Saturday, May 12, 2007 -- Yellow Spring, WV
Capon Valley 50K Run (iPO Event Id#: 7841)

2007: [Photos] [Details] [Coverage] [Overall Results]

Coverage: [1999] [2000] [2001] [2002] [2003] [2004] [2005] [2006]

Capon Valley 50K photo by JR Petsko

What's a 50K among friends?

Article and photos by JR Petsko

With an early 8 a.m. start, and to avoid the heat of the day at the Capon Valley 50k Trail Run, I decided to take advantage of the free camping that was offered to me. Upon my arrival at Ruritan Park, I was pleasantly surprised by how nice the camping area was. The park offered a huge, flat grass field and a river that ran right next to it. Rivers and Anni, the iPlayOutside puppy, go hand in hand. So, we headed down for a swim. After about an hour of splashing in the cool water, the wet pup and I headed back to camp.

On our way there I couldn't help noticing a woman who was putting up her tent. The reason I noticed was because an hour earlier when we headed down to the river she was trying to put up the same tent. Anni and I decided to lend a helping hand. The woman looked familiar, and I knew I had seen her before at other events. After minutes of chit-chat she revealed her name to me, Jennifer Cochran.

Capon Valley 50K photo by JR Petsko

Okay, now most of you are probably wondering why I am writing all of this. Well, Jennifer explained to me that the reason she was having so much trouble with the tent was because it was brand new and she just took it out of the box. Explaining why she bought the new tent, she said that last year at this very same event the winds really started to pick up while she was on the course during the race. By the time she made it back to the finish her tent was stuck in the power lines. Now if that's not a camping story then I don't know what is! From that moment on Jennifer Cochran was known to me as "Jennifer the Tent Girl."

Pre-race night events wound down and I awoke from my tent with the sun peering, and beginning to peak out from behind the mountain tops. As sunrise took place, cars were starting to roll in one by one for the event. While some racers began to stretch and warm up, others took advantage of the breakfast that the volunteers had prepared in the community building. Being the thorough reporter that I am, I had to have a few eggs and toast to start my morning. Good eats is all I can say. With a full belly, I set out for the start.

Capon Valley 50K photo by JR Petsko

The start line formed with 132-runners thick, ready to head into the deep woods for the 9th annual Capon Valley trail run. They passed by my first shooting position about 2-miles in. Aaron Schwartzbard and Brian Schmidt, both from Virginia, ran neck and neck. The two leaders where followed closely by Bradley Mongold, Antoinette Lucas, and Dan Rose.

As the front of the pack vanished into the thicket, more runners kept coming at me in waves. Not all participants came to win, like Susan Baehre of Virginia who said she had to get her puppy fix in before running feather down the trail. Needless to say, Anni the iPlayOutside pup had no problem with that idea.

As the wave of racers dwindled to a trickle, I head down the road to one of the many stream crossings offered by the Capon course. Luckily, the water was low this year and the crossings were nothing more than a blip on the course. Still, the creeks always make for some great photos.

Capon Valley 50K photo by JR Petsko

The front of the field made its way to the crossing and not much had changed in the overall standings, but Schwartzbard was able to put a few seconds of breathing room between himself and Schmidt. Bradley Mongold also continued to hold onto third. Antoinette Lucas was still the first women, holding tight to her impressive forth overall spot. Karsten Brown would be the fifth runner though the stream.

Following Brown was a very familiar face. Former iPlayOutside.com reporter Lew McGrath made great showing in the sixth position. On a side note, McGrath was not the only old school iPlayOutsider on the scene. Don Parks, iPlayOutside.com's founder, was also on site to take on the Capon Valley challenge.

After watching participant's tip-toe though the water crossing, it was time to head to aid station five, the 24.7-mile marker of the event. The hike to station five from station three was quite strenuous. Okay, so it was only a 30-foot walk, but it sounded good right? Even though I had an easy stroll from one aid station to the other the runners did not.

Lucas 3rd Overall, photo by JR Petsko

Schwartzbard was once again the first runner to arrive. This time he was able to put about one and a half minutes between the second place position of Schmidt. The first two places may have not changed much by this point but runners where starting mix it up behind the leaders. Lucas continued to dominate the women's field and most of the men by moving past Mongold and taking over the third position. This was one ending that I just couldn't miss. I headed back towards the finish to see how things would end up.

Schwartzbard crossed the line first with a time of 3:52:09, with Schmidt finishing in 3:54:26. These two put on one heck of a battle and their times proved it. It was said that their times could have been course records but with changes over the course in the past year that was uncertain. Coming home in third position was Lucas, winning the women's overall in the process. Her effort had everyone out on the course talking and it was no wonder with a time of 4:22:29.

Taking forth overall was Karsten Brown (4:26:59) followed in fifth by Lew McGrath (4:32:52). Amy Sproston of Washington, DC took second overall for the women crossing the line in just over five hours with a time of 5:00:24. Behind Sproston with a third place finish was Laura Nelson finishing in 5:09:35.

Anni the iPlayOutside Pup

One thing about Ultra events that makes them different from other events is that just finishing is an accomplishment in itself. Hats-off to everyone who took to the trails! After the last of the finishers crossed the line it was time to eat once again. This time we were treated to chicken, beans, pasta salad, and cake! Well, not that I need to tell you, but a reporters job is never done and I heavily investigated the chocolate cake with chocolate icing, and yes, it was good.

It was a great time at the Capon Valley 50k trail run, but it took a lot of work and tons of volunteer time to make it happen. I would personally like to thank the volunteers at station 3 and 5 for putting up with Anni and myself all day, and the volunteers who kept my belly full. Thanks again. I can't wait to come back.