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Cornbelt Running Club 24 Hour Race 2001 Report(IA): Bonnie Busch

 The rain had started well before the race and continued into the race for
 the first 90 minutes.  The forecast promised more rain but better
 temperatures for running than what the area had seen all week.  Instead of
 unseasonal temperatures of 85 degrees, the runners would see temperatures
 dipping barely below 50 up to 70 degrees, with only a few brief
 appearances of the sun.  Wind was a near constant companion, pushing
 another storm of rain through the area by late afternoon.  Strong winds
 and buckets of rain, forced many to leave the track for drier, warmer
 conditions.  Within the hour, the rain would let up some and most runners
 returned to take up their task.  Rain continued for several hours and the
 temperatures dropped as those circling the track adorned rain coats or
 plastic cover.

 Fifty-five runners listened to the Star Spangled Banner as they stood in a
 light rain waiting for the race's 7:00 a.m. start.  Entrants ran the
 gambit from deeply experienced to the first timer and everything in
 between.  Last year's top mileage winner, Tim Johnson, was back.  Five
 time winner Bill Seldomridge made a return trip as did prior winner Gary
 Fortune.  Speedster Terry Crompton had made the trip.  Several local
 runners were due for 100 mile finishes.  And a couple of new runners to
 the track for 24 hours were present, David Luljak and Sandy Powell.  This
 was going to be interesting!

 No surprise that we watched David Luljak closely.  His smooth running,
 modest demeanor, gentle voice, and consistent laps made for a good first
 chapter to get the story going.  Several runners followed in chase and the
 rest of us let the momentum pull us along too.  Quickly the laps added up
 for David Luljak, reaching 50 miles in just 7 hours and 25 minutes.  Gary
 Fortune played by the same rules of smooth, consistent running and made it
 to 50 miles just 40 minutes later.  The next to reach that milestone would
 be women, Sandy Powell in 8 hrs 49 min and just 2 minutes later the
 up-on-her-toes, trail running Karen Libsch would get there, too.  Before
 10 hours had passed four others would be at 50 miles also, Tim Johnson,
 Terry Crompton, Paul Schmidt, Kent Towler, Bill Seldomridge, and Eric
 Berg.

 It would take David Luljak just additional two hours to reach the 100k
 mark in 9 hrs 27 min.  Gary Fortune would achieve that same mileage about
 65 minutes later.  And just 40 minutes later Sandy Powell would be there
 too.  That left alot of time and running to do!  Karen Libsch, Paul
 Schmidt, Kent Towler, Bill Seldomridge, Terry Crompton, Tim Johnson, and
 Klaus Thiedmann would all have 100k also before 13 hours were up.

 The rain seemed to bring trouble for most - blisters, stomach woes,
 chills, flare ups of prior injuries, and dampened spirits.  We saw most
 runners trying to manage calorie intake, most trying to stay comfortably
 dry but warm, we saw many disappear from the track and others talked of
 changed goals.  The clouds brought an early night and hid what would have
 been a full moon.  We saw David Luljak walking slowly.

 It would be the old Gary Fortune that we used to see running fast, smooth
 and lots of miles that we haven't seen in years be the first to 100 miles
 in 18 hrs 47 min and he showed no sign of slowing.  At 50 and a recent
 past of injuries and surgeries, it is nice to have Gary back!  Over an
 hour later the lap counters would celebrate another 100 miles this time
 with Bill Seldomridge, 19 hrs 54 min.  Then, finally, it would be David
 Luljak's turn after hours and hours of walking he too would get to 100
 miles in 20 hrs 11 min, before getting off the track for a break.  At 20
 hrs 43 min the lapcounters would enjoy the moment that local runner,
 usually trail runner, Paul Schmidt would complete his first 100 miles on
 the track.  Sandy Powell would be the first and only woman runner to make
 it to 100 miles in 20 hrs 56 min, also her first 24 hours on the track.
 In the last hour of the race, two more runners would be added to the 100
 mile club bringing the total to seven for the event.  Ron Warner, another
 local runner, after years of crafting improvements on the track, bested
 his prior effort by some 8 miles, making this his first 100 miles on the
 track and Terry Crompton rounded out the group with his 100 in 23 hrs 18
 min.  All of them would push on to use the remaining hours for more miles.


 Several runners were saving themselves for other upcoming races.  One
 young, new-comer Cristina Werling showed promise and poise with her 70
 mile effort and the wily, greatly experienced, 70 years young Glen Zierbel
 ended with the same mileage.  Lowell Snicker at age 73 joined his son Jeff
 Snicker, a several year participant , and managed a combined total of
 116.5 miles.  The race celebrated Robert Finin's participation of 20 years
 at this race with recognition of his over 1500 miles.  The achievement of
 1000 miles at this race went out to Bill Seldomridge, Scott Hoag, Ron
 Grimes, all participants this year, and Marty Sprengelmeyer who continues
 to assist with the race organization.

 We thank the runners and walkers that come from so many different states,
 the armies of volunteers, and the many sponsors (one of which ran the
 event, probably a first for this race!) and all our families that let us
 sneak off to indulge ourselves and our dreams - whatever they may be.

 Bonnie Busch