The 50th JFK 50 Mile kicks off Saturday morning at 5 am EST for early starters and 7 am for the main field, which includes an all-star cast of elites. The raceday weather looks to be idea with temps starting near freezing before climbing to 50F under sunny skies. Despite recent strong storms in the area, word is that the Appalachian Trail section of the course should be smooth running… okay, it’ll still be plenty rocky, but blowdowns shouldn’t be an issue.
[UPDATE: We’ve published our 2012 JFK 50 Mile results article.]
As mentioned, this year’s JFK features tons of talent. In fact, there’s enough talent to warrant its own article. Fortunately, Andy Mason of the local Herald-Mail newspaper has written that article in the form of an excellent JFK preview [broken link removed].
On the men’s side, Max King should challenge freshly minted course record-holder David Riddle, who lowered the mark to 5:40:45 last year. (iRF’s 2011 post-race interview with Riddle) Those two along with Michael Arnstein (a 5:50 JFKer and recent Javelina 100 champ), Zach Bitter (fastest American 50 mile time in 2011), Trent Briney (4th at 2004 US Olympic Trials marathon in 2:12), Jeff Buechler (3rd at the 2011 JFK in 5:53), Brian Drumm (2010 JFK Champ), Zach Miller (2nd at the 2007 JFK), and Ian Sharman (fastest trail 100 mile time on North American soil) should make for a race that puts Riddle’s year-old record in jeopardy. There are, of course, a ton of other great runners in the field, including Josh Brimhall, Adam Hill, Ryne Melcher, Matthew Lavine, Glen Redpath, and Jim Sweeney.
Ellie Greenwood is having a fantastic 2012, capped by her course record-setting win at the Western States 100. Aside from running for the win, expect Greenwood to challenge the top men and make a go at Devon Yanko’s (née Crosby-Helms) course record of 6:29:21. Two fantastic marathoners – Emily Harrison (2:32 PR) and Megan Hovis (2:37 PR) – have the talent to pull off an upset if either can nail their first attempt at a 50 mile race. On the opposite side, veteran ultramarathoner Beverley Anderson-Abbs seems to be returning to her speedy self after a bout with injury. Other fast females toeing the line include Melanie Bos, Jacqueline Palmer, Anna Piskorska, and Anne Spillane. (A nod to Andy Mason for pointing out the marathoners in both fields!)
We’ll be livecasting the event on iRunFar’s Twitter feed with the help of two-time top 10 finisher at JFK, Andy Mason, the legendary Dr. David Horton, and the family of David Riddle. (Contact us if you’d like to provide additional race-day info!) We’ll also be combining our twitter feed with other possible news sources and encouraging all of you to join the discussion in the CoverItLive window below.
Here are a couple resources to help you follow the race:
- The JFK 50 mile race website, including the entrants list and course info;
Andy Mason’s race preview (again)[broken link removed];- Anstr Davidson’s seminal description of the JFK 50;
- The Herald-Mail website featuring live video coverage, including finish line interviews, from noon to 5 pm EST on Saturday; and
- If you’ve got a couple minutes to kill during our coverage, check out:
- An article on the history of the JFK 50 for this year’s 50th running;
- A recent Washington Post article on the race’s history
- Runner’s World’s two stories (1 and 2) and video on the 50th JFK; and
- My 2007 JFK race report. (The race remains my 50 mile PR.)
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-Bryon Powell, Editor-in-Chief of iRunFar
