Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Hilo to Volcano Ultramarathon and Relay

This past weekend it was time again for the Hilo to Volcano 50K Ultramarathon and Relay.  Jason has participated in this event the last two years, and this year I joined in, too.  But only for the relay portion of the event.  After running that course, I have nothing but respect for those runners that complete the ultra by themselves (well, maybe I think they're a tad bit crazy, too!).  The course is all uphill - going from sea level in Hilo to approimately 4,000 feet above sea level in Volcano!

I've included some pictures in this post, both taken by me and some from the Big Island Road Runners.  Big Island Road Runners has a ton more photos here, so definitely check those out!
 
The ultramarathon starts at 6 a.m. at Coconut Island.  At that point, it's still dark out, so ultramarathoners are required to wear reflective vests and lights. This race grew enormously in the past year, up almost 50% over last year, with 40 individual finishers and 38 relay teams.

Ultramarathon start line. Photo by Big Island Road Runners.
After the ultrarunners head out, it's time for the relays at 6:30.  It's still pretty dark at that point, so the whole first leg of the relay is essentially in the dark.  My team, the Kona Wahines, was made up of me (first leg), Lokana Reed (second leg), and Maggie Leite (anchor leg).  Jason's Big Island Running Company team was Sal Salmi (first leg), Tim Urbine (second leg) and Jason on the last leg. 
Relay Start. Photo by Big Island Road Runners
The relays generally consist of three person teams, switching off at every even numbered mile marker.  So each relay member runs 5 2-mile legs.  They also allow super teams, which is anything over 3 runners.  The super teams can kind of make up their own rules for switching off, but they aren't eligible for awards.  As you can imagine, the relay exchanges are pretty crowded at the beginning of the race, but they begin to thin out as the race goes on.
Typical relay exchange point.
Lokana tagging off to teammate Maggie and her daughter Dominique (who also ran all of Maggie's legs for her longest run ever!).
But the relay exchange points are actually pretty fun.  You get to chat with the other teams as you wait for your runner.  We ended up leapfrogging quite a bit with another Kona team - Go!155! They'd be ahead at some exchanges and we'd beat them to others.  It certainly keeps things interesting.

Photo by Big Island Road Runners
One unknown for any race is always the weather.  In Hilo and Volcano you always worry about the rain.  But this year, the weather was perfect.  It was a little overcast in the beginning, but cleared up and was nice and sunny in Volcano.  And since you're up at elevation, the heat wasn't too bad, either.  We even got to see a couple of rainbows while out on the course.

Kona was very well represented in the race.  Below is a picture of Kona girl Jolene and her son getting ready to cross the finish line.  Jolene ran the entire distance and looked amazingly fresh the whole time! Congrats, Jolene! You are awesome!


Since we were out on the course, it was kind of hard to know what was going on in the race.  But Jason's relay team finished in second place behind Royal Flush.  And our team finished! Here we are getting ready to run across the finish line:
Kona Wahines - Melissa, Maggie and Lokana

Kona Wahines and K-Town Haoles

In the ultramarathon, David Carlsson was the first finisher in 4:08:24.  The first female finisher was Lisa Hadway in 5:21:34.  Joseph Wedemann (5:12:52) and Sally Marrack (5:49:48) took the men's and women's master's titles.

Full results from both races are below. 


Individuals




Pace
Plc
Name
Division

City, State
Time
(min/mi)
1
David Carlsson
<>

Honolulu, HI
4:08:24
8:00
2
Pascal Spino
<>

Vancouver, BC
4:15:13
8:13
3
Doug Andrews
<>

Kailua-Kona, HI
4:53:13
9:28
4
Timm Vedder
Open

Waipahu, HI
5:06:22
9:52
5
Joseph Wedemann
++Master++

Keaau, HI
5:12:52
10:04
6
Lisa Hadway
<>
F
Pepeekeo, HI
5:21:34
10:21
7
Victor Eisen
++Master++

Pahoa, HI
5:31:58
10:41
8
Sylvia Ravaglia
<>
F
Kamuela, HI
5:35:33
10:48
9
Susan Cordell
<>
F
Hilo, HI
5:40:37
10:58
10
Donald Andon
Open

Hilo, HI
5:41:26
10:59
11
Erol Ackdoe
++Master++

Paia, HI
5:42:13
11:01
12
Ferdinand Babas
Open

Hilo, HI
5:43:08
11:02
13
Amy Ray
Open
F
Hilo, HI
5:44:03
11:04
14
Sally Marrack
++Master++
F
Hilo, HI
5:49:48
11:16
15
Lyle Balingit
Open

Pepeekeo, HI
5:54:07
11:24
16
Bram Denhaan
Master

Haiku, HI
6:06:51
11:49
17
Cassidy Landes
Open
F
Kailua-Kona, HI
6:09:01
11:53
18
Dane Griffith
Open

Kailua-Kona, HI
6:27:41
12:29
19
Jolene Mears
Open
F
Kailua-Kona, HI
6:37:14
12:47
20
Rick Otani
Master

Hilo, HI
6:37:40
12:48
21
Gary Theriault
Master

Kailua-Kona, HI
6:38:04
12:49
22
David Hammes
Master

Hilo, HI
6:46:42
13:05
23
Victor Trevino
Open

Honolulu, HI
6:59:50
13:31
24
Anaid Azotla
Open
F
Honolulu, HI
6:59:51
13:31
25
Stan Fortuna, Jr
Master

Hilo, HI
7:08:25
13:47
26
Alison Mansfield
Open
F
Papaikou, HI
7:17:54
14:05
27
Harvey Nakasone
Master

Hilo, HI
7:17:54
14:05
28
Mark Lewis
Open

Hilo, HI
7:23:54
14:17
29
Marie Kuramoto
++Master++
F
Hilo, HI
7:32:52
14:35
30
Don Mitchell
Master

Hilo, HI
7:33:16
14:35
31
Les Martisko
Master

Pepeekeo, HI
7:46:13
15:01
32
Laurence Macon
Master

San Antonio, TX
7:47:52
15:04
33
Jeff Vieyra
Master

Lafayette, CA
7:47:52
15:04
34
Jim Simpson
Master

Huntington Beach, CA
7:47:52
15:04
35
Alfred Kohli
Master

Lomira, WI
8:04:34
15:36
36
Henry Rueden
Master

De Pere, WI
8:04:34
15:36
37
Peter Johnson
Open

Troy, MI
8:05:35
15:38
38
Lava People
Master

Kailua-Kona, HI
8:07:39
15:42
39
Frank Bartocci
Master

Rochester, MN
8:14:47
15:56
40
Eugene Bruckert
Master

Arlington Heights, IL
10:37:56
20:32
41
Michael Hasselbring
Master

Hawi, HI
DNF

42
Charlene Gaurano
Open
F
Waianae, HI
DNS









Relay



Pace
Plc
Name
Division
Runners
Time
(min/mi)
1
Royal Flush
<>
J. Pang, Z. Johnson, C. Gregory
3:22:33
6:31
2
Big Island Running Co.
Mens Open
J. Braswell, T. Urbine, S. Salmi
3:41:05
7:07
3
The Three Generations
Mens Open
S. Pavao, A. Langtry, L. Villena
3:51:58
7:28
4
Warriors 4 Life
Mens Open
D. Sato, J. Halford, J. Imai
3:59:06
7:42
5
Not Prepared But Kickass
<>
M. Romo, M. Dishman, A. Shiels
4:02:58
7:49
6
Hilo High
<>
S. Hunter, C. Garson-Shumway,
K. Rapoza
4:14:17
8:11
7
Mana Wahine
<>
M. Caproni, S. Lyle, J. Jedlinsky
4:16:40
8:16
8
Coastbusters
Mens Open
G. Muder, Z. Burley, J. Russell
4:22:12
8:26
9
Maka Nui
Womens Open
L. Solodky, S. Kettwich,
S. Kettwich
4:24:34
8:31
10
No Name Given
Womens Open
M. Aiona, E. Cordeiro, D. Aiona
4:25:55
8:34
11
Makalakaz
High School
M. Cruz, R. Grothmann,
K. Grothmann
4:34:47
8:50
12
The Prefontaines
Womens Open
J. Bledsoe, J. Lozano, S. Adams
4:37:41
8:56
13
Tres Coaches
Womens Open
L. Hunter, M. Tominaga,
D. Wong Yuen
4:39:27
8:59
14
Where's the Lava?
Super Team
S. Pratt, P. Ferrington, K. Winters,
J. Kirkwood
4:39:39
9:00
15
Angry Birds
Mens Open
C. LaBrie, M. Daly, K. Fuchigami
4:40:47
9:02
16
Kitty
Super Team
D. Rances, S. Rances, G. Wilson,
S. Ombac, T. Soares
4:42:59
9:07
17
UHH W-XC #2
Womens Open
J. Wood, D. Thornton,
N. Hagemann
4:45:52
9:12
18
Old Goats
<>
D. Blinn, C. Bostwick, J. Tuscany
4:46:15
9:13
19
Westfall Drywall
Mens Open
C. Westfall, C. Westfall,
R. Van Geen
4:47:02
9:14
20
Tehero's #1
Mixed
C. Tehero, D. Tehero, R. Tehero
4:47:16
9:15
21
Team Toe Jammers
Mixed
D. Partin, A. Partin, G. Loya
4:48:07
9:16
22
Team Corona
Mixed
J. Natividad, L. Natividad,
T. Kawahara
4:50:40
9:22
23
Volcano Girls
Womens Open
S. Bakken, D. Ohoru, J. Orr
4:51:23
9:23
24
Diva Sistaz
<>
F. Lerand, A. Hess, M. Cooke
5:00:44
9:41
25
K-Town Haoles
Mixed
N. Mailhot, B. Mailhot, T. Reed
5:05:54
9:51
26
Team Hoku
Mixed
W. Minor, S. Nixon, B. Greineisen
5:06:05
9:51
27
Team Blue
Mens Masters
D. Berman, J. Nixon, M. Gordon
5:06:51
9:53
28
Team Hale
Mixed
D. Hale, K. Hale
5:11:41
10:02
29
2 Tehero's and 1 Pacheco
Mixed
F. Tehero, T. Tehero, D. Pacheco
5:19:27
10:17
30
Four Seasons
Super Team
C. Conway, G. Pavey,
R. Puaokalani, S. Chamberlain
5:21:57
10:22
31
Bayfront Babes
Womens Masters
D. Crutchfield, L. Otani,
K. Furumo
5:24:26
10:26
32
We R 174 Proof
Womens Masters
L. Deehr, P. Everett, M. Anderson
5:25:06
10:28
33
Team Elliot
Mixed
J. Elliot, S. Elliot
5:30:04
10:37
34
SWAT
Super Team
L. Vos, M. Drutar, F. Rhoads,
P. Henderson
5:33:59
10:45
35
Hot Lava Ladies
Womens Open
L. Englund, B. Anderson
5:42:04
11:01
36
Go! 155!
Womens Masters
S. Shepherd, R. Hale, J. Crawford
5:44:51
11:06
37
Kona Wahines
Womens Open
M. Leite, L. Reed, M. Braswell
5:49:29
11:15
38
Two Beauties and a Beast
Mixed
L. Montizor, Z. Montizor,
K. Galloway
6:03:06
11:41







Congratulations to all of the finishers and huge mahalos to the Big Island Road Runners, especially Alan Ryan, Keith Marrack and Dano Banks who put on this great race.  Also, special thanks to Brittany Leite for being our awesome driver for the race!  We can't wait until next year!

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