This Saturday will see the third running of the Quad Rock 50 Miler held in beautiful Lory State and Horsetooth Mountain Parks. Here's a sneak peak at the Men's Field:
Returning Top Ten Finishers from 2013
2nd- Paul Hamilton: He's my pick for the title this year. In February he ran a blistering sub 4 hour finish to place 2nd at Moab's Red Hot. If he falters it will be due to lack of experience in the 50M distance as this will be his second attempt.
3rd- Ryan Burch: In February he shocked the PNW by racing Orcas Island 50K in a Broncos shirt the day before Superbowl Sunday. His second place showing was a bad omen as the Broncos followed suit the next day. In March he was 6th at Salida, 4 minutes slower than his 2013 finish time. He's put in 6 quality track workouts on Tuesday evenings chasing J-Lid and Ruth around the oval. He's got the home team behind him on this one!
5th- Jim Rebenack: No results to report in 2014. He finished 2nd at the inaugural QR. He'll be ready to roll.
6th- Jason Koop: 2014 has seen him 9th at Red Hot, 8th at Salida, and 2nd at the Zion 100. Two weeks after Zion he threw down a sub 2:40 BOSTON! That's what I call recovery. He's another repeat QR finisher taking the bronze in 2012.
8th- Mike Hinterberg: 25th at Salida this year. He's looking forward to returning to his former backyard trails and improving on last year.
9th- Bryan Williams: No results to report in 2014. He's put in some training miles on the course this year and will be building up for Western States in June.
QR Newbies
Jared Hazen: This TEENAGER crushed it at RR100 in February blitzing a sub 14 hour finish and earning a spot at Western States. In 2013 he won the Oil Creek 100. It's safe to say that Dakota has inspired a new wave of ultra-runners younger than himself.
Zeke Tiernan: A strong 5th place at Red Hot in February. With a new addition to his family he has been busier than ever. Hopefully all the miles chasing the kids will propel the CU All-American to a top finish.
Jon Anderson: He's registered for QR every year. Hopefully 2014 will see his first start and finish at the race!
Lewis Price: The FC local ran a solid 4th at Antelope Island 50K in March. He will be looking to avenge a tough go at Collegiate Peaks 50M from last week.
Corey Hanson: Bellvue's Best will be starting his 2014 campaign this Saturday. He's been training undercover this year with unsubstantiated sightings arriving daily on the Wildlife Camera Roll verified by Park Ranger M. Boyts. He is out there...
Jason Ostrom: The FC Birmingham local is a dark horse. Don't let his most current 2008 Ultrasignup finish fool you. He's been training on these trails regularly and looks to silence any naysaying from RD Clark.
Patrick McGlade: 7th at Salida. I outkicked him for 6th. He's on the radar now.
Honorable Mention
Bryan "BG" Goding: His last finish was QR25 in 2012. He'll be dusting off the shoes for this one and parking the bike on Saturday. I've seen him training at Maxwell and Centennial Dr...on the bike. He knows these trails and might surprise a few.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Good luck this weekend!
ReplyDeleteFun stuff, Burch -- I'll be rooting for the Bulgarian Beast! From way back.
ReplyDeleteUp front, you should also watch for local Nick Davis coming up Towers as you know, as well as Josh Vaughn (a tough 2:46 marathon 2 weeks ago); and you really shouldn't overlook John Fitzgerald, one of the only guys to run all those trails in the dead of winter.
And Clark shouldn't nay-say Ostrom, who I expect to run strong. Let's go!