Marathon
This second edition of the Rock N River 50 Mile and Trail Marathon is the 12th race in the Ultrarunner.net Race Series of Northern California. It serves as a qualifier for the Western States 100 Endurance Run, one of the oldest and most challenging ultra trail events in the world.
Course
The Rock N River 50 Mile course starts from Auburn and finishes in Sacramento, following the American River. The Marathon version, which is 27.7 miles long, on the other hand, ends at the Negro Bar State Park in Folsom. The course is considered to be fast and downhill, with a race cutoff time of 12 hours.
Race Packet Pickup
I registered for the race online two months earlier. I was to be in Davis, California and since Auburn was just over 50 miles away, I reckoned why not join the race? Race packet pickup was at the Hampton Inn in Folsom, less than an hour's drive from my base at Davis. Race day was Saturday.
Pasta Party
At the Hampton Inn on Friday was also held from 3 PM to 7 PM the race pasta/macaroni dinner. This was free for the runners but guests had to pay and RSVP. There I found runners and their families socializing and relaxing. Might as well- the morrow was going to be tough and long.
Race Packet/Extras
The race packet for the marathon provided just the bare essentials- a bib, a brochure, a few freebies, and a performance Dri-Release T-shirt. Runners for the 50-mile race received other extras including a Finisher's Fleece Jacket. I couldn't wait to be using a just-broken-in green Cascadia 6.
Weather
The early morning was supposed to be just fine for running with temperatures in the low 50's. I thus did not layer up and put on just a technical shirt. With the wind blowing though in high-elevation Auburn, temperatures must have dropped to the mid 40's. Cold for someone from the tropics.
Start
A bus took me and other marathon runners from our finish area near the Negro State Bar to the starting area at the Overlook Park in Auburn. Race Directors Robert and Linda Mathis welcomed the close to 200 50-mile and marathon runners, easing them smoothly into the 6:30 pre-dawn gun time.
False Start
Driving to Folsom and Auburn from Davis and back via I-50 and I-80 was no problem for the GPS-aided me. Running on trails was tougher- with only pink ribbons guiding our way. All runners made the wrong turn and ran the wrong way for at least a mile at race start. At mid race, I went the wrong way for half a mile!
Roads
The first few miles were ran in the dark from Overlook Park to China Bar and to the Rattlesnake Bar. Most of the running was done on paved gravel-surfaced or asphalted roads. It was mostly downhill at first and I thought this was not much different from the 21 other marathons I had done before.
Rocks
Then the climbs began. Not on roads but on rocks and trail- the 80-mile Pioneer Express Trail for hikers and horseback riders that goes between Sacramento to Carson City in Nevada. As if to underscore who really ruled this trail, one needed to be careful not to step on many a horse's poops!
River
For most of the marathon, we ran along the American River. Flowing from the Sierra Nevada, through Sacramento, all the way to the San Francisco Bay, this river system is famous for being the site of Sutter's Mill where gold was discovered in 1848 leading to the California Gold Rush.
Trails
This being my first trail marathon, and in another country at that, I did not really know what to expect. The run on paved trails were fine, as were the ones on soft soil. But not the killer ascents and descents on narrow and rocky trails. So much so that I looked forward to seeing a level terrain every time I made a turn.
Hydration/Aid Stations
Unlike in most of my other marathons, due to the terrain, hydration stations simply couldn't be set up at regular intervals. There were, however, 5 such stations at miles 2.5, 9.1, 11.9, 18.4, and 23.2, each stocked with Heed, Hammer gels, water, and food for the hungry and first aid for the injured.
Support Crew
For local runners, support crews could be seen at the aid stations and critical junctions of the race. This was a luxury the out-of-towners couldn't afford. Those running the 50-mile event had to use the 3 drop bag stations while marathon runners had to carry hydration/running supplies in backpacks or belts.
Maniacs
There were at least 4 Marathon Maniacs who ran the Rock N River 50. But despite the few runners, I missed all except one who overtook me at mid race. There also was no photo-op at the finish line. I had to rush to the parking lot and then to Davis soon after finishing to take care of another urgent business.
Medal
This was to be the toughest-to-get medal among the 21 marathons/ultras I have done so far. I finished at exactly 7 hours, my slowest finish for a marathon, although my Garmin 310XT recorded 46.39 km, way over the official marathon distance. It took 5 days for my legs to recover instead of the usual 3- testament to the toughness of the Rock N River 50.
So having been initiated to the world of trail running, would I run another trail marathon again?
Gladly!
Unlike in most of my other marathons, due to the terrain, hydration stations simply couldn't be set up at regular intervals. There were, however, 5 such stations at miles 2.5, 9.1, 11.9, 18.4, and 23.2, each stocked with Heed, Hammer gels, water, and food for the hungry and first aid for the injured.
For local runners, support crews could be seen at the aid stations and critical junctions of the race. This was a luxury the out-of-towners couldn't afford. Those running the 50-mile event had to use the 3 drop bag stations while marathon runners had to carry hydration/running supplies in backpacks or belts.
There were at least 4 Marathon Maniacs who ran the Rock N River 50. But despite the few runners, I missed all except one who overtook me at mid race. There also was no photo-op at the finish line. I had to rush to the parking lot and then to Davis soon after finishing to take care of another urgent business.
This was to be the toughest-to-get medal among the 21 marathons/ultras I have done so far. I finished at exactly 7 hours, my slowest finish for a marathon, although my Garmin 310XT recorded 46.39 km, way over the official marathon distance. It took 5 days for my legs to recover instead of the usual 3- testament to the toughness of the Rock N River 50.
Gladly!
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