Mark Lundblad of Asheville, NC Places 2nd overall at Great Eastern 50K.

The Great Eastern 50K was held this past weekend, September 23, 2006 at George Washington National Park, VA (Afton, VA). One hundred plus ultra runners toed the starting line at 6:00 am on this mild 70 degree humid day.

Mark Lundblad placed 2nd overall male. Billy Barnett was the winner and Glen Redpath placed third. It was reported that the race course was well directed and marked, but still very tough. The course offered a "fast first half with paved road and gravel road which I like, middle section very technical/rocky lots of climbing, last section the same as the first but a big 6-mile uphill mostly gravel road climb except the last 2 miles downhill on the Parkway to the finish. Total elevation gain 7,240 but it is probably more as they changed a section of the course this year and added more climbing...just what I was not expecting," Lundblad explains.

"I went out faster than I normally do this time and had a good lead (3 minutes after 11 miles) then lost it on the rocky trail section then later caught Billy [Barnett] at the end (3 miles out) but could not keep it up. I was cramping up pretty bad in my quads the last few miles and I gave it all I had."

Lundblad was supported on race day by his wife, Anne Lundblad, who placed 2nd in last year's 100K World Championship, leading the USA Team to a gold medal.

Mark Lundblad (37) resides in Asheville, NC where he is currently coaching a group of runners, organized by Asheville Race Training, who are preparing for the Shut in Ridge Trail Race coming up November 2006. He will be coaching another group, starting in November 2006, for the 2007 Black Mountain Marathon.

50K Awards

           ********** FEMALE OVERALL RESULTS ***********
    1 BETHANY PATTERSON    27 RICHMOND        VA            5:45:22 
    2 LISA MADDEN          33 BRONX           NY            6:08:13 
    3 REBECCA PHALEN       33 IVY             VA            6:14:42 
 
                ********** MALE OVERALL RESULTS ***********
    1 BILLY BARNETT        22 VIRGINIA BEACH  VA            4:52:23 
    2 MARK LUNDBLAD        37 ASHEVILLE       NC            4:52:43 
    3 GLEN REDPATH         41 BROOKLYN        NY            5:03:07 

100K
[Editor's note]

100 Kilometers is a long way to go. That is 62.13719 miles, two marathons with a 10 mile chaser. The winning times for the 50K show that this is not an easy course. Eric Grossman's 100K in 9:38:29 is very impressive considering that it means that if he had crossed the line first in the 50K, just ahead of Billy Barnett's 4:52:23; he had a six minute negative split for his second 31.09 miles. For the women, 100K winner Sarah Almodovar's 11:37:13 means that if she were with 50K winner Bethany Patterson at the halfway point (5:45:22), she then slowed only a mere six minutes.

100K Awards

********** FEMALE OVERALL RESULTS ***********
    1 SARAH ALMODOVAR      29 ASHEVILLE       NC            11:37:13 
    2 YAYOI SHIMADA        35 NEW YORK        NY            11:49:17 
    3 LENORE STUDT         41 COLUMBIA        MD            12:38:59 
 
                ********** MALE OVERALL RESULTS ***********
    1 ERIC GROSSMAN        38 EMORY           VA            9:38:29 
    2 NATHAN ECHOLS        39 SPARTA          NJ            10:56:34 
    3 MATT MCDONALD        36 CULPEPER        VA            11:34:53 

For more information on running groups training in Asheville, check www.ncracetraining.com.

Full Race Results of both the 50K and the 100K.

Photo sent by Mark Lundblad.