Ozark Trail 100 Race Report

2011 Ozark Trail 100 Mile was a success. It was a great weekend. Usually I stick to the crew view of things, but this includes some actual hikes into the trail and pictures.

We drove up Thursday night to have Friday to play before packet pick up and pre-race dinner. We chose to stay in Salem, Missouri, 35 minutes from the starting line instead of Bass River Resort which is the finish line and is two hours from the starting line. This 100 (102) mile point to point race is 55 miles of driving from start to finish and its never straight, never flat.

Friday morning we went to the starting line so I could see it in the light, and to hike for a little ways. Here is the starting line Friday morning in the light


Start line Saturday morning not in the light


Roots growing across the trail.


Rootballs – there was a storm here a while back that took out a lot of trees. There are places where this is in the middle of the trail and there is about a foot wide spot to get around it. I wish I’d had Steve stand in the picture to give perspective of how big this hole is. The root was about shoulder high on me.


Hills. This one was about a mile in from the starting line.


More hills. Steve coming into the aid station at 43.5. He came in from the right as you are looking at this picture. He had actually run down the ridge line behind him.

Even more hills. I hiked up the trail out of the 43.5 aid station and after ten minutes of just climbing, I turned around and came down. I did discover that the steep incline on one side of the trail and the decline on the other all covered with leaves brought on vertigo, not new to me. Steve said there were portions of the trail where you had to lean into the incline.




I saw Steve at miles 17.6, 43.5, 68.5, 81.5, 95 and 102. There was never a time where I thought he wasn’t doing well. He had an idea of how he wanted to run the OT 100, but he came in at the 17.6 mile aid station 45 minutes behind where he wanted to be. He was feeling strong, but completely threw his plan out and his new plan was to stay way ahead of the cutoffs and finish the race. When he left an aid station he would tell me when to expect him and he came into every aid station within 15 minutes of the time he told me he would be there. Always smiling.

Mile 95 aid station


He was happy and ready to finish the race. He had 7 miles left with four and half hours to finish. He told me it would take about two and half hours because he was going to savor the last 7 miles.

There was another runner leaving about the same time Steve did, and Eric and Steve did the last 7 miles together. My understanding from Steve (and other runners) is that the last 7 miles is the toughest of the course.

There are such wonderful people on the trails. The aid station volunteers, the ham radio operators, the race directors, the pacers, and the families and friends. And they all have a story. Some of my favorites…

The sixteen year old boy who asked if he could run last year and he was told no because of his age. They let him run this year. He finished. Sophomore in high school.

The crew of an Oklahoma runner who adopted a runner who was running slightly behind their runner. He was young and running solo, so they looked after him.

The crew of a runner who showed up at every station and volunteered until their runner headed out. Their runner won “the last mule in the barn award” so they were at the aid stations for awhile.

The runner from Michigan who said everyone in the midwest was so nice. Could she just take them all home with her?

The runner with pink hair who dyed her hair pink in support of her friend who has breast cancer. And her pacer who ran 59.5 miles with her. And the friend with breast cancer who was her crew. I loved these women, and if they didn’t live 3 hours away, they would have to see me more.

Steve coming into the finish line at Bass River Resort 30:02:34 28th place out of 43 fnishers


Steve at awards getting his buckle




Other notable events in my experience of this race.

Flat tire at mile 95 aid station. But I can change a tire.
The runner who decided to change his clothes at mile 43.5 aid station. I couldn’t look away fast enough. I think the fresh boxers helped, he finished well.
The eight year old boy who paced his dad for the last 7 miles.
Runners from Alaska, Singapore and Dubai.
The baked potato at the finish line.
Hearing about Steve singing with his ipod in the forest and getting requests.