Amateur Sports

Todd Henderson started the Mount Cheaha 50K trail run last year hoping to launch an annual event. Today's second running brings him encouragement.

Pre-registration showed 128 runners as of Friday night, up from the 86 that started the race last year. Henderson hopes to have more than 130 toeing the line for today's 7:30 a.m. start.

“Word got out,” Henderson said.

And it went far.

Today's field draws from 13 states — the farthest being Colorado and Minnesota — plus Canada. Ages range from 19 to 69.

They've volunteered — even paid — to run 31 miles and change on a single-track, mostly off-road course complete with creek crossings, overlooks, lakes, water falls, hardwood and pine forests in Talladega National Forest to Alabama's highest point.

Those who finish the undulating course — 69 did last year — will take a combined 7,000 feet in climbs. The fittest will do it in less than five hours.

The race is termed an “ultra,” a race longer than the 26.2-mile marathon distance. The ultra community has Ultra Running Magazine, and the publication featured the Cheaha 50K after last year's race.

Dink Taylor wrote the piece. He owns a sporting-goods store in Huntsville, ran in last year's race and is registered to run today.

Publicity helped swell the field. Word of mouth from the 20-something runners who are back for what Henderson termed “a second dose” helped, too.

Henderson can dream big.

“If we have 200 or more next year, this will be one of the top 20 ultras in country,” he said.

This year's field includes runners who have competed in the Western States 100, a 100-mile race in Auburn, Calif., and the nation's top ultras.

Top reported 50K times in this year's field include a three-hour-and-45-minute finish by Huntsville's Tom Prossert. Atlanta's Ragan Petrie leads the women's field at 3:56.

Others to watch in the men's field include Taylor, last year's runner-up and the top returning finisher, Huntsville's Rob Youngren (4:03), Tennessee's Kevin Dorsey (4:11) and Pennsylvania's Larry Creveling (4:29).

Top female competitors include Minnesota's Kimberly Holak (4:15) and Georgia's Sally Brooking, a 50-year-old who has run the distance in 4:46.