2009 Kettle 100 Mile

What a difference a year makes. 

Last year’s Kettle 100 featured a hot steamy morning followed by torrential rain and occasional tornados that reduced the finishing field to a mere 37 runners.

If last year was Ying, then this year was Yang, as temps started and stayed in the 50’s all day. The only precipitation was a little light rain during the day and the sky even cleared up enough at night to flash some peeks at the full moon.   It was a perfect day (and night) for a long run resulting in 90 finishers and a respectable 67% completion rate. 

The LPTR crowd had 9 runners entered in the 100 mile and several more cracking the whip as pacers. 

Ron Bero ran the race solo and led the LPTR’s by capturing the Masters division with a 19:36:30 and 7^th place overall (check out his action photo above!!).   His performance edged fellow LPTR Kevin Grabowski who finished hot on his heels in 19:49:17, (13 minutes is “hot on ones heels” in an Ultra, isn’t it?!!?  Ahhh, the spoils of the blog poster…) good enough for 8^th overall and 2^nd in the Masters division.  (Just a note: Any credit for Kevin’s finish would have to go to fellow LPTR Joel Lammers who, as his pacer, drove him like a rented mule.)

Robert Wehner and Craig Swartwout both cracked the sub 24 hour barrier with a 22:15:26 and 22:49:45 respectively, and the most recognized LPTRunner, Brad Birkholz, logged yet another ultra finish with a 24:20:35. A possible tibial stress fracture forced Jeff Mallach out of the race late in the game.  He was given credit for the 100k finish with a 100k checkpoint time of 13:55:52. (Cringing at the thought of grinding out Ice-Age trail miles on a stress fracture is appropriate here…)

The LPTR women were led by Julie Treder’s strong performance.  She won the women’s open division with a 23:21:12 and was the 2nd place female and 29^th  finisher overall.   Angela Barbera knocked 45 minutes off her PR with a 25:23:25 and grabbed a 3^rd place finish in the Master’s division. 

Noticeably absent from the finish times was LPTRunner Christine Crawford, who led the women’s field by over 30 minutes at the 50k checkpoint, but was fighting a losing battle with a bum hip.  Sometimes you have to live to fight another day…

Check out the official results at:

www.runrace.net/findarace.php?id=09157WI1&tab=a4&results=1541

I will post links to Race Reports as I stumble on them…

http://stevequick.blogspot.com/2009/06/2009-kettle-moraine-100-in-prep.html

http://blogoftraining.blogspot.com/2009/06/kettle-moraine-2009-100-mile-report.html

Running for Eve

On Saturday, a fundraiser was held at the Lapham Peak Summer Stage to help
 purchase a handicapped-accessible van for Eve Karcher, a nine-year old girl
 with cerebral palsy.  Eight Lapham Peak Trail Runners showed up before the
 afternoon concert to run a loop or two and raise some additional money for 
Eve and her family.

  Representing the LPTR were Brad Birkholz, Christine Crawford, Dave Dehart,
Chris Derosier, Jeff Mallach, Cassie Scallon, Craig Swartwout, Robert Wehner 
and Chrissy Wittleder.

  From those running -- and those who contributed but couldn't be there
(Julie, Brian, Todd, Angela, Kevin and Steve Gross) -- we raised $200.

  The fundraiser was organized by Jennifer King, a Kettle Moraine high school 
student, who publicly thanked the "runners" for their help.  Unofficially,
 the event raised about $4,500.

Thanks to everyone and especially Christine who helped "herd the cats" and 
to Brad for bringing this event to our attention.