A week or so has passed since the 2011 Way Too Cool 50k and it's time to reflect. First and foremost, Julie Fingar(R.D.) and her entire crew put together yet another amazing race. With a new course and 100+ more entrants, everyone was eager to see how the day would pan out. Although the gun went off at 8:00 am on Saturday morning, the race for Auburn Running Company officially began Friday morning. Oh yes, packet pickup day!!! Packet pickup day is a day that all Auburn Running Company employees look forward to. We love to talk about running, and what better way to do that than filtering hundreds of ultra runners through our doors the day before one of the biggest 50ks in the nation. There is always a buzz circulating the store and you just can't help but notice the smiles on everyone's faces and how contagious they seem to be. We truly enjoy the opportunity to meet runners from all over who share our passion for the trails. Thank you to all of those who chose to come in and we look forward to seeing you again next year! Now onto the race...
There were an abundance of great stories that unfolded at Way Too Cool this year. Mike Wolfe's domination of the new course was quite remarkable. I guess when you're used to running on snow in Montana for months on end, a little bit of mud isn't going to hold you back much. His finishing time of 3:28 was impressive considering the gobs of mud, and multiple creek crossings that had to be endeavored throughout the day. Not to mention that Todd Braje was right on his tail most of the morning (Todd Braje 3:33). Gary Gellin completed the podium with a 3rd place finish of 3:35 and the Ashland boys rounded out the top 5 (Tim Olson 3:36, Hal Koerner 3:41). It was truly a great day for the "big boys," but the performances of two of our local boys cannot be overlooked.
Coming into this year's Way Too Cool, we felt like there was a local secret that had yet to be fully tested in battle. Although he'd previously won a few races including the Sierra Nevada Double Marathon, even Jacob Rydman, (seen below leaving Goat Hill) knew that Way Too Cool would be his first true test of fitness and talent amongst other ultra runners. Jacob is a true competitor who is only beginning to understand his capabilities on the trails. Jacob's finishing time of 3:48 put him in 8th place overall!! Not a bad start for Jacob's 2011 race schedule. Congratulations buddy. Coming into Way Too Cool I knew Jacob was going to do great and he didn't let us down, but it was the 10th place finisher that created the most post-race buzz.
Christian Finkbeiner, (seen below) is a Junior at Placer High School here in Auburn, California. Whereas his running talents are well known, I don't think Christain even expected to place in the top 10 at this year's Way Too Cool. His overall time of 3:51 placed him 10th overall in a field of great runners. After the race, Christain claimed, "I was just trying to get a 4:30." To think that Christian ran a 3:51 while attending high school and training for track is hard to fathom but running is in his blood. His father Bill Finkbeiner has been an ultrarunner for years and is as certified as they come. Bill also finished Way Too Cool this year in 5:10 and plans on running AR 50 and Western States 100. Those Finkbeiners can run!!
Overall, the 2011 Way Too Cool 50k was a great success. With a new course that can accommodate 700 or so runners, one thing is for sure, we'll see lots of smiles come March 2012. Cheers to all of those who were involved in the race and we'll see you at packet pickup next year!!
The Way Too Cool women's report will be done later this week. A great year for the women!!
Sincerely - The Auburn Running Company Crew
