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STEIDL, SEGGER-GIGG ARE RELENTLESS IN SEATTLE

The North Face Endurance Challenge welcomes 300 runners to Seattle event and crowns regional champs

Seattle, WA, October 6, 2007— The North Face Endurance Challenge, a four-region, nationwide running event for outdoor athletes seeking to explore their personal limits, held the third of its four races in the mountains above Seattle, Washington. Almost 300 runners gathered to test themselves against difficult mountain courses covering distances of 10K, Half Marathon, 50K, and 50 miles. 50-mile runners raced against themselves, the mountain, and each other in hopes of taking home the winner’s check for $1,000 and a trip to The North Face Endurance Challenge Championship in San Francisco in December.

“Tough.” is how The North Face Endurance athlete and 50-mile runner Sam Thompson described the mountainous course that greeted athletes. Others described it as “relentless” in the way it dipped, turned, climbed, and dropped all over the rugged terrain above the Emerald City.

Conditions were perfectly Seattle-like, too. A perpetual mist hovered above the wet and fern-lined singletrack trails while temperatures sat in the chilly 50s for the duration of the day. Many runners resorted to long sleeves, glove liners, and even beanie caps as they pumped their legs through their chosen distance.

50-MILE

The 50-mile race saw one of the nation’s strongest endurance athletes take on the challenging course layout. Uli Steidl, a previous winner of the U.S. 50-mile national championship and a sub-2:20 marathoner from Shoreline, Washington, bolted from the starting line and never looked back. The talented field was unable to reel him in as he covered the two-loop course (and over 10,000 feet in total climbing) by running nearly even splits. Steidl crossed the finish line with a final time of 8:17:30 winning his 10th ultramarathon in 10 tries. Local Phil Kochik, a past winner of the prestigious Miwok 100K in San Francisco, CA, placed second, 13 minutes behind Steidl. Dan Olmstead from Bend, Oregon, placed third in 9:09:58.

In the women’s 50-mile race, Jen Segger-Gigg of Squamish, British Columbia, turned in an astounding performance, covering the course in 9:47:21—a mark good for fourth overall and first woman. Overall, only four 50-mile runners cracked the 10-hour mark. The second woman, 2006 Trail Runner Magazine Trophy Series Champion Van Phan from Maple Valley, Washington, finished in 11:07:14.

50K

In the 50K distance, local-boy John Berta of Seattle outlasted The North Face Endurance team member Tim Twietmeyer, clocking a time of 4:57:27. Twietmeyer, the only 25-time finisher of the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run, ran a 5:21:59. His finishing time was approximately 25 minutes ahead of Pete Soucy of Seattle, who finished third.

The North Face Endurance athlete Kami Semick made the trip from Bend, Oregon, to compete at the 50K distance, and managed to outrun other runners with local knowledge of the trails. She won the women’s races, placing third overall, with a time of 5:42:43. Meagan Sorenson and Gwen Scott, both of Seattle, finished second and third, running side by side across the finish for a time of 5:54:30.

In all, 50 men and 25 women completed the very difficult 50K course.

HALF MARATHON

The Half Marathon proved to be a nail biter of a race—the closest of the day. In the end, Henry Wigglesworth, a 49-year-old from Seattle, out kicked 33-year-old Austin Crook, also of Seattle. Wigglesworth’s time of 2:02:17 was eight seconds faster than Crook. Ben Kruzat of Maple Valley, WA, rounded out the top three men with a time of 2:08:32.

Nikki Kimball, a member of The North Face Endurance team and three-time winner of the Western States 100-Miler, passed on the day’s ultramarathon distances, but still managed to create a buzz. Her finishing time of 2:03:17 put pressure on the two front-running men and placed her third overall. Alison Burpee, 29, of Seattle was close behind with a time of 2:04:15. 20-year-old Shannon Kelley of North Bend, WA, came third in 2:05:58.

Overall, women ruled the day at the Half Marathon. In addition to claiming three of the top five finishing spots, 31 women completed the distance, compared to 30 men.

10K

Speed was the name of the game in The North Face Endurance Challenge 10K. Speed, that is, and youth. 27-year-old Scott Gullberg of Des Moines, WA, hammered a 7:42-per-mile pace for a finishing time of 47:53. His winning time was roughly two minutes faster than Luke Gullberg, 23, also from Des Moines. The Gullbergs beat out third place finisher Sam Smith, who clicked off an impressive time of 52:05.

Teresa Nelson of Seattle outpaced the women’s field and took third overall, first woman, in the 10K. Her blazing time of 51:38 left a gap of nearly four minutes before second-place finisher Saulsberry of Palo Alto, CA, crossed the finish line with a quick-footed time of 55:04. Third-place women Jennifer Blackwood completed the course in 55:37.

There were 49 finishers of the 10K course, 16 men and 33 women.

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