Waldo 100k Ultra 2011
WILLAMETTE PASS, Ore. – The field is set for the 10th running of the Waldo 100K, with some of the biggest names in ultrarunning preparing to toe the line at Willamette Pass Ski Area for the ceremonial Waldo starting gong on Saturday, Aug. 20, 2011. Once again, the race marks the first event in the Montrail Ultra Cup series, and top-two finishers will be rewarded with automatic entries into the 2012 Western States 100 in June.
“We’re looking forward to an ultrarunning showdown this year,” said Craig Thornley, co-race director. “For a decade, this race has continued to attract all kinds of runners who are drawn to the challenge of competing in one of the region’s toughest ultramarathons.”
On the men’s side, 2011 Miwok winner Dave Mackey will go head to head with 2011 Rocky Raccoon champion Ian Sharman. Mackey, also the winner of the 2011 Bandera 100k, has shown himself to be virtually unbeatable at the 100k distance. If anybody can give him a run for the $500 first place prize money put up by event sponsor Sunsweet Growers, Sharman can. The British runner may not have won Miwok, but he finished 10th while wearing an Elvis costume to raise awareness for South African AIDS orphans and has put together an impressive string of finishes in 2011, including his stunning course record setting 12:44 finish at Rocky Raccoon, the fastest 100-mile trail performance on American soil.
On the women’s side, Vermont’s Aliza Lapierre will be one of the big names to beat. Fresh off a sixth place finish at the Western States 100 and a first place finish at the Leona Divide 50, Lapierre is living up to her personal mantra of “running beautifully.” Amy Sproston could give Lapierre a run for her money. The women’s winner of the 2011 PCT 50 and last year’s JFK 50 champion, Sproston has had an impressive 2011 with top performances at the Miwok 100k and Western States 100. Amber Monforte should be another standout on the women’s side.
Other runners who are likely to mix it up include Portland’s Yassine Diboun, winner of the 2011 Forest Park 50k and third place finisher at the 2011 San Diego 100; and Neil Olsen, a past Waldo winner who finished second at the McDonald Forest 50k in May. Denise Bourassa, second place women’s finisher at the Silver State 50 and fourth place women’s finisher at the San Diego 100, will bring some competitive fire to the women’s field. This year’s Sun Mountain 50k winner, British Columbia’s Nicola Gildersleeve, is another woman to watch.
Waldo continues to draw both competitive athletes and recreational ultrarunners – and an army of 175 volunteers who help make the event a reality. This year’s event will feature a total of 125 runners, including two septuagenarians and runners from 15 different states and two foreign countries. Funded in part with room tax funds from the city of Oakridge, Oakridge/Westfir Area Chamber of Commerce and Lane County, Waldo 100k is part of the Oregon Trail Ultramarathon Series. Race sponsor Sunsweet Growers is providing 100 percent of the prize money, which is awarded to first and second place finishers in the open and masters categories.
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