Photos & Recap of the 2014 MMT 100
The bridge leading into Elizabeth's Furnace
With the 20th Massanutten Mountain Trail 100 Mile Run completed, its time to reflect a bit and share some of the footage we captured during the weekend. The race was epic in every sense of the word. Great weather greeted the runners at the start and would be with them throughout the race but its what happened before the start that added to the challenge. The area received a few days of heavy rains and many areas were flooded. Roads were closed, detours were everywhere and much of the trails that the course would be run on were now streams. Thanks to all of the great volunteers, the race went off without a hitch. Some areas of the course were marked just as runners were arriving. AS#5 Elizabeth's Furnace at mile 33.3 was completely underwater the night before. A few old heavy cemented down park tables were ripped from their foundations and thrown downstream. The bridge to the area wasn't even visible the night before.
Both the mens' and women's field were loaded with strong runners. Karl Meltzer was back for his 6th MMT which ultimately became his 36th 100 mile victory and his 4th MMT! Angela Shartel from San Diego CA won the women's field, coming in 7th overall and setting a new course record with a time of 21:24:30! Gary Knipling finished his 17th MMT 100 at the young age of 70! Out of the 191 started, 141 finished within the 36 hour cutoff. This is remarkable taken the conditions that each runner and their crews faced. Click here for full results. So many great stories and tales of adventure were made.
Above is our video of the 2014 MMT 100! Listen to some of the runners describe the course as they make their way to the finish. Music by Blood, Sweat & Tears, "And When I Die". This song was playing during the last runner in the video to cross the line. I believe the song that runner 172 Jeff Smith was singing was from John Denver...
Race Reports
MMT 100 (69.3 mies) Race Report by Elizabeth Carrion Azze "Tough Decision but Best Decision."
The days leading up to the race the area suffered intense rain storms, the roads, rivers and streams were flooded. For some reason I didn’t think much about the trail conditions while driving on the winding road towards the start. I should of known better when we were following a truck plowing the road of debris and mud but I was overwhelmed by the vibrant colors of green, the wild flowers, and the sounds of the flowing water. Everything felt alive, begging for adventure...read more
Words from MPF Athlete Julian Vicente on his 3rd MMT 100 finish!
"Congratulations to everyone who braved the Massanutten Mountain Trails this weekend! Here’s a short clip of the sleepless journey spent down in Virginia (courtesy of Joe Azze). It took 26hours and 30minutes to run the 104mile course due to some “technical” difficulties this time but I’m proud to have earned my 3rd MMT buckle! Jules & Karl were outstanding support throughout the race tending to my every need at aid stations, pacing me for 30+ miles, encouraging me to carry on and refusing to let me drop at mile 96. I’m grateful to have the support of my family, friends & Mountain Peak Fitness.
Photos
Here are a couple of links to the photos I took throughout the weekend of the 2014 MMT 100. Most of the shots were taken in and around of the aid stations. Hope to back for next years race! For ALL 103 PHOTOS, visit our Facebook Gallery.