2024 Crazy Mountain 100- Race Report

Let’s just start this race report with a BIG WOW! 

About the race from the website: Crazy Mountain 100- With around 23,000 ft of vertical gain reaching heights of 10,200 ft. Point to Point. Primarily single track. Extreme technical descents and ascents. Long sections with no trail, two track, and the occasional forest service road, this event is one of a kind. The course is considered extremely rugged, extreme exposure, and challenging. While "hard" is relative, many expressed that this course was more challenging than they thought, and some were greeted with what they expected. Just know, if you are not accustomed to remote mountain running with scree, steep accents and descents, and all possible footing, then you may be in the "harder than expected" boat! It will test your grit and leave you feeling accomplished crossing that finish line like no other event around. The race course itself navigates through the Indigenous lands of the Apsaalooke (Crow Nation), private farm land, and public land/forest service roads. To the Apsaalooke people this range is called Awaxaawippíia. “Awaxaawi” Meaning Mountain. ppíia” meaning ominous or angry. Some say you can hear the mountains and the power is felt. 

Thursday: Travel Day leading up to the race, I contemplated either driving 10.5 hours from Boulder or to fly to Bozeman and then rent a car. I ended up flying after a poll but it ended up being a longer day of travel since I had to fly from Denver to Seattle and Seattle to Bozeman and my flight got delayed in Seattle by 3 hours. Luckily, I met another runner named Chris Barry who also was running the race and picked me out of a crowd since I was wearing my favorite Hardrock 100 hat. We finally arrived in Bozeman and my Japanese friend, Hayato Nishikata was waiting for me. Since I was late, we had to rush to get the rental car, pick up dinner before driving to the race finish line for check in. We arrived about an hour after everything was finished but thankfully the Race Director, Megan DeHaan still let us check in and get our drop bags done before the volunteers transferred them to the aid station cars. Before turning in for the night, I caught up with a few friends, as well as Mason and his wife at (Ultra Crew Hub) before setting up camp for the night. 

Meeting Chris Barry in the airport waiting for our flight from Seattle.

Reunion with Hayato (Strava)

Friday (Race Day): My alarm woke me up early at 3AM, as well as other campers also moving around the open field. I changed into my race gear and got my Paago RUSH 7R vest ready. Hayato and I got onto the last bus where we and other runners were getting shuttled at 4:15AM sharp to the start line about 1 hour away. On the drive, we tried to catch whatever remaining shut eye we could get but along the bumpy road, the emergency alarm system went off in the bus and nobody knew how to turn it off so we sat with the blaring alarm for about 15 minutes as the bus driver drove down the single lane dirt path. The driver would eventually pull over to turn off the alarm of the dislodged alarm since we still had 20 more minutes to drive. After arriving at the start about 30 minutes before the race, I did final check in and got my bib and tracker before, making my rounds to say hello to friends, as well as get the best pre race candid photos by Howie Stern who I was surprised and delighted to see he was going to be out on the course. 

Hayato and I at the race start.

Race elevation profile

Race Start: Lined up at the front with a few friends and right at 6AM, Megan sent us off on our way for our 100 mile journey. Early miles were shared with Brandon Benefield and Seth Swanson on a double track jeep road. Brandon and I got to catch up since it had been since 2019 that I last saw him. It was our both our first time meeting Seth and we both knew his accolades and we all just got to sharing our backstories. The miles flew by as we started finding our groove and we hit the first aid station at mile 6 (Porcupine) and blasted past it. The next 13 mile section to aid 2 (Ibex) was super overgrown with tall grass, nettles and wildflowers. The cow trails were a mix of gopher holes, hidden rocks and uneven terrain but Seth and I had gapped Brandon when he stepped off to use the bathroom. I tweaked my left ankle here for the first time but managed to brush it off and calmly reassure myself it was going to be fine. Just had to focus up on the technical sections. Eventually, we turn a few switchbacks before the aid and legendary ultra runner, Nikki Kimball was there to let us know aid was coming up at mile 20. This is where I’d see my crew, Connor Koch for the first time. He got my drop bag and next set of Vespa and Precision gels and I was in and out with Seth very quickly. As we left the aid, we were getting cheered on and cars were coming on the jeep road. Somehow, we missed the turn onto the singletrack and went about a mile off course. We ran back and Connor was heading out to the next spot I'd see him and said Brandon had passed. Blunder on our part as we weren’t pay attention. We then make our way back to the correct turn and head up the trail. A few folks had passed us but it didn’t really matter ~20 miles into the race, the true race doesn't begin until mile 75. Then, Seth and I made another navigation error and climbed ever so slightly more than a right turn we were supposed to take to aid 3 (Cow Camp). We back track again to find flagging to the right trail we’re supposed to go down. Our first major climb of the day to just around 9500 feet was spectacular. Views coming up the valley and just seeing how beautiful these mountains were was such a mental boost. I let Seth go and fell into a good pace of my own. We passed a couple folks who had passed us but we still didn't see Brandon. 

First climb views 😍 (PC: all photos were taken by me unless otherwise stated)

I could see Seth climbing in the distance and maintained my speed up the mountain. The ascent was around 2700 feet in 5 miles to the pass. Once out of tree cover, the valley opened up and  getting the first glimpse of the canyon was unreal. There were also many water crossings and plenty of options for filtering down below the base of the pass. By the time I reached the summit, Anastasia, another race photographer was up there snapping photos. The view was incredible of Campfire Lake and then on the other side of the pass was views of Moose Lake which we'd descend down to before getting to Cow Camp, a remote aid station that horse's hike 8 miles in for the supplies. Shout out to the volunteers there!

Campfire Lake from the first climb

I was in 3rd at this point and about 50K into the race. The volunteers told me that I was about 5 minutes back from Seth and second place, Croom Beatty. I left in good spirits and caught up to Croom a few minutes after leaving the aid. Eventually the trail opened up to some grassy meadows with cairns. There was a water crossing where I tried to avoid getting my feet wet, but it was useless. I chatted with Croom briefly as he was dealing with some stomach issues and passed him as we made our way up our second climb of the day to Conical Peak all while Seth was a few switchbacks up above us. The trail got narrower and started climbing steeper up to another stunning lake called Glacier Lake through trees. This section is mostly exposed tundra but has some tree cover in areas. I saw a few folks with their horses camping as we ran by them. Then the trail becomes full of rocky switchbacks while continuing on up to the pass. I'm just soaking in what is the most breathtaking portion of the entire race.

Once I got up to the peak, Howie was photographing. It was great to see him as he snapped some sweet photos I'm looking forward to seeing post race. I then headed down the backside to Halfmoon trying to catch Seth. Trail continued to be rocky, shale, and hard footing at times. Switchbacks on down to two lakes called Twin Lakes. Continuing on down the single track, it widens as you get closer to Half Moon trailhead. As I approached the aid, Megan and her son and cattle dog were hiking up to Conical Peak and I crossed 2 large bridges and tried being nimble and navigate the "baby head" rocks down to the aid where Connor was waiting. This is where I rolled my ankle again for the second time. Just deep breathes and thinking we may have to adapt and do damage control.

The views!

WOW. Just Wow.

More wow.

At Halfmoon, I ate like a few oranges and grabbed my next set of Precision and Vespa. It was very quick transition and I followed Seth out of the aid station back up the trail from which we came down. 

We headed back to Cow Camp at mile 55. Everything that I just ran but in reverse. This was super nice because then you can see the chase pack and how far everyone is behind as well as cheer on folks coming down to the aid.

As I was making my way back up to Conical Peak, I caught up to Megan her son and dog and it was great chatting with them just as the skies were looking super ominous and dark like it might storm any second. They wanted to go see Conical since last year they got rained out and there wasn't a view. We chatted as I told her that this race was so beautiful as we climbed up the pass. The rest of the field was coming down the mountain and I finally got to see Hayato and other friends who cheered me on. It was super windy and we thought we were going to get rained on, but it never came. 

Views from Conical Peak

Got back to the peak and the pass and then headed down back to Cow Camp. As I was descending, Croom caught back up to me with his pacer. My pace was faltering since my ankle was not feeling great anymore. Then,I rolled my ankle for the third time and I feel sharp pain shoot up my peromeal and the side of my foot. It stopped me in my tracks as a few folks coming up the trail saw it happen and I yelped in displeasure. I slowly walked it off and then made to back to Cow Camp at mile 55. The volunteers gave me a cute tiny toy pig and told me to go catch the gold pig they gave to Seth. I knew that was long gone with how my ankle was. I couldn't drop here since it was a hike in spot. So I had to continue onto aid 6 at Sunlight. 

On my way to Sunlight aid and this is the view.

Descending the sketchy Sunlight Peak section.

This section is one of the best as well and I'm so lucky I got to see it and do it during the day. The trail is nice single track with some switchbacks as you gradually climb to the base of Sunlight Peak. Trail continues up a drainage. Mixtures of boulders, rocks, single track, dirt, water, roots, and typical backcountry terrain are present. I reached the first small “pond" below the actual Sunlight Lake. Sunlight Lake came right after. The trail follows cairns almost to the lake and then turns back sharply to the right to start the ascent that sidehills to the left, up the mountain. Once you reach the base of the mountain you will finally see a good trail of loose dirt and rock. Ascending up towards the saddle, I saw some hikers coming down and emptied my shoes full of debris. Once I hit treeline that seemed to come out of nowhere, I continued onto the saddle. The trail then goes over and heads straight along the exposed ridgeline. It’s a mixture of tundra like vegetation and rocks which honestly was sketchier then I anticipated. I made my way slowly but slid out a few times and caught myself from going down 10-15 feet down the gulley. Any mistakes and you're a goner. I leaned into the mountain and moved as quickly as possible without causing too much scree to loosen. From here on down was a quad pounding descent, some loose dirt and some shale where my fourth ankle roll of the day occurred. I swore out loud with nobody around me but the wind and maybe some ancient spirits. Once you make it down further, the trail will level out more and become pleasantly "runnable" to the aid at mile 63. Connor was again ready with my gear as I ate a handful of bacon and pierogis. 

The chase pack started trickling in and I knew my competitive goals were out the window and I was just blank staring into an abyss knowing I had 37 miles roughly til the finish. Brandon finally came down the trail as I was headed out of Sunlight and in passing told him how screwed up my ankle felt. He would catch me a few miles later where he told me how he got lost for 35 minutes but was now back in the hunt for the podium. He ended up 2nd and honestly may have won if not for the navigation issues earlier.

It was a serious death march the rest of the night. Heading to Crandall aid station at mile 70 should have been smooth and simple with great runnable trails but the ankle just kept feeling worse and pain shooting up the heel. I put my head down and ran what I could. The route ventured down into a deep creek which we had to cross before arriving at a long jeep road. Being on the gravel road was nice since it was a reprieve from the jarring technical trail that was bugging my ankle. Eventually I made it to the aid as Brandon was heading out.

At Crandall, I tell the aid station I need to wrap my ankle to give it more support. The taping helped quite a bit and then my friend Jon Castrejon came into the aid. I had some broth which didn't sit well and I immediately barf it up before leaving for Forest Lake at mile 78. I'd be able to see Connor again and maybe his energy would give me a boost.

In this next section, this is where I got super spooked. I heard rustling in the tall grass around me and then I turn and my waist light hits a group of eyes. I'm startled and get a quick photo. I'm making as much noise as possible to scare off whatever animal they were. Jon and his pacer, Courtney then catch up to me and I stick with them to have some conversation. They told me we were surrounded by dozens of cows and should be fine. It was great to have company for the night. Jon moved way faster than me going up hill but I was able to catch back up or stay with him and Courtney on the downs which was necessary for navigational since it was a challenge finding some markings on these overgrown cow trails.

It was a difficult section since every step was on an uneven surface. Jon and I were complaining and I felt bad that Courtney had to stick with us. We tried picking the best route down but we still managed it hit all the rocks and gopher holes. I rolled my ankle for the fifth time and I almost crumbled to the ground in pain. I was not having fun, but I held it together as Jon was also dealing with foot and knee issues too.

After a few more creeks we had to cross and failing to jump over them, we managed to get to Forest Lake Aid. Connor and his wife, Becca were there and give me moral support. I hadn't eaten much again and was just in survival mode. I ate some bacon in the aid station and then headed out with Jon and Courtney to Honey Trail aid at mile 85. 

Fell asleep eating bacon and pierogis. PC: Connor Koch

We thought sub-24 was do able, but our situation just kept getting worse and worse. I could barely power hike and Jon's nerve pain in his foot on downhills were causing significant issues. I tried to remind us that this is supposed to be fun and that we can stick this out together. Jon told me these next sections were brutal since he had run it in 2023. He was right about it not being a fun section when you can't run. We got down to the remote aid station and I didn't want to stay long. Jon needed to tend to his foot so I went on without him.

I hit another lake on the way down which made me think peaceful thoughts and to move gently as possible. Eventually my achilles had started to feel bad as well on the rolled ankle, but the rocky terrain became a bit more tame and I had a nice meadow to run on before arriving at the last aid station Huntin Camp at mile 92.

I thought I was going to see Connor and have him pace me the last 8 miles to the finish but when he didn't show up, I knew something must've happened and he could fill me in when I saw him. I didn't wait around as I wanted to be done and off my screwed up ankle. I left for the finish. In my head, I knew it was going to be just over an hour worth of running if I shuffled. I barely walked any of this last section as I was smelling the barn. There were a few last minute cattle guards to maneuver but otherwise the gravel road was pleasant. You could hear the road and cars passing by, but it looked so far away since the view was wide open. Some guy and his pacer flew right by me like I was standing still, but I just keot running my steady pace.I finally made it to the last mile as I had driven in on this road to the finish line the day previously.

Final left turn into Berg Ranch and down into the grassy trail for the last few steps of the race to cross the finish line in 25:57 for 14th Place Overall. Not the day I wanted but it's the day I got and I am very happy with 100 mile finish #24! 

Finish with Buckle!

Post race with Connor! 

Deep sigh of sweet relief to make it through this super sacred and stunningly beautiful beast of a course.

Thank you to all the amazing volunteers and to Race Director Megan DeHaan for putting on this spectacular race. Thank you to the Indigenous lands of the Apsaalooke (Crow Nation) and private farm land owners for allowing us to recreate in your backyard.

Congratulations to all the runners and finishers! Sign up for Crazy Mountain 100 next year! I'll see you there!

Thank you to my sponsors, Topo Athletic, Paago Works, Arcteryx Colorado, VESPA, The Feed for all the support. Thank you to COROS for providing the best watch, LEKI for the best poles.

Many thanks to my therapist, Danielle Snyder, Hu Performance / Dr. Caitlin Alexander for all the Strength work and PT. Thank you to PR Labs and  Dr. Sarah Zimmer at Boulder Sports Physiotherapy for the last minute dry needling and recovery tools available to use. Thank you to Dr. Larry Frieder for all the Chiropractic work pre-race. Couldn't get to the start line healthy without my holistic team. Major THANK YOU to my Arctery'x teammate, Connor Koch for crewing me! 

Last but not least, thank you to Maria for all the love and support, her family, my family and many dear friends both domestically and internationally for following along. 🙏🙏🙏

Final Stats:

Miles Ran: 102.5 miles (Strava)

Rolled Ankle: 6 times

Bacon: 3 handfuls worth

Smiles: Tons

Shoes: Topo Athletic Ultraventure 3 Blue/Orange Combo

Socks: Injinji Crew Length Trail Socks

Pack: Paago Works RUSH 7R 

Fuel: 11x Vespa Wasp Extract, 10 Precision gels and electrolytes

Hydration: ~11L of water 

Clothes: Topo Singlet and Arctery'x Norman 5" shorts and liner

Layer(s): Arctery'x Squamish Hoody for wind and Norvan GTX jacket and pants for rain

Watch: Coros Vertix 2