Anybody who has run ultramarathons, particularly lengthy ones held in distant areas, is aware of the significance of help stations. For a lot of runners, these oases of assist and sustenance are a key element of their means to complete long-distance occasions. In sure races, some help stations have legendary standing, made well-known by their places, features, historical past, or uniqueness.
For our 2025 article sequence right here in AJW’s Taproom, we’ll profile 11 legendary help stations from throughout the ultrarunning panorama and, as we now have finished in previous sequence, we’re looking for nominations from our readers both within the remark part beneath or through our contact kind on the web site.
The Duncan Canyon help station on the Western States 100 course is a welcome reprieve within the excessive nation. Picture: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
To be able to be certain we now have consistency in our choices and to have a point of equity, we now have established three standards for what makes an help station legendary:
1. The Support Station is Distinctive
Everybody is aware of that some help stations are simply completely different from all the remainder. Maybe it’s the place they’re situated, the form of meals they serve, or the volunteers’ costumes, however no matter it’s, the runner is aware of it’s distinctive as quickly as they arrive, and so they keep in mind it lengthy after they depart.
2. The Support Station Creates Memorable Experiences
When you hold across the end line of an extremely for any time frame, you inevitably hear the members rehashing the race with their fellow opponents, typically bringing again recollections of their experiences. Legendary help stations present wealthy recollections for runners and people recollections typically turn out to be landmark moments of the race expertise for years to return.
3. The Support Station is Properly-Established
Whereas many help stations at sure races change and evolve yearly, some have been established for a really very long time. Maybe it’s as a result of the identical group of volunteers have labored the help station for years or perhaps as a result of the help station simply has that particular one thing, however no matter it’s, legendary help stations appear to have endurance that simply builds on itself.
Maggie Guterl refuels together with her crew on the Raspberry help station on the 2021 Excessive Lonesome 100 Mile. Picture: Hilary Matheson/@thehilaryann
As we put together our sequence, like we did with our Below the Radar Races sequence this previous 12 months, we encourage reader nominations for help stations that match our distinctive, memorable, and established standards. When making nominations, at any time when attainable, please embrace the next:
- Race identify, location, and time of 12 months
- Race director’s identify and make contact with info
- Support station captain’s identify and make contact with info
- Support station identify and site (mileage, city, and so forth.)
- A short description of what makes the help station legendary, paying specific consideration to the factors of distinctive, memorable, and established.
The deadline for nominations is December 31, 2024, and the sequence will start in January 2025. We’ll then publish a narrative about one legendary help station per thirty days by November 2025.
Bottoms up!
AJW’s Beer of the Week
This week’s beer of the week comes from Nice Lakes Brewing Firm in Cleveland, Ohio. Launched each December for the previous 20 years, Nice Lakes Christmas Ale is a scrumptious amber ale brewed with honey and a mix of spices. A fantastic accompaniment to a hearty Christmas dinner or a stack of sugar cookies, Nice Lakes Christmas Ale is certain to be a vacation favourite for years to return.
Name for Feedback
What help station would you prefer to nominate for the sequence?
The low-key vibe on the Riverlands 100 Mile and Relay makes it a community-oriented and distinctive occasion. Picture courtesy of Valerie Abradi.
