Over the weekend more than 550 runners participated in the North Face Mohican Trail 100 Mile Run (MO100) which also included a 50-mile event and a marathon. The run was held in Loundonville and drew participants from all over the country and even Canada and one runner from the United Arab Emirates. Participating in the 100-mile event can mean blisters, lost toenails, and seeing nocturnal wildlife on the trails.
Many of the runners noted that the event is not a race; it’s about finishing and pulling through is the goal. The Mohican course, which is 95 percent trail, runs through Mohican State Forest. The run began at 5 a.m. on Saturday and runners had 32 hours to finish the course to have their times recorded.
And finishing is about pulling for the other runners. There’s a camaraderie that develops. Some of them shared their stories Friday night during the event’s pasta dinner.
The run was the first 100-mile event for Richard Juhlke of Mansfield. Previously he had run marathons but for his first 100-mile, he welcomed support from pacers. A pacer runs a portion of the race to keep the distance-runner motivated and maintaining their run time. Juhlke’s pacers included Juhlke’s son, Sarah Stephens and her son.
Juhlke, who served in Security Forces with the U.S. Air Force, has been running for 35 years. In October he will run the Columbus Marathon in an attempt to qualify for the Boston Marathon. He was sponsored Saturday by Spirit Ohio All-Stars of Mansfield.
Michelle Bichel, of Lexington, noted, “When you run 20-30 miles with someone, you get to know them. There are some times, in the middle, when you don’t see people. Then when you do, you pull each other through.”
Bichel has been running since seventh grade, participating in track and cross country through high school and college. She attended Kent State University with a track scholarship. Saturday’s event was her fifth MO100 but her tenth 100-mile run.
Bichel is a member of the Mansfield Area Y Run Club. And the club sponsored one of the aid stations where runners could stop and get their feet worked on by podiatrists or collect bug spray, food, and fluids from their own packs or those provided. Of course, ibuprofen was one of the items many runners have in their packs.
Several runners had more than a few 100-milers under their belts. Dick Canterbury, 65, of Chesterton, IN was running his 13th 100-mile event. He also plans to attempt the Midwest Grand Slam—a total of five 100-mile runs.
When he participated in his first MO100, he admits it was a little daunting.
“I walked into the room and there were so many legends there, I felt intimidated,” he said.
One of those legends was Ron Ross of Medina. This year Ross completed his 18th MO100. He’s been running for 42 years, beginning with track in eighth grade. He went on to graduate from West Point and then retire from the Medina Police Department.
While many of the runners described the blisters and lost toenail they acquired, or lost, during the event. Ross said he hasn’t had blisters for quite some time.
There’s a lot of technology in the socks,” he explained. He also said that the wears slightly larger shoes and coats his feet with Vaseline before putting on his shoes.
Gregg Trapp, of Columbus, was a runner who described himself by his blood type: B+. And that’s his niche in the “family” of runners. “If I see someone coming down the line, I’m going to be clapping for them to cheer them on.” he stated. “Part of what makes an event like this special is the family nature of it. My supplies are your supplies.”
He’s finished his share of 100-milers and Friday night was wearing a Hard Rock 100 Endurance Run buckle from Colorado.
One-hundred-milers earn can earn buckles and those who complete 10 runs at Mohican earn a buckle.
The runners are also close-knit thanks in part to Colleen Theusch of Oldmstead Township. She has been a part of the race since the first event was held 24 years ago. She participated in a 50-mile run in 1989 that was won by Bob Bloom and Theusch was the last person to finish the run. The encouragement she got has kept her going and today she an advocate for the race.
