Taming the unseen beast
The Black Mountain Monster pushes trail runners to the limit
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
May 29, 2022
The fear of an unseen terror, silently lying in wait among the trees or around the next bend, can often push the bravest souls to desperately seek shelter.
The May 28-29 return of the Black Mountain Monster, however, brought scores of trail runners to the In-the-Oaks estate to tame the beast.
Around 200 athletes descended upon the Black Mountain campus of Montreat College for the annual ultramarathon, presented by Relentless Running Events. The event featured three concurrent races of six, 12 and 24 hours, following a scenic 3.15-mile course.
The technically challenging trail run began at 10 a.m., Saturday, as participants trotted along a gravel parking lot near Pulliam Stadium toward the Terry Estate Manor House. Runners navigated a diverse array of conditions, ranging from wide grassy terrain to rugged narrow paths. Traversing the historic property, which features creeks, towering pine forests and open fields, the athletes faced a challenging and dynamic landscape.
Each lap ended with a pass through “tent city,” where runners were greeted by music and food, while receiving cheers of encouragement from supporters, and the volunteers who staff the event.
Seventy-two runners completed the six-hour race at 4 p.m., as Herbert Krabel, of Winston-Salem, led the way with 37.5 miles, the sixth-best finish in the history of the event. Seven runners trekked 31.25 miles, including second- and third-place finishers Jason Griffin and Patrick Donoghue.
Chelsea Zsoldos, of Fleetwood, was the top female finisher, also with 31.25 miles, followed by Wrightsville Beach runner Amanda Jacobs, and Hendersonville’s Lauren Griffin.
The next group of runners completed their challenging 12-hour slog at 10 p.m., with John Conner, of Candler; John Ruemker, of Bahama and Lionel Adams of Charleston, S.C. completing 53.25 miles, respectively. Four runners, including the top female finisher, Theresa Patton, of Gainesville, Florida and Jeannette Pantani, of Charlotte, registered 50 miles in the event. Sasha Stipanovich, of Fairview, finished third among the women, with a distance of 46.9 miles.
The final group of 71 runners battled darkness on the trails, where headlamps lit their way through the night, completing the 24-hour competition at 10 a.m., Sunday.
Mark Rostan, of Valdese, completed more than 33 laps around the course on his way to 106.25 miles. The distance was the fifth-best in the race’s history. Arden’s Michael Poole turned in the 10th-best performance in Black Mountain Monster history with 103.13 miles. Third-place Joe Dryer, of Asheville, edged out Allen Griffin in his 100-mile showing.
Weaverville’s Caroline Lefond was the top female finisher, running 84.38 miles, as Rebekah Trittipoe, racing out of Bedford, Virginia took second with a distance of 71.88. Ra Shawn Lee, from Indian Trails, rounded out the top three among women with 65.63 miles.
To view photos of the 2022 Black Mountain Monster, see the gallery at the top of the page.