How to Crew and Pace an Ultrarunner
Emmy escorting Eric through an early aid station. The morale support is most important, and you can help refill bottles, be in charge of the drop bag, and police up any dropped trash.
Are you curious about ultramarathon running, crewing, and pacing? We hope so! Treeline Review encourages everyone to try new outdoor activities. Crewing and pacing at an ultra-running race is far more accessible than you might think and a great way to learn about a new kind of playtime with friends. Some of your outdoor buddies are probably runners who’d love to have you support them at a race.
Running 100 miles is kinda crazy, but ultra crewing is much more immediate fun (think Type 2 vs. Type 1 fun). Ask your ultra-running friends when they are racing and if you can crew or pace for them. You will have fun.
Ultra-crewing is not just for elite athletes, and you’ll learn lots while adding to your karma bank. Volunteering at these events is also fun and critical to runner and race success.
I’ve been crewing and pacing for 100-mile runners a while now on races from Leadville 100, Run Rabbit Run, and more. I always wished for an Ultra Crew Guide of sorts. Having just returned from pacing a friend to the finish of the Leadville 100 Run, I have some tips that are a good start on that guide.
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Crewing at big races is fun. Here, the pacer is fueling up, the crew's flagging Rachel in (and cheering her on!). Snacks and hot drinks are ready for all.
Ultra-Running Lingo Definitions
Ultrarunning
Ultrarunning is any running event longer than a marathon. The most popular distances are fifty kilometers, fifty miles, and one hundred miles. Most of these races are on trails or gravel roads in the wilds. Many runners walk or hike much of the course.
Related: The Best Trail Running Shoes
Crewing
Crewing is supporting a runner in such a race. That usually means driving your runner to the start line, meeting them at race designated aid stations, and welcoming them to the finish.
You’ll check they are eating and drinking enough, offer encouraging words, and make sure your runner has clothing changes throughout the day. Crews carry extra clothes, basic hygiene and medical supplies, snacks, spare shoes, all the little things your runner may or may not need. But the most important is a kind and smiling face for your runner to visit every few hours. Usually, you don’t need to be in running shape to crew, and it’s an activity accessible to almost everyone.
Pacing
Pacing refers to running, or often hiking, part of the course with your runner. At most 100-mile races, athletes can be accompanied by another runner after the halfway point. Shorter races sometimes allow pacers too.
Having a pacer is a huge benefit to tired athletes. There are a lot of things the pacer might do, but truthfully, you are the runner’s emotional support animal. You’ll keep the mood light and happy as depths of fatigue are plumbed. You’ll escort them through the dark hours. Running this far is impressive, and impressively challenging mentally as well as physically.
Your most important tasks include: helping navigate the course, reminders to eat and drink, and keeping an eye on the clock and the runner’s pace. Several pacers often share the job, switching out every five or ten or twenty miles.
Related: The Best GPS and Hiking Watches
Sunrise about mile 90 while pacing in Leadville. The warmth that morning brings is usually a game changer for exhausted and cold runners.
Use drop bags, race volunteers are awesome and another source of runner support. Hundreds of drop bags organized and ready to be picked up by runners at an aid station.
Aid Stations & Drop Bags
Aid Stations are sort of like Nascar pit stops along an ultramarathon course. The race directors usually supply food and drink, medical staff, and volunteers to retrieve drop bags for runners.
Drop Bags are little care packages the runner sends to themselves. At most ultra-running events, the aid stations are also the designated points crew and pacers can meet their runners.
Related: The Best Electrolytes
Shade tents and chairs set up early morning. A collapsible wagon is an amazing tool for ultra crews. Get yourself one! And a cooler with wheels.
Top 10 Equipment for Ultramarathon Crews
Although each race is different, crews often move their main items from aid station to aid station throughout the day.
At Leadville, I recommend crews set this stuff up once at Twin Lakes, an aid station that the runner visits twice.
Related: The Best Headlamps
ULTRAMARATHON CREW CHECKLIST
1. Easy up shade structure(or this one from Amazon)
5.Storage Bin andl arge garbage bags
6.Camp Stove and Camp Kitchen/Cookware
8.Sleeping Bag and Blankets
9. Towels: bath and hand towel size
10. Simple Medical and Hygiene Kit, including toothbrush and baby wipes.
Some crewing experts here. Note: shade, wagons, chairs, camp kitchens, blankets, extra water. Try to keep all your stuff organized, and have fun!
SUPPLIES FOR THE ULTRAMARATHON CREW
Don’t forget that you’ll need items just for the crew! Here are things I find handy to keep around.
Smartphones, Chargers, Headlamps, and batteries.
Written directions and maps to Aid Stations.
Course map and cards or spreadsheet with predicted times.
Clothing changes for crew members.
An updated weather report for race day.
Snacks, food to cook or rewarm on your Camp Stove, plenty of drinks (including water and electrolyte drinks)
Books, games, playing cards, and other entertainment.
Supplies layout for a runner attempting to complete their 15th Leadville 100. Simple, yet complete. The crew member was holding a little pack with medical and hygiene supplies. And this runner finished the race.
SUPPLIES FOR THE RUNNER AND PACERS
ULTRAMARATHON DROP BAG SUPPLIES
Favorite snacks, and other real food.
A variety of hydration, including water and electrolyte drinks.
Any supplements and medications your runner wants.
Clothing options, especially a warm hat, gloves, and rain jacket.
Extra shoes and socks.
Simple medical supplies: blister care, duct tape, Compeed blister pads, ointments, anti-chafe powder .
Toothpaste, toothbrush, and baby wipes.
Extra Headlamps and batteries.
If you have the time, setting up your crew spot the day before the race is an option at some events .
pre-race day
to-do checklist
Reserve a hotel room or Airbnb for the crew to sleep before/after the race
Set up your space at the aid stations before the race so your runner knows exactly where to go when you’re pacing
Wear a GPS watch (and know how to use it) to make your job easier
Have a detailed plan for each aid station: who, what, where, when.
Leave plenty of time to travel between aid stations.
Traffic is usually bad on race days. Have detailed contingency plans (e.g., what happens if the runner arrives at the aid station before the crew?). Make sure everyone knows the plan—both runner and crew.
Have backups for all essential items, such as sunglasses, sunscreen, and headlamp.
Attend all race briefings.
Enjoying post race nutrition after the bike portion of the triathalon. Eric was only in the mood for sleep after the run.
Ultramarathon Crew Golden Rules
No matter what ultramarathon race you are crewing or pacing, these are rules for you and your team to keep the peace and keep the experience running as smooth as possible.
Find people for the team who care about your runner
Like any task, folks that care about the outcome do the best job. You want at least two people on the crew. It’s more fun. Running clubs, tri-clubs, and the like are great places to make supportive friends.
Melissa, Emmy, Eric, and Brandon (the writer of this story) in Leadville. The pre race briefing is usually mandatory at ultras, and the whole crew should attend. Course changes, crewing and pacing rules, driving concerns... All will ever covered by race directors. And you'll see new and old friends.
Make your crew and pacing plan with input from someone who has run, crewed, or paced the same race
Preferably all three. It's just easier. Runner’s race reports and this article are excellent resources. Make your own plan, but don’t reinvent the wheel.
Attend all race briefings with each other!
Encourage your runner to be as self-sufficient as possible
Use runner prepared drop bags at all available aid stations to ensure three sources of support: aid stations, drop bags, and crew. If the crew is not at an aid station, the drop bags are key.
Checking course maps on the way to meet our athlete in the Leadville 100 Bike.
Have a plan that survives no mobile phone service
Weather reports, driving directions, text messages, and real-time runner updates on your phone are awesome. But you may not have internet service to access them. Be prepared and have back-up plans. Consider using satellite messengers to text each other when you are in places without cell phone reception.
Related: The Best Satellite Messengers and Personal Locator Beacons
Make sure your crew and pacers can stay fed, hydrated, warm, and rested
These races are long! Even the crew and pacers may be awake through two nights. Plan naps and sleep time. Have fun, eat yummy things. Pacers and the crew should bring clothing options for hot and cold as well as both rain protection and shade.
Related: The Best Synthetic Jackets
Finding your way to aid stations and crew access points can be a challenge. Allow plenty of time, and have written directions and maps with you.
Be careful driving
Have written directions and maps to aid stations, be wary of sleepy driving, and don't park where you’ll get stuck. Follow the directions of race volunteers for driving and parking.
Make friends with other runners’ crews
Everybody should be here to have fun; be nice and supportive to all. Offer help and supplies if someone needs it. These races are all about teamwork and support. Bring a hacky sack or frisbee. Cheer loudly and often. While ultramarathons are competitive races, the ultra-running community is incredibly supportive of one another with podium-placers being known to cheer the last guy in.
Use a wagon to get all your things to and from aid stations
You'll often be parked far away from the aid station, and you've got lots of snacks, clothes, chairs, etc to carry. Get a wagon to carry everything. Wheeled coolers rock, too. A bicycle is often useful. Plus, another great way to haul gear to your aid station is in your backpack.
Many races hold a dedicate crew briefing. Attend it. Last minute changes to parking at aid stations in common. Go to all pre race briefings.
attend all pre-race meetings
Many races hold dedicated meetings for crew and pacers. Last minute change can happen. It benefits your team and your runner if your team is up-to-date on all the latest info.
Keep runner and crew supplies separate at the aid stations
Create a display of everything your runner has asked for, including contingency supplies. The goal is to create a simple but complete ‘buffet’ of all the things your athlete might need. You want your athlete to spend as little time and mental power finding their items as possible. Keep anything aside from what your athlete needs to be organized and stowed.
Related: The Best Women’s Running Shorts
Leadville 100 pacing and crewing strategies
In August of 2019, I had the honor of supporting my friend Eric at the Leadman Race Series in the Colorado mountains. Eric finished all the races in the Leadman Series, including the Leadville 100 Run.
Leadman Series racers compete in:
Our 29 hour, 101-mile run in the mountains at Leadville went about as smoothly as possible. Contingencies were used, but mostly our primary crewing and pacing plan worked just right. We had fun and are better friends afterward.
Eric and Brandon reviewing vest supplies and changes the day before the race. This is when Eric finalized our note cards describing exactly how the changeovers worked.
Here is my ultra crewing and pacing race report from that weekend; mixed in are many tips, advice, and tricks. If you or your runner are lucky and crazy enough to toe the line at the Leadville 100, there is course-specific knowledge here as well. But my goal is to provide a general overview, via the story of this race, of how to support an ultramarathon runner by crewing and pacing, and why the Crew Equipment Top 10 is key to success and fun. I wrote most of this just after the race.
Preparing a race plan for the runner, and crew plan for helpers and pacers is key. Whether you're a data geek or not, studying the course, and making predicted pace plans for arrival times at aid stations is a practice that you need to develop.
leadville 100 crewing and pacing race report
Right this minute, it is 30 hours after I crossed the finish line of the Leadville 100 Run. I'm going to bed at 6:30 pm because of the lingering sleep deprivation. My legs are sore, and I have a couple of blisters... and I didn't even run the race. I helped crew and pace for my buddy Eric. But before sleep, some thoughts.
Only minutes to go for a finish. The waves of happiness and relief are yet to sweep our runner up, though we at giggly knowing he will make it!
Eric finished the race, got a belt buckle, and earned a prize for finishing the Leadman Series of races.
He was relieved, happy, and utterly destroyed. The 100 Run was his first running race longer than 50 miles. We, his crew of three, got to stay up all night, drive bad roads in worse traffic, refill water bottles, and coax Eric for hours to move faster, or just keep moving.
We also shared lots of laughs, visited with old friends we see at races, and ate yummy food. That’s really the name of the game, just keep your runner moving, and have fun with your friends. I've done this before, though it was new for Eric’s two other pacers, Emmy and Melissa. When the race was finished, we were happy too, elated actually, because our plan worked great.
Related: Stay Adventure Ready: How to Exercise at Home (no gym required!)
Be kind to race volunteers. Volunteers truly make ultra races possible. They will try and try some more to help you and answer questions. Be patient, kind, and offer your thanks.
Leadville Race Day report
Race Start
Alarms beeping at 2:00 am, coffee, breakfast, costumes on and out the door by 2:45. Drive to Leadville, park, walk to the start line. All of this is done by 3:35 am. Ken Chlouber’s shotgun blasts at 4:00 am and they are off. Success! It's happening. After seeing Eric off from the start line, Emmy and Melissa drove back to our condo rental for a two-hour nap. A successful launch!
Predicting aid station arrival times based on projected paces. This is the most important information a crew should have. Study the course, find previous race reports, search the Internet, and develop predicted times with your runner. Established races often have this info to provide you.
Crew contingency plans were called upon immediately, though. In the dark 3 am hustle before the start, Eric left his sunglasses and sunscreen on top of the car. Luckily, he had his phone and service to send a message. So, the crew is up again earlier than planned. We zoom to the 24-mile aid station to await a runner rendezvous. Back up glasses and sunscreen delivered successfully. Eric had a drop bag at this aid station, but it didn’t include extra sunnies. And this is the first time we learn Eric is suffering a bit already. Knee pain. Ok, get ready.
'We learn' is a little misleading. I, Brandon, the third crew member, know none of this yet. I've been sleeping in my van at the 38-mile aid station, Twin Lakes. Five hours into everyone's race day, I'm just making coffee and breakfast. Because, sometime around the coming midnight, I will pace for 24 miles, into tomorrow morning. I need to be the least tired crew member come this night. While Emmy and Melissa are dropping off sunscreen and sunglasses, I get to sleep in.
An hour later, we three crew are reunited at Twin Lakes. We chill in our chairs and chat. Twin Lakes is the most important logistics center of the day. Eric will pass here twice, about noon and 8:30 pm, mile 38 and 62. Leadville’s out and back course simplifies some logistics. Athletes visit all aid stations twice, save the turnaround in Winfield.
A very detailed projected pace and time table for Leadville. Some race organizers provide these, for other races you'll want to research and create your own.
At Twin Lakes, we picked out our crewing spot the day before the race and set up a shade tent. Eric knows where to find us. But…. when will he arrive? We've in our hands some special notecards with split times. The notecards have projected arrival times at each of the upcoming aid stations. The projections show times for a fast pace, a medium pace, and a just finish inside the cutoff times pace. Many runners end up just inside the allowed maximum time to finish. This is true at most ultra-distance races. These notecards help Eric (and his pacer—me!) know what times to aim for.
Emmy will begin pacing Eric at mile 50, in Winfield, a long drive from here. To make sure to be there in time, she leaves on the race-provided shuttle an hour before Eric arrives at Twin Lakes, mile 38.
Traffic is often outrageous to and from aid stations. At Leadville, crews and pacers sometimes fail to arrive at mile 50 in Winfield to meet their runner. That sucks. To prevent that from happening, Emmy leaves early. Race shuttles are awesome. I suggest using them if available. Meanwhile, Melissa and I wait for Eric at the Twin Lakes Aid Station. We will be here all day until Emmy and Eric return after dark.
Related: The Best Headlamps
Running vest change ready at Twin Lakes Outbound, and contingency supplies layed out. Medical needs, optional clothing, snacks.
Mile 38 Aid Station
Eric comes bounding out of the trees into Twin Lakes Outbound at about noon. We see him immediately, and he comes straight to the shade tent we set up together yesterday. His pace is a little slower than the medium pace, with both knees hurting now. We hustle him into a comfy chair after taking his running pack and set to work.
We have a precise plan here, written down by Eric for us, about how to resupply him. We take his pack, transfer a few clothes into a preloaded second pack he’s prepared for the next 24 miles. It's genius really. Nothing left to chance, he’s loaded the pack himself, and left us simple and clear orders.
He takes a hand towel to wash up a bit. We have both warm and cold wet hand towels ready, and a big fluffy one for him to dry off. We also have an array of items that he might want or need laid out. He brushes his teeth, a simple feel better act. But, he’s repeatedly asking for the medicinal balm for his knees, and we can't find it. Stay calm. Use a soft voice and relaxing language. ‘You're doing amazing. We're taking care of you.’
The pack switch is all complete. ‘Hey Eric, you want this chapstick and this little jar of ointment too?’ And then it hits us all. Eric has been running all day carrying in his pack the pain and inflammation relieving balm for his knees. Damn it, but yay! Let's rub it in liberally now.
He takes an extra snack from our display, gets a kind but firm chiding about not finishing the water in his first pack, and is up and running onwards about 8 minutes after arrival. ‘Emmy is waiting for you, and you're a rockstar!’ we holler after him. Success. It's not unlike an auto racing pit stop.
Melissa and I have 8 or so hours to wait until Eric, with Emmy pacing, comes back to Twin Lakes Inbound. We both get 2-hour naps. Melissa sleeps on the camping mattress and sleeping bag we brought to the aid station. I’m back in the van. But before, we chat.
Eric catching up on hydration while Brandon sorts out the first vest change in Twin Lakes, double checking all the requested supplies are present. Shortly after, we found his knee balm, and the vibe got better!
We were lucky, via a newly made friend, to get an update on Eric's pace. Neither of the crew's phones was working, but this kind neighbor had super secret internet access.
It seems likely Eric will be on a 29-hour finish pace. He’s super fit and determined, but hurting. We calculate a return at eight and a half hours from now. The Leadville 100 race has close to real-time runner updates available because they use timing mats on course. But, mobile phone service is not working. Not even texts. We just trust Emmy has made it to mile 50 to pace Eric. We’ll be guessing a lot. But, we knew that. We have studied the course, and we’re ready.
That doesn’t relieve our curiosity. We’re checking our phones for Internet connection and timing updates by 4 pm, about when Eric should reach the 50-mile aid station at Winfield. No luck. We chat, mingle with other crews and runners. We loudly cheer for the fast movers coming through.
After a couple of hours, one of our new friends figures a way for Internet access. Woohoo. We are not the only ones who want to be in touch. She checks for timing updates for the crews of several runners, and then enters Eric’s bib number to check for us. He timed in at 4:17 pm at 50 miles. Close to the “just in time” pace predictions to finish, but well ahead of the cutoff times. Relieved, we ready ourselves to welcome him and Emmy back at mile 62.
Planning together before race day is a huge advantage. Final vest change cards, and pace cards. Having it all written down, and reviewed together, is key to smooth transitions.
Mile 62 Aid Station
They roll in at 8:47 pm, after dark, and right when we expected them based on our earlier head scratching. It was great to get the real-time update via Becky’s phone to relieve our stress. But, we’d have been just fine without. Eric actually made up some time on the 50 to 62 mile section, largely due to the encouragement of his awesome wife and pacer, Emmy.
Emmy was not sure about pacing. She’d never done it before and isn’t a runner. But, she’d speed hiked this section of the course two weeks before with Eric. That gave her the confidence come race day that she’d be a good pacer.
There are really two options when pacing. 1) Your runner will be doing awesome, and going fast, and if you as the pacer can't keep up, that’s no big deal. Or; 2) your runner will be suffering, the pace will be something any fit hiker can keep, and you’ll be a huge help.
Emmy was a huge help to Eric over this challenging section as night fell. They made back more than half an hour on our pace chart!
Big sign to catch the runner's attention, and a simple kitchen to keep crew and pacers happy with hot drinks and soup
When the two of them reach our aid station, there’s no time to waste. I’ve got a warm jacket ready for Emmy. We bundle her up and forget about her for a minute while we tend to Eric.
Melissa is hyped and ready to pace him the next 16 miles. We make the second of the running pack switches as Eric outlined out for us. We double-check that both runner and pacer have two headlamps. They’ll be in the wilderness in the dark for 4 or 5 hours. Melissa will quiz him about nutrition and hydration as they get moving. Things are going well.
Having a pacer has been a boost for Eric. We’re a good bit ahead of the “just in time” pace. The weather is reasonable. There’s little chance of rain and it’s not below freezing, yet.
They are off. Now time to check on Emmy. Good thing we had that warm jacket ready. We chat for a while, have some snacks, and Emmy gets into clean and warm clothes while relaying Eric’s state of mind over the past few hours. All’s looking good. He’s tired. He has enough knee pain that running sucks, but he can walk and hike fast with little pain.
Many runners finish Leadville in the one hour window before the 30-hour cutoff. Their race often looks like what Eric is experiencing. Indeed, a steady stream has been coming through in the half-hour before and after Eric.
Darkness is a challenge. Be creative and make yourselves easier to find at the nighttime aid stations. Flashing lights and high vis clothes are awesome.
Mile 77 Aid Station
Emmy and I now have about 4 hours to get ourselves to the 77-mile aid station. There, Melissa will finish her pacing section and I’ll take over for the last 24 miles. We decide to take both of our cars there. Unlike other aid stations, the last aid station at Outward Bound’s camp has ample parking. I want to have my van with the bed and kitchen so I can have the choice to nap an hour or two.
We pack all our supplies away from the 38-mile aid station (save a sleeping bag and chair I leave for some new friends) and head over to the 77-mile aid station. I finalize my pacing costume choice now that I see the weather will be relatively mild overnight and reunite with Emmy. We decide to nap in the front seats of her car, as we worry about oversleeping. This plan works great, as we were both motivated to get up when the multiple alarms sound off around midnight.
We head over to the big campfire by the aid station and wait. Eric should be here about 1 am. And he is, led in by Melissa. They’ve made back a bit more time. We fill water and snacks from the aid station and Eric’s drop bag. We keep him moving and warm, but tell him no sitting. We know we are not gonna finish in 28 hours, but we want to keep a time cushion to make the 30-hour cutoff, if things slow down. And they might.
when i am Pacing
Eric and I head out onto the flattest and easiest part of the Leadville course terrain wise. We’ve a couple miles before the last big climb up Powerline. I encourage Eric to run a little. He can’t. He can walk pretty damn fast, but running is too painful for the knee. Twenty-five miles to go. We need to average an 18 minute pace to be safe and Eric can’t run. Now I know the game. Just keep moving, no stopping, make time where we can, protect Eric from pain when we can. Just keep moving.
We walk the flats pretty darn fast (16 min miles) and blast into the big uphill at Powerline. Eric’s fit, and he can crush the uphill. We even catch and pass a number of runners with their pacers.
Almost home. As Eric's pacer, I'm now carrying his pack and all extra clothing. One often fits is that I can completely monitor and encourage his hydrating an nutrition intake.
I made sure Eric ate and drank at the aid station, and continues to do so. Almost 24 hours into constant effort, he needs support and encouragement to keep eating and drinking. I’ve three lights with me, and we experiment with who’s in front, and how we can light the way for the easiest progress. I use a headlamp and my bicycle’s front light as a bright handheld.
I use my smartwatch, the Garmin Fenix 5, that shows real-time and average pace per mile. This is key.
Using the info from my watch, I fool around with all the little things we can do to get us moving a little faster. What works best for us is pacer in front on the flats and downs, Eric in front on the uphills.
To boost morale, I tell stories. I tell Eric he’s a rockstar. I constantly remind him we’re doing great, we have plenty of time, but we cannot stop. Not even for a few seconds, except to pee. Eric hasn’t urinated in the few hours we’ve been moving, so I constantly goad him to drink more. And eat.
We make up a little time on the uphills, we lose a little time on the downhills. Too much time lost on the downs? I know we have a time cushion, but we must keep moving at a really fast hiking pace when his knees tolerate it.
Related: The Best Trekking Poles
Mile 88 Aid Station
At the 88-mile aid station, we see Emmy and Melissa. They’ve come to meet us for some team morale-boosting. I’ve been yelling Emmy’s name for the last quarter mile as we approach, because we are planning a drive-by.
No time to stop. They offer encouragement, walk with us a hundred yards or so. I cry when I tell them we are suffering but doing great, and I’m gonna make damn sure we get to the finish line 15 minutes before the cutoff and not 15 minutes after. It is intense and emotional for everyone.
They say they’ll meet us again in a couple of hours or so as we round the lake at sunrise. We need to fill water bottles at the aid station, and Eric needs some special snacks from his drop bag. We pull that off in a little more than a minute, definitely less than two.
The next few hours are intense. Eric puts all his effort into keeping the pace I encourage. I’m constantly monitoring our real-time pace, and giving him updates after each mile. We're consistently making 17- or 18-minute miles.
Sunrise about mile 90 while pacing in Leadville. The warmth that morning brings is usually a game changer for exhausted and cold runners.
The sun is up and it’s getting warm. After watching for hypothermia in the night, I’m now worried my runner is overheating. I’m now carrying Eric’s pack—everything except the clothes he is wearing and his trekking poles. Because I’m carrying his hydration and nutrition, I can monitor his intake. Depths of exhaustion are plumbed. When Eric gets dizzy and his vision fades, I stay close to make sure he doesn’t fall down, and make sure he gets in food and water. And that he’s not overheating in the sun. When I know he’s hydrated, caffeine is consumed. Something works and he’s doing better. It could be more blood sugar, catching up on hydration, or stripping clothes to manage body temperature.
Related: The Best Electrolyte Powder
The Final 3 Miles
The red carpet at the Leadville 100 finish line. Often soaked with tears of joy.
Despite knowing the course well, I’ve not been 100% sure of our exact mileage to go until we hit a turn on a dirt road we both know. The weekend before we both ran the Leadville 10K, an out and back on the 100 course. With 3.1 miles to go, I see we have more than an hour and a half to work with! We will finish in time. I ask Eric if he recognizes where we are. He does, and I let him know our time cushion. Just keep moving, how you want, I’m gonna stop pushing the pace. He maintains our fast walk. When we meet Emmy and Melissa again with a mile to go, we have an hour before cut off at the finish. Hallelujah.
Leadville is an awesome race because your entire crew can accompany you the last mile to the finish. I pass off Eric’s gear and clothes that I’ve been carrying. Emmy and Melissa check on both of us. We are surrounded by other groups of two to six, pacers and crews escorting their runners to the finish line. We experience the powerful feeling of being surrounded by such supportive energy. We make it.
The race announcer welcomes in every runner by name.
Eric completes his first 100-mile running race in 29 hours and 35 minutes, and is welcomed home as a Leadman!
Why You Should Trust Us & About the Author
Brandon Lampley on the Appalachian Trail in January
Brandon Lampley is an all-around outdoor enthusiast who comes to Treeline Review from Outdoor Gear Lab, where he was Senior Editor. Brandon has summited Denali and Ama Dablam and pioneered first ascents in the Indian and Chinese Himalaya. His bigwall climbs include several El Cap routes in Yosemite. He’s spent a month kayaking the Sea of Cortes, bike toured across the U.S. several times, and thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail and the Appalachian Trail. He’s biked and climbed in 48 states and 20+ countries.
For three years, Brandon lived and worked in Phortse, Nepal as the project director of the Khumbu Climbing Center where he worked alongside Nepali climbers to increase safety for high-altitude climbers and workers. When not he’s not on a long trip or traveling, Brandon lives in his van exploring the U.S. Most recently, he can be found playing in the mountains outside Boulder, Colorado. He holds degrees in Environmental Science, Geology, and Psychology from Duke University.
Brandon is the author of Treeline Review’s Bicycle Touring Packing List.
