We apologize upfront for not bringing you the results of our Montrail Ultra Cup prediction contest sooner. Life and, more truthfully, iRunFar’s Western States 100 coverage got in the way. Anyway, we’ll give you a brief update on how the 2009-10 Montrail Ultra Cup turned out, share the first three races of the 2010-11 Ultra Cup, and then let you know who won the prediction contest.
2009-10 Montrail Ultra Cup Results
As expected the 2009-10 edition of the Montrail Ultra Cup came down to the final race, the Western States Endurance Run 100 miler. First, a refresher of where the runners stood after seven of eleven races as well as the standings going into Western States. As a reminder, only a runner’s four highest scoring races counted. For more on the series scoring, take a look at Montrail’s explanation.
2009-10 Montrail Ultra Cup Results through 7 of 11 events
We earlier provided a mid-season Ultra Cup update through seven events, the last of which was the Way Too Cool 50k. At that point, the women were ranked as follows: (Races listed after a runner’s name are the the runner’s scoring races to that point.)
- Annette Bednosky – 183.51 points – MMTR 50 mile, JFK 50 mile, Bandera 100k, Cheaha 50k
- Jill Perry – 129.94 – JFK 50 mile, Bandera 100k, Cheaha 50k
- Pam Smith – 108.75 – Where’s Waldo 100k, Bandera 100k
- Meghan Arbogast – 104.70 – Where’s Waldo 100k, JFK 50 mile
- Elaine Stypula – 102.40 – MMTR 50 mile, JFK 50 mile, Bandera 100k
- Devon Crosby-Helms – 100.00 – Vermont 50 mile, JFK 50 mile
The men were ranked as follows:
- Glen Redpath – 147.84 points – Vermont 50 mile, MMTR 50 mile, Bandera 100k
- Jose Saurez – 107.54 – Vermont 50k, MMTR 50 mile, JFK 50 mile, Way Too Cool 50k
- Richard Cook – 96.33 – JFK 50 mile, Bandera 100k
- Geoff Roes – 79.65 – MMTR 50 mile, Way Too Cool 50k
- Victor Ballesteros – 79.38 – Where’s Waldo 100k, Way Too Cool 50k
- Brett Rivers – 69.35 – Where’s Waldo 100k, Way Too Cool 50k
2009-10 Montrail Ultra Cup through 10 of 11 Events
Devon Crosby-Helms made the biggest jump (from sixth to second) between Way Too Cool and Western States by placing second at Miwok. Meghan Arbogast also made a big move by winning the Ice Age 50 mile. Annette Bednosky did pick up a few points by placing second to Arbogast at Ice Age, but she only improved her point total by the 18 point difference between points earned at the Mt. Cheaha 50k and Ice Age as she’d previously run the series max of four scoring races. Jill Perry dropped out of the top six, but remained in the hunt having run only three races heading into Western States. Crosby-Helms, Pam Smith, Arbogast, and Monica Ochs each had only run three races to this point, so they would earn full points at Western States. Bednosky and Elaina Stypula had already run four or more races, so they would displace previously earned points at States.
- Annette Bednosky – 201.39 points
- Devon Crosby-Helms – 159.25
- Pam Smith – 155.17
- Meghan Arbogast – 154.70
- Monica Ochs – 138.05
- Elaina Stypula – 133.55
Glen Redpath added points out at the Miwok 100k, although he would enter Western States with four races already scored. Lewis Taylor doubled up at the American River 50 mile and Miwok 100k to jump from nowhere into second. Rob Bein ran the same races as Taylor to move into third. Jose Suarez may not have been winning any races, but his six races (four scored) put him in third. Geoff Roes’ win at the American River 50 kept him within striking distance, but it would be next to impossible for him to overcome the fact that a 50k (Way Too Cool) would be one of his four scoring races. Roes, Bein, Taylor, and Erik Skaden each only had three scoring races, so all Western States points would count toward their series totals.
- Glen Redpath – 202.6 points
- Lewis Taylor – 150.49
- Jose Suarez – 138.29
- Rod Bein – 133.53
- Geoff Roes – 129.65
- Erik Skaden – 128.53
2009-10 Montrail Ultra Cup Final Results
As we suspected all along, this year’s Montrail Ultra Cup came down to the final race in the women’s field. Meghan Arbogast placed second at the series finale, the Western States 100. In doing so, Arbogast beat Annette Bednosky by a large enough time margin to secure just under 7 more points than Bednosky from the race. Arbogast won the series by fewer than 6 points.
Pam Smith ran well enough at WS to hold on to third, while Jill Perry made a big jump in the standings despite not racing up to her potential. Joelle Vaught also made a big move with a strong effort in her first ever 100 miler. Medical problems forced Devon Crosby-Helms to withdraw from Western States, which put her out of contention.
- Meghan Arbogast – 253.48 points
- Annette Bednosky – 247.69
- Pam Smith – 243.28
- Jill Perry – 203.01
- Joelle Vaught – 186.63
On the men’s side, Glen Redpath was unstoppable. Not only was he fast, he ran a smart series in which he made the most of a scoring system that favored longer races. His scoring races were the only 100 miler, two of the three 100ks, and a 50 miler. He was seventh at Western States en route to the series win.
As you likely know by now, Geoff Roes won Western States while crushing the course record. Despite winning three of the four series races he entered (Mountain Masochist 50 mile, American River 50 mile, and Western States), he couldn’t overcome the fact that one of his four scoring races was the Way Too Cool 50k. Rob Bien and Erik Skaden both nudged up one spot to finish third and fourth respectively. Last year’s men’s champion, Victor Ballesteros ended up in fifth.
- Glen Redpath – 248.85 points
- Geoff Roes – 229.65
- Rod Bien – 215.99
- Erik Skaden – 214.08
- Victor Ballesteros – 204.20
We should note that Jose Suarez, whose sub-24 hours Western States report was recently published on iRunFar, ended up in eight position. He finished seven of eleven possible Montrail Ultra Cup events. That’s more than anyone else.
2010-11 Montrail Ultra Cup
We look forward to another exciting Montrail Ultra Cup next year. We’ll share the full 2010-11 MUC schedule when we get it. Until then, know that the first three series races are the Where’s Waldo 100k (August 21, Oregon); the now FULL Run Rabbit Run Steamboat 50 mile (September 18, Colorado); and the Vermont 50 mile (September 26, Vermont)
iRunFar Montrail Ultra Cup Prediction Contest Results
Finally, here are our MUC prediction contest results. If you want to see the method by which we scored the contest, here it is. In the end, fourteen(!?) entrants tied for the win with two correct picks. We randomly selected the following winners from those 14 entrants.
David Kennedy of Honesdale, Pennsylvania wins a pair of Montrail trail running shoes, a pair of Montrail sandals, and a Montrail T-shirt.- Ken Michal of San Francisco, California wins a pair of Montrail running shoes and a Montrail T-shirt.
- Mac of Salem, Oregon (husband of Pam Smith) wins a pair of Montrail sandals and a Montrail T-shirt.
The random winner of a pair of Montrail running shoes is Holly McC of San Ramon, California. Olga of Austin, Texas was randomly selected to receive a pair of Montrail sandals and a hug from iRunFar’s Bryon Powell.
