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Fast Times in the Midwest Bayou
The North Face Endurance Challenge splashes through Des Moines, IA

Iowa in the waning days of summer conjures images of long, dry rows of corn stalks, dust, and last gasps of humid, hot air.

Not this year. August rains saw to that, with numerous Des Moines-area flash flood warnings punctuating the final wet weeks of an odd summer. Organizers for The North Face Endurance Challenge, Des Moines event didn't know what to expect as they surveyed the course one week before the main event, the second in the four-race series.

As organizers surveyed the area, it quickly became apparent that the course would need to re-routed, as several trails sat submerged under the recent floods. Organizers and volunteers logged extra time to ensure an accurately measured, well-marked course for Challenge participants.

By race day, parts of the course were still soggy, but that didn't seem to slow down the athletes. A flat, occasionally-rolling, mixture of asphalt, gravel, and intermittent mud translated to some track meet pacing and eye-popping finishing times. Runners and organizers breathed a sigh of relief when race day dawned to cool temperatures and a rain-free forecast.

Galloping Gilpin

In the men's 50-mile race, 28-year-old Karl Gilpin of Russellville, Missouri, bolted to an early lead. This was the first-ever ultramarathon for the former Division II All-American cross-country runner, so he was not quite sure what to expect. "I had never run longer than a marathon," he says. Even so, it grew obvious that Gilpin's marathon PR of 2:32 would translate to a quick 50-mile race … as long as he held himself together over the long haul.

"I had no clue what kind of pace I needed to run," says Gilpin, reflecting on the race start. "I ran conservative, but even then I was at the front of the pack."

But 50 miles poses different challenges than a 26.2-mile marathon, and Gilpin admits that he had some rough patches. "My pace was a little fast in the middle, and I paid for it." By the homestretch, Gilpin was slowed to a shuffle that had him counting the minutes until the finish. "I walked/ran the last three or four miles," he says. "It's accurate to say I was a little haggard."

Despite bonking near the finish, Gilpin held for a very impressive victory and a time that will rank among the nation's fastest 50-mile marks this year. He broke the finisher's tape in 5:39:05—an astounding 6:47-per-mile pace. Gilpin places 9:20 ahead of the second-place male, Stephen Taylor of TK. Rob Gillum finished third, with a time of 6:42:13.

Gilpin's win earned him a first-prize check for $1,000, presented to him by Dean Karnazes, on behalf of The North Face. He also won an automatic berth in the 2007 The North Face Endurance Challenge Championship, scheduled for December 1 in the coastal mountains north of San Francisco, California, where 50-mile runners will compete for a $10,000 prize. (Note: The 50-mile championship is open to the public; participants need not qualify.)

Positive Energy

Susie Gray Dyck had the sort of race where everything just seems to fall into place. She felt great and flowed with positive energy. This was the first-ever ultramarathon for the 27-year-old middle school French teacher from Ankeny, Iowa, although she had run six previous marathons, including the very difficult Pikes Peak Marathon. "I love to push my limits," she explains. "Since I've done quite a few marathons I thought this would be an interesting next step."

"I was not sure of what to expect," she says. "It went much better than I'd expected."

Dyck had been warned that 50 milers can turn south in a hurry right around mile 35. Up to that point, she bopped along and enjoyed herself. She cherished the start in the darkness: "It was a great sight when I glanced back and we were like a snake of headlamps all evenly spaced every three feet or so, just weaving through the trails." She also ran off of everybody else's positive energy, chatting with many runners through the early miles. Her thoughts wandered to her husband, Jon, who was in Iraq as a member of the U.S. Army and she smiled in anticipation of seeing him in a few short days. "During the race I had lots of positive thoughts of running like I was getting to see him," she says.

Still, Mile 35 loomed like a massive mountain, and Dyck ran smack-dab into it. "The rolling hills between miles 32 and 45 were killer," she explains. "My quads felt like someone was slamming them with a hammer with each step."

But she endured. "I tried to push myself because I knew I would be more disappointed if I finished and felt like I had a lot more to lay out on the course, rather than just going hard and leaving everything I had on the trails." Dyck's dad paced her through the tough stretch and soon she neared the finish.

At the finish, Dyck was fairly certain that she was the second woman to cross the finish line, with a time of 8:10:10. By her estimate, it seemed somebody else had completed the course ahead of her. Indeed, one woman who had registered for the 50-mile race had already arrived, but it was questionable whether she had completed the race's final 1.8-mile segment. After race organizers performed a thorough audit of aid station check-in sheets and spoke with other race officials, they concluded that the she had not completed the entire course and awarded first place to the jubilant Dyck.

Bekkie Wright was the next female finisher, crossing the finisher's tape with a time of 8:55:55. Katherine Nelson placed third in 9:07:17.

Later, Dyck said, "In hindsight, the man at the last (aid station) said something when I checked in with him that made me think that he thought I was the first woman."

Dyck hopes to race in the San Francisco Endurance Challenge Championship—especially since her Des Moines victory wins her a trip to the big event on December 1. But it's not a sure thing. "I am still trying to work out the trip with my school. Since my husband is coming home from Iraq, I am using my personal days to see him (in Georgia), and I am not sure yet whether taking (time) off to travel to the race will be permitted."

Running For Recovery

Not far behind Gilpin and Dyck, Brad Holzworth waged a battle of his own. Once upon a time, Holzworth, 34, had problems with alcohol and drugs. He eventually traded that addiction for a healthier lifestyle which today includes running as a major component. He also founded the running4recovery program, a four-step program "rooted in the undeniable benefits of running." Holzworth's program as well as his blog and personal story can be found at www.running4recovery.com.

"I run for my health and well being," explains Holzworth. "Running clears my mind, adds to my creativity, and does wonders for my general state of being."

Holzworth's participation in The North Face Endurance Challenge signaled a reunion of sorts. Brad joined Dean Karnazes during the 2006 The North Face Endurance 50 and was enthused to take part in another event hosted by Karnazes. "it was especially nice to see familiar faces from the North Face team again," says Holzworth.

"During my 9 hours on the course I had the opportunity to talk with a number of different runners as well as volunteers," says Holzworth. "The highlight of my day was running with Rob (another race participant). Rob and I found ourselves running together around the five-mile mark and continued until the end. This is very rare to stick with someone until the finish but Rob and I seemed to share something in addition to the passion we had for running. I would later find out what our common bond was when I asked Rob why he was running 50 miles on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in central Iowa. He proceeded to tell me his story about how he quit smoking and started running and hasn't had a cancer stick since."

For Holzworth, the time shared with Rob while running a very difficult distance served as a reminder of his own past: "How you react to the battles you encounter during an ultra can serve as an important reminder to you the next time you are tempted to give up the fight with your struggles in life." Holzworth and his new friend finished the race together, with a time of 9:05:13.

Happy Homecoming

The Endurance Challenge Des Moines, like every other Endurance Challenge event, included shorter distance options aside from the 50-miler. Many other athletes took part in the 50K, half marathon, and 10K races and 25-year-old Russell Leino was one of them.

Leinoo, who lives in New York City, grew up in the Des Moines area and was home visiting his parents for Labor Day weekend. He ran cross country and track in high school (at Valley High in nearby West Des Moines) and college (at Harvard). In fact, he was the Iowa High School runner-up in the 800M and was named to the All-Ivy League second team for the Distance Medley Relay. How would his short-distance leg speed translate to a 10K?

"I had only done one 10K before this event," says Leino. "But that was a college cross country race." After graduating from Harvard, Leino has run "fairly regularly" (he estimates about 15 to 20 miles per week), mostly in New York's Central Park.

Leino explains how he decided to run the Endurance Challenge: "I was looking to do a tune-up before my upcoming 1/2 marathon, and thought it might be fun to race again back in Des Moines. I did a search for races that weekend, found this North Face event, and signed up. Also, I had never seen an ultra-marathon before, so thought it might be a fun event to come out and watch those guys as well."

With a home-cooked meal in his belly, Leino bolted from the starting line and never looked back. He seemingly cruised to the win with a finishing time of 35:56. "I felt generally pretty good and relaxed," He says. I would have liked to have [sic] someone to run with to share the work and maybe go a bit faster, but I think I ended up running pretty even splits so it worked out all right."

It all worked into a nice homecoming for Leino as well. "I definitely had a good time, as did my parents, who came to watch, and thought the pre-race goodies, BBQ meal, and race prizes were exceptional."

The North Face Endurance Challenge next travels to the Pacific Northwest, where athletes will test their fortitude against the trail terrain above Seattle, Washington on October 6, 2007. Participants can choose between a 10K, half marathon, or 50K or 50-mile ultramarathon. 50-mile runners can compete for a $1,000 winning prize (awarded to the top-finishing male and female) and a trip to The North Face Endurance Challenge Championship on December 1 in San Francisco, where they will run for their share of a $20,000 purse.

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