The Flattest Ultra Around…

GAMEPLAN

Back in September, on a weekend that was originally intended for a major hiking project that fell through me and a couple friends took on the inaugural Richmond 100. A self supported 100km city ultra. It consists of 3 loops, each 33km, that covers the western half of Richmond BC. For those unfamiliar with the region, Richmond, which sits below sea level is dyke secured island and the flattest part of Metro Vancouver.

RUNDAY

It’s Friday evening. 545pm. I pull up to a little side road right next to Garry Point in Richmond. There are a few broken down vans, a semi truck, and a few campervans. This is one of the few spots in Steveston that you won’t get your car towed overnight. That familiar pit in the stomach is there. The same one that comes for me regardless of running a marathon or a turkey trot. It is what it is. I load on my running vest, grabbing the last of what I need, as I won’t be back here again until around 11pm, 33kms from now. I make my way to the Cannery where we are officially starting the race.

LOOP 1 LETS GO

6pm. Go time. There were about a dozen runners. All friends. Many came out to run the first loop in solidarity. In total 4 of us were attempting the whole 100.

We started out heading clockwise and went at an easy pace, keeping as a group. Not a push to try to get ahead. This was going to be a long day, the distance alone will dictate who will push ahead and who will dial back. We arrived at a pier on the north side of Richmond, where there was a Gatorade stash in the bushes. Fuelled up, we pushed on.

Past the casino, the Bridgeport Neighborhood and onto Shell Road and the entrance to Shell trail. It was now dark and we were all using headlamps. Everyone still sticking together. 4 kms southbound and then the westerly push back to Steveston Village. It’s now 10? 11pm?

Jason peeled off around 27km. The knees just weren’t taking it. We high fived, he handed me his car key so we had access to supplies when going past his car on She’ll Road. We pushed on. We arrived at the end of loop 1. We thanked all the friends from our runclub for coming out and riding the first loop with us. 33km in the bag. The three of us runners made our way back to the cars to resupply and catch our breath for a few minutes. Bonus snacks await us!

LOOP 2 BACK INTO THE DARK

We spent maybe 15-20 resupplying food, reapplying creams, and reloading carbs. We set back out on the same course but counterclockwise this time. Go! 35km. 40km. Pierre had pushed ahead. Nathan was behind me maybe 200m.

We started approaching the Shell trail from the south end this time. I am now realizing that in all my organization for this, I did not charge my headlamp, and my backup was in the car. I slowed down. Nathan approached. Realizing I had no light, we ran the trail together. Very thankful for that. We made it off the trail and Nathan was struggling a bit. His feet were unhappy with his choices. He made a judgement call and went off course back to his house to swap shoes and intended to meet me further along the route.

It was now maybe 1-130am. I am solo running a pretty shitty part of Richmond. Ran past a few encampments with some folks having a good Friday night. A few hoots and hollers, I didn’t look back. Out past the casino and onto the dyke. 55km. The rain started bucketing down pretty good. The dyke is obsolete of weather coverage. I checked my phone to see if Nathan had messaged. I didn’t see anything, so I slowly (which was the gear I still had) pushed on. Shortly after a bike came cruising up. I thought…Nathan….or trouble? It was Nathan. The feet weren’t letting up, but in true trooper fashion he came out to say he was done running but would bike with me in the pouring rain the 10+km back to Steveston to see that I finished the loop.

The next hour or two became slow progress and having a laugh as we made our way along the dyke arriving back at the cars around 330am. I was exhausted. 67km complete.

We also saw Pierre who had been MIA, sleeping in his car. He rolled the window down and said he was done. 2 loops and he was out. Nathan asked me if I was going to leave soon for the last loop. I wasn’t sure I was even going to do it. I needed to lie down. At least for 25 minutes. Nathan went to his car to do the same. He said he would wake me within an hour or less if I didn’t get up. I climbed in the car and collapsed.

LOOP 3 FFS, WE’RE STILL DOING THIS

There was a bang on my window. Some fucking guy is starring in my window. “Is this guy trying to break into my car”. My heart starts racing. I am wide awake. It takes me a moment to realize that it’s Nathan checking to see if I have left, or if I am alive.

I fumble to get myself up and open the door. “Are you going to run the last loop”? “Ya”. “Well, it’s go time then the sun will be coming up soon.” And with that I thank Nathan and he makes his way back to his car to pack the bike in and head home. I am alone, getting my gear on, cold wet gear. Not feeling amazing, I realize I better get moving and get the away from my car as soon as possible so the option of quitting is no longer available.

As daylight is slowly making its way to the landscape around me, I have cleared Garry Point and am pushing the long exposed West Dyke. A runner up ahead is flying down the trail towards me. It’s Bernard, a friend getting in some early morning mileage. He cheers me on as we cross paths. It was enough to snap me back to life from the hazy dreamscape state I was in.

Rounding Terra Nova and heading east my brain has now seen this section for the 3rd time in less than 24hrs. I start processing each and every km that I know I still have to complete. Further up ahead I see cones laid out on the dyke and it occurs to me that I am about to intersect Richmond’s parkrun, a regular Saturday morning 5km race held every Saturday morning.

I make my way down onto River Rd to avoid getting in the way of runners warming up, knowing my reflexes are waning. As I run past the main carpark area, I hear my name being hollered, Miki, Hanami and a few other friends from runclub that ran with us last night jump out of the car and come up beside me. They check in and both Miki and Hanami start running down the block with me. My heart is lifted with the support. Miki has to turn back by the end of the block to get back for parkrun. Hanami says she’s going to run with me for another 35-40 minutes and get me back to Shell trail. So happy to have the company, and the distraction from my head overthinking the entirety of what I am doing. We start flying down Bridgeport Trail towards Shell Road. Hanami gets me back to Jason’s car, at the end of Shell trail. She gives me a hug, and cheers me on to go finish before she heads back to parkrun.

I get to Jason’s car, open the back seat and collapse. I am somewhere around 85km in. I laid for a few minutes, I can feel each little muscle in my back firing and spasming. I don’t care. I hear a car approaching. I think to myself it’s probably a cop thinking I have broken into this car, or that I have overdosed, or died. The car pulls right up beside me. Fuck off! (I think to myself). I don’t have the energy to try to explain this ridiculous endeavor that I am attempting. I finally sit up. The doors of the other car open… And it’s Nathan and his partner! They came to check on me and brought food. We chat for a bit, he ensures I am loaded up with what I need to finish. I thank them both, and realize I need to get going. I threw the running vest on one last time and shuffled down the trail. 15km to go. A short time later Jason shows up on his bike. “Let’s go! Time to finish this up!” He bikes along beside me for the last push, giving me direction, encouraging pushing forward. “Let’s run to that far tree, then a walk” “push to the last boat, then a walk” picking off small pieces to breakdown the remaining kms.

The last bit of the boardwalk and we get back into Steveston. Past the Cannery, past the cars, just one last loop around Garry Point to hit 100km. Jason is there, my cousin Elise who has just arrived from Holland, Ryan, Julia, and Annika all are at the edge of Garry Point. We all make our way around the point together. And done! Finished. The Richmond 100 is complete!

What a feat. As far as self made Ultras go, with one was pretty wild. Partly because it’s so flat, like entirely flat. Like 2M elevation for the whole thing. Also partly because you cover the same terrain 3 times, but the loops are so big that it doesn’t have the same effect as a backyard ultra. It was hard. So happy to have shared the event with many of the friends from runclub that came out and supported us, and so happy to have had Jason , Pierre and Nathan, other runners to take part. As for moving forward, I have been asked if the Richmond 100 is going to be an annual event… I’d like to think so. Richmond 100 would be an amazing feature run for the city. Something to work towards I suppose.

Cheers.