Just days after a cold snap hit the Phoenix area, freezing pools and bursting water lines, we found ourselves with some beautiful above average temperatures in the mid to upper seventies for the inaugural Coldwater Rumble 50 mile & third annual 50 km trail runs. The races are located within the Saguaro cactus studded foothills of the jagged Sierra Estrella mountain range which rises to over 4500 feet in elevation above the sprawling suburbs of Phoenix. Estrella Mountain Regional Park plays host to this race which is also the 4th in Aravaipa Running’s Desert Runner Trail Series (7 race series with 50 km & 50 mile distances).
Thirty hearty souls took to the trails in the 50 mile as twilight spread over a beautiful cloudless Arizona sky from the park’s rodeo arena parking lot and within sight of a handful of horse properties on the park’s boundaries – a reminder of the area’s “Wild West” roots. Dave James, two time defending USATF 100 mile national champion battled on the first of three loops of the course with an unknown long haired Alex Lopez of Temecula, California who took an early lead on James. At the mile 19.5 turnaround, which was also the start/finish, James had regained a 1 minute lead on Lopez with both runners barely stopping for a quick bottle fill before heading out on the reverse of loop 1. Turns out this was Lopez’s first attempt at the 50 mile distance, not to mention he is only 18 years old and a Senior in high school. James was trying to explain the finer points of gels, glycogen and pacing to the exuberant Lopez, but soon his 2 hours of sleep the night before the race and lack of water & calorie consumption caught up to him at the mile 27 aid station. Lopez later dropped at the mile 34 aid station, but we are sure we will be hearing that name again after his final high school track season this Spring.
James powered on ahead for the win with a time of 7 hours 11 minutes followed by local Jay Jump in a time of 8:03. Brian Ortell of Iowa followed up in third with a time of 8:19. In the women’s race, Sherianne Nelson of Scottsdale led Tempe’s Magi Redlich by 20 seconds after loop 1, but Magi pulled ahead by a large margin on the second loop. She maintained her lead on the final 11.8 mile loop to win her second 50 mile race (her other was the 2011 Man Vs. Horse 50) in 9:39. Sherianne held off Jennifer Thompson to finish 2nd in 10:50. A total of twenty three runners finished the 50 mile under the 14 hour cutoff.
In the 50K, which this year featured several miles of improved and reworked park trails on a two loop course (19.5 miles & 11.8 miles) there was a 3 way race between Brenden Halpin, Brian Tinder and Michael Versteeg who all came through loop one within 90 seconds of each other. Tinder stayed close to Halpin, but couldn’t overtake him on loop 2. Halpin won in a new course record of 3:57 with Tinder 2 minutes back. McDowell Mountain Frenzy 50 mile winner Korey Konga of Tucson cruised in for third place in a time of 4:03 posting the best second loop out of the top runners.
While the men’s race was closely contested, the women’s 50K was a whole different story. Master’s speedster Polly Campbell of Tucson dominated the field. Polly won the 2012 Avalon 50 mile in 6:55 which was good enough for 3rd overall that day and a scant 4 minutes off the course record. Oh, and she also placed 5th woman at this past year’s Imogene Pass run in Colorado. She smashed the women’s course record by over 30 minutes and had a winning margin of 45 minutes all while making it look easy. Michelle Hawk, also of Tucson took 2nd in 5:15 and Deb Hamberlin of Phoenix rounded out the top 3.