Dianna Cioppi won the inaugural Blue Heron Hundreds 100-mile title Sept. 3 by 11 minutes at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in Mooresville.
The event was the first official 100-mile endurance event in north Alabama. It was put on by Fringe Events, which was founded earlier this year by ultrarunners Kathy and Rob Youngren and Melissa and Eric Fritz, all of Huntsville. Runners started in Mooresville and worked a flat, 20-mile gravel route on the Wheeler NWR property along the Tennessee River.
Cioppi, 51, of Hampton Cove east of Huntsville, finished in a strong 24:04:56 to claim the win. She competed in her first first 100-mile event in May. Edward Watts, 38, of Huntsville, was second in 24:15:10, and Paul Turner, 59, of Dothan, Ala., was third in 28:28:32.
The 100-mile event had 10 finishers, all coming across the line before the 32-hour cutoff. Each received a cool belt buckle. You can see all the results here, and split times by clicking on the runner’s name.
Blue Heron Hundreds 100K, 20-Mile
The Heron Hundreds offered 100-mile, 100k and 20-mile options, with the latter deemed a “fun run.”
Jim Steele, 43, of Florence, won the 100k title in a time of 13:47:25, with Meredith Smith, 51, of Ashland City, Tenn., right behind in 13:58:24. Hannah Barnhill of Spartanburg, S.C., was third in 15:31:13. Five runners who dropped from the 100-mile event to 100k were listed with an “unofficial finish.”
Here are the results from the 100k event.
Jonathan Newton, 35, of Lawrenceville, Ga., breezed to the 20-mile title in a spiffy 2:27:32. Tommy Morris, 51, of Huntsville, was second in 2:53:20, and Jessie Posey, 29, of Hoover, was third in 3:15:35.
Stephanie Reitmier, 44, of Owens Cross Roads, Ala., was the first female (4th overall) in 3:37:56. Sheryl Dummer, 52, of Huntsville was second (5th) in 3:39:15, and Stephanie Coleman, 41, of Nashville, was third (6th) in 3:45:31. Thirty-two of the registered 40 runners finished.
See all the results of the 20-mile event here.
The two 100 groups buzzed out at 6 a.m., with the 20-milers going off at 7 a.m. Conditions were comfortable until about 9:30 a.m. when the temperature started rising. Weather conditions got a little snotty overnight with pop-up thunderstorms rolling through the area. Wheeler NWR’s gravel roads offered fine conditions, though, for good times and consistency.
A donation will be made to Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Association from race entries and donations.
Sponsors included Fleet Feet Huntsville, Huntsville Track Club, UltrAspire, Singing River Trail, Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge and Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Association.
(Photo: Melissa Hopper Fritz)
