Bishop High Sierra 50k

Ok, so I'm way behind on posting about the Bishop 50k -- which was back on May 19. But it was a fun race so let's agree to forgive my procrastination and get on with it.

I'm not going to lie, in the few days leading up to the Bishop 50k (and note, I ran the 50k, but there was also a 20 mile, 50 mile, and 100k race) I wasn't really that excited about it. I'd been traveling a lot and the idea of driving five hours up to Bishop rather than sleeping in my own bed wasn't exactly making me giddy. But I'd paid the money, and being the cheap so-and-so that I am, I wasn't going to miss out -- and I'm glad I didn't. Why not? Well, let's count down what makes for a great race...

1. Great people

(Photo: Rose Daly)

We had an awesome group that headed up from Vegas -- I hitched a ride with Casey Harney and we met Shad Mickelberry, Ashlee Homan, and Paul and Rose Daly up there. Better still, all the folks I met at the race (and after) were very cool. If the people at a race suck, it's tough to have a good time -- not the case for the Bishop races so a big check mark here.

2. Organization and course support
I can hop in my car and go pretty much anywhere and go for a run, but what sets a race apart is that somebody's taken the time to mark off the trail and there are friendly faces along the way to keep me from keeling over from dehydration, low salt, and hunger.

Race director Marie Boyd and her crew definitely delivered. The race website was very informative and I felt like I knew where I knew everything I needed to know ahead of the race. Though I struggled occasionally with the pink course ribbons blending into the browning scrub, the course marking was great overall and I had next to no trouble following the trail.

Better still, the aid crews were, in a word, awesome. When I got to aid stations I was attacked by at least one, sometimes two, station volunteers grabbing my bottle to fill it up, asking me what I needed, and then getting me back out on the course as quickly as possible. So a big thanks there!

3. The course

(Photo: Ben Jones)

Obviously, go out and pay money to run a race, you ideally want to be running something cool. I give Bishop mid marks here -- and let me explain. In my short time of trail running I've done some pretty sweet running including a Grand Canyon double crossing and a 47-mile trek through Zion. In addition, I think the Bootleg Canyon trails that I run on a weekly basis here in the Vegas valley (site of the Bootlegger 50k!) -- with their sweet single track and views of Lake Mead -- are killer.

The Bishop course did have some nice views of the Sierras -- definitely a plus. On the downside, the course itself was largely ATV roads rather than single track and there were a bunch of sandy patches that just weren't that fun to run through. Maybe I just need to get back out there again to get a better appreciation, but for now, like I said, I give the course mid marks.

4. Competition

(Photo: Rose Daly)

Local Vegas runner Josh Brimhall (owner of Red Rock Running Company) was slated to go out for the 100k race, but he had to pull out at the last minute. The 100k course record holder Jorge Maravilla was there, but he dropped down to the 50k and treated it as a fun run, finishing in 7:03 (his 100k record is 9:40). Over the years, the race has attracted other significant talent as well -- notably Ann Trason holds the 50-mile record from back in 2003.

I'll be honest though, as a severe novice, it's cool to see great runners lining up at the start, but I don't really mind a less competitive race. My fellow Las Vegas runner, the ass kicker who goes by Shad, ran a solid race and won the 50k in 4:49. I ran my best 50k to date (otherwise known as my second 50k) and took third at 5:14.

5. Fun goodies
Yes, it does make a difference what goodies a race gives out. I'm no sponsored runner and the idea of getting free stuff (even when it's baked into the price of your race entry...) is still pretty awesome to me. So here's the deal with the Bishop goodies... The pre-race dinner was included and it was actually a darn tasty meal, +1. The local Sage to Summit store gave us a $10 no-strings-attached coupon that I used to get some new socks, +1 there too.

The race shirt... umm... well... it's very... pink. It's really, really pink. I mean it's like "view through a pinhole solar-eclipse style so you don't burn your retinas" pink. Had I known, I probably would have asked for a small and given it to my wife. Will I ever wear it? I won't say "never," but know this: If I do where it, you will know, wherever you are, because it is that bright and that pink.

The bottom line
The entry fee and five-hour drive out to Bishop turned out to be very well worth it. Would I run it again? There are soooo many great races that I would like to run, so I'm not sure that I'll be running too many non-local races multiple times, but if I don't have something on my schedule near there next year I could definitely see myself going out again -- maybe next time for the 50-mile or 100k course. Of course there's a caveat with that -- Marie Boyd is retiring as race director, so it will be interesting to see who will pick up the reigns and whether they'll be able to do the outstanding organizational job that she did.

And one final thought to leave you with... It's never a bad time when you can find the energy for a karate kick mid-race.

(Photo: Ben Jones)

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