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Posted on the Ultralist:
Date: Thu, 14 Apr 05 09:53:12 -0600
Subject: Arizona 6 Day Race in Progress
The Arizona 6-Day race in Douglas, Arizona started at noon on
Sunday April 10th.
As of Wednesday evening 11PM Arizona Time 8 runners were still going.
The loop is deceptively difficult as it involves numerous very sharp
turns. Most of the .75 mile loop around 15th Street Park is on grass
with some muddy sections. Most runners were wearing trail shoes
and/ or gaiters to keep pebbles, leaves etc. out of their shoes.
It is a pretty park with nice start/ finish facilities and many
baseball fields (some days with Little League and other ball games
going on around the runners), picnic areas etc.
The local support from the Douglas community is impressive, with
daily newspaper updates/ photos etc.
Veteran 6-day runner Jojn Radich of Monrovia, California had over
227 miles by 11PM Wednesday, with 60 hours remaining in the race.
On this course 300+ miles will be impressive. Race director and
US age group record-holder (including 15:13 100 mile) Gary Cross
is doing some running in the race in between administrative jobs.
Ultra veterans Steve Papp, Joe Dana, Eb Englemann and Gary Parcher
are also all looking good with distances between 1 -175 miles as
of late Wednesday night.
Note that these athletes are in a RACE. There is strategy involved,
and when one person lies down for a rest other runners may pick
up the pace and cut into the lead of the resting runner. To me this
is MUCH more impressive and exciting than various "non-stop
solo exhibition training runs" on uncertified courses which
have been in the news over the years.
The world records for 6-days 3D Jean Gilles Boussiquet, FRANCE,
640 miles Sandra Barwick, NEW ZEALAND, 548 miles
US records 3D James Albert, 621.5 miles
Donna Hudson, 487.75 miles
--I apologize for any typos or other errors-- I had a very long
day driving 2 miles down to the 6-Day, counting laps and helping
out for 7 hours, then driving home. BUT I am glad I went-- it was
and is a very
interesting race.
Best wishes,
Mark Dorion/ El Paso, TX
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