Canandaigua  Ultra
 How the 2005 Race was Won

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Short version submitted to Ultrarunning Magazine

From the gun, ultra newcomer Joshua Quinn (25, from Todd, NC) took the race out hard. Quinn is back from a year in Iraq with the North Carolina National Guard. His most recent Google race result was a 58:55 win in the “Army 10-Miler” in Tikrit. Quinn led the race over all of the big climbs only to drop out with severe leg cramps only 8 miles from victory. Quinn will be a talent to watch in future races.

Only Dan Dominie was able to stay within a few minutes of Quinn through the first 33 miles. Dominie closed to within 2 minutes of Quinn while both were beginning to crack… Quinn’s legs were cramping and Dominie was chilled by the cold rain and wind. When it looked like a lead change was imminent, Dominie took 5 minutes to change clothes, allowing Quinn to retain the lead until he dropped out.

Ramiro Munoz ran a smart, evenly paced race. At 10 miles, he was in 7th place 13 minutes back of Quinn. At 23 miles, Munoz had moved up to 4th place while the gap to Quinn increased to 24 minutes. By 33 miles, Munoz was only 3 minutes behind Andrew Rice in 3rd place and the gap to Quinn had stabilized at 26 minutes. Munoz slowed the least among the leaders and, with 4 miles to go, had taken back 19 minutes in 13 miles to close within 4 minutes of the new leader, Dominie. That would be as close as he would get as Dominie held on for the win.

Daniele Cherniak, the 2003 race winner and 9-time USATF 100K National Team Member, was a notable DNF. Cherniak has been absent from the ultra scene for the last year with a chronic hip injury. Before the start she was hopeful that she could put in a good effort. Sadly, the misty drizzle and cold wind put an end to the attempt after 10 miles.

The best run of the day was that of Bill Fornoff. On a day when the rain and head wind caused everyone else to run slower than expected, Fornoff took a full 7 minutes off his own Super Veterans race record. His 8:42:26 at age 62 computes to be an age-graded equivalent of a 7:15:30 for a 25 year old.

Another notable finish was that of the 3rd place woman. Canadian Elizabeth Hurdman is legally blind. Since being diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa 24 years ago, she has lost her peripheral vision and has only 5-degrees of central vision. Her joy at finishing was wonderful to observe as was that of the other first-time ultramarathoners.

Longer Version of the Ultra Story

As Andy Rice said, referring to race day weather, “Well, two years out of three isn’t bad.”  After weeks of unseasonably warm and dry weather, race day dawned with 46 degrees and a steady drizzle and a rising wind that would speed the runners down the West lakeshore and be in their faces coming back up the East side. 

The 2005 field was the deepest in the history of the race.  Daniele Cherniak, the 2003 overall winner, was back and hopeful she could put her injuries behind her.  Andy Rice, the 2004 runner-up and 2005 leader in the Western New York Ultra Series looked ready to take his first win.  Dan Dominie brought his sub-2:50 marathon speed and Nifty Fifty 6:55 result from 2004 to the race.  Ramiro Munoz had to be considered another favorite with his 3:54:11 4th of 107 at the Chicago 50K in April.  Idaho’s Jay Batcher was more of a long shot.  As a Badwater veteran and adverture runner, there was no doubt about his readiness for the distance but would he have the speed to win?

The first ten miles around Canandaigua are relatively easy.  Runners are advised to take it easy and save something for the difficulties to come.  From the gun, ultra newcomer Joshua Quinn ran like a man on a mission.  Quinn is back from a year in Iraq with the North Carolina National Guard.  At the 5-mile aid station, only Andy Rice and Dan Dominie remained in contact.  Daniele Cherniak was in 4^th at 7 minutes back.  Kim Humphreys, running with the very experienced Ramiro Munoz, was in 6^th place, trailing the nine-time USATF team member by only 1 minute.  The other favorite, Jay Batcher was 10 minutes behind Quinn in 10^th place at 5 miles.  By the Onanda Park aid station at 10 miles, Quinn had opened a 2-minute gap on Rice and Dominie.  The cold and damp did not agree with Cherniak’s chronic hip injury and she dropped out.  Humphreys moved into 4^th place and the women’s lead 12 minutes behind Quinn.  Munoz continued his steady pace in 6^th.

The 7 miles between Onanda Park and Bristol Springs took the runners over the two biggest climbs in the race.  Quinn extended his lead to 4 minutes and Dominie, by running all of Bopple Hill (600-feet gain in 0.75 mile), opened a gap of 2 minutes on Rice.  Humphreys and Munoz continued their steady progress while falling 22 minutes behind Quinn.

The next leg is often the fastest section of the race with four miles of rolling terrain, a quad-killing, two-mile down hill and another flat 4-mile stretch to the Sunnyside aid station at 27 miles.  Quinn still had a 3-minute lead over Dominie while Rice had dropped off the pace at 13 minutes back.  Munoz, with his steady pace, began closing the gap on Quinn and was now only 19 minutes back.  Jay Batcher moved into 4^th place, 30 minutes down with Kim Humphreys another 2 minutes behind in 7^th.

Things got interesting after Sunnyside.  Dominie closed to within 2 minutes of Quinn while both were beginning to crack… Quinn’s legs were cramping and Dominie was chilled by the cold rain and wind.  When it looked like a lead change was imminent, Dominie took time to change clothes, allowing Quinn extend his lead.  Munoz continued to close the gap to Rice in 3^rd place… yet neither gained on the leaders running into Vine Valley at 36 miles.  Humphreys and Batcher remained in 5^th and 6^th losing another couple minutes to Quinn.

In Canandaigua lore, “The Race Begins at Vine Valley.”  Quinn continued bravely on, leading up the last major climb to Town Line Road.  With Dominie still behind him, Quinn dropped from the race with less than 8 miles to go.  Munoz slowed the least among the leaders and, with 4 miles to go, had closed to within 4 minutes of the new leader, Dominie.  That would be as close as he would get.  Batcher got within 3 minutes of Rice only to see Rice finish strongly reopening the gap to 9 minutes over the last 4 miles.  Humphreys slowed some in the last ten miles to finish 19 minutes back of Batcher.

More Snippets

Gary Ferguson ran a smart race with quite a bit of determination. At around 33 miles, he was worried about the 12-hour limit (even though he was actually well ahead of that pace), and was fourth-last. At around 38 miles (Town Line aid station), he could see runners at the top of the Town Line hill. He picked up his pace and ended up passing four more runners in the last nine miles, picking up as much as a 34-minute lead, and finished with a fine 10:12, and missing catching Dan Hazen by less than two minutes.

Peggy Hillery of Hamburg had come out to our Bopple Hill preview. She never let the hills or distance get to her, as she just kept plugging along. Throughout the race she always had a smile, very up-beat, and never doubted that she would finish. She also ran a smart, well-paced race.

Joe Packard was the epitome of perseverance this year.  Stricken with severe stomach cramps even before the half-way point, he continued on, often unable to take nourishment.  Although over two hours back of last year's time, he still gutted it out to finish in less than 12 hours, and joins Andrew Rice as the the only three-time finishers of the event.