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Title:Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Date:Saturday November 10th, 2018
Author:Bill Thom
Report:
Paleozoic Trail Runs
Ordovician Fall

[Logo: Paleozoic Trail Runs]
6th Annual Fall-Season Paleozoic 50-Km and 25-Km
Trail Runs!

Our fall celebration of "going long" made use of the Sag Valley trails of Palos Park. We've charted this Paleo south racecourse a total of seven times now... the others being Cambrian Fall in 2017, Carboniferous Spring in 2017, Silurian Fall in 2016, Ordovician Spring in 2015, Cambrian Spring in 2014, and Carboniferous Fall in 2013. This was the twelfth running of our semiannual race, which has always offered the event distances of 50 kilometers and 25 kilometers.

Saturday November 10, race-day conditions: mean temperature of 26°F, low temperature of 19°F, high temperature of 33°F, WNW winds, with speeds that ranged from 14 mph and decreased during the day, with maximum gust speeds of 22 mph, sunrise 6:37 am, sunset 4:37 pm. Historically, November 10th has averages: high temperature of 52°F, low temperature of 37°F.

Weather-wise this was a cold, mostly sunny day... conducive for fast fall racing. The racecourse was in decent shape with just a few moist/wet spots, most of which were "skirtable" by nimble-footed trail runners. For simplicity and consistency I marked the entire course using orange spray painted arrows, pink wire-flagging, and occasional orange plates staked at critical turns. Long stretches of the course were blanketed under piles of wind-blown leaves, which rendered a few spray painted arrows useless.

Reporting early-morning at Palos Park Woods-North... volunteers, Jeni Goodwin, Scott Finger, Ian Stevens, Mark Hylen, and James Arnold arrived at sunrise for aid station set up and to greet runners at the 7:30 am check-in / packet pick up. Vols, Tom Kohler and Adam Zamora helped with set up, then transferred gear and supplies to their vehicle for satellite/turnaround aid station, which they would staff at Will Cook Road. Many Flatlanders' Ultrarunners, led by Traci "Racine" Lambert-Cwerenz were on hand throughout the day to patrol our racecourse.

Under the lead of MadCity Ultras Race Director, Tim "Timo" Yanacheck 50-Km runners toed-the-line for a 10-second countdown, then were off-n-running at 8:29:59 am. 53 participants took to the trails for their two-lap tour. An hour plus two minutes later, at 9:31:59 am, 83 25-Km runners set off on their one-lap adventure.

An unmanned aid station was set trail-side at approximately 3.6-miles outbound. Full-service fare, staffed by Tom and Adam (brewmasters of special Paleozoic Blonde Ale) awaited at Will Cook Road, which served as our turnaround aid station. Paleo-Ord 50-Km runners completed two full laps of our out-n-back racecourse, while Paleo-Ord 25-Km runners raced a one-lap tour.

An aggressive pace was set by Becky Patch (F, 35) who led all 50-Km runners through the halfway Palos Park Woods-North checkpoint, under the two-hour mark. In close pursuit came David Curtin (M, 44) who is a finisher of five past Paleo races. David caught Becky during the outbound stretch of their second lap, then maintained pace for his overall victory in 4:17:09. Becky held on to finish as female champion, second place overall with a time of 4:33:02 in her Paleozoic debut.

Meanwhile the top three male 25-Km finishers were all within seconds of their respective predicted times, as recorded at point of registration. Finishing first, Brian O'Donnell 1:54:34 (p.1:55)... second, Michael Cramarosso 2:01:05 (p.2:00)... third, Les Hockenberry 2:03:24 (p.2:03). Top females performances were run by Annabelle Winters 2:11:09 (p.2:05)... second, Karen Grabowski 2:16:16 (p.2:20)... third, Diane Polydoris 2:16:53 (p.2:35).

At the finish, awaiting all runners... customized finisher-medals, white chicken chili soup, and vegetarian spring medley soup, along with a roofed-shelter and warming tent for relaxing and replenishing. Top overall and masters runners earned very special awards. Top-three age division runners collected special pint-glass awards. First-time ultramarathon finishers earned "My First Ultra" pint-glass awards. Five-time Paleozoic finishers collected special zipper-draw-string shoe bags. Our first ever 10-time finishers, Margie and Les Hockenberry earned "Ten-Time Finisher" pint glasses!
Congratulations to our swift runners of Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall!
  • Paleo-Ord 50-Km...
    Top Male Open: David Curtin, 44 of Munster, IN - 4:17:09.0
    Top Female Open: Becky Patch, 35 of Rolling Meadows - 4:33:02.7
    Top Male Masters: Matt Macak, 41 of Joliet - 4:54:08.3
    Top Female Masters: Meg Pond Louthan, 50 of Chicago - 5:03:10.1
  • Paleo-Ord 25-Km...
    Top Male Open: Brian O'Donnell, 41 of Tinley Park - 1:54:34.9
    Top Female Open: Annabelle Winters, 37 of Chicago - 2:11:09.7 * Three-time open champion!
    Top Male Masters: Michael Cramarosso, 57 of Chicago - 2:01:05.1
    Top Female Masters: Karen Grabowski, 43 of Park Ridge - 2:16:16.1
Timing, webcasting, and finish-line scoring... all managed by us, through our RunRace website at RunRace. Check out Results and our Webcast through the links...
Results: Results on RunRace
Webcast: Webcast with Checkpoint Splits
Let's give a rousing "shout out" to our race volunteers, many of which are accomplished runners, all of whom performed "beyond the call!"
  • Palos Park Woods-North Aid Station: Captain, Jeni Goodwin, Mark Hylen, Scott Finger, Jim Arnold, Ian Stevens, Traci Lambert-Cwerenz.
  • Will Cook Road Aid Station: Tom Kohler and Adam Zamora.
  • Keepers of finish-line paper trail: Jeni Goodwin.
  • Supplies delivery, aid station shuttling: Tom Kohler, Adam Zamora, Bill Thom.
  • Warming tent set up / tear down: Scott Finger, Mark Hylen, Jim Arnold.
  • Post-race soup overseer: Mark Hylen, Jim Arnold, Adam Zamora.
  • Brewmasters of Paleozoic Imperial Blonde Ale: Tom Kohler, Adam Zamora.
  • Course marshaling: Special thanks to Racine-Traci and members of Flatlander Ultrarunners who toured the racecourse supporting all runners.
  • Course marking / Course cleanup: Bill & Michelle Thom.
Check out our gallery of photos below, captured mostly at our primary aid station, Palos Park Woods-North. These photos have been optimized for display on the internet... feel free to copy for your personal use -and/or- link this "Run Report" with your social networks.

Congratulations to all runners of Paleozoic Trail Runs... summoned by the primordial instinct to go-long, who toed-the-line and answered-the-call, in our fall version - Ordovician Fall!

Links & Recaps as Generously Provided by Participants of
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall!
[no reports submitted to date... please send your race contributions to the author]
Click a thumbnail for its larger image.
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Ordovician Fall

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Posted:November 16th, 2018 7:22 pm
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