After running 100k for the first time in 2022, I vowed never to do it again. However, I am a gluten for punishment and signed up for another race which takes place in Auburn, California. For extra pain, this one was mountainous taking in 3,800m of climbing and 4km of descent.
Hello, my name is Ray Wise and I’m an ultra-runner. I have been addicted to this sport for about 12 years now and over the last few years it has gained more public attention. You are looking at running any distance over a marathon, which is 42 km (26.2 miles).
Two days before the race I hiked part of the trail so i could understand the landscape. This course is on the Western States Trail and has stunning scenery at every turn.
So here we are in Auburn USA, I’m picking up my number and extra’s at the ‘expo’. I’m also dropping a bag with some bits to change at the halfway point (50k). There is a buzz around town and everyone is talking about the race(s). There are 4 distances to choose from, 21km, 50km, 100km and 100 miles.
Friday was a rest day and I had an early night – the coach to the start was at 03:30 and I had to be up at 2am! Our race started at 5am with an hour or so drive, so everything needed to be ready.
With a mix of excitement and nervousness I jogged over to the start line – toileting had been done, bag was packed, headtorch switched on as we counted down to the off. It was cool but not cold – very dark but noisy with people chatting, filming and music in the background. The elevation at the start line is just over 1,500m (5000ft).
When the hooter sounded, I was about 10 rows back from the line – about 1000 people were in my race and we all jogged over the start line and followed a mass of headtorches towards the forest. I did not want to move too quickly but as the first 8km was downhill, but I could not help myself pick up some speed.
Daylight was breaking as we climbed out of the valley and up to Devils Thumb – our first big climb and first walk / jog.
The next part was a loop – down a steep long hill to Swinging Bridge and then back out and up the same way – this was most certainly the hardest part. However, I had my running poles with me and used them to my advantage. Getting to the top required a lot of effort but now I was about 25km into the race – the time had quickly ticked by and the sun was having a big effect.
I started to feel over tired as my jet lag was catching up on me – I started to move a lot slower and mentally this was getting tough. Especially as now I was slowly going downhill, and we had only covered about 30km (19 miles). I slowly pushed through this awful feeling and made my goal the next aid station (number 6). When I got there I refuelled and took my time, this improved my morale. The volunteers were amazing filling up my bottles for me – they could see I need assistance. I was very grateful before I made my way off. I had hiked this section only a couple of days before so I knew what to expect. Again, I took it easy but felt a lot more comfortable now and the next stop was Forest Hill, the halfway point.
Arriving at Forest Hill was incredible – lots of people lining the road cheering on us weary runners. And my drop bag awaited me – a change of socks and insoles made me feel fresh. And I left the running poles as most of the serious hills had ended. After 15 minutes or so I picked myself up and started the second half of the course. And now I was running again and feeling inspired – how long would that last in the midday heat?
It lasted about 3 miles which meant I had 5 miles to push through until the next aid station. Walking / jogging and a little running came next – I overtook and got overtaken by others and had a chat and some encouragement. This worked well and before long I arrive at Cal2 aid station for more refuelling. At this stage the distance travelling was about 60km (37 miles). You tend to ignore the distance and just get your head down and move. There was a further 15km until the next stop but the sun was low now and the air was cooler – this made going a lot easier. However, it would not be long before the sun set.
I reached the next stop (Drivers Flat) after a big climb and 75 km (46 miles) of running- the welcome was huge, lots of people supporting as well as aid station volunteers. After eating a lot of salty food and some sugar, I was ready to move on. It was to be a fairly level section but still 13km (8 miles) of running. My aim was to get to that point before it got dark. With a mix of walking and jogging, I just managed it. Some people around me were quite ill at this stage – in a bad way with their stomach’s. I was in auto mode now as we were only about 12km (7 miles) from the finish. From Mammoth Bar we climbed up and out of the valley – headtorch was on and darkness prevailed. I only met a few people over this section and conversation was very light when I did. Finding the road meant a lot as I circled a bridge and strolled into the last aid station “Confluence”. I did not hang around long – my energy was up and onward I jogged towards Auburn town centre and the finish.
We dropped down from the road and followed a trail around to Robie Point where we took on one last but annoying climb into Auburn. A jog turned into a little run as the finishing line approached and happiness swept over me as I crossed it. The medal and memories were mine forever, pain is temporary, everything else stays with you.
After picking up the bags and then my car I made it back to the hotel where it was now midnight. I had covered the course in 17 hours and 30 minutes – covered 3,800m of climbing (12,467 feet) and burnt more calories than I could eat. Sunday was going to be a restful one but catching up on some nutrition...
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