photos by Ron Nicholl

Ed Bennett, a race Board Member and long time top finisher won for the first time with a 23:41. Laura McDonough, another local runner and three time Susitna 100 winner, won the women’s race in 27:56. Laura normally runs away from the women’s pack but this year Karen Williams, in her first Susitna 100, kept steady pressure on Laura finishing less than an hour behind. Ed’s race seemed very calculated as he took the lead after the first turn-around and slowly increased the margin. With all the out and backs, there were frequent chances to monitor the lead pack, consisting of Todd Kasteler, Jeff Bannish and Rob DeVelice as they vied for second spot.

David Delcourt, who seemed to fly through the course, won the bike division. Not far behind was 16 year old Benjamin Couturier in his second Susitna 100. Gil and Eric Hjellen made up the father-son team this year and in so doing, had to overcome some mechanical challenges. At about mile 10 many observed a pannier sitting in the middle of the trail, which seemed somewhat odd. Several miles further, Eric was observed riding back in search of his emergency gear.

Terry Teilborg was the only skier to finish in a time of 30:20.

Darren Mattingly won the Little Su 50Km bike division in 2:09 while Amber Stull was the first woman in 3:08. In the foot division, John Collins set a course record with a blistering 3:49 while Patricia Munz took the women’s honors with a 5:22. Mike Selland’s 3:57 and Kathy Faryniarz, 4:21 led the 50 Km skiers.

Finally, just before race day, more typical winter weather arrived. Clear skies and 20 degrees at the start, dropping to 5 the first night and –5 the second. The rain from earlier in the week set up on Big Lake and made the surface look like an ice rink after a Zamboni maintenance. Added traction was needed for all. The skiers made it across the lake to only face some rough ice and tough ski trails. Many broken skis were reported. The bike and foot division seemed better for coping with the ice that seemed to be everywhere, though there were also numerous reports of busted or cracked sleds from hitting the ever-present chunks of ice.

The new ice that had covered old ice on the swamps and lakes created a discordant series of sounds as the two fused. As the temperatures dropped the stresses between the new and old layers would often start out as rumbling sounds, sometimes sounding like a building up from beneath the surface to be followed by a loud cracking sound, not unlike a rifle shot. At night, these sounds were especially eerie. When daylight returned one could see that some of these cracks were up to 2” wide and would run for several hundred feet through the two-foot thick ice. The trail or road across the ice was far from silent or smooth but provided safe passage.

One section of the new course used to skirt Mirror Lake was a series of swampy water holes. On the first time out, the icy water couldn’t be avoided. As the temperatures dropped, the trail firmed up and by the last passage there was only one open water area. Early in the race, this was a dreaded section and many made use of extra shoes tucked into sleds. By the end of the race, everyone agreed they had seen enough open water, icy trails and sheer ice to last a year. We will hope for more snow next year.

The Susitna 100 is unique amongst 100 milers; not just for climate and terrain but the mandatory gear, participants are required to carry. Everyone must have15 pounds of survival gear. Bikes carry the gear usually in panniers; the foot division pull sleds to hold the essentials and skiers either use a backpack or pull a sled. There were instances this year, as in the past, where several bivied out for a few hours of rest along the trail.

The full moon made the night travel very pleasant and generally eliminated the need for a headlamp. The moonlight shining across the frozen swamps created some incredibly magical views. The rough frozen surfaces made the light scatter and dance across the open areas.

At the awards banquet all finishers were presented the now traditional gold pan. The Susitna 100 is unique in its non-buckle award; the gold pan is truly an Alaskan touch.

Special thanks to Brooks and Rita Wade, who along with Ed Bennett spent countless hours on snowmachines seeking a route for the race as the conditions deteriorated daily in the two weeks preceding the race. Thanks also to all the volunteers who did a great job under the changing conditions. Aid stations weren’t even defined until two days before the race. Special thanks to Jeff Jensen and Ken Greenburg for providing the Susitna 100 license plate holders and to Bob Lisey for the Satellite phone support. The support of Montrail and REI–Anchorage was greatly appreciated. This was the first time there have been draw prizes at the awards banquet. Jacques Boutet and Pam Richter did an excellent job as Race Directors for the 100 Mile and 50 Km races. It certainly was a year of challenges.

With all the dogsled, snowmachine and cross-country ski races cancelled this year due to lack of winter weather, the Susitna races were a successful exception. The alternate course worked out well for the conditions. The fact the weather actually improved on race weekend was also especially good and for those that traveled from afar to experience an Alaska winter wilderness race, they didn’t go away disappointed. The Susitna 2003 was a huge success and we will look forward to 2004, perhaps with more snow and maybe just a little less trail ice!

by Ron Nicholl

Susitna 100 Mile and 50Km Race Across Frozen Alaska
Big Lake, Alaska
February 15-17, 2003
Ice Roads, Frozen Lakes, Rivers and Frozen Trails
3,000' Elevation Gain

Susitna 100
Place	Division	Name		Time
1	Bike	David Delcourt		10:28
2	Bike	Benjamin Couturier		12:15
3	Bike	James Stull		15:46
4	Bike	Patrick Murray		16:37
5	Bike	Brij Potnis		16:38
6	Bike	Mike Beiergrohslein		19:02
7	Bike	Kim Kittredge		19:10
7	Bike	Super Al Mitchell		19:10
9	Bike	Eric Hjellen, WI		22:37
9	Bike	Gil Hjellen		22:37
		15 Starters
1	Foot	Ed Bennett		23:41
2	Foot	Todd Kasteler		25:15
3	Foot	Jeff Bannish		26:02
4	Foot	Rob Develice		26:04
5	Foot	Stefano Miglietti, ITALY		27:45
6	Foot	Laura McDonough	F	27:56
7	Foot	Karen Williams	F	28:52
8	Foot	Jamshid Khajavi, WA		30:01
9	Foot	Alan Deubner, WA		31:51
10	Foot	Max Welker, WA		32:43
11	Foot	Aldo Mazzocchi, ITALY		34:01
12	Foot	Bob Lisey, OH		34:07
13	Foot	John Hoppe		34:30
14	Foot	Luigi Mazzocchi, Italy		34:35
15	Foot	Leon Draxler, WA		34:48
16	Foot	Ron Nicholl		37:01
17	Foot	Yvonne Goldsmith	F	38:08
18	Foot	Felicia Bell	F	38:16
19	Foot	Terri Huebler	F	40:40
20	Foot	Jeff Jensen, CO		41:46
21	Foot	Ken Greenberg, CO		41:46
		38 Starters
1	Ski	Terry Teilborg		30:20
		6 Starters
Little Su 50 Km
Place	Division	Name		Time
1	Bike	Daren Mattingly		2:09
2	Bike	Eric Parsons		2:32
3	Bike	Kent Meyer		3:00
4	Bike	Christian Beaudrie		3:05
5	Bike	Amber Stull	F	3:08
6	Bike	David Swanson		3:13
7	Bike	Peter Hart		3:20
8	Bike	Adrienne Hall	F	3:29
9	Bike	Peter Kineen		4:20
10	Bike	Adeline Gelbenhuys	F	4:51
11	Bike	Robert Werner	F	5:45
12	Bike	Heather Bell	F	6:05
13	Bike	Shelly Schwenn	F	6:05

1	Foot	John Collins		3:49	!
2	Foot	Doug Kessler		4:36
3	Foot	Butch Allen		4:49
4	Foot	Jim Mcdonough		4:54
5	Foot	Patricia Munz	F	5:22
6	Foot	Mark Jolin		5:25
7	Foot	Kevin Vig		5:27
8	Foot	Bruce Kammen		5:43
9	Foot	Jeanne Schaaf	F	5:45
10	Foot	Rachel Brown	F	5:45
11	Foot	Ali Everson	F	6:25
12	Foot	Kent Everson		6:25
13	Foot	Gary Wheeler		6:33
14	Foot	Heather Wheeler	F	6:33
15	Foot	Charles Utermohle		6:34
16	Foot	Peggy Cobey	F	6:34
17	Foot	Bonnie Swanson	F	6:55
18	Foot	Kathleen Woods-Smith	F	6:55
19	Foot	Ester Spedigato	F	7:24
20	Foot	Mary Duhoux	F	7:25
21	Foot	Chris Mullaney		7:25
22	Foot	Ingrid Everson	F	8:21
23	Foot	Joan Nelson	F	9:20
24	Foot	Ron Nelson		9:20

1	Ski	Mike Selland		3:57
2	Ski	Kathy Faryniarz	F	4:21
3	Ski	Steve Schmitt		4:53
4	Ski	Ernie Piper		5:33
5	Ski	Kirsten Wade	F	6:39
		54 Starters, 42 Finishers