Tony hit 50 miles in about 7:30, so well ahead of the course record pace. Duncan Callahan is about 41 minutes back with a couple guys 9 minutes behind him. He has a decent buffer against the course record right now, but 100 miles is a long way and he's got a lot of miles left. Sounds like Tony looked good going through Twin Lakes (60.5), but nobody has a split on it. It's really a shame that Lifetime Fitness doesn't do anything to update this. It's all just word of mouth...
Tony's 7:30 for Winfield was actually only 5 minutes ahead of MC's split there when he set the record, but MC's 2nd half was 32 minutes slower than his 1st half. Tony hit Twin Lakes 1:45 ago in 9:30, so he banked another 4 minutes against Matt's ghost and has 9 minutes on the record right now.
It sounds like Tony dropped out somewhere between Sugarloaf and May Queen. From my understanding, he may have needed some medical attention, so here's to hoping he's ok. The dude's an absolute inspiration and any course that can force the best long distance trail runner in the world to push himself that hard must be insane, even more than it sounds on paper. The fact that he was pushing for a time not much slower than what he ran at Western at a much higher elevation with a numerically similar gain/drop profile just shows he's got balls.
Tony, when you read this, even though you'll still be bummed over the race, realize that people respect you all the more for going for it and playing your entire hand out there. That's the only respectable way to do it.
yeah anton...it's part of ultra-running to drop out. i wish you a quik recovery...and so let me thanks you for your words about running...keep to talk about everithing about this subject...cause by example today i ran in my island..a good race for me after a lot of injury and if i made 25th on this course it's a lot by the way of your inspiration man!
My appreciation of you, Tony, has never been about the competitions. Because of your example I was not afraid to run a 16 miler last week. Love the photos you and Jocelyn take. Enjoy the blog writings. You are a winner, dude, in the truest sense of the word.
Your efforts are always amazing and well respected. Running is not just about one foot in front of the other...your abilities and achievements grow as you mature. Leadville will be yours again...just give it time.
Just got home from the race and the word on the wire during the race was that Tony was hit by an ATV around MayQueen. This was all that everyone heard and there has been no confirmation as far as I know. It sucks. He was on course for a new record and was taken out by an ATV ON COURSE???!! WTF???!
I saw loads of cars and ATVs on various parts of the course during the day. There were over 700 runners that officially started, only 315 or so finished. Weather was perfect all day and night. But, course safety on some of the dirt roads was non-existant. Allowing ATVs, or trucks or anything else on some of those roads when there are that many athletes running a race is absurd. I hope he's alright, sounded like it wasn't a major injury.
Somewhat unrelated, saw Jake Gyllenhaal at the Twin Lakes Aid station at the cutoff time. No idea what he was doing there.
hit by a ATV!!!!! on a mountain's trail!!? if it wasn't so stupid and sad for anthon i'd said in my language:"c'est le comble de l'ironie"....but it's not a joke...and this event is not a great add for stranger about U.S ultra-trail! and if the best U.S ultrarunner is injured on it...what is the destiny of the latest?
Good to hear it was just figuratively and not literally. Just wish race officials/race event staff would post news updates about the race throughout the day...there was nothing. And there were a lot of plain dirt tracks/fire roads where ATV's are technically legal to drive on. I just think for a race like this, they should be closed for the race period.
I think Tony really underESTIMATES Matt Carpenter's Leadville record. Beating Uli's record or Jurke's record is one thing but beating Matt Carpenter's record is a whole other planet. We forget that Carpenter competed against the likes of Bob Kempainen and Arturo Barrios both sub 2:09 marathoners. I'm glad he is ok.
Totally agree with Kris's comment. No offense, but Tony IS an erratic runner. "All or nothing" approach is kinda risky business. We know that running (and winning) requires not only legs but also brain and some strategy. Best wishes for speedy recovery!
Kris and Jack made their point. Fair 'nuff. Tony might argue that he runs more with his heart. Perhaps that is why so many of us read his blog? Besides, Tony is still young and his best races are ahead of him.
If you read his New Balance interview he posted prior to Leadville, he states that he is running to win, not for time.
However, it seems like he was definitely trying to beat the CR and that contradicts that statement in his interview. With an hour lead on Duncan, he could have started at a more conservative pace and probably won Leadville, without the CR.
But, none of us know why he dropped yet, so it's all speculation. I do agree with Kris and Jack though that he underestimates that CR since he has blown up at mile 70 both years he has tried to beat it. I'm a little disappointed as a fan that he goes for the CR, blows up, and drops the race. It seems to contradict the love of being out there and running and not just quitting cause you f-ed up your chance at a CR.
It's unfair to say that Tony underestimates Carpenter's record. Having the boldness to strive for something extraordinary, and falling slightly short, does not indicate a failure to appreciate the full extent of what one is trying to accomplish. Simply, 100 mile races are beasts. No matter how well prepared you are, sometimes your body gives out when taken to that extreme. As a pacer this weekend who witnessed another tough-minded soul fall short of his goal, I bore witness to that, and I came to respect the race all the more. I saw Tony at Twin Lakes, at 60.5, and he seemed completely within himself. Whatever happened to him at mile 80 reveals no more a character flaw than Carpenter's struggles in 2004 revealed weakness about his character. When you put yourself on the line like that, you are completely exposed. Anyone who has the courage to do that has earned my respect and more.
Wow, sounds like the armchair quarterbacking that sometimes makes the Ultralist so hard to stomach is making it's way into this string. Fact is, until we hear a firsthand account, everything is rank speculation. Hit by an ATV, abducted by aliens, quit because MC's record was slipping away ... no one knows. I heard he was suffering severe hypothermia. But that's just another rumor. We do know, however, that you don't chase 15:42 by being timid.
If I'm not mistaken, Dakota Jones came within 14minutes of breaking another untouchable Carpenter CR(7:59:44 @ SJS50) in June. So, it can be done. 50 isn't 100, but someone will break the Leadville CR. It is only a matter of time. I'm not one to critique Tony because I have no idea what it is like to run that fast up front. We all take chances in our running. Tony gambled and his strategy didn't work. But I know one thing, he didn't fail.
Kieran: True, Carpenter blew up in 2004, but he still finished the race, even though it meant limping in the last 20 miles.
Fixated: Yes, someone came close to beating a Carpenter course record this year, but that's not the same as beating it. Carpenter's records stand at Pikes, SJS50, and Leadville. Of course they are not "untouchable," but they are all very stiff.
I ran Leadville this year, finishing many hours after the leaders. Tony passed me at 1:11 p.m. coming down Hope Pass as I was going up. I shouted some encouragement as he flew by. At that point he looked fast and fit, and I estimated he would reach Twin Lakes at about 1:30. The next racer (which would have been Duncan Callahan) didn't pass me for another 45 minutes, which means Tony had about an hour lead at that point. So he had the race won, if winning was his goal. Clearly it was not.
Tony said in his interview with NB that he wanted to go out and race Leadville to win. Either that was strategic misdirection aimed at his competitors, or he said it without really meaning it, or it became not true during the course of the race. Maybe he just felt too good to slow down. Maybe he just needs more experience to understand how his body is going to react after pushing hard for that many miles at altitude.
In any case, congrats to Duncan and good luck to Tony next year.
I am a slow runner, but I always try to improve on my own performance however mediocre that might be compared to others and that has caused me to DNF a few times. But if you never go for it you will never know what you are capable of doing. I give Tony kudos for trying to beat a record that seems impossible to beat even if in the process of doing so he has to DNF for whatever reason. We do not know the real reason why he stopped and he doesn't owe me an explanation or anybody else for that matter. I like seeing people strive for their goals and from what I read he was well on his way to reaching it. I just hope he is ok.
Someone posted on Twitter a picture of the list of runners through one of the early aid stations. It showed another runner, Javier Montero, quite a bit in front of Anton who was shown as coming through in second. It was around 4 to 5 hours into the race. Can anyone confirm if Javier did take it out very hard and lead through four or five hours? If so, I wonder if Anton was running a bit harder than he might have otherwise just to keep him close.
"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat." -- Theodore Roosevelt
lots of speculation His love for what matters has inspired me and his distances have shown me what's possible. I look forward to reading his account if/when he chooses to give it.
All this speculation can end..read his race report. He ran a good race, just blew up towards the end. IT's a long race and anything can and does happen even to the best of them. Better luck next year.
Coming close isn't beating a record and it doesn't always show how fast or good you are until you beat it. Dakota didn't beat Carpenter's record period. Tony's DNFing reminds me of Chad Ricklefs. Chad would always drop out of a race that he knew he wouldn't win. Either way, Tony doesn't really understand the level of Matt Carpenter. Maybe Tony or Geoff Roes will never beat Carpenter's record because maybe it's a genetic thing.
Kris, Tony was relatively close several years ago and if you look at his other times, he's improved dramatically since then. It's just a matter of getting everything right on race day.
Yes, Matt Carpenter has a VO2 max of 92 or 96, depending on which tests you believe, but that's not really all that important when running 100 miles. Admittedly, it gives a significant advantage in a course like leadville, but a higher VO2 isn't going to help him run farther, just faster. Anyway, VO2 does not necessarily make you a better runner. It gives you a higher capacity to run and someone's baseline abilities without training would be higher with a higher VO2, but to run 100 miles as fast as possible, you simply need tons and tons of miles logged and/or an unbelievably high pain tolerance. Matt has the VO2 and pain tolerance thing going (based on how well he runs at altitude, which can be excruciatingly painful), but his endurance base is nowhere near Tony's. I'd put money on him hitting it with one more try.
Those on here who are making criticisms related to Matt C's record and Tony's goals as a runner really need to get a grip. Tony is one of the finest ultrarunners in the nation and world--with extraordinary mountain-running skills. He is ambitious and all the great ones are. Why should anyone care what Tony's goals are and how ambitious they may be? Why can't we just be fans and support him?
I was at Leadville this year and saw Tony on Hope Pass. So focused. I've done enough 100s to know some days things don't go well (it was one of those days for me). I'm just glad Tony is OK and will live to fight another day.
53 comments:
RIDE THAT WIND AND MAKE IT YOURS TONY!!!
Run, Tony, Run!!!
Enjoy the experience and may you achieve your desires!
Sarah
You are evolving as a runner Tony! It is nice read it in your own words. Thanks for sharing the interview.
Good luck! I see a course record in store for you tomorrow.
Does anyone have a live feed or updates for todays race?
Go Anton!
Couldn't find a live update, but found this pre-race interview video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31ou_6zVu3k
Krupicka has a 25 minute lead at the 40M mark (Twin Lakes). My guess is that he close to the turn around at Winfield by now.
Tony hit 50 miles in about 7:30, so well ahead of the course record pace. Duncan Callahan is about 41 minutes back with a couple guys 9 minutes behind him. He has a decent buffer against the course record right now, but 100 miles is a long way and he's got a lot of miles left. Sounds like Tony looked good going through Twin Lakes (60.5), but nobody has a split on it. It's really a shame that Lifetime Fitness doesn't do anything to update this. It's all just word of mouth...
Tony's 7:30 for Winfield was actually only 5 minutes ahead of MC's split there when he set the record, but MC's 2nd half was 32 minutes slower than his 1st half. Tony hit Twin Lakes 1:45 ago in 9:30, so he banked another 4 minutes against Matt's ghost and has 9 minutes on the record right now.
Collin, do you have any new information? Thanks for posting some info.. heck.. i think the racing folks want the world in the dark..
yeah, I can't find any info anywhere. So bad. Come on Tony, you can do it man.
JF @ NB.
shocked they are not doing updates
Did he drop out of the race or win it?
so what? just a cliffhanger ending? i can't find anything on the web 'bout the race. . . ?
From twitter I read that Anton had a 45min lead when he stopped racing at the May Queen Aid station.
Looking forward to your write up Tony. Hope you're alright Champ.
It sounds like Tony dropped out somewhere between Sugarloaf and May Queen. From my understanding, he may have needed some medical attention, so here's to hoping he's ok. The dude's an absolute inspiration and any course that can force the best long distance trail runner in the world to push himself that hard must be insane, even more than it sounds on paper. The fact that he was pushing for a time not much slower than what he ran at Western at a much higher elevation with a numerically similar gain/drop profile just shows he's got balls.
Tony, when you read this, even though you'll still be bummed over the race, realize that people respect you all the more for going for it and playing your entire hand out there. That's the only respectable way to do it.
You are such an inspiration, and i wish you a quick recowery from whatever stopped you from finishing. All the best from Norway!
yeah anton...it's part of ultra-running to drop out.
i wish you a quik recovery...and so let me thanks you for your words about running...keep to talk about everithing about this subject...cause by example today i ran in my island..a good race for me after a lot of injury and if i made 25th on this course it's a lot by the way of your inspiration man!
so let's ride the wind again!
My appreciation of you, Tony, has never been about the competitions.
Because of your example I was not afraid to run a 16 miler last week.
Love the photos you and Jocelyn take.
Enjoy the blog writings.
You are a winner, dude, in the truest sense of the word.
Has Leadville lost popularity of support? It has been hard to get much info both during and after the race.
Some information has been posted on Twitter using tags #lt100 and, even better, #leadville100.
Photos of results sheets are here.
I also wish Anton all the best: I love his blog and it was wonderful being able to meet him in person when he visited Palo Alto, CA.
Tony,
Hope you are doing ok.
Your efforts are always amazing and well respected. Running is not just about one foot in front of the other...your abilities and achievements grow as you mature. Leadville will be yours again...just give it time.
Just got home from the race and the word on the wire during the race was that Tony was hit by an ATV around MayQueen. This was all that everyone heard and there has been no confirmation as far as I know. It sucks. He was on course for a new record and was taken out by an ATV ON COURSE???!! WTF???!
I saw loads of cars and ATVs on various parts of the course during the day. There were over 700 runners that officially started, only 315 or so finished. Weather was perfect all day and night. But, course safety on some of the dirt roads was non-existant. Allowing ATVs, or trucks or anything else on some of those roads when there are that many athletes running a race is absurd. I hope he's alright, sounded like it wasn't a major injury.
Somewhat unrelated, saw Jake Gyllenhaal at the Twin Lakes Aid station at the cutoff time. No idea what he was doing there.
What's an ATV?
ATV = all terrain vehicle. Like a quad (4-wheeler) or something similar. That would be devastating, I hope he's OK.
hit by a ATV!!!!!
on a mountain's trail!!?
if it wasn't so stupid and sad for anthon i'd said in my language:"c'est le comble de l'ironie"....but it's not a joke...and this event is not a great add for stranger about U.S ultra-trail!
and if the best U.S ultrarunner is injured on it...what is the destiny of the latest?
He wasn't hit by an ATV he just felt like he had been. Going for the course record and blew up. Pure and simple
Glad to hear he was not hit.
Thanks for all the reports folks.
Good to hear it was just figuratively and not literally. Just wish race officials/race event staff would post news updates about the race throughout the day...there was nothing. And there were a lot of plain dirt tracks/fire roads where ATV's are technically legal to drive on. I just think for a race like this, they should be closed for the race period.
I think Tony really underESTIMATES Matt Carpenter's Leadville record. Beating Uli's record or Jurke's record is one thing but beating Matt Carpenter's record is a whole other planet. We forget that Carpenter competed against the likes of Bob Kempainen and Arturo Barrios both sub 2:09 marathoners. I'm glad he is ok.
Totally agree with Kris's comment. No offense, but Tony IS an erratic runner. "All or nothing" approach is kinda risky business. We know that running (and winning) requires not only legs but also brain and some strategy. Best wishes for speedy recovery!
Jack
Kris and Jack made their point. Fair 'nuff. Tony might argue that he runs more with his heart. Perhaps that is why so many of us read his blog? Besides, Tony is still young and his best races are ahead of him.
If you read his New Balance interview he posted prior to Leadville, he states that he is running to win, not for time.
However, it seems like he was definitely trying to beat the CR and that contradicts that statement in his interview. With an hour lead on Duncan, he could have started at a more conservative pace and probably won Leadville, without the CR.
But, none of us know why he dropped yet, so it's all speculation. I do agree with Kris and Jack though that he underestimates that CR since he has blown up at mile 70 both years he has tried to beat it. I'm a little disappointed as a fan that he goes for the CR, blows up, and drops the race. It seems to contradict the love of being out there and running and not just quitting cause you f-ed up your chance at a CR.
Kris:
It's unfair to say that Tony underestimates Carpenter's record. Having the boldness to strive for something extraordinary, and falling slightly short, does not indicate a failure to appreciate the full extent of what one is trying to accomplish. Simply, 100 mile races are beasts. No matter how well prepared you are, sometimes your body gives out when taken to that extreme. As a pacer this weekend who witnessed another tough-minded soul fall short of his goal, I bore witness to that, and I came to respect the race all the more. I saw Tony at Twin Lakes, at 60.5, and he seemed completely within himself. Whatever happened to him at mile 80 reveals no more a character flaw than Carpenter's struggles in 2004 revealed weakness about his character. When you put yourself on the line like that, you are completely exposed. Anyone who has the courage to do that has earned my respect and more.
Wow, sounds like the armchair quarterbacking that sometimes makes the Ultralist so hard to stomach is making it's way into this string. Fact is, until we hear a firsthand account, everything is rank speculation. Hit by an ATV, abducted by aliens, quit because MC's record was slipping away ... no one knows. I heard he was suffering severe hypothermia. But that's just another rumor. We do know, however, that you don't chase 15:42 by being timid.
Miles
If I'm not mistaken, Dakota Jones came within 14minutes of breaking another untouchable Carpenter CR(7:59:44 @ SJS50) in June. So, it can be done. 50 isn't 100, but someone will break the Leadville CR. It is only a matter of time. I'm not one to critique Tony because I have no idea what it is like to run that fast up front. We all take chances in our running. Tony gambled and his strategy didn't work. But I know one thing, he didn't fail.
Kieran: True, Carpenter blew up in 2004, but he still finished the race, even though it meant limping in the last 20 miles.
Fixated: Yes, someone came close to beating a Carpenter course record this year, but that's not the same as beating it. Carpenter's records stand at Pikes, SJS50, and Leadville. Of course they are not "untouchable," but they are all very stiff.
I ran Leadville this year, finishing many hours after the leaders. Tony passed me at 1:11 p.m. coming down Hope Pass as I was going up. I shouted some encouragement as he flew by. At that point he looked fast and fit, and I estimated he would reach Twin Lakes at about 1:30. The next racer (which would have been Duncan Callahan) didn't pass me for another 45 minutes, which means Tony had about an hour lead at that point. So he had the race won, if winning was his goal. Clearly it was not.
Tony said in his interview with NB that he wanted to go out and race Leadville to win. Either that was strategic misdirection aimed at his competitors, or he said it without really meaning it, or it became not true during the course of the race. Maybe he just felt too good to slow down. Maybe he just needs more experience to understand how his body is going to react after pushing hard for that many miles at altitude.
In any case, congrats to Duncan and good luck to Tony next year.
Another unconfirmed report of hypothermia
I am a slow runner, but I always try to improve on my own performance however mediocre that might be compared to others and that has caused me to DNF a few times. But if you never go for it you will never know what you are capable of doing. I give Tony kudos for trying to beat a record that seems impossible to beat even if in the process of doing so he has to DNF for whatever reason. We do not know the real reason why he stopped and he doesn't owe me an explanation or anybody else for that matter. I like seeing people strive for their goals and from what I read he was well on his way to reaching it. I just hope he is ok.
http://trailheads.runnersworld.com/2010/08/leadville-and-pikes-peak-winners-speak.html
Someone posted on Twitter a picture of the list of runners through one of the early aid stations. It showed another runner, Javier Montero, quite a bit in front of Anton who was shown as coming through in second. It was around 4 to 5 hours into the race. Can anyone confirm if Javier did take it out very hard and lead through four or five hours? If so, I wonder if Anton was running a bit harder than he might have otherwise just to keep him close.
"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat."
-- Theodore Roosevelt
lots of speculation
His love for what matters has inspired me and his distances have shown me what's possible.
I look forward to reading his account if/when he chooses to give it.
oh guys!!! whatever would happened to anthon out there...why those moralist's interpretations about his DNF?
he didn't finish....ok...so what? the reason of that is not fair? who is the judge in this case? whatever his secret and truly goal was to beat the record...he tried...and he failed eventually...end of the story, a respectable story "in fine"!
but if you considers that anthon is a lier when he tells us he's just loving the act of running and to be in a nature,desert,forest or mountain...just be like he says..not like you thinks he's doing..and tells to him and to us what means the true senses of to be a pure free-runner!obviously i guess compétition will be a dangerous word for you...and in your story you'll explain to us how you win course without participate.just to be riding a idea of running doesn't worth to ride a 100 miles run with a lot of real runners chasing your socks!!!
he's human....only angels aren't différent of their ideal...he 'll get his own lesson from it...let's get yours too!
All this speculation can end..read his race report. He ran a good race, just blew up towards the end. IT's a long race and anything can and does happen even to the best of them. Better luck next year.
Coming close isn't beating a record and it doesn't always show how fast or good you are until you beat it. Dakota didn't beat Carpenter's record period. Tony's DNFing reminds me of Chad Ricklefs. Chad would always drop out of a race that he knew he wouldn't win. Either way, Tony doesn't really understand the level of Matt Carpenter. Maybe Tony or Geoff Roes will never beat Carpenter's record because maybe it's a genetic thing.
Kris,
Tony was relatively close several years ago and if you look at his other times, he's improved dramatically since then. It's just a matter of getting everything right on race day.
Yes, Matt Carpenter has a VO2 max of 92 or 96, depending on which tests you believe, but that's not really all that important when running 100 miles. Admittedly, it gives a significant advantage in a course like leadville, but a higher VO2 isn't going to help him run farther, just faster. Anyway, VO2 does not necessarily make you a better runner. It gives you a higher capacity to run and someone's baseline abilities without training would be higher with a higher VO2, but to run 100 miles as fast as possible, you simply need tons and tons of miles logged and/or an unbelievably high pain tolerance. Matt has the VO2 and pain tolerance thing going (based on how well he runs at altitude, which can be excruciatingly painful), but his endurance base is nowhere near Tony's. I'd put money on him hitting it with one more try.
Collin,
I know about VO2, I'm a medical doctor. Tony is good but he underestimates Matt's record. It's like me trying to beat Paula Radcliffe!
Those on here who are making criticisms related to Matt C's record and Tony's goals as a runner really need to get a grip. Tony is one of the finest ultrarunners in the nation and world--with extraordinary mountain-running skills. He is ambitious and all the great ones are. Why should anyone care what Tony's goals are and how ambitious they may be? Why can't we just be fans and support him?
I was at Leadville this year and saw Tony on Hope Pass. So focused. I've done enough 100s to know some days things don't go well (it was one of those days for me). I'm just glad Tony is OK and will live to fight another day.
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