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Month: September 2012

Pacing at Wasatch 100

Most trail ultramarathons, 50 miles or more, allow runners to use a “pacer” to run along with them for the last half of the race.  Pacing is true service.  There are no awards for pacing, just the satisfaction that you have in some way helped a runner accomplish something pretty spectacular.  “A race is just a race, but a friend who paces you is a friend for life.” – Joseph Franko

This year, I decided instead of running Wasatch 100, that I would pace someone. I linked up with Matt Van Horn who I had run with a couple times.  He would be trying to finish his first Wasatch 100.  I’ve finished Wasatch four times and each year had some very painful low-energy sections.  I really had no strong desire to run it again for awhile.  I could run those trails any time I wished, with much less pain.   At the pre-race meeting I was asked if I felt bad not running for myself this year.  In all honesty, I was not envious at all.   I looked forward to being a pacer.