2014 Washington Ultra Grimeys
Just in case you want to bribe the judges next year, here's some helpful info: The Washington Ultra Grimeys are crafted, voted-on, and led by Tim Mathis. Tim contributes to a lot of blogs around the Washington ultra running and trail running community; including his own blog: A Little Runny. Check it out, when you get a moment.
After the overwhelming success of last year’s inaugural Grimey Awards, Uphill Running’s Trey Bailey and I discussed legitimizing this endeavor by establishing a panel of judges, adding a red carpet ceremony complete with bags of expensive schwag for winners, and inviting Kanye West to host/say really grandiose things about himself. Then we spent the year drinking beer and none of that materialized. (I totally lost Kanye’s contact info anyway.) So, once again, I am excited to make up some awards to recognize outstanding performances by locals on the trails in 2014!
Like last year, the awards are focused primarily on performances by Washington runners on Washington soil, but this year larger bodies of work are under consideration, and I incorporated races Washington runners participated outside of the state. Washingtonians were involved in a lot of cool things this year, and I wanted to capture that. It’s a trail award, and an ultra award, so marathons don’t count and neither do road races. And in lieu of an esteemed panel, there is an all-knowing dictator (me) who makes all of the Grimey decisions. If you have issues or complaints, please direct them to my people, and include a self-addressed stamped envelope so I can send you an autographed condolences card.
Let’s kick things off with a pretty picture:
Race Photo of the Year:
Photo by Trey Bailey | Uphill Running
Nikolay Nachev was a Barkley participant in 2014, and is one of the best orienteers in the country. More importantly, he was also the winner of this year’s Chirico Repeat fatass event, put on by Jess Mullen with support from the Seattle Mountain Running Group. On an unseasonably hot day in April, Nikolay ran up and down the Chirico trail 10 times (34 miles, 17,000 feet of elevation gain) faster than anyone else to win the prestigious Tiger Hat. This post-race photo of Nikolay cooling his legs in a filthy drainage ditch perfectly captures the hardcore/not too serious spirit of the community of people who would call off work on a Wednesday to do this kind of thing.
Innovators of the Year
Ras and Kathy Vaughan: The Ultrapedestrian Wilderness Challenge
In 2014, beloved Eastern Washingtonians Ras and Kathy expanded on a non-event that they created the year before, challenging runners to complete one, two, or three different courses in the Washington Wilderness – determining their own timeframe and approach. Their Olympic Coast route (designed by Heather Anderson) challenged runners to battle the tides in order to cross a rugged 100km of wilderness beach as quickly as possible. Their Mother Mountain/Northern Loop Figure 8 (designed by Kathy Vaughan) drew a baker’s dozen runners to two less-traversed sections of Mt Rainier National Park. And their Alpine Lakes Traverse (route by Eric Sach) created carnage on a challenging route where every one who attempted DNF’d. 2014 UltraPedestrian Wilderness Challenge
Honorable Mention: George Orozco: The Issy Alps 100 Course
In a similar vein, a couple of years ago George “The Honeybadger” Orozco designed a brutally difficult 50k/100k/100M route traversing some of the best-known peaks in the Issaquah Alps in the Central Cascade Foothills, with an elevation profile (if not altitude…) rivaling the Hardrock 100. His challenge: figure out how to complete it, and do it as fast as you can. Last year a large group set out to attempt the 100k, but everyone DNF’d at the 50k point or before. Only the legendary Van Phan managed to later return to the course, and finished the 100 Mile route on her own. This year the challenge seemed to take off, with 5 runners completing the 100 Mile route across the year, and 3 completing the 100k.
Fastest Known Time of the Year
Women: Kathy Vaughan: The Arizona Trail: Women’s FKT (Supported/Accompanied): 35d5h2m
A few days after leaving the hospital due to a pancreatic attack, Kathy set out to establish a Women’s Fastest Known Time on the 800 mile Arizona Trail. Remarkably, she pushed through heat, physical issues, and the rigors of the trail to finish – the first woman to officially record such an attempt!
Men: Joe McConaughy: Pacific Crest Trail: Supported (and overall) FKT: 53d6h37m
In a big year for FKT’s nationally and internationally, in August some kid from Seattle named Joe set one of the most impressive of all – running/hiking 50 miles per day from Mexico to Canada to demolish the previous Fastest Known Time on the crown jewel of western trails, the PCT. He had just graduated from Boston College, where he was a 1500m racer, but had never run more than 70 miles in a week before completing the trip. Now he’s in Germany somewhere, apparently not racing ultras or anything. You can’t make this stuff up. Read More about Joe's run
Honorable Mention: Seth Wolpin: Annapurna Circuit FKT: 72h4m
Seth splits his time between Nepal and Seattle, and had just finished guiding a fastpacking trip around the famous Nepali circuit when he decided to take a crack at establishing a Fastest Known Time. (Previously, Lizzy Hawker had walked the route in 5 days, but no faster time had been established.) Originally hoping to finish in 48 hours, his 134 mile trip with 53,000 feet of elevation gain (!) and a traverse of a nearly 18,000 foot pass stretched out to 72 grueling hours on a spectacular route that is sure to see many more of this kind of attempts in the future.
(Seth would also get “Trail Adventurer of the Year” Award if there were one – he, along with Kathleen Egan and John Fiddler also completed what may be the only backpacker style/self-supported traverse of the Great Himalaya Trail across Nepal this year, along with multiple other shorter adventures that you’ll have to ask him about.)
Only Known Time of the Year
Women: Deby Kumasaka: Women’s Double Wonderland: 112h
A few years ago, Ras Vaughan did something unthinkable at the time: completing the 94 mile Wonderland Trail, then turning around and completing it again in the opposite direction. A few have attempted to repeat his feat, but this year Deby Kumasaka became the first to do so successfully, moving for a mind-boggling 112 hours to complete the double loop and establish an Only Known Time for Women.
Men: Ras Vaughan: Washington PCT (Unsupported): 13d14h58m
Hundreds of people walk the Washington portion of the PCT every year, and multiple hikers have done so more quickly than Ras did this August. However, none of them (as far as is known) have done what Ras did, foregoing resupplies and carrying all of his supplies from start to finish for the continuous push, averaging 38 miles a day. Although it gained less attention than his Double Wonderland or sextuple Rim to Rim from previous years, this year’s attempt further pushed the boundaries of what is humanly possible from an endurance standpoint.
Best Internet Personality
He won last year, he wins this year, and he’ll probably win every year until the FCC shuts him down. “Shoeless Joe” Creighton does hilarious interviews of top runners for the Seattle Running Club and produces some of the most entertaining running content anywhere on the internet. (Trey, get that guy some shoes. He’s earned it.)
RD of the Year
Men: James Varner
It was a banner year for James and co. at Rainshadow Running. They kept up their classic panel of races, and stepped up the game by adding a 100k to the Gorge Waterfalls event, and a new set of races on the Oregon Coast. Then, in the Fall, James went on national tour with the Trail Running Film Festival. With the success of that tour and the increased interest in Rainshadow races (Gorge 100k is now a Western States Qualifier…), James and crew seemed poised to blow up in 2015 and beyond.
Women: Candice Burt
It’s been a similarly huge year for Candice. Along with adding several marathon and shorter distance races to the annual Bellingham Trail Running slate, she blew up Facebook ultra-forums around the world by establishing one of the most talked about new trail races in the world, the Tahoe 200. By all accounts the event was a huge success and extremely well run, and she too is poised for even more success in 2015, with the announcement of the most exciting new event to be added to the Washington race calendar in years, the Bigfoot 200/120, coming in October.
Trail Communitarians of the Year
Men: Glenn Tachiyama
Quietly omnipresent in the Washington trail community, no one deserves this award (which is given to the person who does the most to support the trail running community) more than Glenn. Whether volunteering his time providing professional quality photography at races, working behind the counter at 7 Hills Running, or putting together the hugely popular Tribute to the Trails Calendar fundraiser for the Washington Trails Association, Glenn is a tireless promoter of trail running in the Northwest, and has done as much as any local to raise awareness of the amazing things that Washington has to offer.
Women: Megan Kogut
Megan is similarly omnipresent in the trail community, organizing volunteers for races, putting together fundraisers for Seattle and Tacoma Mountain Rescue Teams, signing people up for wilderness first aid courses, and organizing one of the biggest, most cohesive running groups in the state, and one of the biggest women’s trail running groups in the country. While the trail community is full of hard working people, it would be hard to come up with someone who’s done more in the last year than Megan.
WA Runner of the Year: Short Form Ultra (<50 Miles)
Men: Justin Houck
Justin seemed to appear out of nowhere in 2014, resettling in the Seattle area after a few years travelling abroad, and blew up the local major races. He put in the most impressive race in a small event all year, running the Vashon 50k in a ridiculous 3:11. Then, he threw down the third fastest time ever at the White River 50 (just 1 minute behind Krupicka and 10 behind Canaday) before winning the Crystal Mountain Sky Marathon and finishing in 4th at the ½ Marathon Trail National Championship at Lake Padden. Out of seemingly nowhere, this year Washington gained a new elite runner who seems poised for big things at both national and international levels.
Women: Jodee Adams-Moore
Even factoring in a 2nd place finish to Ellie “Feel-good-comeback-story” Greenwood at Chuckanut it’s been another banner year for Jodee: In February she lowered the women’s record at the Orcas Island 50k to 4:46 – a stunningly fast time on a tough course, two weeks before what was perhaps her most impressive performance of the year, winning the highly competitive Red Hot 55k in Moab. In April she finished 4th at the Lake Sonoma 50 Miler, and in May she finished 6th at Transvulcania – two of the most competitive races in the world. Then, she won three of Washington’s biggest races: the White River 50, The Crystal Mountain Sky Marathon, and the Bellingham Trail Marathon, throwing in a 9th place finish at the ½ Marathon Championships at Lake Padden in the middle.
WA Runner of the Year: Long Form Ultra (>50 Miles)
Men: Four Way Tie: Jeff Hashimoto, Gabe Wishnie, Adam Hewey, Matt Urbanski.
This was a difficult category to judge because while there were several solid performances put in by Washington men at 50 milers, 100k’s, and 100 Milers, it was hard to find one really standout performer this year. So whatever, I’m making up the rules here. I’ll give it to all four. Here’s the rationale:
1)Jeff Hashimoto. He put in the best performance by a Washingtonian at our biggest ‘Long Form’ race – the Cascade Crest 100. 2nd place behind the record breaking Seth Swanson there, and a solid 6th at the Sun Mountain 50 Miler. Not bad for a guy who, before 2014, hadn’t raced an ultra since 2010.
2)Gabe Wishnie. The most consistent performer across the year. His most impressive performance was a 6th place finish overall at the HURT 100, but he also finished 2nd at the Badger Mountain 100, 4th at the Capitol Peak 50 mile, 2nd at Rainier to Ruston 50 Mile, 6th at Cascade Crest, and 3rd at the Mountain Lakes 100. No big wins for the Redmond native, but a string of solid runs from the start of the year to the finish.
3)Adam Hewey. Last year’s winner gets in, largely, on huevos. After a great 2013, the lottery gods (or lottery devils, as it may be) smiled on Adam, and he got into Western States, Hardrock, and the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc – all of which occur within a couple months of one another over the summer. Most runners would pick one or two to focus on, but Hewey chose to attempt a ‘Mondo Slam’ of all three. After a solid sub-20 hour run at Western (his stated focus race), Hardrock two weeks later proved to be too much, and he DNF’d – a big disappointment following a top 10 finish the year before. He finished UTMB to make it 2/3. Impressively grimey.
4)Matt Urbanski. Matt had a slow start to the year at the Gorge Waterfalls 100k, but put in a string of stellar runs to finish his season: he finished 4th in a fast field at White River, set the course record at the 70 mile race at Fat Dog in BC, and then finished in a solid 17th place at Run Rabbit Run in CO, a race packed with international talent.
Women: Candice Burt
As with the men, there were several solid performances by WA women at the 100 mile distance, but Candice stands out as having put in the two most impressive. While she gained more notoriety as an RD after putting on the Tahoe 200, she also had two brilliant races earlier in the year: finishing in 2nd place at the HURT 100, and winning the Zion 100.
Honorable mention shout out to Jordan Maki – who put in the 5th fastest time ever at Cascade Crest this year in her first 100 miler.
The Van Phan Hard Core Ultra Runner of the Year Award:
I had to make up a new award this year because WA is producing runners doing things that don’t fit into existing categories. No one has ever been more hard core than Van Phan, so I named the award after her. It honors the runners who might not be the fastest, but are definitely the toughest.
Men: Ras Vaughan
Along with his aforementioned 500 mile OKT on the WA section of the PCT, Ras completed the Pigtails 200 and the Tahoe 200, equaling my mileage output for the last two months in the course of two events. He’s clearly the reigning king of doing difficult things.
Women: Deby Kumasaka
The runner of the year in this category, hands down. We’ve mentioned her OKT on the Double Wonderland, and in 2014 no one was tougher than Deby Kumasaka. Between April and September, she ran the Zion 100, the Sun Mountain 50, the Bryce 100, the River of No Return 100k, the Double Wonderland, the Tahoe 200, and the IMTUF 100. She finished IMTUF two weeks after the Tahoe 200. No one else that I’m aware of had a race schedule that rivaled hers, male or female.
Performance of the Year in a WA Ultra
There’s not a more prestigious ultra in WA than White River, and only two people have ever run the race faster than Houck did this year: Sage Canaday and Anton Krupicka. No Washingtonian has ever run it faster. Houck’s 3:11 at the Vashon Island 50k was among the fastest run in the country this year, but his run at White River was a major statement and the kind of run that can help to establish a professional career.
Honorable mention: Seth Swanson, who set a new record at the Cascade Crest 100 in August.
Women: Ellie Greenwood: Chuckanut 50k.
I’m biased towards WA runners, and I wanted to give this to Jodee Adams-Moore. But even though Ellie’s win at Chuckanut wasn’t record breaking, it was a major event in the trail world in that it established that she was back to her old world-destroying form following a year of injury. She followed up her win at Chuckanut with a victory at Comrades in South Africa, the Biggest Ultra in the World, and a win at the 100k World Championships. And she lives in Vancouver, which might someday be part of Washington if the Canadians don’t watch their back.
Honorable Mention: Jodee Adams-Moore: Orcas Island 50k. The 50k distance seems to be Jodee’s sweet spot, and she’s put in multiple remarkable runs at Orcas, including this year’s difficult to comprehend 4:46.
WA Ultrarunner of the Year
Men: Justin Houck
Women: Jodee Adams-Moore
For all of the reasons listed above, Justin and Jodee are the Grimey ultrarunners of the year in WA. Running isn’t just about winning races, and some day maybe we’ll give a UR of the Year Grimey to someone who’s not fast, but this year these two both performed impressively in big races and contributed positively to the WA trail running community. At a time when Washington has a bunch of runners doing remarkable things, these two are the ones who are doing it the fastest.
Please use the social media buttons to share this with your friends; especially, if they won a 2014 Grimey! Big thank you to Tim Mathis for making this happen!
