Posts Categorized: 2017

Five years between Ultimate entries is a long time. Of the 2017 Ultimate field, Merzi Dastoor has taken the second most years between Ultimate finishes (his previous was 2012). Many Ultimate runners compete for one single year, or run many, often consecutive years. Merzi was one of those one-timers until we were pleasantly surprised to find… Read more »

One of the early storylines of ENDURrun 2017 was the enforcement of time limits, the tweaking of some limits, and the resulting community debate. In the months since, as 12:30pm on Tuesday, August 15 drew closer, not many people were more affected by that deadline than Michelle Barnes. Of the seven Stages, 3, 4, and… Read more »

It’s hard to believe that we’ve known the Putmans for eight years now. It took some prodding from Paul Mora and Mark McDonald just to get them into the Relay competition, and then several years of organizing teams (2010-2013) before Cathy finally took the plunge in 2014. Both she and Aaron have extensive histories of ultramarathoning,… Read more »

Without a doubt, Jack Kilislian is one of the most enthusiastic ENDURrunners. In a community brimming with enthusiasm, Jack stands out. He is often one of the first runners to arrive and and one of the last to leave. He’s a fixture at all ENDURrun socials – including the rest day brunch, where we caught up… Read more »

Such is Merlin’s state of mind at Stage 4. Flash back to Merlin Frey‘s attitude when he entered and finished the ENDURrun in 2015: he expected it was a one-time thing. But in the weeks leading up to ENDURrun 2016, he already knew he was missing out and decided that he would be back in… Read more »

Glen Avery is the lone American in the field this year, but his running exploits are much more exotic than that. Like many ENDURrunners, the event has been on his radar for for many years and many miles. Glen started running when he was 51 years old, and in the fifteen years since, Glen’s journey… Read more »

Such was Susan Moizer’s experience in 2015. All of our profiles so far have covered Ultimate runners currently in the competition. Susan’s story is different – she did not start Stage 1. This story starts in 2015, when Susan, a three-time Ultimate finisher, sustained some devastating injuries that significantly affected her running and kept her… Read more »

Overheard at the massage table today, from Amy Robitaille. Amy’s ENDURrun journey began in 2015, when she first heard about the event from her coach and alumnus Mike Coughlan. A few years and a few Guest stages later, Amy is, in her own words, hooked after just three Stages. As pleasant as her two Stage… Read more »

We caught up with Ultimate rookie Rachael Drost after Monday’s Stage 2. Although the number of rookies is small – they make up 31% of 2017 Ultimate runners – they are vital to the event and Rachael is a great example of the energy that new participants bring to the week and the community. Rachel… Read more »

For our next mini-profile, we don’t have to look farther than Stage 1 winner Vicki Zandbergen for an exceptional story. As the all-time record holder for Run Waterloo event finishes (117), Vicki was recognized as member number 4 earlier this year. This extensive career has also contributed to other ENDURrun records, including the longest current streak of… Read more »