Overall Finisher’s Placing

Bib No.	Last Name	First Name	Age Grp	State	Finishers	Notes
34	Osborn	Michael	M30-39	KS	5:17:40	1st Male
45	Lesh	David	M50-59	AK	5:25:33	2nd Male
1	Amos	Kyle	M20-29	KS	5:28:39	3rd Male
41	Flores	Raul	M40-49	KS	5:38:14	4th Male
3	Barker	James	M30-39	MO	5:43:30	5th Male
22	McGuire	Dave	M50-59	MO	6:02:38	6th Male
4	Foresman	Matt	M40-49	MO	6:18:27
9	Nielsen	Dale	M40-49	NE	6:21:26
11	Mayo	Rick	M20-29	NC	6:31:50
2	Fisher	Dann	M40-49	KS	6:34:20
29	Smith	Rick	M30-39	KS	6:34:20	S.I. Award
17	Buckley	Angela	F30-39	KS	6:35:50	1st Female, only female finisher.
42	Kuykendall	Ben	M40-49	KS	6:35:50
20	Kovalev	Alexander	M30-35	MO	6:56:34
12	Jacquez	Mark	M20-29	KS	7:08:10	S.I. Award
14	Todd	Patrick	M20-29	MN	7:08:10	S.I. Award
27	Sidwell	Paul	M20-29	MO	7:17:17	S.I. Award
18	Detore	Tom	M50-59	NE	7:30:05
19	McPherson	Robert	M40-49	MO	7:51:50
5	Dorsey	Darrell	M40-49	KS	8:12:10
26	Joline	Lou	M60-99	MO	8:21:25
23	Hatcher	Dan	M40-49	MO	8:21:30
13	Dudley	Rick	M40-49	KS	8:58:10	S.I. Award

Age Group Rankings

Bib No.	Last Name	First Name	Age Grp	State	Finishers	Notes
17	Buckley	Angela	F30-39	KS	6:35:50	1st Female
1	Amos	Kyle	M20-29	KS	5:28:39	3rd Male
11	Mayo	Rick	M20-29	NC	6:31:50
12	Jacquez	Mark	M20-29	KS	7:08:10	S.I. Award
14	Todd	Patrick	M20-29	MN	7:08:10	S.I. Award
27	Sidwell	Paul	M20-29	MO	7:17:17
20	Kovalev	Alexander	M30-35	MO	6:56:34
34	Osborn	Michael	M30-39	KS	5:17:40	1st Male
3	Barker	James	M30-39	MO	5:43:30	5th Male
29	Smith	Rick	M30-39	KS	6:34:20	S.I. Award
41	Flores	Raul	M40-49	KS	5:38:14	4th Male
4	Foresman	Matt	M40-49	MO	6:18:27
9	Nielsen	Dale	M40-49	NE	6:21:26
2	Fisher	Dann	M40-49	KS	6:34:20
42	Kuykendall	Ben	M40-49	KS	6:35:50
19	McPherson	Robert	M40-49	MO	7:51:50
5	Dorsey	Darrell	M40-49	KS	8:12:10
23	Hatcher	Dan	M40-49	MO	8:21:30
13	Dudley	Rick	M40-49	KS	8:58:10	S.I. Award
45	Lesh	David	M50-59	KS	5:25:33	2nd Male
22	McGuire	Dave	M50-59	MO	6:02:38	6th Male
18	Detore	Tom	M50-59	NE	7:30:05
26	Joline	Lou	M60-99	MO	8:21:25	Muddy Ol' B*stard Award

Two-Loop Finishers

Bib No.	Last Name	First Name	Age Grp	State	Loop 1 time	Loop 2 time
44	Sullivan	Craig	M20-29		1:32:30	3:16:30
28	Johnson	James	M20-29	MO	1:52:40	4:16:10
46	Ward	Howard	M40-49	MO	2:00:00	4:35:45
38	Troutman	Verna	F60-69	MO	2:53:30	6:30:45
10	Mathews	Steve	M50-59	MO	2:54:30	6:44:10

Single-Loop Finishers

Bib No.	Last Name	First Name	Age Grp	State	Loop 1 time
31	Latimer	Nicole	F20-29	KS	1:36:50
6	Schupp	Barb	F40-49	KS	1:55:00
7	Schupp	Mike	M50-59	KS	1:55:00
33	Malkames	Bob	M50-59	KS	2:05:18
16	Buckley	Michael	M40-49	KS	2:10:17
47	Crider	Joel	M30-39	KS	2:10:40
48	Toft	Julie	F40-49	KS	2:11:50
49	Webster	Deborah	F40-49	KS	2:11:50
25	Harbison	Bryan	M30-35	KS	2:12:00
40	Crisp	Larry	M50-59	MO	2:30:00
32	Latimer	Mona	F50-59	KS	2:35:00
24	Johnson	Debbie	F50-59	KS	2:38:00
39	Matthews	Hazel	F50-59	KS	2:39:00

Fruit Loops  (runners who registered the day of the race, even though they knew that the weather and course conditions would suck).

Bib No.	Last Name	First Name	Age Grp	State	Loop 1 time	Loop 2 time	Loop 3 time	Notes
45	Lesh	David	M50-59	KS	1:32:30	3:17:50	5:25:33	2nd-place overall
46	Ward	Howard	M40-49	MO	2:00:00	4:35:45
47	Crider	Joel	M30-39	KS	2:10:40
48	Toft	Julie	F40-49	KS	2:11:50
49	Webster	Deborah	F40-49	KS	2:11:50

Known Special Idiots* (finishers doing their first Ultra event).

Bib No.	Last Name	First Name	Age Grp	State	Loop 1 time	Loop 2 time	Loop 3 time
12	Jacquez	Mark	M20-29	KS	1:52:44	4:12:50	7:08:10
13	Dudley	Rick	M40-49	KS	2:31:00	5:30:15	8:58:10
14	Todd	Patrick	M20-29	MN	1:52:44	4:12:50	7:08:10
27	Sidwell	Paul	M20-29	MO	1:59:10	4:24:50	7:17:17
29	Smith	Rick	M30-39	KS	1:53:00	4:00:05	6:34:20

* Special Idiot: “Any idiot can run a marathon; it takes a special kind of idiot to run an ultra-marathon.” – Alan Cabelly

Psycho WyCo Run Toto Run 50k
Race Report by Rick Smith, (Participant)
===========================

Executive Summary:

Thought I'd try the ultra thing. Borrowing some fitness from my marathon in early January, I signed up for the Psycho WyCo Run Toto Run 50k in Kansas City, Kansas. "WyCo" stands for Wyandotte County (Kansas), and the "Run Toto Run" was a held in Wyandotte County Park on the "Bridle Trails" that circle Wyandotte County Lake, easily one of the hilliest areas of the Kansas City metro. Run Toto Run is an obvious play off The Wizard of Oz. I will try to spare you the cliché analogies, mostly because I don't remember the Yellow Brick Road being so hilly, but I must admit that the volunteers did make the aid stations feel like the Emerald City with all their hospitality and wonderful selection of Munchkins...I mean, munchies. I went in just looking to finish and enjoy the laid-back ultra experience, and I managed to do just that.

===========================
The Mud-Slinging Tale:

Nearly 50 people had signed up for this first-time race, organized by Kansas City ultrarunner and trail running advocate Ben Holmes. Despite 40-degree temps, a steady drizzle and guaranteed sucky conditions, five people of questionable intelligence signed up on race morning. Crazy. At the crack of dawn, 41 starters anxiously toed the line...well, it was more like standing around in the rain chatting, waiting for the start (this was an ultra, after all). Some last-minute direction from Ben, and we were off.

A 50k is not really much more than a marathon, but 31 miles on trails is
still plenty far to cover on foot. According to the pre-race literature:

"This is a 50-Kilometer TRAIL event. If you want a sissy paved course, this
isn't the race for you. The course is a 3-loop course run on the bridle
trails of Wyandotte County Lake Park in Kansas City, Kansas. The trails on
this course can be challenging due to rocks and roots and sometimes muddy conditions, and the constant barrage of rolling hills. But remember: This is Kansas, so how tough can it really be???" Oh, that Ben...he's a funny one. Soon after the start, we left the safety of the parking lot and park roads and headed into the trails where we were greeted by a sign informing us that the trails "might be muddy." I might add that this is also where the "barrage of rolling hills" officially began.

He he, you're killing me, Ben. Killing me.

I planned to run the course in what I've read is typical ultrarunner fashion: run the flats and downhills and walk the steep uphills. Ideally, I could find an ultra veteran to help keep me patient.

I found plenty of ultra veterans around, but with nearly 75 percent of the
course a muddy mess, the flats and downhills were runnable/slideable, and walking the uphills was just as fast as trying to run most of them anyway. In some of the low spots, it was all I could do to keep my shoes on my feet and out of the ankle-deep slop.

The first loop went well. I hooked up with Tom, who informed me that he had run a couple marathons last weekend. Yeah, two marathons...last weekend. I figured anyone doing that sort of schedule would be sure to set a sensible pace (meaning he wouldn't go out too fast...I'm not sure the word "sensible" belongs anywhere near Mr. Double-Marathon-Weekend). The first loop was all about getting my bearings and determining what I could expect for the next two laps.

I finished the first lap in a little less than two hours...it had been a pretty comfortable lap, talking with Tom and taking plenty of time to enjoy
all the great offerings at the aid stations ("Scooby Snacks," warm soup,
Rice Krispie bars, Pringles, pretzels, cookies, Gatorade, coffee...you name
it, they had it.) I hoped I could maintain that pace (the running, not the
snacking) through the next two laps, but I also realized the mud would have something to say about that.

Tom had stopped to make some shoe adjustments, so I was on my own as I headed out for my second lap. It had quit raining, so I made a quick stop to change from my heavier fleece jacket into a lighter weight shirt, then it
was back into the trails. I soon caught up with Dann, Ben and Angie, and we covered the second lap as a group.

More good conversation, another leisurely aid station stop, and a familiar
course led us back to the end of the second loop in a little over two hours.
A little slower than the first loop, but most of it was probably due to a
little detour we took so Angie could show us a really cool concrete
overflow-drainage-funnel-thing that dropped water like a water park ride
around 75 feet straight down. Well worth a look, but it was a good thing we looked on the second loop...I think the vertigo would have been too much for me on the third lap, and the extra little distance wouldn't have been very welcome, either. Besides, I'm not sure the waiver covered a swimming and diving portion of the race.

By the end of the second loop, the mud was taking its toll, and my legs were taking notice. Nothing major, and it helped that I had a veteran ultrarunner in Dann hanging around to keep me company. Hard to complain much about a little 50k when Dann is rattling off near-death experiences and humorous encounters from various 50-milers, 100-milers and 24-hour runs he has done...

Third verse, same as the first. Dann and I made our way through the course at a steady pace, now traversing familiar terrain. For Dann, that meant having a pretty good idea how far to the next aid station or other landmark.  For me, it was more like one long, continuous deja vu: "Oh yeah, I remember this mud section. It comes right after that last mudslide we just came down and right before this next uphill where we try and grab the nearby limbs to keep from sliding backwards." The only place I consistently remembered from the previous two laps was Ben's "Mile 1" marker, placed somewhere between second and fifth miles of the 10-mile loop. Approximately 15 feet beyond the marker was Ben's "Just Kidding" marker. 

You a very funny man, Mr. Holmes!

Yet another leisurely aid station stop (had my first Starbucks Frappuccino
thing...Nectar from the Gods, I tell you) and increasing fatigue managed to
slow us down even more on the last loop, but no matter. We had both quit
"racing" early on, and just savoring the satisfaction that comes from a long
day in the beauty of the outdoors was more than enough. I'm convinced we could have had a slightly better finish time, but my enjoyment of the
experience far outweighed a few minutes here or there, especially since the conditions dictated so much of our pace. Besides, I might not have noticed the Scooby Snacks at the aid station.

Everyone who finished received "dog bone" finisher's medals, rough cut out of steel. Those finishing one or two loops received bones cut in half that read, "I bit off more than I could chew."

That Ben Holmes, he's such a cut-up.

Bottom line, a great first-timer experience. I might want to try another 50k sometime. Or I might want to try working up to a 50-miler someday. Or I may never do another ultra. No matter what, I can say that I have no regrets from choosing this one. It was well-run, with just the atmosphere and support I was looking for, and I'd recommend it to anyone...especially if they like mud.

Some pictures from the day can be found at http://tinyurl.com/3s55q.
Not me, but might as well have been: http://tinyurl.com/6eskv.

Next year it’ll probably be snow and ice,

R~

Rick Smith
Sabetha, KS USA