The Ups and Downs of Hellgate

Of the races that I have run over the past few years, Hellgate has to be one of my favorites for reasons that have already been so eloquently voiced by Messrs Bimble and El Toro. The night start, the remote course, the chance of extreme weather: all of these factors add up to ensure that when you finish this one, you know you have pushed yourself as hard as you should ever want to (particularly as it’s only for a bit of fun!). That being said, my reasons for running this year were a little more laid back than in previous years. I had settled my score with the course last year after a frustrating first try in 2006 and felt comfortable with my goal to get a fresh view of the run without the burden of a first finish on my plate.

As the race started, I watched ET and MB head off into the darkness with the other ‘front-of-the-pack’ runners. Settling in to a good pace, the first couple of stages slipped by very quickly. It was a little chilly but not overly cold and the moon kept appearing and disappearing between clouds with the effect of somebody flicking a light switch. At aid station two I saw Chipper and Guthrie for the first time. They told me that ET and MB had come through AS2 together – it sounded like a good race was brewing! At this point, it was a little before two in the morning and if everything went to plan, I knew I would not see Chipper again until shortly after seven at AS5.

Shortly after leaving the aid station I felt a hotspot on my heel. I stopped to apply a band-aid and was passed by a woman who asked me how far to the next AS. After a brief chat, she disappeared into the darkness and I got my shoe back on and set off again. I thought back to this section a year before and recalled being in a cluster of people zig-zagging along the trail. This year I was on my own. Nobody in front, nobody behind. In fact, I did not see another person until arriving at the next AS about an hour and a half later. It had gotten progressively colder which, considering the feeling of isolation, made the going tough. The next couple of sections weaved a course along a high ridge on the mountains. After taking a drink from my camelback, I found it necessary to blow the tube clear of fluid to prevent it freezing. As my lips were very cold and dry, this was not an easy task and was often accompanied by a rasping sound to which I felt compelled to excuse myself (“Pardon me!”). Human sightings were, however still sporadic and as we all know, trail runners are not necessarily phased by rasping sounds, even if they are the ‘real deal’ and not orally generated. After a few more hours of nighttime running, sunrise was welcomed as was seeing Chipper and eating breakfast at AS5. A quick change of socks in an attempt to prevent any further blister development (a sorely learned lesson from Vermont this summer!!) and I was heading on to the second half of the race. As the temperature got warmer, things got a lot easier. Although my legs were now tired and ready to stop running, I felt good and kept pushing forwards. I focused on the section of the course I was running and found that time seemed to drift by quickly. Soon I was on to the final few sections. For the last three sections, Chipper ran out from the aid station and then ran back with me. She had not heard any news from Guthrie on MB or ET since they had passed through AS2 some 10 hours before. Finally, pulling in to the final AS, I heard that they had finished together – a fantastic effort and top ten finishes! I was quietly jealous that they had the opportunity to run together for portions of the race. Now, it was time for me to put this race, quickly followed by me, to bed. As I did the year before, I quickly left behind a couple of folks following me on the uphill and I hoped that I could sustain a run down the back of the mountain to the finish. I managed to keep up my run down the mountain and met Chipper with about a mile and a half to go. We ran in together and were greeted at the finish by our fellow bimblers and David Horton. Happy to be finished, I now set my sights on my next challenge – showering without passing out in blistered agony…

Congratulations to El Toro and Mr Bimble on their fantastic and very impressive runs and, of course many thanks to Chipper and Guthrie for their expert crewing and support. Finally, it has to be said through my isolation during the nighttime run, I was cognizant and comforted by the fact that somewhere, a few hundred miles away, another group of crazy runners was out on the dark trails…