Storms are usually characterized by high winds, thunder, lightning and lots of rain - but in Saturday's (Aug. 14) running of STORMY, Squamish's 67-kilometre test of endurance and determination, heat was the major factor in the race.
Out of 70 starters, a total of 59 runners finished the STORMY (Squamish Test of Running Metal - Yeah!), following the same punishing course as bike riders in the Test of Metal under blistering temperatures, with 11 runners posting DNF due to the heat.
"There were more starters but slightly less finishers than 2003, as the hot and humid conditions took their toll," said race director Paul Cubbon. "A number of runners succumbed, but with great volunteer support and the expertise of Al Richer and his team from the Squamish Emergency Program, everyone got home safely, with no more than damaged pride."
"In the heat, the volunteers were doubly-appreciated as they coaxed tired runners to eat, drink, cool off with ice packs and get to the Brew Pub for the post race party where runners, volunteers, friends and family all shared war stories from the trail."
Nearly half of the entrants were running STORMY for the first time, with local runners comprising about one quarter of the field.
Many first-timers included competitors from Kamloops, Penticton, Campbell River, Winnipeg, Seattle and Portland, a testament to the event's growth.
"We're very happy that it's continuing to grow and bringing more people into trail running and bringing more people here to discover Squamish," Cubbon said.
The race (and men's 40-49 category) was won by Portland's William Emerson in a time of five hours, 24 minutes. This is Emerson's third win in the 2004 BC Ultra Trail Series, making him the favourite to win his age group. Emerson is a fully-sponsored professional endurance runner.
Second overall and first in the men's U-40 was Vancouver's Scott McMillan, who chased the leader hard, finishing just five minutes back. Third was Vancouver's Andy Nicol, in 5: 34 following an amazing sub-20-hour run at the Western States 100-miler earlier this summer.Wendy Montgomery, who also ran in the Western States race, was the day's top female runner. Montgomery broke her own ladies' record, finishing in a time of 5:54, for her third STORMY win. Her time was good enough to post an impressive eighth-place overall finish.
Throughout the last four years of the race, a special unofficial category has been developed for some true hard-core endurance athletes who compete in both the Test of Metal and STORMY, and the winner gets bragging rights as Squamish's top endurance-event junkie.
This year, there were five finishers who challenged each other for the fastest combined Test ride/STORMY run. The winner and first local in STORMY 2004 was Andrew Clark, with a run of 5:51 and a TOM ride of 3:08. Scott McMillan, Dwayne Kress, Tyler Jordan and Scott Paxton can also claim bragging rights for being crazy enough (and fit enough) to enter and finish both races.
Speaking of crazy, one lunatic competitor in the race decided to do something completely over-the-top insane. Challenged by other runner's doubts as to whether or not he could pull-off such an outlandish stunt, Vince Hemingson decided to throw all sensibilities down the drain and run the entire race in work boots and a kilt. He navigated his way through all of the ups, downs and all-arounds in a time of nine hours and forty-three minutes, laying claim to an unofficial world record in the process of being the last to finish the course.
"To the best of my knowledge, I know of no other persons, living or dead, who have run a 67K ultra-marathon while wearing a pair of Dayton Boots, a khaki Utilikilt and a world-weary Tilley hat, so I'm laying claim to that record," said Hemingson, who manages the Dayton Boots store in Vancouver. "I would now like my pint of Guinness please."
Hemingson, who noted that STORMY makes the Grouse Grind "look like one of the broader boulevards leading up the Champs-Elysee", was also taken aback by the volunteer presence along the trails. "You can't speak highly enough about the folks that volunteer at these kinds of events," he said. They're the glue that holds the race and the runners together."
