“An Epic 50K Sky Race in El Paso, TX – Franklin Mountains”
By: Jameson Rienick
On November 10, 2018 I completed my 4th Ultra Marathon with four amazing friends Noah Alpern, Taylor Sowards, Steve Lathrop, and Sofi Loomis. The course ran just over 33 miles, had over 8000 feet of gain, and reached as high as 7000 feet at the peak of the mountain. The weather was perfect. I completed the course in 8 hours and 49 minutes which is my fastest 50K and finished 2nd in my age group.
The course was very technical with lot’s of rocks and uneven terrain. It was very difficult to get into a rhythm during the running sections and I was always having to look down at the trail while moving. I fell down 3 times and must have tripped dozens of other times but left with no major cuts or bruises. I was reminded that traveling to a race that includes a time change is always tough.
My friends Noah, Taylor, Steve, and Sofi were wonderful training partners and each of them pushed me to perform better than I could have possibly imagined versus if I would have gone at it alone. It was their fellowship that made the difference. OK, also a few A.R.T. sessions!
