The first Sulphur Springs Trail 50 Miler and 100 Miler went off smoothly May 26, 2001 at Dundas conservation area just outside of Hamilton, Ontario. The original 50k, 25k, and 10k races were also held but the addition of the two long trail races and the new Race Director Monica Scholz were the big news. Weather was moderate and the heavy rains bookended the race and spared the runners. However there was a lot of mud and watching the 25k trail runners flail around in it was amusing. I loudly complained that the 25k runners trying to pass me were covering me with mud but they couldn't talk as we zoomed up the hill towards Headwaters trail! Of the pack of 6 I beat all but one!

The 50k winner was no surprise as John Culhane from Toronto continues his domination of the shorter ultras. He finished in a fast 3:57:34. Scott Turner was second in 4:11:09 after being only one minute behind John coming off the Headwaters loop. I told Scott as he walked in behind John that he was only one minute behind but John looked so good he'd never get him! The bad news for the under 50 males in the OUS is that John Culhane cruised in for the win after Headwaters! Terry Martin was a clear third in 4:16:34.First woman was Canadian National 100k Champion Suzanne Farla in a stunning 5:17:54 with 16 year old Cynthia Black second in 5:28:47. Astrid Varga was third in 5:46:20.

The 50k saw 50 starters but only 37 finishers which indicates the conditions. 13 runners couldn't face a second loop. The 100 mile runners had six of those loops to do! 

The 50 miler had 18 starters and was won by Henry Van Gemert in 8:04:43.Next was first woman Teresa Bendo in 8:58:01. An interesting note here was Helen Malmberg passing up the chance to run a 100 miler in Ontario. She is the RD for the Haliburton Forest race which she doesn't run. Helen did the 50 miler and looked very relaxed out there on the trails. 

The Harthun family were out in force with Taylor and Trevor beating their dad Gord to the tape. The three of them looked very relaxed coming off the difficult Headwaters section.

So the 100 miler? Well I agreed to pace Jim Morrison which I failed to do as a blister the size of Cuba was on my toe after the mornings efforts (50k). However I walked with Jim and Fred Jepson for a bit late at night and was wowed by their determination. I abandoned the "dynamic duo" at Mr. Scholz's "Deli" at the halfway point of the Headwaters Trail. Sitting wrapped in a blanket waiting for dawn I watched Tony come in and out. DETERMINATION!

Suzi Cope burst into the aid station just as I was about to get a much needed cup of coffee. "Get up, I am falling asleep. You'll have to run with me to the turnaround!". You don't argue with Suzi who was the first woman to Grand Slam! We ran fast and I found running fine compared to walking which had been killing me. Suzi told me tales and I told her some but was I glad to reach the finish line and quit! Suzi dashed off into the night to finish her umpteenth 100 miler in 28:48:00.

What blew me away during the night was watching the race winner Les Michalak scream down the hills pursued by Joe Hewitt. Their power and speed was stunning given the mud conditions and steep downhills. Les finished in 18:50 which will stand as the course record for a long time. Joe finished in 19:39:57. New OUS under 50 leader Tony Martin finished in 22:43:19 after letting fourth place come within 4 minutes of him with 6k to go.

Now the woman's race was exciting with the top three finishing in order with no men between them! Prerace favourite Monica Scholz finished second in 24:37:40 as fatigue from race directing hit her bad. At one point she was sleeping at a picnic bench until Les Michalak woke her up! Over an hour ahead of Monica was Theresa Taylor who finished strongly in 23:36:49 on this tough course. Aimee Runge took third in 26:08:18 and looked fresh enough to run another loop at the end.

Oh yes, John Culhane paced Gord England through the night until Gord terminally crashed at 136k. Sitting at the Trail Centre the aid station volunteers were worried by screams issuing out of the forest behind them. They genuinely thought a runner was seriously hurt and were going to organise a rescue. I recognised the Banshee cry of John Culhane and correctly told them not to worry as he always makes that sort of noise when running slow!

100 MILES
    Bib  Pos                           Time			
    964   1   Michalak    Les      18:47:53     50  Burlington
    935   2   Hewitt      Joe      19:39:57     47  Burlington
    962   3   Martin      Tony     22:43:19     37  Kitchener
    965   4   Morgan      Tim      22:50:49     44  Clemmons, NC
    972   5   Taylor      Teresa   23:36:49   f 41  Monument, CO
   1000   6   Scholz      Monica   24:37:40   f 33  Jerseyville
    977   7   Villeneuve  Don      25:18:19     61  Buchanan, NY
    969   8   Runge       Aimee    26:08:18   f 34  Toronto
    973   9   Taylor      Neal     26:41:33     38  Monument, CO
    978  10   Kelly       Kurt     27:02:30     29  Waltham, MA
    967  11   Portelance  Rolly    27:31:00     58  Chelmsford
    966  12   Morrison    Jim      28:07:00     42  Thornhill
    970       Schultze    Ed       28:07:00     47  Gaithersburg, MD
    961       Jepson      Fred     28:07:00     50  Burlington
    930  15   Cope        Suzi     28:48:00   f 53  Southlake, TX
    968  16   Roemer      David    29:30:20     41  New York, NY
    931  dnf  England     Gord      137.5km     48  Toronto
    975  dnf  Davis       Fred      137.5km     53  Cleveland Heights, OH
    976  dnf  Crawford    Jim       137.5km     52  Marietta, GA
    932  dnf  Gehl        Ron       129.6km     53  Kitchener
    933  dnf  Glen        Jim       112.5km     33  Hamilton
    979  dnf  Melcher     Ryne       87.5km     22  Kitchener
22 starters

50 MILES
    240   1   Van Gemert  Henry     8:04:43     40  Oakville
    228   2   Bendo       Teresa    8:58:01   f 31  Barrie
    227   3   Anderson    Alan      9:06:16     47  Mississauga
    244   4   Sommers     Pat       9:23:32   f 47  Kitchener
    243   5   Burch       Meg      10:39:40   f 36  Marietta, GA
    237   6   Paquette    Mitzi    10:41:40   f 31  Oshawa
    238   7   Purdy       Bruce    10:41:41     44  Manchester, MI
    963   8   Mason       Louise   10:53:29   f 48  Chicago, IL
    242   9   Moore       Arthur   10:58:35     63  Strongsville, OH
    234  10   Mallett     Bill     11:09:50     56  Ancaster
    229  11   Cowie       Alex     11:23:15     63  Oshawa
    245  12   Bour        Jason    11:35:52     32  Cleveland, OH
    235  13   Malmberg    Helen    12:17:56   f 54  Toronto
    231  14   Harthun     Taylor   14:20:30     12  Hamilton
    232  15   Harthun     Trevor   14:24:15     9   Hamilton
    230  16   Harthun     Gord     14:24:16     46  Hamilton
18 starters

50 KMS
    345   1   Culhane     John      3:57:34     37  Toronto
    365   2   Turner      Scott     4:11:09     41  London
    384   3   Martin      Terry     4:16:34     55  Barrie
    363   4   Remington   John      4:33:25     36  Etobicoke
    364   5   Sarson      George    4:44:56     54  Waterloo
    382   6   Traynor     Peter     4:46:10     31  Toronto
    372   7   Ragetlie    Henri     4:50:56     42  Niagara O-T-L
    350   8   Hennick     Paul      4:55:48     50  Toronto
    344       Cooper      Jeff      4:55:48     46  Toronto
    340  10   Barber      Doug      4:55:56     54  Owen Sound
    387  11   Robinson    Tony      4:59:16     30  Hamilton
    348  12   Govier      Steve     5:08:03     37  Kitchener
    356  13   McRobert    Ricky     5:08:50     46  Whitby
    359  14   O'Connor    Gary      5:10:16     42  Fergus
    380  15   Connor      John      5:11:39     54  Burlington
    386  16   Farla       Suzanne   5:17:54   f 47  Woodville
    354  17   Martin      Jim       5:20:35     51  Lindsay
    341  18   Black       Cynthia   5:28:47   f 16  Petersburg
    355  19   Mazur       Tony      5:29:24     47  Commerce, MI
    377  20   Maier       Hans      5:38:13     61  Markham
    369  21   Gillespie   Mike      5:38:57     51  Toronto
    378  22   Hara        Masashi   5:46:19     51  Toyota City, Japan
    379  23   Varga       Astrid    5:46:20   f 50  Kitchener
    374       White       Moe       5:46:20     50  Burlington
    346  25   Dekeyser    Lona-Kate 5:50:59   f 20  Dundas
    343  26   Charbonneau Vincent   5:51:00     30  Burlington
    351  27   Hickey      Grant     5:56:52     37  Etobicoke
    349  28   Govier      Virginia  5:57:54   f 33  Kitchener
     ?   29   Gouin       Michel    6:00:03     40  Drummondville, QC
    383  30   Ross        Ian       6:08:23     55  Toronto
    381  31   Mitges      Jany      6:08:24   f 34  Hamilton
    375  32   Urbanski    Richard   6:15:11     54  Coldwater
    385  33   Charbonneau Danielle  6:15:34   f 24  Hamilton
    366  34   White       Bob       6:25:58     40  Owen Sound
    362  35   Ratcliffe   Jim       6:52:18     46  Georgetown
    347  36   Donovan     Denise    6:52:21   f 35  Kitchener
    370  37   Hodkin      Linda     6:52:24   f 53  Toronto
    357  38   Nayak       Chip      6:58:57     39  Toronto
51 starters

results: Monica Scholz, RD.  Revised June 11, 2001
see Burlington Runners Club website for 25 km and 10 km results