Ultra runner Kitty Marcroft of Bellevue picked up the pace July 15 and won the women's division of the Tahoe Rim Trail 50-kilometer (31-mile) trail run in the California hills.
For the second straight year Marcroft, 44, earned a Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) national trail championship in the Women's Masters division—but this year she was the fastest female of 53 women completing the 50-kilometer run.
Marcroft improved her 2005 finishing time on the same course by 17 minutes and 36 seconds and finished the 31-mile distance in 5 hours, 43 minutes and 36 seconds, good for 11th place of 137 men and women.
Her time was a new masters course record. In 2005, Marcroft was the leading runner in the Women's Masters division but was second overall among female runners in 6.02:12. No one beat her this year.
Overall 50k winner was Sal Bautista, 23, of Los Angeles in 4.41:47. Marcroft was 20 minutes faster than the next female runner, 39-year-old Annette Bednosky of North Carolina (6.03:39). Average age of the 50k women was 45.
Summing up the races, runners ages 16-74 completed the 50k course. The winning 50-mile time of Jeff Kozak, 32, of Bishop, Ca. was 8.46:35 and the top 50-mile woman was Molly Zurn, 35, of Reno (9.34:26).
Winners at the 100-mile distance were Jasper Halekas, 30, of Oakland, Ca. (20.18:03) and Diane VanDenen, 46, of Sedalia, Co. (26:56.43).
Because of its scenery and running challenge, the July 15 Tahoe Rim Trail event is known as "A Glimpse of Heaven, A Taste of Hell."
The Tahoe Rim Trail event including a 50-mile race for 85 runners and a 100-mile event for 53 brave finishers has become a July target for Marcroft's trail training since 2003. She has done it three of the last four years, and was the only Idaho finisher among 275 runners in 2006.
In 2003 Marcroft conquered her only Tahoe Rim Trail 50-mile run. She was ninth overall and the winning woman in 9.50:44 that year. The 2004 Tahoe Rim Trail runs were canceled by wildfire in the area.
Kitty Marcroft Photo by Willy Cook
