Flatlanders Race Report

Pinebelt Pacers Iva Lightsey of Taylorsville and Rob Apple of Murfreesboro, TN traveled to Fenton, MO to compete in the 12 hour portion of this race.

Fenton City Park where the race was held is located adjacent to the Meramec River and Larkin Williams Road in Fenton consisting of a 1.4 mile asphalt loop around the park.

The temperatures were much cooler than what MS and TN folks have been enduring over the last couple of months. The starting temp was a cool 62 with the humidity at 87 percent warming up to 77 degrees with 52 percent humidity with mostly cloudy skies in the afternoon which kept the temps down.

Iva was a contender for the EMUS (East Missouri Ultra Series) Overall Winner in her age group. Iva had traveled to Missouri for all three of the series races totaling 97 points in her wins. She was 10 points behind her competition and had no trouble in making it up at Flatlanders. She ran 44+ miles in order to win her age group at Flatlanders and the Series award bringing home a medallion for completing the marathon distance, a plaque for winning her age group and a 12.5 X 16 inch wooden plaque for the Series.

Rob Apple used the race for a training run for the upcoming Wasatch 100 mile race in Salt Lake City, UT on September 9^th. He had planned to run a 50k, but finished with 40+ miles to his credit.

Rob’s significant other, Raz Estridge, formerly of Laurel, won the Series in her age division for a second year in a row bringing home the wooden plaque described earlier and a medallion for finishing the marathon distance. She was ousted for the first place finish in her age group in the Flatlanders race by Louise Mason of Chicago who was also using the race for a training run for a 150 mile race by finishing with 52 miles.

Great job was done by the volunteers who manned the aid station and kept count of laps for 70 runners.

This race is unique in that it is a fund raiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Rob Apple has finished several ultras since the last report was sent in. Raz has been lazy in getting them written. Flatlanders was his 461^st ultra completed in his lifetime.