by Andrew Pridgen

Carson City, Nevada - Skinned elbows and knees. Blistered feet streaking up sun-bleached sandy banks leading up two major hills. An all-volunteer crew, subsisting without the benefit of an overbearing major corporate sponsor. But by the three hour-mark, when most participants were gathering for a breakfast burrito, the race that had inflicted so much pain and dirt-caked grins was forgiven.

Welcome to the highs and lows of the Escape from Prison Hill half-marathon.

At dawn Saturday, more than 180 runners, almost all hailing from Northern Nevada, gathered to participate in a grueling 13.1-mile run featuring some 4,000 net feet of altitude gain (and, of course, descent).

Runners came from varied backgrounds, including ultra-runners who usually put themselves to the test on 50- or 100-mile trail runs to first-time half-marathoners, some of whom had never strapped on a pair of running shoes until a few months ago.

“We had a training program,” said Scott Keith of Carson City Fleet Feet, one of the race’s sponsors. “We had about 18 (runners) train with us, and for four of them - this is not only their first race, but their introduction to the sport.”

The fourth annual race, also is the start of the season for some, said this year’s race organizer, Dave Cotter, who also is president of the 160-member Carson City-based Sagebrush Stompers and its sister club, the 240-member Tahoe Mountain Milers.

Cotter, who said the race is first in this year’s series of four regional trail runs co-sponsored and sanctioned by the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA), said this is a “big race” for competitive runners to “see where they’re at.”

“The ultra-runners love this course,” he said. “It’s got the hills and gullies. Today we had the weather. It’s just a great run to get out there and work out the kinks.”

One of the highlights of the summer race season, Cotter said, will be in July, when the RRCA, along with U.S. Track and Field will host a 50k, 50- and 100-mile race on the Tahoe Rim Trail to crown a national champion.

With the top male finisher finishing in less than 1 hour and 40 minutes and the top female crossing the tape at under 1 hour and 55 minutes, no course records were set Saturday.

More at nevadaappeal.com

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