2009 Where's Waldo / USATF 100k Trail National Championship Results

"It is not a beginner-level ultra and participation in the race should not be taken lightly". This is the disclaimer on the Where's Waldo 100k website and one which lingers in the minds of all runners that toe the chalk line in the darkness just before the 5:00 AM start. Only 88 of the 135 entered runners crossed the finish line - one loop, 62 miles and 11,000' of elevation (climb & descent) after leaving the Willamette Pass Ski Area lodge.

One runner not intimidated by the course was Where's Waldo newbie and eventual winner Erik Skaggs (Ashland, OR) - pictured above after his finish. Erik blazed the course in a record 9:11:05 - a full 55 minutes ahead of the old course record set in 2008 by Neil Olsen. Erik has been a top runner in Oregon for several years now winning many races in the La Sportiva / USATF-Oregon Mountain Running Series.

Rogue Valley Runner Neil Olsen (Central Point, OR) did finish the 2009 race in 4th overall and became the Masters 100k Trail National Champion with a time of 10:02:39, just barely ahead of his record time from the previous year.

The women's overall winner was Joelle Vaught (Boise, ID) who finished 9th overall in record time of 10:23:32. Beverly Anderson-Abbs (Red Bluff, CA) came off her 3rd place finish at the Western States 100 miler to take the women's Masters National Championship in 11th place overall (2nd woman) in a time of 11:01:59.

One of the other great stories of the race was the participation in the National Championship with 58 starters being USATF members and eligible to win medals. 20 runners won USATF medals either by finishing in the top 10 (men and women) or top three in their age group. A complete list of medal winner can be found here.

Complete results and split times are posted on the race website at:
Results: http://www.wpsp.org/ww100k/stats/2009/results.php
Splits: http://www.wpsp.org/ww100k/stats/2009/splits.php

Race photos can be seen at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/RichardABolt/2009WhereSWaldo100kUSATF100kTrailChampionships#

First hand accounts and other race reports are at:

Rogue Valley Runners Blog

Yassine Diboun's blog - 7th place overall

Craig Thornley's blog - race director