WILLIAMS JUNCTION -- Wesley Hunt had run much faster, but his contentment was still evident.
He sat in the cavernous Girl Scout camp dining hall near Lake Sylvia, 35 miles west of Little Rock, at close to midnight Saturday. It was five minutes after he had won the Arkansas Traveller 100-Miler, a footrace on trails and forest service roads through the Ouachita National Forest, and he was off his feet for the first time for since 6 a.m.
Hunt won over the rolling, rocky course in 17 hours, 23 minutes and 32 seconds.
Two emergency medical technicians cleaned and dressed a small wound on his upper right arm, an injury that occurred during a fall 15 miles into the race, Hunt said he wasn't surprised to have not duplicated the results of his past two efforts on the course.
Hunt, 33, of Little Rock, won the 2014 Traveller in 15:59:12, and in 2015 set the course record of 15:36:33. Hernia surgery limited his training in May, and he said he was never able to approach the nearly 140-mile weekly training peaks from the previous year .
Nevertheless, Hunt was clearly pleased to have won his third consecutive Traveller. Robert "PoDog" Vogler of Russellville finished second in 18:40:31. John Muir of Whitefish, Mont., was third in 19:15:21.
"I felt pretty good about the decisions I made today," Hunt said.
Natalee Thompson of Iowa City, Iowa, won the women's division in 19:51:39. Stacey Shavers-Matson of Little Rock was second in 22:29:00, and Rachel Coulter of Tulsa finished third in 23:33:07.
Thompson won her first attempt at a 100-mile race. Shavers-Matson, 39, a high school administrator, had finished several 50K and 50-mile races, common precursors for first-time efforts at 100 miles, and carefully researched the race's physiological requirements.
"I came in focused on what I knew I needed to do, and it worked out," Thompson said. "I didn't really have any problems. I knew going into that I had put in the training I needed to. I thought that if everything went well, I would be all right, and it all went well."
There are many givens to 100-mile races, led by the certainty of hour after hour of misery. It is rarely evident early, except for those who are not likely to finish.
On Saturday, most of the field seemed at ease and full of humor as it rushed through the Lake Sylvia aid station, 16.4 miles into the race. Hunt arrived in 2:13:00. He barely slowed for a quick drink of water.
"How's everybody doing?" he said to several dozen volunteers gathered near tables loaded with candy, chips, fruit and boiled potatoes.
Things change for most of the runners by the halfway point.
Hunt said he was detecting hints of fatigue through his quadriceps as he made his first pass through the Powerline aid station, 48 miles into the out-and-back course, after 7:16:00 of nonstop running. But he still appeared chipper and eager to continue.
Others reacted to their effort in a way most ultra-running laymen would expect. Thomas Chapin, 38, of Little Rock, sat in warm, bright sunshine and sounded a bit confused. Chapin finished third in the 2014 Traveller, but this time he wondered what his trouble was.
"I think it was my stomach at first," he said. "Now I'm not sure what it is."
Family and friends stood near him and leaned forward with hopeful suggestions. Chapin clearly did not feel well but managed to smile as he responded to ideas and questions.
"What do you need?" someone said. "I just need you to carry me," Chapin said.
Before rising to resume his effort, Chapin said he had experienced similar bouts on long efforts when the weather was warm.
It was 74 degrees, perhaps ideal for most outdoorsmen, but elite endurance athletes prefer shade and temperatures at least 20 degrees cooler.
"This is pretty common to me when it's hot," Chapin said.
He continued until he reached the Powerline on his inbound trek but was unwilling to go further in what will likely be his last attempt at the Traveller. Next year, Chapin will become the Traveller race director. Long-time directors Stan and Chrissy Ferguson recently chose him as their replacement.
Landes Reid, 45, of Maumelle, seemed nearly inconsolable as he sat in a soft fold-out camping chair at Powerline. He said his legs were shot.
"I've let myself get in a bad way," Reid said. "I just haven't eaten enough, and I probably haven't had enough to drink."
Like Chapin, Reid said he knew he needed food to replace his severely depleted energy reserves, but nothing seemed to appeal to him. Volunteer Kathy Gray stirred bacon into a large pot of potato soup within 10 feet of Reid's chair. She had earlier joked that it was the best soup on the course and then brought a half-filled Styrofoam coffee cup of it to Reid, who put a spoonful in his mouth.
"Wow, man," he said. "This really is good soup. Of course, I know hunger makes a good sauce, but this is good soup."
Reid sat for 23 minutes before he rose to rejoin the race. No more than a quarter of a mile out of Powerline, he said he could tell he felt better.
"Bacon will do that to a body," he said.
Reid finished the race, crossing the line near Lake Sylvia in early Sunday morning darkness in 22:00:45.
Hunt said he knew from the start that anything could happen, typically a safe assessment for 100-mile racers, as he prepared to the leave the Powerline aid station, 52 miles from the finish.
"In a race, my legs are a lot like my three children," he said. "I ask them to be good and then hope for the best."
Sports on 10/04/2016