pick-ups, I saw him on the horizon, making his way slow and steady. Announcer got his name wrong, calling him Mitchel Ryan, hilariously said that Mike has two last names Hmm…he must be delirious under the conditions not to realize he just made a mistake! Mike despite the loud cheers and his own nerves heard it and pointed it out! While chugging down fruit, energy bars, and a partial sandwich, he said he felt good, and was ahead of his schedule by 30 minutes. Sounded good to me.  Tanking up on a full reservoir of Gatorade, he set out to conquer the third, and an easier leg.  We set up camp at the third aid-station, and I headed out to meet runners on the course, taking pictures and cheering them, while I waited for our runners to show up. While one of the runners cramped up right in front of me and I helped him stretch, I almost missed Denis’ arrival. He said hello and whizzed past me, and there was nothing I could do but shout after him giving him the location of our crew ‘the last tent on the track’. Hope he heard me I thought to myself.

Torstein seems to have slowed down considerably by then, falling behind Denis by a good 30 minutes. As I approached him on the track, his first question was: “Are you carrying water? I have been out for the last 6km.” That is the last thing you want to hear from your runner. Running out of water at any given point in an endurance run isn’t a pleasant thought while you have already been slugging it out for over 60kilometers with heat showing no mercy. Clouds disappeared after the first hour into the race and it was now starting to punish runners. All I could tell Torstein was that I was going to run ahead and have his drink ready. Updated Dana of the situation, waited for him to show up for his time-check and lead him up to our crew. Knowing Mike wouldn’t be too far behind, I grabbed a bottle of water and made my way up the course just in case he had run out of water as well.

GR Photofile: Torsten coming in to the third aid-station. At this point he was out of water for 6km!! You may hear about his dissatisfaction about it later, but he always gives you that smile 🙂

As I waited for him on the trail, an older gentleman who was crewing for his son joined me! If that is not impressive, he is a dog sled racer with a few wins of his own. He brooded that running wasn’t quite like the dog-sled race where strategy was employed for every win! He told me stories about his and his son’s experience at the races, and kept me quite cheerful as I started to worry about this leg’s cut-off time and Mike’s impending show at the aid-station. With only 30 minutes to spare to the cut-off time, Mike sauntered up the trail in a steady gait. He ran out of water too, and the Gatorade he stocked up on at the earlier aid-station was messing with his stomach, and he needed something to ease it off. Pept-aid to the rescue. He chugged it down, while we emptied his reservoir, and filled it with plain water. He ate a partial sandwich, a few chips for salt replenishment, and nuts. He was starting to feel it, and rested for a minute longer than he did at previous aid-station. I wasn’t sure if he needed anything more than the usual ‘you better get on with it, and finish this race’ J But he seemed contained and was chatting up other crew-members. Hang back I thought, till he shows signs of fatigue but still said that I wasn’t going to show up to crew for him if he didn’t finish! Hope he got that, I thought to myself as he set out on his 4^th leg, with brutal 3400mt elevation gain in 37 km.

GR Photofile: Mike coming in to the third aid-station. His stomach was in turmoil due to all the Gatorade he chugged down in this leg!

The next aid-station though wasn’t for us to worry about. We couldn’t get to the station, and drop bag was supposed to do the trick. I was hoping he will find it, with over 500-600 bags piled up in few tiny square feet As it goes, I was to later find out that it was tough finding the drop bag, causing a bit of frustration and time loss. Sun was setting fast and the runners needed their night gear with them by then. Mike’s pack got too heavy and I had to take out an additional water bottle, fearing that he was going to strain under all that weight of water, night gear, cold gear, and nutrition!  With all of our three runners on their 4^th leg now, we waited for Ryan, our neighbor at the campsite to show up before the cut-off time. Sadly, he didn’t.  As he made his entry at the time-check he was in great spirits, wiping out his wife’s worry that he might be disappointed that he wasn’t going to be allowed to carry on to the next leg. He didn’t want to quit before completing the leg despite wanting to, somewhere on the trail. Since he figured out that he wasn’t going to make it to the next leg, he said he took his time to finish this. To me, that reflected true character of a runner. He is a winner in my view. Angella breathed a sigh of relief seeing her husband in high spirits, and thanked us for waiting with her. Feeling the chill seep in to our bones, we made our way to town to grab a hot beverage before heading to the next aid-station, where each of them will come in looking more ragged than before. It was also the last aid-station before finish and, making this cut-of time was critical.

Denis again came in much ahead of Torsten, increasing his lead by a good one hour. It already was over 15 hours in to the race. He still looked good, and I was starting to wonder how he and Mike approached this run so very differently.  Denis and Mike are brothers. Mike was struggling to make it, and Denis was flying by each aid-station. Torsten came in; with stories to tell about this leg and emergency the drop bag station and, preparing to go for the final push. He was well within the cut-off time by a good 4 hours. He noted that Mike might not make it considering he was slowing down through each leg. My first reaction was to tell him to go to hell. As crew, we hope and want our runners, all of them, to slug it out to the last minuscule ounce of energy. But then again, he could be right, and my work now is cut out for me, if Mike makes it through this leg, and makes the cut-off time.

GR Photofile: Other runners' crew members waiting on for them patiently on a cold night. Many will fail to make the cut-off time here.

GR Photofile: Dogs too are part of a DeathRacer family! Sweet.

Dana and Luke set out to wait for Torsten at the finish line, and I huddled around a generator to help warm my freezing toes and back. My back started to punish me by then as I huddled against myself to retain body warmth. As time went by, I forgot about my pains and worried for Mike. 2.30am went by and as 3am rolled in, Mike came up from behind, looking for me. I was quite surprised! Here I was in the middle of a dark night looking for bobbing headlamps, and as each one came closer and passed by me, I looked hard to see if it was Mike. How could he have made it past me, I was thinking. I asked him the same, and he said he came in a vehicle. Oh o, I thought, but let it stay in the depths of my mind. “What happened?”, I asked him. After the Amber loop, one of the toughest legs of the race, he said, he couldn’t move fast enough, and felt sick. Sweep vehicle had kept its headlights on him, and he knew it was time to let the mountains win again. We walked to where our bags lay for his warm clothes, and found someone’s night lamp and huddled around it to stay warm. Our pick-up hadn’t shown by then, and we had no way of contacting them other than cell phones, which we doubted would be answered at that time! I didn’t have the heart to take pictures of him looking beat, and tired.

The next one-hour would have to be misery for Mike, I assume. His reactions were nothing short of self-pity. He said after the third leg, when he gulped down the Pept-aid to assist his irritated stomach, he barely made it a few steps up the 4^th leg before his stomach bailed out on him and threw out the contents! He threw up a few more times along the way, feeling utterly dehydrated, and nauseous. As much as he kept up his spirits and body in check, he slowed down considerably during the Amber loop section only to find himself totally alone in the woods, and with no hope of making the leg’s cut-off time. He boarded the sweep vehicle and made it back and snuck up on me as I waited to see him among the bobbing lights coming off the trail.  It was a cold night, and the lady at the aid-station understood instantly when I asked her for some hot water for Mike! She must have been doing this for a while, as seems the whole town.

Ambulance waiting for runners at the aid-station came to our rescue with our pick-up still nowhere in sight. As last of runners were cleared off the trail, ambulance was free to head back to town, and we got them to drop us back at the Rec center for Mike to wash up and wait for our other runners to finish. Denis had come through by then, and we waited for Torsten. He sprinted through finish line and he would tell me later that he never pushed anywhere on the course, so he wouldn’t put himself in a position where he didn’t have enough left in him to finish fairly strong. 125 kms, 17000ft elevation change, and 4 summits and 149 runners would make it under the 24-hour cut off time! What a race. Here are the top finishers among men and women with some crazy times!!!!

Hal Koerner : 12:45:38
Ellie Greenwood : 13:28:39

GR Photofile: DeathRacer, Legend.

The gentleman seen above is a legend. He finished the race 7 times in a row, and this year is the first time he didn’t make the cut-off time at the fourth-leg! Stories like these make for a wonderful experience.

Races like these, you see, are to be completed. If one wants to set course records, and better their time, there is always another one the next year! There is love, anxiety, flying tempers, and most of all a wonderful community. Scenes like the ones below are aplenty.

GR Photofile: One of the racers and Luke! We weren't even crewing for her!!!

GR Photofile: A racer's exuberance having completed one of the legs successfully ! Phewww. If you saw the elevation, you would be hi-fiving (can I say it that way? 🙂 ) too!!

We wrapped up and headed to our tents in anticipation of some down time. Sky started to lighten up by then, yet we hit the sacks for some shut-eye. Each of us got anywhere between an hour and two of sleep, as the still wired bodies refused to unwind.

What a time it was. Running, crewing and organizing seems to be my way of living, every day is different, every race a new experience, and learning, never ending.

DeathRace was wrapped up with us making back to Edmonton that day and boarding our flights to our individual destination the next morning. Now, we have stories to share, experiences to write about, and, look forward to another race where we get to be a team.

PS: We have taken care to use pictures taken by us, some with permission, and some taken during the race. The above is written to share our experience at the race with pictures and incidents. All the pictures are taken by the owner of this blog. If you object to any of the pictures above and are of you, please write to us, and we will be glad to remove them from this blog.