With classes over for the summer at The Community School in Sun Valley, Head of School Andy Jones-Wilkins, 42, furthered his outdoor education on the trails in California's Sierra Mountains Saturday.
Jones-Wilkins placed ninth overall of 328 finishers in the 38th annual Western States 100-Mile Endurance Trail Run on June 26. He started the run at 5 a.m. Saturday. He finished at 10:31 p.m. His final time was 17 hours, 31:24 minutes.
Over the first 11 hours, Jones-Wilkins ranged from 10th to 20th place overall before holding steady in the homestretch to finish ninth.
He was second in the Masters Division. His pace for each mile ranged as fast as 8:25, down to 10:29. There were 466 starters, meaning 70% finished.
For Jones-Wilkins, it was his seventh finish at Western States and his sixth straight time cracking the top 10 men's overall. His 17.31:24 clocking was his third fastest in seven finishes—his best 17.07:13 in placing second in 2005.
The run was conducted along the Western States Trail starting at Squaw Valley, Ca. and ending at Placer High School in Auburn, a total 101.2 miles or 161.2 kilometers.
Entry fee was $295. Auburn, the finishing point, calls itself "The Endurance Capital of the World," in large part because of the Western States race.
The trail ascends from the Squaw Valley floor (elevation 6,200 feet) to Emigrant Pass (elevation 8,750 feet), a climb of 2,550 vertical feet in the first four and a half miles.
From the pass, following original trails used by the gold and silver miners of the 1850s, runners traveled west. They climbed another 15,540 feet and descended 22,970 feet before reaching Auburn. The race dates back to 1974, when sole starter and finisher Gordy Ainsleigh did the course in 23 hours and 42 minutes.
This year was officially considered a "Snow Year," meaning there was considerable snow remaining at upper elevations, causing some modifications to the course. Nevertheless the distance remained the same and there was a new course record.
Men's winner in a new record was Geoff Roes, 34, of Douglas, Alaska. His final time of 15.07:04 (paces 8:00 to 9:04 per mile) was over 29 minutes faster than the previous course record of 15.36:27 set by seven-time men's winner Scott Jurek in 2004.
The Roes time was 1.17:51 faster than last year's men's winning time set by 2009 and 2007 winner Hal Koerner. In fact, Saturday's men's runner-up Anton Krupicka, 26, of Boulder, Colo. also shattered the previous record with a final time of 15.13:53, putting him second all-time.
Saturday's women's winner, fastest of 54 women coming into Auburn's Placer High School, was first-time victor Tracy Garneau, 41, of Vernon, B.C., Canada. She placed 20th overall in 19.01:55.
