Good weather and good spirits propelled runners towards the finish line Saturday (Aug. 11) as the seventh annual Squamish Test of Racing Metal, Yeah (STORMY) ultramarathon drew to a close.
Well-deserved applause and much-needed refreshments greeted all runners as they made their way into Brennan Park."The weather was completely in our favour which made the event a huge success," said race director Wendy Montgomery.Close to 200 people entered the event, which was broken up into three divisions: 100-mile (160-km) solo trail run, 50-mile (80-km) solo trail run and 50-mile relay.
Almost 90 per cent of the runners who entered the 50-mile solo trail race finished, said Montgomery.
And in another feat, not a single racer was pulled when the cut-off time came around, said Montgomery. Only 10 people could not complete STORMY.
One aspect that made the event that much more enjoyable was the inclusion of relay teams, said Squamish runner Jody Parry.
"It's fun to see if you can beat them on your own, I was trying to beat my wife Gina's team," he laughed. Parry said the chance to represent Squamish while competing against professional runners is a major reason he's entered six times and intends to come back next year.
The race really begins at Nine Mile Hill, which is where runners either break through the wall or break down, said Parry.
The uphill portion comes after an aid station at Powerhouse Falls and before the downhill relief of the Powerhouse Plunge.
Parry said he was able to get over the looming landmark thanks to some pizza slices and his son's MP3 player. "It's really mind over matter, you have to speak to your body and say 'You're in this race and you can't stop now,'" he said. "You can't afford to get negative, especially after five hours.
"Monday's when you feel it," he added.
Some volunteers said they sympathize with the runners' in their exhaustion.
Montgomery said she and five other volunteers went close to 40 hours without sleep between Friday and Saturday."I've got a number of people that are willing to come out next year [and] not only challenge the course as runners but also play a role as volunteers," said Montgomery.
Parry said he encourages all local runners to give STORMY a shot even if they think they are a little under-trained."The trails are wonderful," said Parry. "Do it as a team, take the challenge."
