Trail Runner is featured on the Meetup home!

Last night I received the below email from the HQ of Meetup: Trail Runner is currently featured on the Meetup home page! It couldn't have been timelier and I want to use this opportunity to thank you all for making Trail Runner "one of the most active Meetup Groups" within the Meetup network (with over 92,000 groups!).

Within only 5 month, Trail Runner grew 145 members strong which is all due to your support. Thank you for participating, organizing, volunteering, suggesting great ideas, posting pictures and helping to build a great community of trail runners and friends!

Please keep supporting Trail Runner and most of all - have fun and enjoy our runs! If you have an idea how to make Trail Runner even better, please let me know and we'll work on it! If you have an event which might be of interest to other members, let's post it! Or if you would like to become an organizer and host a new trail run, let's do it! ... All suggestions are appreciated!

Again, thank your for your ongoing support!

Happy holidays!

Bjorn

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Here is the original email from Meetup:

"Great news! Trail Runner is featured on the home page right now!

Every day, a handful of the most active Meetup Groups are chosen to appear on this page. Your Meetup will be appearing on the home page all day today.

Congrats!

The Team at Meetup HQ"

Saddleback Trail Marathon - Rated the toughest marathon in California!

Race report from Race Director Big Baz: 

"... My  Magic luck is still there after all these years. Having organized many hundreds of races over the last 27 years in California I can only say we are so bloody lucky to live in the State that has everything. ... After the heavy rains on Friday, my aid station crews were so happy to enjoy the dry 65 degree plus temps - especially up on the Main Divide. ...

Sorry if you were getting chilled at the start, but I have to say all those things while waiting for everyone to be at the starting line. Please don’t beat me up! ...

For those who came to their first race at Blue Jay, all I can say is I am sorry for the unruly behavior of some of the local bludgers who always try to intimidate the RD. Just something I have had to live with at all my races I am very sorry to say, but I am sure you quickly got into the swing of being part of a magic group of trail runners.  Must say congrats to all the first timers at the trail marathon distance, it is the toughest Marathon in California, but soo rewarding when you cross that finish line.

Hope you enjoyed the food and drink and the awards gathering, my long time mate Bob is always happy to help at the Raffle … All the support I get at my events is really appreciated even those who want to get under my delicate skin with their nastiness… joking of course! Where could a 70 year old bloke enjoy having fun with the best mates in the world, hopefully it shows with my quiet demeanor. Enjoy the festive season and we will gather again in Lower Blue next year."

Total Elevation Gain: 5,162 feet

Distance: 26.2 miles / 42 km

Time: 5:30:09 hrs. 

Place: 54 of 80 finishers

Franz - the praying mantis!

 

This praying mantis (Gottesanbeterin) has been with me now for over 10 days. It keeps moving around on my front porch - but always only a few feet. Every morning when I leave home it is there, and when I come home in the evening it is still sitting there waiting for me. Not sure if it is a male or a female, but I named him Franz. Little things like that make me happy! They keep reminding me of the important things in life and why I came to the U.S. in the first place ...

Chino Hills Trail Run Series 50K

Despite a lower back injury, I finished within the cut-off time of 10 hours. I walked most of it, but it was totally worth it. I saw many fellow trail runners and made some new friends. On the way back, I had a little "dance" with a baby rattle snake. It struck twice, but I was faster! Carmela and Asa who were right behind me and watched it happen, told me later that the "babies" are even more dangerous! Well, that's part of trail running and luckily nothing happened. Carmela, Asa and I continued and we crossed the finish line together.

Total Elevation Gain: 4,846 feet

Distance: 50 km / 31 miles

Time: 9:22:40 hrs. 

Place: 23 of 31 finishers

Fred and Yen (the Race Directors) presented me with a special surprise at the finish line.

Bulldog 50K

Once again, the Bulldog 50k (31 miles) lived up to its expectations. Over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) and 5,747 feet (1,751 meters) total elevation gain! Anyway ... 6 hours 45 minutes ... new PR :-) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Race Results: 
Time: 6:45:29 hrs.
Distance: 29.31 mi.
Pace: 13:49 min./mi.
Overall Place: 59
Men Place: 41

Today's 35 mile (56 km) training run for the 100 Mile Endurance Challenge in October

35 mile (56 km) training run for the 100 Mile Endurance Challenge in October in support of the 100 Mile Club: Brea - Fullerton - Anaheim - Orange - Santa Ana - Newport Beach - Huntington Beach - Long Beach. For more information and to donate, please visit http://tiny.cc/100ec

San Francisco Marathon

In the "zone" ...

Can't beat this view.

Hilly course - 1,742 feet total elevation gain!

Race Results: 
Time: 3:47:43 hrs. (New PR!)
Distance: 26.2 mi.
Pace: 8:42 min./mi.
Overall Place: 1111 of 5920
Men Place: 923 of 3944
Men 35-39 Place: 152 of 599

Mt. Baldy Trail Run

Trail run from the end of the ski lift to the summit of Mt. Baldy (10,061 ft.) and all the way back down to the parking lot (6,171 ft). Distance: 10.1 miles; time: 2:20 hrs.; total elevation gain: 2,516 feet; total elevation loss: 4,025.

Cuyamaca Rancho State Park and Cuyamaca Three Peaks 50K

Cuyamaca Rancho State Park

 

Our cabin "Coulter". Really?

My first time on a horse ... I probably would have been faster running, but it was a lot of fun!

Cuyamaca Three Peaks 50K (32.78 mi) Trail Race. 

Elevation Gain: 5,367 feet/1.636 m. Time: 7:23:22 hrs.

 

San Diego Rock'n'Roll Marathon

Official Result: 
Time: 4:05:58 hrs.
Distance: 26.2 mi.
Pace: 9:23 min./mi.
Overall Place: 1935 of 8267
Men Place: 1322 of 4267
Men 35-39 Place: 228 of 709

"Real Result":
Time: 4:05:58 hrs.
Distance:27.6 mi.
Pace: 8:53 min./mi.

Why?
Ran an extra 1.4 miles due to the confusing course marking and event organization. The 32,000 Marathoners and Half-Marathoners got merged and split over and over again and I ended up running a loop which was only to be run by the Half-Marathoners ... Thanks RD! This could have been my first marathon with a time under 4 hours!

Less than 20 spots left for the 100EC Ultra-Marathon

Yes, that’s right, this year’s race will sell out soon! We opened registration only one week ago and now less than 20 spots are left. Register now, or you will miss the opportunity to be part of the 100-Mile Endurance Challenge (100EC).
The 100EC Ultra-Marathon offers an ideal course for all – the experienced 100-Mile Ultra-Runner who wants to set a new PR, as well as for the athlete who has done shorter races before and now wants to attempt to run 100 miles for the first time (and everybody in between). The event starts in Corona (CA) on October 22 at 8:30am and finishes the next day at the Santa Monica Pier. The route will take you through three counties and 20 cities. For more information, please visit www.100ec.org/learnmore.
Note: All proceeds of the 100EC benefit the 100 MileClub – a non profit organization with over 30,000 members whose focus is addressing childhood obesity one school at a time. All participants must raise at least $100 in tax-deductible contributions. Please make sure to check the box next to “Become a Fundraiser” during the registration process!

Registration for 100EC is now open

Registration is open for the 100-Mile Endurance Challenge (100EC). Register now, since the number of participants for this race is limited and it’ll probably sell out within days!

The 100EC Ultra-Marathon offers an ideal course for all – the experienced 100-Mile Ultra-Runner who wants to set a new PR, as well as for the athlete who has done shorter races before and now wants to attempt to run 100 miles for the first time (and everybody in between). The event starts in Corona (CA) on October 22 at 8:30am and finishes the next day at the Santa Monica Pier. The route will take you through three counties and 20 cities. For more information, please visit www.100ec.org/learnmore.

Note: All proceeds of the 100EC benefit the 100 MileClub – a non profit organization with over 30,000 members whose focus is addressing childhood obesity one school at a time. All participants must raise at least $100 in tax-deductible contributions. Please make sure to check the box next to “Become a Fundraiser” during the registration process!

Leona Divide 50 Mile Ultra-Marathon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Something I can now finally check off my list. I "officially" completed my first 50 Miler (80.46 km) in 12 hours and 9 minutes with a total elevation gain of 9,536 feet (2.906 m)! It was a beautiful day, but a tough race!

My race plan for next weekend's Leona Divide 50 Miler ... Did I miss anything? ;-)

Ragnar Relay SoCal 2011

200.9 miles/ 323.31 km - 12 people - from Huntington Beach to Coronado Island (San Diego) - 32:37 hrs.

Congratulations! And thank you for all your support!

Dear Colleagues and Friends:

A little over a week ago, I participated in the Run 4 Kids 24-Hour Ultra-Marathon in support of the 100 Mile Club. It was a great day! Long, with ups and downs and at the end a little painful ... But I got to know some super nice and inspiring people, like Ed Ettinghausen who ran four marathons that day and who ran another two the next morning to break the (Guinness) world record for the most marathons in one year (112) ... .

Congratulations to all the Ultra-Runners who gave their personal best during these 24 hours! And to the kids of the 100 Mile Club who joined us for their event during the day! One 10 year old boy who never did more than a 5 mile run in his life before, ran 18 miles together with Ed ... .

The end result for me was also very positive. Since I have never officially completed a 50 Miler, my minimum goal for the day was 50 miles (80 km). Once I reached this, I went for the next higher goal of running a double marathon (52.4 mi./ 84.3 km). Then, the 100K was suddenly in reach and once I hit the 100 km (62 mi.), I pushed it and went for a triple marathon (78.6 mi./126.5 km) which I was able to complete about 30 seconds (!) before the end of the 24 hours! Round and around and around for 315 laps ... .

In an attempt to provide you with some impressions of that remarkable day and to say thank you for your help and support, I put together a slide show which you can watch online by clicking the following link:

Play slide show

Thanks to all my friends who came out to support me and to run/walk a few laps and everyone who followed me online throughout the 24 hours. It made all the difference! Thanks to the race directors and the founder of the 100 Mile Club for coming up with such a great idea. And thanks to all the volunteers who helped to make this event happen!

Last but not least: Thank you to all who donated on my fundraising page for this great cause. With your donations, you helped to raise enough money to support 88 kids (!) and provide them the opportunity to experience the powerful feeling of fitness and true personal success by accepting the challenge of running or walking 100 miles during one school year! This will probably have a positive effect on them for the rest of their life.

Again, I am deeply grateful for each one of you and your contribution. I had a wonderful experience and look forward to doing it again next year!

Björn

In the news: Run 4 Kids 24-Hour Ultra-Marathon

 

 

 

 

 24-hour run aids students, quake victims

By JERRY SOIFER
Special to The Press-Enterprise  

Mieko Morita was trying to send a message of help halfway around the world from Corona to her native Japan. Ed Ettinghausen of Wildomar was trying to set a world record. 

Morita, 47, of Santa Monica, and Ettinghausen, 48, were two of a group of men and women who recently set out to run and walk 24 hours around the quarter-mile dirt track at Auburndale Intermediate School in Corona to benefit the school's 100-mile club, which teaches life skills and fitness to children striving to run and walk 100 miles at school during the year. 

Morita, who was born in the small town of Ashiya, near Kobe, also wanted to help the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.  

She covered more than 60 miles to raise more than $1,200.

Ettinghausen traversed four 26.2 mile marathons in 24 hours. He then intended to take part in the Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday.

The other 24-hour participants included Steve Hernandez, 43, of Temple City; Laurel Kahn, 55, of Chatsworth; Mikey Lopez, 43, of Riverside; Rose Meiri, 29, of Reseda; Joe Nakamura, 32, of Upland; Erik Schnautz, 43, of Alhambra; Sol Shapiro, 49, of Corona; Christina Sorensen, 39, of San Francisco; Allessandro Struppa, 25, of Irvine; Daniel Struppa, 55, of Irvine; Bjoern Kampmann, 38, of Brea; and Darren Van Soye, 49, of Anaheim.

The run started Friday at 9 p.m. with the track barely illuminated by a pair of lights. Each participant carried a computer chip that was counted as it passed the start-finish line. Participants were allowed to stop for naps. They also were fed through the course of the day. It finished Saturday at 9 p.m.
The men, women and children who participated in the 24-hour run raised about $12,000.

Live updates from the R4K24 Ultra

It was a great day! Long, with ups and downs and at the end a little painful ... But I got to know some super nice and inspiring people, like Ed Ettinghausen who ran 4 marathons today and who will run tomorrow from the finish line to the start of the LA Marathon to then do the race. With his final marathon tomorrow, he will break the (Guinness) world record for the most marathons in one year (112) ... .
The kids of the 100 Mile Club who joined us for their event during the day were just amazing! One 10 year old boy who never did more than a 5 miles run in his life before, ran 18 miles together with Ed ... .
The end result for me was also very positive. Since I have never officially completed a 50 Miler, my minimum goal for the day was 50 miles (80 km). Once I reached this, I went for the next higher goal of running a double marathon (52.4 mi./ 84.3 km). Then, the 100K was suddenly in reach and once I hit the 100 km (62 mi.), I pushed it and went for a triple marathon (78.6 mi./126.5 km) which I was able to complete about 30 seconds (!) before the end of the 24 hours! Round and around and around for 315 laps ... .
Thanks to all my friends who came out to support me and to  run/walk a few laps with me. It made all the difference! And thanks to all who donated for this great cause and who were following me online throughout the 24 hours.

What a great day!

 Live update from the R4K24 Ultra: Done! 78.6 miles in 24 hours! Triple Marathon!

To donate, please visit: http://tiny.cc/6krre

Live update from the R4K24 Ultra: 69 miles!

To donate, please visit: http://tiny.cc/6krre

Live update from the R4K24 Ultra: 2 x 26.2 (2 x marathon distance).

To donate, please visit: http://tiny.cc/6krre

Live update from the R4K24 Ultra: Ed on his mission to break the world record for the most marathons.

Live update from the R4K24 Ultra: 50 miles (in 12:53 hrs).

To donate, please visit: http://tiny.cc/6krre

Live update from the R4K24 Ultra: The kids are here. Nice to have some company :-)

To donate, please visit: http://tiny.cc/6krre

Live update from the R4K24 Ultra: This one is for Aviva. Btw - 41 miles.

To donate, please visit: http://tiny.cc/6krre

Live update from the R4K24 Ultra: National anthem.

To donate, please visit: http://tiny.cc/6krre

Live update from the R4K24 Ultra: After a nice little nap, I am back on (the) track ...

To donate, please visit: http://tiny.cc/6krre

Live update from the R4K24 Ultra: 26.2 miles - first marathon!

To donate, please visit: http://tiny.cc/6krre

Live update from the R4K24 Ultra: First official results published - 59 laps at midnight.

To donate, please visit: http://tiny.cc/6krre

Live update from the R4K24 Ultra: 15 miles - still feeling good.

To donate, please visit: http://tiny.cc/6krre

Live updates from the R4K24 Ultra

Found the perfect spot for my tent. Just in case I'll feel like taking a quick nap.

To donate, please visit: http://tiny.cc/6krre

Live update from the R4K24 Ultra: Getting all my equipment together ...

To donate, please visit: http://tiny.cc/6krre

The Ten Commandments of Endurance

Weather forecast for our Run 4 Kids Ultra-Marathon on March 18/19

Latest weather forecast for our Run 4 Kids Ultra-Marathon on March 18/19: Dry but cold during the night and perfect temperatures during the day with a chance of some rain showers (30%) on Saturday between 10AM and 3PM. This might be the right time for a nap then ;-) http://tiny.cc/6krre