Hills, cramps, blood, mud, blindness, missed cutoffs and DNFs, multiple finishes and more are storylines in the storied history of the Mountain Mist 50K.
More chapters will be added Saturday in the running of the state’s oldest ultra. The 30th Mountain Mist 50K is set to begin at 7 a.m. at Monte Sano State Park. A sold-out field of 525 was reached on Christmas Day. That’s expected to be lower, though, due to weather and typical DNS situations. The event has a 9-hour 30-minute cutoff and utilizes more than 30 miles of challenging trails in the park and adjacent Land Trust of North Alabama.
TVO asked runners for their Mountain Mist memories. Some, such as from Kristin Deaton, referenced the “mud, mud … all the slippery mud.” Several provided some doozies.
Mountain Mist Coyote
Rob Youngren — My craziest story was from one of the several Double Mountain Mist (and one Triple) challenges completed many years ago. I was finishing a reverse Mountain Mist and running down the Mountain Mist trail about an hour before dawn, before the official race start. I’d spotted sleeping deer all night long off in the woods, sometimes very close to the trail. Occasionally they’d stir or move about, so I’d grown used to the rustling bushes and other off-trail noises. Well, all of a sudden I heard something off the trail to my left and as I turned my head to look, BOOM! I was struck in the back of my leg by a flying gray blur.
I fell and the fuzzy gray shape tumbled down the hill off trail. As I started to get up and looked towards the gray shape, the tumbling stopped and a coyote stood up, shook its head and took a long look at me, then turned and ran off into the still dark woods. I couldn’t believe it! I figured the coyote was also dozing off trail and I’d spooked it awake as I ran by, (and) in it’s haste to flee it ran into me! I’d been dozing on my feet as well up to this point, but I was now wide awake!
Blindness? Yikes!
Melissa Fritz — Going blind two years ago mid-race was definitely NOT a good memory. I started running MM and was fine except that it was incredibly cold. I think the temp was around 5 degrees at the start, and who knows what the wind chill was. Around a half-mile to a mile in, my vision got a little blurry. I assumed it was just because of the cold temps and continued on. Things got progressively worse but I don’t think I realized myself how bad things were until I was coming down closed Bankhead. I’m a sucker for dogs and saw a figure with a dog on a leash. I asked a friend what kind of dog it was. She replied it was Ruth Marie Oliver’s husband with their pup, Sassy, and I was shocked. All I could see was a blurry figure with a blurry dog.
For someone with perfect vision (usually), I was surprised I didn’t recognize one of my favorite pups. I continued on thinking things would get better eventually, but they got worse and worse. I eventually told my future-husband to continue on so he wouldn’t miss the cutoff. At that point I still felt that I could make my way down the trail to the aid station and could drop there. I was wrong and eventually ended up off course in the middle of the woods. I saw one runner pass (far away from me) and asked if I was on course. They said no, and asked if I was ok. I said “I think so,” but I wasn’t ok.
Thankfully, Elaine Sillivant came along. She said she would stay with me. I wouldn’t let her though (because I didn’t want to jeopardize her finish) and told her to just send someone back for me from the aid station. I knew I was less than a mile from the aid station at that point. My vision eventually went out completely, though. Thankfully, Elaine found the nicest hiker who came and found me and walked me back towards the aid station holding my arm and telling me where and when to step.
Eventually, I got to the point where an EMT met me and took me to an ambulance. They ran tests and eventually took me to the hospital. The diagnosis ranged from being an ocular migraine to being related to my Reynaud’s. After reading of multiple other ultra runners who have had the same experience, though, it seems to have been related to the cold temps freezing the cornea or something along those lines. I just hope to never have it happen again! My vision returned about as slowly as it disappeared. I measured it based on various writing on the boards in the hospital room. I went from being unable to read anything (not even my phone) to eventually being able to read the text on the walls, to finally seeing almost normal by the time I left.
New Goal: 20 Years
Eric Patterson — Every year seems like a new story! In 2011, I forgot my shoes (I live in Athens) and had to turn around and get them. I started 15-20 minutes late, tried to make up the lost time and then blew up in the last few miles of the race. I literally laid down on the side of Old Railroad Bed trail to rest. One year, I think 2016, it was icy. I was reckless on the Bluffline descent and fell really hard. A friend still jokes that I sounded like the grape-crushing lady (google it). Owww! Oooooh!
In 2021, I had basically quit running as a result of Covid. Also, I had just gotten my 10-year finisher jacket in 2020, so I had planned to retire from Mountain Mist. As the date for Mist drew near, I started regretting not signing up, but the race was full. I hated the thought of missing it. Dink found a spot for me, and I drudged through it very unprepared, just using the residual fitness of years of running. I’ve been running much more consistently since then, so that year saved me from quitting running. I’ve set a goal of 20 finishes, but as long as my body is able, I’ll run the Mist. I love the vibe and the people who both lose and find themselves on those rugged trails.
Mountain Mist, the Hardest
Dana Debardelaben — I have done three full Ironmans, numerous marathons, three other ultras … MM is by far the hardest race I’ve done. It’s not just the terrain or the distance or the mud. It’s the clever way the cutoffs are constructed. Dink (Taylor, race director, assuming it was him) calculated paces based on the section of the course. So easier sections have a faster pace needed to meet the cutoff for that section. It’s not an issue if you’re in the front of the pack but if you feel you’re in danger it’s a little bit of a math problem to figure out what’s needed. It turned out I wasn’t in danger but I definitely had it all outlined so I’d know exactly what I had to do.
That was also the year Sarah Coleman Callaway and I ran Rocket City Marathon, Dizzy 50and Recover From the Holidays together. She was pregnant and I was so worried about her! But she told me to leave her on MM because she was nervous about finishing. (She did, of course, just a few short minutes after me, but I think she was in front of me until like mile 25!). I had nightmares about that mud days after!
Multiple Memories
Eric Fritz — The early years I ran it and would start cramping before halfway definitely come to mind. And coming upon Patty Murray when she broke her collarbone, that was interesting (she was so calm; just needed directions to civilization). And, of course, the triple with Rob (Youngren) was quite the adventure (running down waterline in the dark on tired legs is quite an adventure). But, yeah, leaving my future wife on the trail when she went blind so I wouldn’t miss the cutoff, that probably takes the cake.
One Shoe, Please!
Dana Overton — 2010, a race to remember … bombing down (for me anyway) Bluff Line and feeling my right shoe blow out. It would barely stay on my foot but I happened to be running as first-place female so I couldn’t afford to slow down. I made it into the LandTrust aid station where my sweetie, Wayne, happened to surprise me by being there and he was wearing his trail shoes, albeit his feet are two sizes larger than mine. All I can remember is running toward the aid station screaming, “I need your right shoe.” He looked at me with confusion, then looked at my feet, and quickly removed his shoe and handed it to me. I went on to finish for my only Mountain Mist win. Of course, I also love all of the history that surrounds the race and the one and only legend, DeWayne Satterfield!
Frozen Tundra!
Suzanne Erickson —Two favorite years spring to mind. 2016 was the year of the frozen tundra. We had snow and ice in Huntsville on race weekend. But instead of cancelling, RD Dink Taylor was able to move the race to Sunday. As a previous Race Director, I know this wasn’t easy! The frozen trails were tough but gorgeous that year. My favorite year was 2020 — my 10th finish and my “jacket” year. Casey and I crossed the finishline in sparkly skirts and tiara visors. It was a true celebration!
Strong Finish
James Falcon — The 2011 race when 5 of us arrived at the last climb going up rest shelter together. We were going as hard as we could, albeit it slow. There were six finishers between 4:28-4:29. I think the most important story is how everyone should climb the red gate, regardless of where it is, in honor of DeWayne Satterfield.
Damn Waterline!
Laruen Stegen — Clawing my way up damn Waterline and seeing Kathy Faulkner Youngren and Melissa Hopper Fritz sitting pretty on the edge by the rope and watching us suffer. Kathy made a joke about Keven Stegen losing his grip on the rope and Melissa caught a picture of my face that I still hear about all the time. This was after taking a Fireball shot with Kevin Green and forgetting to fill my water bladder, so I got to do all of Railroad Bed, Alms House, and Waterline parched!
Shortcut? No Bueno!
Lindsey Shady — I think a few people know this story, but MM 2015 is where I earned my trail name — Shortcut. As embarrassing as it is to admit now, I inadvertently made it a marathon that day by missing a turn. As someone newer to trail races, I wasn’t level headed enough at the time to go back and retrace my steps to figure out where I went wrong. It was my first DNF and also eliminated me from my first Grand Slam attempt. It was a tough lesson to learn but if I’m good at one thing, it’s laughing at myself!
Being that I have such great friends, Ryan Harbaugh commemorated the catastrophe the next year by surprising me (and 500 other runners) with a really sweet, durable, thick, giant corrugated poster of me at the scene of the crime, High Trail and Bluffline, with the instructions, “Lindsey says turn right.” I still have the sign and it hangs proudly in my garage. Perhaps the funniest part is that it has followed me around for years. I was running Grand Viduta a few years ago, chatting with a stranger about Mist, and the topic of people veering off course came up. He mentioned seeing a poster in the woods of some idiot who took a wrong turn at one of the intersections. Good times! There is something uniquely special about Mountain Mist and it will always be my favorite 50K.
Icy Sluumber Party
Colleen Wilson-Hodge — My favorite story is from 2016, when the snow and ice were predicted. Lindsey Shady and Ryan Harbaugh were texting me at work on Friday. They jokingly suggested we have a pre-mountain mist slumber party at my house on Monte Sano so they wouldn’t have to drive up in bad weather. The funny thing was that I said, “Yes let’s do it.” So everyone came to my house. Then after a bit the race got postponed to Sunday, but we still had the slumber party anyways. It was really fun! My kids were amazed that Mom was having a slumber party.
Sweeper to a Dozen
Rick Greif — I believe it was 2000, Brooke signed me up as a sweeper. Ice storm! The next sweeper couldn’t get up the mountain so I did double duty and was hooked. Ran it the next 12 years in a row.
Pop Goes the Ankle
Lisa Hall — About 9-10 years ago, I was running my first MM. At mile 19, I turned an ankle really hard, heard a loud pop, and fell to the ground. The guy running behind me heard the loud pop, As he ran past, he said he would find help for me when he got to the next aid station. After a few minutes, I got up and tried to walk … not too bad. And then tried to run, again, not too bad. At mile 19, everything hurt, so the ankle pain didn’t stand out.
I picked up the pace to make up for lost time and to make the next cut-off. Passing the guy who was going to get help for me, I said, “Thanks, I’m good now.” I continued on, crab-crawled up Water Line and finished the race, with everything hurting equally throughout my body. The next day, my ankle was swollen three times its normal size and black and blue! I think adrenaline keeps us from feeling pain while we’re out there tackling that beast.
