This post describes my introduction to the world of ultrarunning. I ran the Deadwood Trail Ultra 50 Mile race twice. A successful run in 1991 was proceeded by a DNF in 1990. Describing a race that happened 30 years ago was tough, but I have a variety of notes and write-ups to draw from. Unlike many races from that era that prospered in the current ultrarunning boom, the Deadwood race was not held after 1993, so I’ve also included in this blog as much of the history of the race as I could recall.
Though
I’d never been anything more than a recreational runner, and have never run
anything longer than a half marathon, I’d been interested in long distance
races since well before my move to Lead, South Dakota in the late 1980s. Back
in those days there were few ultramarathoners and even fewer races. In 1990
Ultrarunning Magazine counted 56 ultras with 3,771 finishes, vs 2,417 races and
128,732 finishes in 2019. In contrast to today’s crowded race calendar, back
then you were lucky if there was more than one race a month within driving
distance.
I was lucky that in the small community of the northern Black Hills there were several veteran ultrarunners, and just as importantly, a local race to shoot for. My friends Tod, Mike, and I were interested in seeing if we could finish a race that long and were lucky to have a race that practically started in our back yards.
Early
Race History
The
first Deadwood Trail Ultra50 was held in 1988 in conjunction with a running relay
and a mountain bike race that had 10 entrants. Local ultrarunner Terry Smith
designed the course and submitted a race write up to Ultrarunning magazine.
Nine of the eleven runners finished, led by Dave Wrolstad of ND, who would go
on to win the race the next three years.
In 1989, 17 of 26 runners finished, with Wrolstad setting the course record at 7:12 on a slightly longer course. The winning mountain bike time that year was Bruce Junek’s startling fast 4:25. By this time the race was advertised as having 8,000’ of climb, not bad for the Black Hills! However, later versions would claim a more realistic 4,300’ of climb. I don’t think the race was on my radar at all in those first two years.
7-1-90 Race Report
My
first entry to the Deadwood Ultra 50 was in 1990. I started training in the
spring already in good shape thanks to a busy local cross-country ski race
schedule. By the time training started I’d already made a backpack trip to the
Big South Fork and hiking trips to Colorado and the White Mountains. Our small little study
group got to know Terry, and joined him and some of the other local veterans of
the trail race on training runs.
The
training runs were generally on the Centennial Trail, which was then a new
addition to the Black Hills National Forest system, and not always the easiest
thing to follow. For our first training run Mike and I joined Terry, Jeff
Hagen, and Larry Simonson on a cold, snowy 24 mile run on the CT from US 16A to
Pactola. I had hiked most of the CT by this time, but we still spent a lot of
time trying to follow the trail. Terry,
Jeff, and Larry were planning on a run of all the CT and we spent part of our
time learning the route and marking some junctions. That April run was
remarkably cold, and after Sheridan Lake I was running with heavy mitts and a
pile coat, gear that I definitely wouldn’t need on race day. We did three other
runs with the more experienced guys including a planned support trip for their
end to end attempt on the Centennial Trail, but unfortunately rainy conditions
forced them to abort that attempt.
Still,
we learned some crucial lessons about walking the long climbs, how to eat and
drink enough, how to maintain a brisk walking pace, and how to stay on course
even when the trail markers were gone. It helped our confidence that we could
sort of hang with the veterans. Of course, living in Lead, we had plenty of
access to hiking trails and jeep roads for other training, and we did a lot of
running, hiking, and mountain biking. We knew the local trails well enough that
there wasn’t a need for us to train on the course.
On
race day I heard on the radio that it was already 78 degrees at 4AM in the
morning and knew I could be in trouble already with the heat. By the 5AM start
it was already uncomfortably warm. Our training partner Tod had dropped out of
the race in advance of a pending move for work, but served as a roving crew for
Mike and I. Mike and I took it easy at the start, walking most of the 1,000’
foot climb from Deadwood to Mt. Roosevelt. We found the course well marked and
never lost time looking for our route. The local YMCA had joined in as a
sponsor and Brian Brown from the Y also helped us out with roving aid.
We
stayed with a small pack on the long descent down Miller Creek. The group broke
up near the Miller Creek Aid Station 1 at 9 miles and Mike and I were on our
own. There was another long descent going into Aid Station 2 at False Bottom at
18 miles where Tod met us. I still felt strong at that point, but over the last
two miles my left knee started to bother me. Knee issues would prove to be the
bane of my ultra career. Over the years a series of IT band and tendonitis
issues would arise in my races, slowing my performance, and necessitating long
and painful recoveries. However, at the time I felt that the long climb up
Terry Peak would allow me to rest the knee, and that I still had a chance to
finish.
Mike
and I split up, he was faster going downhill, and I was stronger climbing,
another pattern that would hold true for most of my running races. I was
unfamiliar with the course section along Burno Creek, but found it to be a
pretty hike. However, it was getting difficult to keep myself hydrated in the
heat. I had to force myself to keep eating, but at the same time had to ration
my water two bottles between aid stations. On some gentle downhills approaching
Terry Peak I realized that my knee was too stiff to run, and that I might not
finish the race. The toughest part of the course, the climb under the chairlift
for the Terry Peak Ski Area was just before the summit. However, I could still
climb and passed three people on the final climb to the 7,064’ summit and Aid
Station 3 at about 12:15PM.
I
felt strong enough to walk it in, but still had 23 miles to go! I had extra
food and a change of clothes at the aid station and some electrolyte tablets
from work. The tablets were critical as the aid stations only had water. I’d
caught up to Mike and Tod at Terry, but they took off at a good pace down the
summit access road, and I had to walk the downhill. Any attempt I made to run
seemed to do more harm than good as the pain in my knee altered my stride
throwing my left hip out of whack and raising a blister on my left heel.
I
wasn’t feeling too good when I reached the highway, but Tod was there to help
and shortly Dave Thornton, another friend from work arrived and gave me a cold
coke. Tod had stashed his bike at the crossing, but amazingly someone had found
and stolen it. I was hobbling at this point, and wondered if I could reach
Englewood and Aid Station 4 at 35 miles. Mike had arrived at Englewood well
ahead of me, but dropped out of the race there. Luckily, I got a Tylenol and
perked up a bit. At Englewood I took a brief stop but forgot to take another
electrolyte tablet. I pushed hard out of the aid station trying to catch the
person ahead of me. My hierarchy of goals for the race was to finish, and not
to be last, but last I was. I stayed in reasonable shape until the Yellow Creek
Road, but there I broke down.
I’d
had a reasonably good race until that point. One moment I was moving well with
the aches and pains expected for someone well into their longest running day
ever, then the next moment I was done. Done I guess, except for being several
miles short of the next aid stop. From my long distance hikes, I was used to
having to push a few miles past where I’d like to have quit, but this was as
close to total collapse as I’d ever been. I somehow managed to limp my way into
the final Aid Station 5 at Strawberry Hill and mile 43 and collected my DNF
with a time of around 12:30.
Later,
a few (nonrunning) folks suggested that if I’d made it that far, I should have
gone ahead and finished the last 7 miles. I had to explain that I’d been
finished around 40 miles and still had to drag myself to a place where I could
get a ride. I had learned that the Ultra 50 for me was really a triathlon, the
three events being running, walking, and limping. I was tired enough from the
race that it took me almost three weeks to write up my notes.
19 of the 29 runners would finish the race despite the heat which had reached nearly 100F out on the course.
7-21-91 Race Report
My
preparation for the 1991 race changed a bit based on what I’d learned in 1990.
I used Gatorade powder in my drinks and took salt tablets and packed some pain
relief meds. I ate a ton of bananas, and the power bars which were the energy
fuel of the day. The race was moved from the July 4 weekend to Late July and
had much milder temperatures. For training again, there was plenty of x-c
skiing in the winter followed by lots of running, hiking, and mountain biking
in the spring and early summer, but I didn’t have the long group training runs on
the CT that I’d enjoyed the previous year. However, Mike and I were writing a
“Hike of the Week” column for his paper, so we were still getting in a lot of
trail running.
The
1991 race was again directed by the Ridge Riders mountain bike club and the
Lead YMCA. I helped out with the course marking. Though the mountain bike
portion attracted 92 riders, the run had only 10 entrants. Going into the race I was nervous about my
lack of training and the prior year’s DNF. But the change in race date had
given me three extra weeks to train, and the weather forecast looked much
cooler vs. 1990. Also, I’d learned to stretch my IT band more and was hoping
that it would be much less of a factor.
It
was drizzling at the start and we sweated through the first climb up Mt
Roosevelt. Mike and I did our usual routine of passing each other on the ups
and downs as our varied strengths played out. On the descent to Aid 1 at Miller
Creek at about 2 hours we got some full blown rain, and I was still sweating
more than I would have liked. Mike pulled ahead and I didn’t see him until
Trojan, but I matched up with another runner at Aid 1. We ran together to the
Maitland Road.
I
was already having IT issues, just running shorter and shorter stretches until
the pain in my knee became too great. First it would start just as my weight
bore onto my left knee in a flexed position, then gradually the entire outside
of the knee would hurt. Oddly, the IT issues would arise relatively early in
the race, and at a lower mileage than I’d run pain-free several times in
training. Mike and I passed some forlorn bikers who had stopped to fix a flat,
at least that was good for our egos. The informal Maitland Aid Station was down
to their last bottle of water when we arrived. I was a little annoyed to be
getting dehydrated already. The long climb toward Terry Peak was gentler on my
knee, and I found the strength to push and run some of the gentler uphills.
After descending to False Bottom Creek and Aid 2 I was able to get cold water
and my drop bags and felt like I was in heaven. Temperatures wouldn’t reach
much over 80 for the day, and scattered clouds and a few light showers kept
things manageable.
Feeling
recharged, I blasted up the hill and caught both Mike and the other runner
before the Bald Mountain tailings. The other runner was tired of all the
climbing and even though I told him the climbing was much gentler after the top
of Terry Peak he dropped there. I got to the top of Terry in ~6:30. Descending,
I passed my last pair of flat fixing bikers.
Mike
caught up before we reached the highway, and we ran together to Aid 4 at
Englewood and 35 miles. He felt really strong and was determined to finish, I was
also strong, but was concerned about my speed and inability to run on the
downhills. I’d need to do the 15 miles and next two aid stations in about two
hours each to finish, which meant a walking pace of basically 4 mph.
Don
Gifford joined me at Englewood and walked the next mile with me. I was
apprehensive, having fallen apart here the previous year. I was eating two
power bars and two bananas and a salt tablet each section as well as drinking
two bottles of water. Mike and I were still running together with a little
yoyoing as he pulled away on the descents and I caught back up on the hills.
He’d had some groin issues, but seemed to be over them.
After
the Aid 5 at Strawberry Hill at mile 43 Craig showed up on his bike and rode
the rest of the way with me. I knew I couldn’t quit then with him helping out,
though my confidence was waning. A short surprise relocation of the course in
upper Two Bit Gulch spooked me, but ultimately made the course a bit easier.
The last course section was rough and steep with loose rock. My feet were sore,
and my balls and nipples chafed from the sun and salt. I grumped once at Craig
when I thought he was riding to close and he wisely moved off ahead to ride
some with Mike. Eventually the houses in upper Deadwood Gulch came into view
and I knew would make it. Craig escorted me to the rodeo grounds, and I was
able to jog ceremoniously across the finish line.
Craig,
Don, and Mike were there to meet me at the finish, along with Brad and Karl who
had (long before) completed the mountain bike race. We’d go out to dinner that
night to celebrate, and the guys got quite a kick out of my long, slow limp
down the stairs from my apartment.
Of the ten runners and eight finishers Mike was 6th in 12:22 and I was 7th in 12;30:24. The final runner beat the 13 hour cut time off by only ten seconds. Dave Wrolstad won his fourth consecutive race. I think my key to finishing was not trying to force any running downhill after the IT band had flared up. This allowed me to maintain and efficient and rapid stride even if I was just walking. My ultra career would include only one other 50 miler (so far), but I would lower my PR to 11:51 at the 1993 edition of the Mountain Masochist 50 Miler in VA in 1993.
Later
Race History
Despite
my 1991 success I didn’t run the race in 1992. The Ridge Rider Bike Club had
decided not to sponsor the bike portion. Ironically, they’d had too many
entrants, over 130 in 1991, and found the race to be too much work. The YMCA
was now the sole organizer and was working hard to recruit racers.
The
weekend before the race, I went down to Colorado and ran my first marathon, the
Mosquito Marathon on the trails in the mountains just outside of Leadville. I
finished in a respectable 7:15 for race that went over one fourteener and
several thirteeners. I came back to the Black Hills and spent every evening of
the next week marking sections of the course from my mountain bike, and would
spend much of the following week taking down the course markers. Despite getting
no rest between my race and the course marking with a little help the course
marking got done. We also placed four water caches in between the aid stations
to help with the water shortages we’d had.
We
had added a two-mile gravel out and back at the start to accommodate a course
change near the start. The course was also vandalized near the start by someone
who had removed some markers and changed some others. I remember waiting for
the field along an early part of the course far longer than I’d expected before
some of the leaders finally came by and told me what happened. Luckily, there
was a relay that year and the lone team was all locals familiar enough with the
area to remark the course on the fly.
16
of the 9 entrants finished the 1992 race. Dave Wrolstad was injured that year,
and Richard Schick was the winner in 8:06. Mike also finished again, cutting
two hours off his 1991 time. The main difference was significantly cooler
weather in the 50s, sporadic rain in the first third of the race, and fog. I’d
done a decent job of course marking, but the fog threw runners for a loop on
Terry Peak. I’d neglected to flag the ski area parking lot well and when the
pack arrived visibility was only 20 feet. Luckily, Lisa from the YMCA arrived
to guide runners across the lot to the base of the chair lift. The temperature
was reported as 42F at the summit.
Early
in 1993, I moved from the Black Hills to Tennessee for work reasons. Because of
the issues we’d had in 1992 the 1993 race was moved to the Centennial Trail and
renamed the Black Hills Centennial Trail Ultra, and would be 50 miles and
7,000’ of climb. The course was originally planned as a double out-and-back
from the CT near Sturgis with the first leg going north to Bear Butte and back,
and the second leg going south to the turnaround at Elk Creek. There were 26
starters and 15 finishers, led by Larry Simonson, whose efforts on scouting the
CT undoubtedly had paid off. Dave Wrolstad was back and took third.
The
race was not held in 1994. Presumably, the effort of putting on such a large race
for such a small field was not worth the continued effort.
The
Black Hills currently (2020) has two established ultramarathons on the area’s
premier trails, both offering 100 mile courses and a variety of shorter
distances. The Black Hills 100 starts in Sturgis and follows an out-and-back
course on the Centennial Trail south to Silver City. Ultrasignup shows results
for the race back to 2011. The Lean Horse 100 uses an out-and-back course from
Custer north to Dumont on the Mickelson Trail. The Mickelson is a converted
rail trail and since 2005 Lean Horse has offered a relatively gentle ultra.
