See images from the 2023 Frozen Goat
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Mark Ullom, 38, didn’t let a bit of chilly weather bother him at Saturday’s Frozen Goat 15K at Monte Sano State Park. Ullom finished the rugged run in a time of 1:18:43, 17 seconds faster than the second-place finisher, to claim the overall title.
“It started out cold, but luckily I had gloves and a beanie and was able to get warm pretty quick,” Ullom said. “Then I put all of that gear in my pouch, and it wasn’t too bad.”
A 33-degree race start calls for different preparations, and Ullom said he changed up his routine early Saturday morning.
“I took a really warm shower this morning to try to raise my body temperature early,” Ullom added. “Then when I got here, I didn’t see a lot of people jogging to warm up. I did my full warm-up and warmed up my ankles so I was ready.”
Ullom said once the race began he stuck to his plan end executed his vision for the run.
“I didn’t want to get out too hard; I just wanted to get out with the pack,” Ullom said. “There was a group of three of us that ran most of the race together, and then came the hills, and that’s when I was able to put a little bit of distance on everyone else.”
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Ullom said the course presented a tactical side with slick, muddy areas where runners had to avoid the goo or step on stones.
“You really had to focus on where you put your feet, and that takes a lot of mental energy,” Ullom said.
“It was just really a beautiful day out here,” Ullom added. “Even though it was cold I enjoyed the run. I talked to my competitors during the run, and we just had a good time together.”
Trent Dean, 36, was second with a time of 1:19:00, and Blake Harvard, 39, finished third at1:24:56.
Jenn Hanna, 46, wrapped up the women’s title in 1:47:58. She was 16th overall. Jennifer Arent, 42, was the second female finisher, 1:49:10 (19th overall), and Vivan Zou, 52, was third at 1:49:53 (22nd overall).
See all of the final results of the Frozen Goat 15K here.
The cold temps and wind didn’t deter a field of participants from taking to the trails and a crowd of spectators from gathering for the races that included a 4-miler, 15K and 30K and was named after a herd of goats that may or may not exist.
“Believe it or not, there used to be a herd of about 10 goats that roamed the Monte Sano State Park for years,” said RunningLane’s Sean Allen. “For those who have never seen the goats, it’s hard for them to believe that there was actually a pack of goats that roamed the mountain. But there was, and you could smell them before you saw them. Nobody has seen them in about 10 years, but they did in fact exist for some time.”
The Frozen Goat is run by the same directors of Eagle Ridge, Grand Viduta Stage Race, Wade Mountain & Wild Thangs Trail Series, River Monster Trail Run, Cathedral Caverns Trail Run and Lost Falls. The races were run at beautiful Monte Sano State Park in Huntsville. The Frozen Goat also serves as a great last tune-up two weeks before the Huntsville Track Club’s 29th annual running of the Mountain Mist 50K.
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