Great news everybody. The city has finally fixed all the lights along the El Scorcho course. I have heard through the grapevine that Coach Jim has made a few night time loops around the area and verified this.
My last few trips to the course have been in the daytime, but I will try and get out there during the evening time in the next month or so and check it out what the course is like with a few more lights on.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Saturday, December 29, 2007
It's damn cold in December. Even in Texas. 27 degrees cold. Brutal. Makes me long for those comfortable mid-July days and nights. You know you want it. You crave it. The steam rising off the Trinity. The salty residue caking on your brow. The sting of the sweat as it pours into your eyes.
El Scorcho 08: Numero Dos is coming. July 20, 2008. Midnight.
El Scorcho 08: Numero Dos is coming. July 20, 2008. Midnight.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Long Overdue Race Director's Report
The Saturday morning before El Scorcho started off like most others. I got up and went for a run. Only 6.5 miles this time (I had done 21 the week before) because I was trying to conserve my energy for two main reasons. First, I had the San Francisco marathon in two weeks. Second, I had El Scorcho, the all-night 50K run notion, taking place in Trinity Park.
So... Jballs and I took off from his new apartment and cruised around downtown trail for about an hour.
Then we grabbed breakfast and headed to the music store to pick up the PA system for the run.
That was an experience. And that's all I can say about it.
After dropping off the PA system at FWRunCo, I made my way home and attempted to take a nap. Surpisingly, I got about an hour of sleep before the evil cats began to howl for food and attention. Evil, evil cats.
I hung around the house some more, did some work, tried to lay low to conserve my energy for the race. While not running, I was one of four organizers in charge of El Scorcho. And I was the guy who had initially come up with the idea of putting together an ultramarathon starting at midnight. (My fellow organizers referred to me affectionately as "The Instigator.") Needless to say, I knew that however the run turned out, I would be on the receiving end of praise or ridicule.
Around 5:30 p.m., Nell and I grabbed an early dinner, with the hope that it would inspire another nap.
It didn't. Oh well.
At 9 p.m., I packed up my bag, loaded my bike, and drove the 2 miles to race HQ inside Trinity Park. Coach Jim (co-owner of FWRunCo) had already marked the course with cones and signs. I chatted with some volunteers who had arrived early, and we began stuffing goodie bags for the runners.
A few minutes later, James (the other co-owner of FWRunCo) showed up with his trailer full of aid station supplies, music equipment, and just about everything else for the race. We spent the next hour or so unloading and setting up our two aid stations along the 3.1 mile loop course, the PA system, and the rest of the gear.
It was coming up on 10:30 p.m., and some runners had already arrived in the park. Wow, there were already a lot of them. This might be a bigger deal than we thought.
The hour and a half before the start of the run was a blur. Finalizing the aid stations, coordinating with volunteers, setting up packet pickup, etc. I was running from place to place, introducing myself to runners, talking to spectators, and generally acting like a chicken with my head cut off.
The first semi-major problem surfaced just after 11:00 p.m., when we were informed that the City of Fort Worth had not turned on all of the lights along the trail. A big reason we had chosen Trinity Park for the race was the proliferation of streetlights throughout the park. We had told entrants on our website that the course was lit. So discovering large pockets of darkness was not good. And it was extremely frustrating, since we had made multiple calls to the City about lighting for El Scorcho and had paid extra money to ensure that the park would be well-lit. We had even insisted and were given the cell phone number of the City electrician responsible for Trinity Park. Naturally, he didn't answer when we called.
After a brief moment of panic and a quick brainstorm, James at FWRunCo sent Mary, one of FWRunCo's wonderful employees, to the store to raid their supply of headlamps and clip-on lighting. I think Mary must've been flying down Camp Bowie Boulevard, as she made it to the store and back in record time. We made an announcement over the PA system about the darker than anticipated conditions and offered to give out portable lighting to anyone who felt they needed it. Our supply was diminished in about 2 minutes. $300 worth of inventory was given away. That kind of sucked, but runner safety was the main concern.
About 11:55 p.m., I made an announcement over the PA system asking the runners to make their way to the starting line. Once the herd of anxious athletes was ready, Coach Jim gave some advice (start slow, stay hydrated, watch your electrolyte intake) while I awaited my chance to get the run underway. Jballs got set up on the bike to lead the runner out.
With the megaphone in hand, I decided to give the group a friendly greeting:
"You're all officially nuts!" Some laughter and applause. "Thank you all for coming out to run circles around the park while the sensible world is sleeping comfortably in their beds! Thanks to our foreign visitors for making this the first annual international El Scorcho!"
"Are you ready?!" Some cheers. "ARE YOU READY?!?!?!" More, louder, more enthusiastic cheering.
"On your mark... get set... GO!!!!! GO!!!!! GO!!!!"
The gun fired and the runners were off. Lap one was underway. El Scorcho had begun.
After the runners had taken off on lap one, we had about 15 minutes or so to get our bearings before they made their way back around. I spent about 5-10 minutes being interviewed by a reporter with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about El Scorcho.
And then I received a panicked call on my walkie-talkie."We're just about out of water at aid station two!"A mad scramble ensued where we tried to get in touch with David, our official water volunteer, to ensure that he was on top of it. (The park did not have a good water source, so we had assigned a volunteer to pick up water jugs from the aid stations and take them to my house--a few miles away--to fill them up throughout the night as needed.) Naturally, David was one of the few volunteers without a walkie-talkie. So Jballs got on the cell phone and found David--who was already on top of things.
I spent the next hour and a half running taking care of anything and everything I could. More water... toilet paper for the porta-potties... 350 pounds of ice... post-race bbq and pasta.... As things happened, we dealt with them.
Greg Maschal, the 25K winner, crossed the finish line in 1:41:20. Absolutely smoking the course amid humid, sticky conditions. Ten minutes later, Megan Newsom became the first 25K female finisher with a time of 1:51:52. I recall announcing over the PA system that both runners were way too fast.
Around 3 a.m., Jballs and I decided to borrow David's truck and go for a water run. It was strange leaving the park--where so much activity was taking place--and entering the "real" world where most folks had long since retired for the evening. We filled up 7 water jugs at my place and made our way back to the park just in time to catch the 50K winner, Steven Richard, claim his victory in 3:51:07. Laura Nelson, the female leader, crossed the tape in 4:28:43.
As more and more runners finished, the course began to quiet down. I decided to hop on my bike and ride the route backwards to check on runners and visit some of the volunteers. It was a great decision. Over the next two and half hours, I circled the 3.1 mile loop. I got a completely different sense of the run and what the runners and volunteers were going through. The runners still on the course had been going for more than 5 hours since the midnight start. Fatigue was setting in, but they were gutting it out. It was inspiring. They trudged along throughout the night, gritty and determined.At the same time, the volunteers were incredible.
We had chosen to donate all profits from El Scorcho to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, so Team in Training had gotten on board to provide us race volunteers. (Team In Training is the world's largest endurance sports training program. The program provides training to run or walk a whole or half marathon or participate in a triathlon or century bike ride in honor of blood cancer patients and survivors.) The TNT folks were cheering, excited. I even had one runner ask if we had "liquored up" the volunteers to increase their enthusiasm! Throughout the night, their devotion to the runners never wavered. As the sun was coming up, we decided to let several of the volunteers go home, especially those who were out to help guide runners along the dark course. They all chose to stay until the end."We've bonded with these runners," one volunteer told me. "We know each of them as they come by and we're not leaving until they finish."
Fantastic, unbelievable, and inspirational.
The last official runner crossed the line in 7 hours, 43 minutes. The sun was shining. The city was stirring. Runners and bikers, oblivious to our midnight run, were making their way to the park for a morning workout.As we folded up the aid station tables and loaded up the last of the trash, I took in a deep breath. We'd done it. We'd pulled it off. It felt great.
Just as I was getting into my car to head home, one of the last runners hollered at me from the parking lot, "Hey! When's next year's El Scorcho?"
The Saturday morning before El Scorcho started off like most others. I got up and went for a run. Only 6.5 miles this time (I had done 21 the week before) because I was trying to conserve my energy for two main reasons. First, I had the San Francisco marathon in two weeks. Second, I had El Scorcho, the all-night 50K run notion, taking place in Trinity Park.
So... Jballs and I took off from his new apartment and cruised around downtown trail for about an hour.
Then we grabbed breakfast and headed to the music store to pick up the PA system for the run.
That was an experience. And that's all I can say about it.
After dropping off the PA system at FWRunCo, I made my way home and attempted to take a nap. Surpisingly, I got about an hour of sleep before the evil cats began to howl for food and attention. Evil, evil cats.
I hung around the house some more, did some work, tried to lay low to conserve my energy for the race. While not running, I was one of four organizers in charge of El Scorcho. And I was the guy who had initially come up with the idea of putting together an ultramarathon starting at midnight. (My fellow organizers referred to me affectionately as "The Instigator.") Needless to say, I knew that however the run turned out, I would be on the receiving end of praise or ridicule.
Around 5:30 p.m., Nell and I grabbed an early dinner, with the hope that it would inspire another nap.
It didn't. Oh well.
At 9 p.m., I packed up my bag, loaded my bike, and drove the 2 miles to race HQ inside Trinity Park. Coach Jim (co-owner of FWRunCo) had already marked the course with cones and signs. I chatted with some volunteers who had arrived early, and we began stuffing goodie bags for the runners.
A few minutes later, James (the other co-owner of FWRunCo) showed up with his trailer full of aid station supplies, music equipment, and just about everything else for the race. We spent the next hour or so unloading and setting up our two aid stations along the 3.1 mile loop course, the PA system, and the rest of the gear.
It was coming up on 10:30 p.m., and some runners had already arrived in the park. Wow, there were already a lot of them. This might be a bigger deal than we thought.
The hour and a half before the start of the run was a blur. Finalizing the aid stations, coordinating with volunteers, setting up packet pickup, etc. I was running from place to place, introducing myself to runners, talking to spectators, and generally acting like a chicken with my head cut off.
The first semi-major problem surfaced just after 11:00 p.m., when we were informed that the City of Fort Worth had not turned on all of the lights along the trail. A big reason we had chosen Trinity Park for the race was the proliferation of streetlights throughout the park. We had told entrants on our website that the course was lit. So discovering large pockets of darkness was not good. And it was extremely frustrating, since we had made multiple calls to the City about lighting for El Scorcho and had paid extra money to ensure that the park would be well-lit. We had even insisted and were given the cell phone number of the City electrician responsible for Trinity Park. Naturally, he didn't answer when we called.
After a brief moment of panic and a quick brainstorm, James at FWRunCo sent Mary, one of FWRunCo's wonderful employees, to the store to raid their supply of headlamps and clip-on lighting. I think Mary must've been flying down Camp Bowie Boulevard, as she made it to the store and back in record time. We made an announcement over the PA system about the darker than anticipated conditions and offered to give out portable lighting to anyone who felt they needed it. Our supply was diminished in about 2 minutes. $300 worth of inventory was given away. That kind of sucked, but runner safety was the main concern.
About 11:55 p.m., I made an announcement over the PA system asking the runners to make their way to the starting line. Once the herd of anxious athletes was ready, Coach Jim gave some advice (start slow, stay hydrated, watch your electrolyte intake) while I awaited my chance to get the run underway. Jballs got set up on the bike to lead the runner out.
With the megaphone in hand, I decided to give the group a friendly greeting:
"You're all officially nuts!" Some laughter and applause. "Thank you all for coming out to run circles around the park while the sensible world is sleeping comfortably in their beds! Thanks to our foreign visitors for making this the first annual international El Scorcho!"
"Are you ready?!" Some cheers. "ARE YOU READY?!?!?!" More, louder, more enthusiastic cheering.
"On your mark... get set... GO!!!!! GO!!!!! GO!!!!"
The gun fired and the runners were off. Lap one was underway. El Scorcho had begun.
After the runners had taken off on lap one, we had about 15 minutes or so to get our bearings before they made their way back around. I spent about 5-10 minutes being interviewed by a reporter with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about El Scorcho.
And then I received a panicked call on my walkie-talkie."We're just about out of water at aid station two!"A mad scramble ensued where we tried to get in touch with David, our official water volunteer, to ensure that he was on top of it. (The park did not have a good water source, so we had assigned a volunteer to pick up water jugs from the aid stations and take them to my house--a few miles away--to fill them up throughout the night as needed.) Naturally, David was one of the few volunteers without a walkie-talkie. So Jballs got on the cell phone and found David--who was already on top of things.
I spent the next hour and a half running taking care of anything and everything I could. More water... toilet paper for the porta-potties... 350 pounds of ice... post-race bbq and pasta.... As things happened, we dealt with them.
Greg Maschal, the 25K winner, crossed the finish line in 1:41:20. Absolutely smoking the course amid humid, sticky conditions. Ten minutes later, Megan Newsom became the first 25K female finisher with a time of 1:51:52. I recall announcing over the PA system that both runners were way too fast.
Around 3 a.m., Jballs and I decided to borrow David's truck and go for a water run. It was strange leaving the park--where so much activity was taking place--and entering the "real" world where most folks had long since retired for the evening. We filled up 7 water jugs at my place and made our way back to the park just in time to catch the 50K winner, Steven Richard, claim his victory in 3:51:07. Laura Nelson, the female leader, crossed the tape in 4:28:43.
As more and more runners finished, the course began to quiet down. I decided to hop on my bike and ride the route backwards to check on runners and visit some of the volunteers. It was a great decision. Over the next two and half hours, I circled the 3.1 mile loop. I got a completely different sense of the run and what the runners and volunteers were going through. The runners still on the course had been going for more than 5 hours since the midnight start. Fatigue was setting in, but they were gutting it out. It was inspiring. They trudged along throughout the night, gritty and determined.At the same time, the volunteers were incredible.
We had chosen to donate all profits from El Scorcho to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, so Team in Training had gotten on board to provide us race volunteers. (Team In Training is the world's largest endurance sports training program. The program provides training to run or walk a whole or half marathon or participate in a triathlon or century bike ride in honor of blood cancer patients and survivors.) The TNT folks were cheering, excited. I even had one runner ask if we had "liquored up" the volunteers to increase their enthusiasm! Throughout the night, their devotion to the runners never wavered. As the sun was coming up, we decided to let several of the volunteers go home, especially those who were out to help guide runners along the dark course. They all chose to stay until the end."We've bonded with these runners," one volunteer told me. "We know each of them as they come by and we're not leaving until they finish."
Fantastic, unbelievable, and inspirational.
The last official runner crossed the line in 7 hours, 43 minutes. The sun was shining. The city was stirring. Runners and bikers, oblivious to our midnight run, were making their way to the park for a morning workout.As we folded up the aid station tables and loaded up the last of the trash, I took in a deep breath. We'd done it. We'd pulled it off. It felt great.
Just as I was getting into my car to head home, one of the last runners hollered at me from the parking lot, "Hey! When's next year's El Scorcho?"
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Monday, July 16, 2007
We did it! Thank you to everyone for making the first annual El Scorcho 25K/50K endurance run a success!
I'll be posting a race director's report here once I catch up on sleep, as well as lots of photos.
In the meantime, here's an article about the run from this morning's Fort Worth Star Telegram:
Midnight run was a shot in the dark
By RICKY TREON
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
More than 200 runners ran under the lights in the inaugural El Scorcho at Fort Worth's Trinity Park.
By 11:30 p.m. Saturday, more than 225 people were gathered in Trinity Park, waiting for the clock to reach 12.
They were there for Ryan Valdez's birthday party. But instead of beer, chips and dip, everyone brought sports drinks, oranges and bug spray.
It was a midnight jog through the park. Or, to be more specific, a midnight ultramarathon in July.
The appropriately named El Scorcho 25K/50K started as a laughable idea dreamed up by Valdez and his buddy Jason Constantino during a long run together. Both are ultramarathoners, so Valdez posed the idea of running 30 miles before today, his 30th birthday."Jason was the only guy crazy enough to say, 'Sure, sounds like a good idea,'" Valdez said. "You brainstorm when you run for three or four hours at a time, and by the end we thought maybe we could turn this into just a small little event."
With a guest list of 30 or 40 people, tops. After all, they thought, how many people would be far enough out of their minds to run on one of the hottest days of the year?
That's exactly what James and Jim Newsom, who own and operate Fort Worth Running Company, said when Valdez first e-mailed them the idea for El Scorcho and asked for organizational help. But a midnight run seemed crazy enough to work."From a safety standpoint, we wanted to make sure nobody died," James Newsom said. "So we knew we wanted to run it at night, and we figured midnight was as good a time as any."
Jim Newsom also helped Valdez find a suitable charity for his event, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
With a clear plan and someone to help him, Valdez decided to get word out about his project by putting up a Web site and a blog.
That and some word-of-mouth were enough to rope in more than 200 runners, including first-time ultramarathoners such as Robin Hudson of Tulsa.
Like many runners in Trinity Park, Hudson learned of El Scorcho on an Internet message board. She then e-mailed Teresa Ellington, and soon the Tulsa Area Trail and Ultra Runners, or TATURs, were in on the action.
"Where else could you go with this many people around and enjoy yourself and be goofy?" Ellington said. "We're just enjoying the camaraderie. It's nice."
Although the 225 runners made for a great party, it was all Valdez, a lawyer with the Cantey Hanger firm, could handle."I'm a first-time race director, so I'm doing what I can here," Valdez said. "I was not expecting it to be this crazy."
Although he'd been at Trinity Park for hours, and he'd likely be there until 9 a.m. cleaning up, Valdez was excited and already thinking about next year.
At 11:50 p.m., Valdez thanked everyone for coming, then began herding runners toward the 3.1-mile course's start/finish line.
Then at midnight he thanked everyone for coming and watched as the gun signaled the start of his "grassroots ultramarathon."
It was big. It was fun. And it was one heck of a birthday party.
I'll be posting a race director's report here once I catch up on sleep, as well as lots of photos.
In the meantime, here's an article about the run from this morning's Fort Worth Star Telegram:
Midnight run was a shot in the dark
By RICKY TREON
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
More than 200 runners ran under the lights in the inaugural El Scorcho at Fort Worth's Trinity Park.
By 11:30 p.m. Saturday, more than 225 people were gathered in Trinity Park, waiting for the clock to reach 12.
They were there for Ryan Valdez's birthday party. But instead of beer, chips and dip, everyone brought sports drinks, oranges and bug spray.
It was a midnight jog through the park. Or, to be more specific, a midnight ultramarathon in July.
The appropriately named El Scorcho 25K/50K started as a laughable idea dreamed up by Valdez and his buddy Jason Constantino during a long run together. Both are ultramarathoners, so Valdez posed the idea of running 30 miles before today, his 30th birthday."Jason was the only guy crazy enough to say, 'Sure, sounds like a good idea,'" Valdez said. "You brainstorm when you run for three or four hours at a time, and by the end we thought maybe we could turn this into just a small little event."
With a guest list of 30 or 40 people, tops. After all, they thought, how many people would be far enough out of their minds to run on one of the hottest days of the year?
That's exactly what James and Jim Newsom, who own and operate Fort Worth Running Company, said when Valdez first e-mailed them the idea for El Scorcho and asked for organizational help. But a midnight run seemed crazy enough to work."From a safety standpoint, we wanted to make sure nobody died," James Newsom said. "So we knew we wanted to run it at night, and we figured midnight was as good a time as any."
Jim Newsom also helped Valdez find a suitable charity for his event, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
With a clear plan and someone to help him, Valdez decided to get word out about his project by putting up a Web site and a blog.
That and some word-of-mouth were enough to rope in more than 200 runners, including first-time ultramarathoners such as Robin Hudson of Tulsa.
Like many runners in Trinity Park, Hudson learned of El Scorcho on an Internet message board. She then e-mailed Teresa Ellington, and soon the Tulsa Area Trail and Ultra Runners, or TATURs, were in on the action.
"Where else could you go with this many people around and enjoy yourself and be goofy?" Ellington said. "We're just enjoying the camaraderie. It's nice."
Although the 225 runners made for a great party, it was all Valdez, a lawyer with the Cantey Hanger firm, could handle."I'm a first-time race director, so I'm doing what I can here," Valdez said. "I was not expecting it to be this crazy."
Although he'd been at Trinity Park for hours, and he'd likely be there until 9 a.m. cleaning up, Valdez was excited and already thinking about next year.
At 11:50 p.m., Valdez thanked everyone for coming, then began herding runners toward the 3.1-mile course's start/finish line.
Then at midnight he thanked everyone for coming and watched as the gun signaled the start of his "grassroots ultramarathon."
It was big. It was fun. And it was one heck of a birthday party.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Just over 18 hours until the start of the inaugural El Scorcho 25K/50K endurance run. 9 months in the making, and it's finally here. I still remember running with Jason back in November and throwing out the idea of going for a 30 mile run on my 30th birthday. Somehow, that notion morphed into an organized race with over 200 entrants and 30 volunteers. We've obtained park permits, insurance policies, and extra portapotties. And at the end of the day (night?) we'll be making a nice donation to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Last night, we had an information Q&A session about El Scorcho at Double Dave's, the pizza joint next door to Fort Worth Running Company. About 20 or so runners showed up, including Sid, a dedicated fella who drove to Fort Worth from South Caroline for the run.
It was fun chatting with the runners and hearing their stories. We (Jason, James, Jim, and I) gave a short presentation about where the idea for our crazy all-night ultramrathon came from and then fielded inquiries ranging from the location of the aid stations to the number of portapotties to a description of the course. Everyone was visibly excited about the event.
At the conclusion of the meeting (around 8 p.m.) I bid everyone farewell, reminding them to get plenty of sleep before the start of the race--which began in 28 hours!
Last night, we had an information Q&A session about El Scorcho at Double Dave's, the pizza joint next door to Fort Worth Running Company. About 20 or so runners showed up, including Sid, a dedicated fella who drove to Fort Worth from South Caroline for the run.
It was fun chatting with the runners and hearing their stories. We (Jason, James, Jim, and I) gave a short presentation about where the idea for our crazy all-night ultramrathon came from and then fielded inquiries ranging from the location of the aid stations to the number of portapotties to a description of the course. Everyone was visibly excited about the event.
At the conclusion of the meeting (around 8 p.m.) I bid everyone farewell, reminding them to get plenty of sleep before the start of the race--which began in 28 hours!
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Wow! Less than a week until El Scorcho!
Everybody check out the Dallas Morning News for the next several days. We got a call from Debbie Fetterman, the running columnist for the paper. Looks like they're going to do an article on our little run. Very cool!
Everybody check out the Dallas Morning News for the next several days. We got a call from Debbie Fetterman, the running columnist for the paper. Looks like they're going to do an article on our little run. Very cool!
Monday, July 2, 2007
So the question was just posed:
"Is the course underwater?"
Hmmm... not yet. The Trinity River is high and the trail is definitely muddier than anticipated. we've still got just under two weeks until race day. Here's hoping this system eventually moves on and stops dumping truckloads of rain on North Texas.
For those of you coming to run and/or volunteer, be ready to slosh around a bit.
"Is the course underwater?"
Hmmm... not yet. The Trinity River is high and the trail is definitely muddier than anticipated. we've still got just under two weeks until race day. Here's hoping this system eventually moves on and stops dumping truckloads of rain on North Texas.
For those of you coming to run and/or volunteer, be ready to slosh around a bit.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Two and a half weeks until El Scorcho! Wow--it's getting close. We're scrambling around and putting together the finishing touches. It's very exciting! With the run at capacity, we're still looking for volunteers. Send Coach Jim an e-mail if you're able and willing.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
How cool is this? The Fort Worth Star Telegram just ran a quick blub about our run:
RECREATION INSIDER
Spots in El Scorcho race a hot commodity
By TROY PHILLIPS
Star-Telegram staff writer
It seemed reasonable. For Ryan Valdez's 30th birthday, he and buddy Jason Costantino, 24, would run 30 miles in the middle of the summer.
How hard could it be? Both had ridden the Hotter 'N Hell 100 bike tour in Wichita Falls, that legendary dead-of-summer beast.
"I won't say [running] is harder, but you don't have nearly the cooling effect of a bike," said James Newsom of the Fort Worth Running Company, which Valdez and Costantino approached for help organizing a small race for friends and family.
Newsom and his father, Jim, one of the area's top running coaches, convinced the duo to hold the July race after dark. Thus, the first El Scorcho 50K was born.
Scheduled for midnight July 15 at Trinity Park's 3.1-mile oval, El Scorcho grew from a goofy idea to a full field of 200 runners. At 31 miles, this ultramarathon will benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
"When we first talked about it, we said, 'OK, that's fine and everything, but we don't want to kill anybody,'" James Newsom said of the July date.
Valdez and Costantino never expected more than 50 runners, but that was "150 more entries ago than we thought," Costantino said. He's had to call the city about 20 times to re-up the park permit number. People are begging in e-mails to get in. Next year, the event might move to the Trinity Trails.
Costantino wants to fit in a 201st runner, local ultramarathon specialist Dr. Stephen Hudgens, who is set to run the Badwater Ultramarathon on July 23, a ghastly 135-mile race starting in Death Valley. Hudgens has run ultramarathons in China, Greece and Antarctica, among others.
"Badwater is our race on steroids," Costantino said. "Hey, I'd ride the course and hand him water. I'm pretty sure we can fit him in."
Hudgens said he's considering a warmup at El Scorcho, which at this point would be easy for him.
"I don't think [finishing El Scorcho] would be a problem," Hudgens said. "If you want to do your first ultra, I think this is the best way to start. You use up your reserves in a marathon and hit that wall. The extra five miles is a way to push a little further and get past that fatigue."
RECREATION INSIDER
Spots in El Scorcho race a hot commodity
By TROY PHILLIPS
Star-Telegram staff writer
It seemed reasonable. For Ryan Valdez's 30th birthday, he and buddy Jason Costantino, 24, would run 30 miles in the middle of the summer.
How hard could it be? Both had ridden the Hotter 'N Hell 100 bike tour in Wichita Falls, that legendary dead-of-summer beast.
"I won't say [running] is harder, but you don't have nearly the cooling effect of a bike," said James Newsom of the Fort Worth Running Company, which Valdez and Costantino approached for help organizing a small race for friends and family.
Newsom and his father, Jim, one of the area's top running coaches, convinced the duo to hold the July race after dark. Thus, the first El Scorcho 50K was born.
Scheduled for midnight July 15 at Trinity Park's 3.1-mile oval, El Scorcho grew from a goofy idea to a full field of 200 runners. At 31 miles, this ultramarathon will benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
"When we first talked about it, we said, 'OK, that's fine and everything, but we don't want to kill anybody,'" James Newsom said of the July date.
Valdez and Costantino never expected more than 50 runners, but that was "150 more entries ago than we thought," Costantino said. He's had to call the city about 20 times to re-up the park permit number. People are begging in e-mails to get in. Next year, the event might move to the Trinity Trails.
Costantino wants to fit in a 201st runner, local ultramarathon specialist Dr. Stephen Hudgens, who is set to run the Badwater Ultramarathon on July 23, a ghastly 135-mile race starting in Death Valley. Hudgens has run ultramarathons in China, Greece and Antarctica, among others.
"Badwater is our race on steroids," Costantino said. "Hey, I'd ride the course and hand him water. I'm pretty sure we can fit him in."
Hudgens said he's considering a warmup at El Scorcho, which at this point would be easy for him.
"I don't think [finishing El Scorcho] would be a problem," Hudgens said. "If you want to do your first ultra, I think this is the best way to start. You use up your reserves in a marathon and hit that wall. The extra five miles is a way to push a little further and get past that fatigue."
Friday, June 15, 2007
Registration is now closed. I can't believe we got 200 runners to commit more than a month before El Scorcho.
It's amazing to think that this all started 9 months ago when Jason and I were talking on one of our long training runs. At the time, I had finally broken the 4-hour marathon barrier, and I was thinking about running an ultra. I told Jason I wanted to run 30 miles on my 30th birthday (July 16) and asked him if he'd like to join me. From there, the idea snowballed.
Why don't we run the 30 miles at night to beat the July heat?
What if we invite some more folks to run with us?
What if we made it an organized event?
What if we donated the proceeds to charity?
Knowing our limitations as race directors, we decided to look to the professionals for help. A few e-mails to Coach Jim led us to partner with Fort Worth Running Company. James Newsom (co-owner of FWRunCo) suggested the Trinity Park loop for the course. Perfect.
We set up the website, posted a few messages on some blogs, e-mailed a few listservs, and suddenly, El Scorcho was off and running.
And now, here we are, with 200 crazy runners committed to showing up at midnight on July 15 to run 25K or 50K in Fort Worth, Texas. We've got sponsors, medals, prizes, etc. Wow.
So what else do we need? Volunteers!!! E-mail Coach Jim to help out.
It's amazing to think that this all started 9 months ago when Jason and I were talking on one of our long training runs. At the time, I had finally broken the 4-hour marathon barrier, and I was thinking about running an ultra. I told Jason I wanted to run 30 miles on my 30th birthday (July 16) and asked him if he'd like to join me. From there, the idea snowballed.
Why don't we run the 30 miles at night to beat the July heat?
What if we invite some more folks to run with us?
What if we made it an organized event?
What if we donated the proceeds to charity?
Knowing our limitations as race directors, we decided to look to the professionals for help. A few e-mails to Coach Jim led us to partner with Fort Worth Running Company. James Newsom (co-owner of FWRunCo) suggested the Trinity Park loop for the course. Perfect.
We set up the website, posted a few messages on some blogs, e-mailed a few listservs, and suddenly, El Scorcho was off and running.
And now, here we are, with 200 crazy runners committed to showing up at midnight on July 15 to run 25K or 50K in Fort Worth, Texas. We've got sponsors, medals, prizes, etc. Wow.
So what else do we need? Volunteers!!! E-mail Coach Jim to help out.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Wow! By the time you read this, El Scorcho may already be full. We've had a huge surge in entries lately. Last time I checked, we had 174 entries. We upped our permit with the City to accomodate 200 runners. But that's it. When we're full, we're full. It's incredible how quickly interest in the run started and took off. If this becomes an annual thing (and that's the idea), we're going to have to expand the field and find a new race site to take care of all the folks crazy enough to run a 50K at midnight in the middle of the summer.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
We got another sponsor!
Located in west Fort Worth, The Body Firm provides personalized fitness and nutrition plans for all fitness levels through one-on-one personal training. Owner/trainer Dave Fannin has been involved with the fitness industry for over 20 years. He and his staff help their clients lose fat, tone or build muscle, boost cardiovascular fitness, increase strength and flexibility, recover from injury, and improve diet and nutrition.
We're very excited that The Body Firm is an El Scorcho sponsor. And...
Dave himself is running El Scorcho 50K! Very cool.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
El Scorcho has been featured in the Houston Chronicle's RunHouston section! Here's what they had to say:
An Ultra in Texas in July?
A new ultra. A new marathon. And hopefully soon, we'll be able to share with you news of a new marathon series that is much like the Marathons of Texas.
First, the new ultra. And, yes, I did say in July. It is most appropriately named the El Scorcho Run and it makes its debut in Fort Worth's Trinity Park at midnight, July 15th.
Fort Worth running buddies Ryan Valdez and Jason Costantino asked themselves, "Who has ever run a ultramarathon in a park in the center of a big city, in the middle of a Texas summer, and in the darkest part of the night?"
Until now? Nobody.
"The course is located on a 3.1-mile loop inside beautiful Trinity Park," Valdez said. "Ninety percent of it will take place on a lit, crushed limestone path that meanders through the park and along the banks of the Trinity River."
He added that the course will have virtually no traffic and enjoy plenty of support."The three mile loop will allow us to keep an eye on everyone and make sure they are doing great," he added.
The registration fee for the 50K is $40 and the 25K is just $25.
And according to the Fort Worth Running Company's Jim Newsom, who is helping Valdez and Costantino with the event, the response so far has been pretty good."We've got about 30 so far and the event is still two months off," said Newsom. "We've had people from as far away as Colorado signing up."
"Most of the ultra clubs have indicated they are going to support our event."
Newsom indicated that Valdez would be listing the entrants on the web site and where they are from so people can get an idea of the field.
"We've having fun getting this event going." he said.
An Ultra in Texas in July?
A new ultra. A new marathon. And hopefully soon, we'll be able to share with you news of a new marathon series that is much like the Marathons of Texas.
First, the new ultra. And, yes, I did say in July. It is most appropriately named the El Scorcho Run and it makes its debut in Fort Worth's Trinity Park at midnight, July 15th.
Fort Worth running buddies Ryan Valdez and Jason Costantino asked themselves, "Who has ever run a ultramarathon in a park in the center of a big city, in the middle of a Texas summer, and in the darkest part of the night?"
Until now? Nobody.
"The course is located on a 3.1-mile loop inside beautiful Trinity Park," Valdez said. "Ninety percent of it will take place on a lit, crushed limestone path that meanders through the park and along the banks of the Trinity River."
He added that the course will have virtually no traffic and enjoy plenty of support."The three mile loop will allow us to keep an eye on everyone and make sure they are doing great," he added.
The registration fee for the 50K is $40 and the 25K is just $25.
And according to the Fort Worth Running Company's Jim Newsom, who is helping Valdez and Costantino with the event, the response so far has been pretty good."We've got about 30 so far and the event is still two months off," said Newsom. "We've had people from as far away as Colorado signing up."
"Most of the ultra clubs have indicated they are going to support our event."
Newsom indicated that Valdez would be listing the entrants on the web site and where they are from so people can get an idea of the field.
"We've having fun getting this event going." he said.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Thursday, April 26, 2007
We got a new sponsor! Special thanks goes out to Cantey Hanger, LLP for getting on board with El Scorcho. Founded more than 125 years ago, Cantey Hanger is the oldest law firm in Fort Worth and handles the legal needs of organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to small, family-owned businesses.
In addition to Cantey Hanger, El Scorcho is sponsored by:
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
There's an El Scorcho buzz. Can you feel it?
We've gotten a bunch of e-mails lately with questions about the run. And this morning we received an inquiry from Inside Texas Running magazine. Things are heating up (pun intended).
Here are two recent questions (and our answers) that may be helpful:
Any chance the time limit could be extended beyond 7 hours?
Our permit with the city technically runs out at 7 a.m., but we will take steps to accomodate runners who need additional support. The run takes place in a city park, and runners who haven't finished by 7 a.m. may keep running. El Scorcho staff intends to keep at least one aid station open until 8 a.m., if needed. If you're concerned about finishing after 8 a.m., e-mail us, and we will try to figure something out.
Is there a possibility of doing a relay race so entrants can do the event with friends?
Sure, assuming each member of the relay team pays the regular entry fee. Although El Scorcho will not have an official relay category, entrants may split the distance among themselves. Each "relay" entrant will receive the same support, t-shirt, and finisher's medal as an individual participant. But to receive the commemorative El Scorcho spur, the 50K must be accomplished by a single runner.
We've gotten a bunch of e-mails lately with questions about the run. And this morning we received an inquiry from Inside Texas Running magazine. Things are heating up (pun intended).
Here are two recent questions (and our answers) that may be helpful:
Any chance the time limit could be extended beyond 7 hours?
Our permit with the city technically runs out at 7 a.m., but we will take steps to accomodate runners who need additional support. The run takes place in a city park, and runners who haven't finished by 7 a.m. may keep running. El Scorcho staff intends to keep at least one aid station open until 8 a.m., if needed. If you're concerned about finishing after 8 a.m., e-mail us, and we will try to figure something out.
Is there a possibility of doing a relay race so entrants can do the event with friends?
Sure, assuming each member of the relay team pays the regular entry fee. Although El Scorcho will not have an official relay category, entrants may split the distance among themselves. Each "relay" entrant will receive the same support, t-shirt, and finisher's medal as an individual participant. But to receive the commemorative El Scorcho spur, the 50K must be accomplished by a single runner.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Wow! We've already had some folks sign up for El Scorcho. Very cool. Our website went online two weeks ago, but we only recently started trying to get the word out. 86 days and counting until the run.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
After a couple months of brainstorming, we submitted our application to use Trinity Park after hours to the city.
And then we waited.
And waited.
It was not a quick process. But eventually, we were approved!
Lately, we've been working on logistics and getting the word out. We set up a website and this blog, and--amazingly--there actually seems to be some interest. We've gotten several e-mails, somebody started a Runners World discussion about the run, and the North Texas Trail Runners added us to their race calendar.
Things are going very well.
Don't forget to sign up!
And then we waited.
And waited.
It was not a quick process. But eventually, we were approved!
Lately, we've been working on logistics and getting the word out. We set up a website and this blog, and--amazingly--there actually seems to be some interest. We've gotten several e-mails, somebody started a Runners World discussion about the run, and the North Texas Trail Runners added us to their race calendar.
Things are going very well.
Don't forget to sign up!
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
When GandaMan came up with the idea of putting together this thing I too initially thought he was a little loopy. Although considering this is the same person who talked me into running marathons in the first place I should have known he would sell me on the idea.
It is going to be a blast. Who has ever run a ultramarathon in a park in the center of a big city, in the middle of a Texas summer, and in the darkest part of the night? The best part is that it will be on a course with virtually no traffic, great crushe limestone trails (easy on the joints), and plenty of support. The three mile loop will allow us to keep an eye on everyone and make sure they are doing great. This is going to be interesting!
We will give out more details and our thoughts as they come to us throughout this entire process. Be sure to leave us your comments and thoughts when you visit our blog. We want to make this an ultramarathon event that people look forward to every year.
It is going to be a blast. Who has ever run a ultramarathon in a park in the center of a big city, in the middle of a Texas summer, and in the darkest part of the night? The best part is that it will be on a course with virtually no traffic, great crushe limestone trails (easy on the joints), and plenty of support. The three mile loop will allow us to keep an eye on everyone and make sure they are doing great. This is going to be interesting!
We will give out more details and our thoughts as they come to us throughout this entire process. Be sure to leave us your comments and thoughts when you visit our blog. We want to make this an ultramarathon event that people look forward to every year.
The idea for El Scorcho started last fall/winter when I checked out the Ultracentric 24-hour road race in Grapevine. Watching folks running a looped course that November night (and knowing that they would still be running into the wee hours of the morning), gave me the idea.
Why couldn't we put on something like this? At the time, I'd run several marathons and had just broken the 4-hour barrier, but I'd never done anything beyond 26.2 miles.
So I called up Smiley and told him my idea. A 50K race in Fort Worth at night in the middle of the summer. He was into it, but neither of us had ever organized a race.
So we called up Coach Jim at Fort Worth Running Company. After Jim realized we weren't completely crazy (or that we were the right kind of crazy), he warmed up to the idea. He helped us plan out the course (a 3.1 mile loop, as opposed to a 10 mile course), and we started the process of locating a charitable beneficiary and obtaining approval from the city to use Trinity Park after hours.
Why couldn't we put on something like this? At the time, I'd run several marathons and had just broken the 4-hour barrier, but I'd never done anything beyond 26.2 miles.
So I called up Smiley and told him my idea. A 50K race in Fort Worth at night in the middle of the summer. He was into it, but neither of us had ever organized a race.
So we called up Coach Jim at Fort Worth Running Company. After Jim realized we weren't completely crazy (or that we were the right kind of crazy), he warmed up to the idea. He helped us plan out the course (a 3.1 mile loop, as opposed to a 10 mile course), and we started the process of locating a charitable beneficiary and obtaining approval from the city to use Trinity Park after hours.
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