Byron Chikinda posted this race report to the Ultra Mailing List. --- Date: Sat, 05 Aug 2000 20:41:54 -0600 From: Byron Chikinda Subject: Cross Calgary - 2nd edition, July 29, 2000 This was the second edition of this race. Dorin Mcintosh and his 130 volunteers did a great job! 1 Mark SHERMAN 4:24 (Course record) 2 Bert ZIMMER 4:42 3 Robert OOSTENBRINK 4:58 4 Fariyal SAMSON (F) 5:04 (Course record) 5 Paul MILLER 5:11 6 Darcy NORTH 5:14 7 Debbie SCHULTZ (F) 5:25 8 Stuart ARGUILE 5:26 9 John MARKIN 5:32 10 Marion PERRY (F) 5:46 11 Mark ROSIN 5:49 12 Ian LOFTHOUSE 5:52 13 Darryl MAILANDER 5:52 14 Nigel TWOGOOD 6:18 15 Doug MITCHELL 6:23 16 Darren MARTIN 6:33 17 David PERRY 6:42 18 Dave GAYTHORPE 6:51 19 Franki OR 6:53 20 Giles TWOGOOD 6:54 21 Ray WILLIS 6:56 22 Byron CHIKINDA 6:57 23 Joy CHIKINDA (F) 6:57 24 Roxy NELSON (F) 6:59 25 Esmond MAH 7:00 26 Gayle HEINRICH (F) 7:26 27 Stewart SCOTT 7:31 28 John WELLS 7:51 2 DNFs 30 Starters This race takes place in Calgary Alberta Canada. The race started at 7:00 AM under clear skies. It was a hot one 15C (61F) at the start and 28C (82F) at the finish of the race. This year's race was 2 km further than last years 57km for a total of 59.1km (36.7 miles). If you are looking for a race between marathon distance and 80km (50 miles), this is the race for you! There is also a relay race on the same course. Mark Sherman beat all the relay teams to the finish! We live in Edmonton now, but both of us were raised in Calgary. It was great to run an Ultra in our home town. This race was like a trip down memory lane. I was very, very well rested for this race. I ran 3 of the last 12 weeks. Took 6 weeks off for a stress fracture and another 3 weeks off due to a back injury. I average 20 miles per week the 3 weeks I did train, so I would be very happy just to finish. The race started in Bowness Park. I don't know how many times we had picnics there when we were kids. The race heads east following the Bow River. A lot of people don't know it but the Bow is one of the best trout rivers in North America. I have some great fish stories but won't bore you with them! We followed paved bicycle trails beside the river. After Shouldice Park, you cross the Bow River and head into the hiking trails in Edworthy park and Lowrey Gardens. The trail got quite narrow in places and had a few challenging hills. Several runners started running back thinking they had gone off course but they hadn't. The trail just gets very narrow here with the tallest prairie grass I have ever seen (about 6 feet high). The scenery is great here with the Douglas Fir trees. Unfortunately, Joy ran into a yellow-jacket (looks like a wasp but bigger) who took exception to her running through it's territory and stung her on her right arm. By the time we made it to the next aid station, it was quite swollen. The first aid staff checked it out and ice it down for her. The two EMS staff on bicyles checked Joy three more times during the race. This slowed Joy down for a while, but she kept going despite the pain. She did have bad stomach problems after this but we were not sure it was due a reaction to the sting or the heat. Once you leave the hiking trails, you join the paved bicycle trails again. Still following the Bow River, you run past the entire downtown core of Calgary. They have a great skyline with many high rise towers. After this you run past Fort Calgary where the Elbow River meets the Bow River. We ran into some Canadian geese. They thought they owned the trail and didn't give any ground as we ran towards them. They hissed and tried to bite us! Guess they do own the trails! Then you run up the Elbow River until Glenmore Dam. The scenery is great as you run by many parks, Exhibition grounds for the Calgary Stampede and beautiful older homes that back on to the Elbow River. There is another hill at Glenmore Dam. After crossing the dam, you still follow paved bike trails around the reservoir. Unfortunately there was no breeze off the water and it was getting hotter! I think the smartest individual we saw was a dog who sat down in a shady spot and refused to move for it's master. The next 7km was through a residential area to the top of Fish Creek park. You then ran on shale rock hiking trails through a beautiful nature area. We saw deer along the trails. I have hiked on this area for years. I knew Dorin was going to make us go up and down a few more hills just to give the old quads a work out. He didn't disappoint me! This year due to LRT construction, there were a few extra hills. We thanked all the volunteers for coming out. Especially those in the field south of McLeod Trail. There was no breeze or shade for those good folks. The finish line is Mid-Sun Community Hall. There was lots of food and beverages for everyone. We look forward to next year's race. We'll have to run faster to get by that yellow-jacket before it gets us! Byron & Joy Chikinda byronc@planet.eon.net