The Mohican 100 Mile Endurance Run is one of the oldest 100 milers in the country. It is as historic as Western States 100, Leadville 100 and Vermont 100. In fact, I believe it is the 7th oldest 100 mile run in the US, just ahead of the Arkansas Traveler 100 and behind, Western States 100, Leadville 100, Old Dominion 100, Vermont 100, Wasatch Front 100 and Angeles Crest 100, in no particular order.
In 2019, I had the fortune to get drawn in the Western States 100 lottery. That led to me trying to get into the other races that are part of the "Grand Slam of Ultra Running", running 4 of the 5 oldest 100 milers in the US. At that time, I scoured the internet for as much information about this challenge as possible. During that search, I came across the "Last Great Race of Ultra Running". This slam consisted of running the six oldest 100 milers over the course of one summer. I managed to gain either immediate or conditional entry into all of those historic races, so the challenge was on!
Weeks later, while in the middle of this humbling 14 week challenge, I bumped into Sean Nakamura, the only other runner that year to attempt the same challenge as me. We became fast friends as we ended up running 7 100 mile ultras together that summer. Then he told me that he was also completing "The Great Eight of Ultra Running"? What?!? There's more?!?
As it turned out, adding the Arkansas Traveler 100 and the Mohican 100 that summer's racing calendar would put you in a even more esteemed group of ultrarrunners by completing the eight oldest 100 milers in one summer. While I was able to still sign up for the Arkansas Traveler, I was too late for the Mohican 100. In fact, by the time Sean told me about it, the race had already taken place. Since I didn't have DeLorean to travel back in time, I had to scrap that idea as quickly as I had learned about this challenge. I was more than happy to complete the Last Great Race that summer to become only the 41st runner to ever do so. In fact, I don't think there have been any other runners to do so since Sean and I completed that slam.
However, that race never left my mind. It felt like unfinished business, to be honest. As I started conceiving this new challenge of completing a 100+ mile ultra in every US state, the Mohican 100 popped back into the picture. That's how I ended up at the start line of the 2024 edition of this historic race this weekend.
The Mohican 100 takes place in the Mohican State Forest and Mohican State Park. It consists of 2 longer loops and two shorter loops between 23 and 27 miles. It was in its 35th year. The elevation gain ranges between 12-17,000 feet, depending on how you measure it. This course is deceivingly challenging, but high DNF rates are likely related to the terrain, the generally difficult weather conditions and the race's popularity among veterans and newbies alike.
5 июн 2024
