This started as a much shorter article, but there are so many great stories to tell I decided to make it a blog.  Sorry if it is a little long.

Our 5th Anniversary race was a special one in many ways.  We had a record number of runners, ran our first 100 mile event, and our runners raised over $55,000 for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.  It was a representative from the SOWF, George Ferkes, speaking at the awards ceremony that got me thinking about what it takes to put on an event like this.  He mentioned my immediate family, including my brother who directs the 24hr and 100 mile events, my father who does all the photography and ads for this magazine, and I think all the runners know my mother either in person or from Facebook.  But what he didn't mention were the other groups that have become part of the Destin Ultras family.  We handed out six 5 year sponsor awards to business leaders who have believed in us from the beginning and supported every step of the way, Tops’l Resort, ResortQuest, Graffiti/Funky Blues Shack, The Back Porch, Pompano Joe’s, and Run With It;  they all are part of our family.  Each year we have dedicated volunteers return to donate their time- at crazy hours of the morning, day and night to the cause, (I wish I had room to list every single one of them here); they are part of our family.  The Walton County Sheriff’s officers have become part of the family and treat our runners as if they were their own brothers and sisters.  And, of course, the amazing runners are the largest part of our growing family.  

You can look through the results and see the amazing individuals that top each list. Joe and Eileen Czabaranek have been with us since the beginning and seem to be collecting our 105mm awards as Joe won his 5th straight Destin 50 mile this year and Eileen scored her second.  Our 50K male winner, Troy Howard, has been making the trek from Colorado to join us for 3 years now. 24hr female winner Jean Hofschulte and her husband John have become fixtures at our races (John even walked me off of Hope Pass after I failed to make the cutoff at the Leadville 100 a few years ago).  Female 100 mile winner Christy Johnson joined me on my low carb/high fat eating journey two years ago and has since become an even more amazing athlete. These folks and many, many more sprinkled throughout the entrants have become members of our family and are very important part of our success. 

Then there is Joshua LaJaunie “Louisiana Fat Boy” who weighed 400lbs before he started running.  In 2011 he decided he had had enough and heard running was great way to remove body fat.  By the time he actually started being able to run he was down to 340lbs and signed up for a 6.2 mile race.  Although this race ‘handed my ass to me’, he caught the running bug.  Fast forward to 2014- Joshua had completed his first marathon and a couple of friends who were former military talked him into signing up for our race.  He trained for Destin by running 4 marathons.  The Destin Ultras tested him, “the last leg found me crying, laughing, and talking to myself in both anger and pride.” Patrick was able to carry the thoughts of someone else with him throughout the day, his Bam Bam (grandfather) who served in the Korean War. “The whole event made me feel like more of an American than I ever have in my life. I’m proud of the men and women who make the dream of ‘the land of the free and the home of the brave’ the truth. I will never forget Ratchet 33 and I will never forget my first ultra.”

The more time one spends with the ultra community, the more it becomes apparent that it is one big family.  Almost no where else can you find runners that care as much about other’s success as their own and volunteers willing to brave cold, wind, and sleep deprivation to support people they have never met.  I’m very proud that the ultra family has taken me in as one of their own and I’m more proud that I have been able to introduce hundreds of new runners to the ultra family and the Special Operations Warrior Foundation family.  In the end this race is a little about running and a lot about these families. It will continue to be that way as long as I am around and surrounded by all the rest of my Destin Ultras family. 

Based on some heated Facebook discussions about Ultra Runner of the Year honors, I am compiling my own list with straight forward criteria. This is an official blog and should eliminate any argument or accusation of bias :)

1) The runner must have run in a race I directed or co-directed in 2014 (Destin Ultras, Six Days in the Dome, Dia De Los Muertos 24hr, Old Glory Trail Trot).
2) They must be nice to race directors and all around cool people to hang out with
3) Very helpful if they run fast or run for a really long time

Men’s UROY Long Course Track – Joe Fejes
-580 miles/6 Days, Six Days in the Dome. That is REALLY hard to do (especially for an older fella from Georgia).  That is more than any other American, ever.  *Male Performance of the Year*
-110 miles in the sand in 24hrs, Destin Beach Ultras. Although he did not break his previous best of 134 miles, Joe owns the sand.
-Joe works A LOT and still puts up the big miles consistently.  Just in case you think you are too busy to run.

Men’s UROY “Short Course” Track- Zach Bitter
-100 miles in 12:08, Six Days in the Dome. That is REALLY fast. Try running 7:16 miles around a track. Comment below how many laps you get at that pace.
-6:44 & 6:49 100K performances, the second earning him 6th place at the 100K World Championships. Now run on a road or similar surface at 6:30 miles. Comment below how many mile you got at that pace.
-He teaches middle school special education and supports our veterans through Team RW&B.

Women’s UROY "Short Course"- Connie Gardner
-Overall win and new 50M course record at Destin Ultras
-World Indoor Record 100K at Six Days in the Dome
-Wins in Destin, Graveyard 100, Buzzard Day 50K, Mohican 100, Pine Creek 100, Tussey Mountain 50M
-She was 50 years old for all of those; a great Mom/sister, works and volunteers her ass off.

Women’s UROY Long Course- Traci Falbo
-242 miles in 48hrs, Six Days in the Dome. Indoor World Record, American overall record. *Female Performance of the Year*
-14:45 for 100M at Tunnel Hill. American Trail Record, 4th fastest American female 100M.
-7:42 for 50M, Destin Beach Utlra Runs, Course Record.
-147 miles in 24hrs, Desert Solstice. 4th best distance American female 24hr.
-She is a full time pediatric physical therapist and great Mom- and better be a great wife as much as she abuses her husband/crew chief during races :)

Clearly it is pouring rain outside and I am neglecting some other aspect of my life to write this.  But all joking aside, this only highlights the problem of defining who is the best in ultra running. Without a National Championship in each distance that all the best runners in the country attend, 'the most competitive races' that exclude some of the best runners due to a lottery system, a World Championship system that can't seem to put on consistent world championships every year- how will we ever know who is the best?

Destin Beach Ultra Runs 2014 Race Report

by Zane Holscher (RD)

To Afghanistan and Back

The distance from Florida to Afghanistan is about 7,700 miles, but in many ways they were much closer this weekend. As our runners enjoyed an amazing weekend on the white sand beaches of Destin raising funds for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF), many of our special operations forces were literally fighting for their lives.

On Saturday afternoon, ten 24 hour runners began their grueling journey of putting in one day running in the sand. World record holder for 24hr sand running, Joe Fejes, led this small group containing two runners who brought in $21,000 of the total $33,000 raised for the SOWF. Theirs would be a long but very meaningful quest.

The rest of the ultra runners arrived early Sunday morning to a night lit by a full moon and calmed by the steady lapping of a peaceful ocean. As we shared a moment of silence, looking at the twin American flags silhouetted against the moon, there was a tangible feeling that our runners' purpose for this day was greater than personal achievement. The three time defending 50 mile champion, Joe Czabaranek, again led this group into the moonlight. His wife, former female champion Eileen, returned to retake her crown but faced a stiff challenge from US 24hr team member, Traci Falbo. The 50K field was littered with potential winners as the course record holder, Troy Howard, lined up next to the always fast Mitchel Pless, National Champion Connie Gardner, and many other contenders.

As the runners raced into the night, special operations families across the country were receiving a knock on their door and being delivered news that every military family fears, their loved one will be making his final flight home lying under our nation's flag. During race weekend, US Marine MSGT Aaron Torian, assigned to Marine Corps Special Operations Command, was overcome by wounds received in an IED attack on his convoy. Special Forces soldiers, Sgt 1st Class Roberto Skelt, Jr and Spc John Pelham, were killed on a mission to train Afghan forces. While SF solider, Spc Christopher Landis, gave his life during a dismounted patrol in Kapisa, Afghanistan. Together these men left behind 4 children that the SOWF will put through college. Also during race weekend, 4 other special operations members were severely wounded and the SOWF provided funds for their families to join them in the hospital.

As always, our runners paid homage to heroes like these with great performances. First time ultra runner, Rob Marens, topped the 50K field by nearly breaking Troy Howard's course record. Connie Gardner added a shiny, engraved AC-130 Gunship 105mm shell to her mantle by shaving 15 minutes off the female course record.

Joe Czabaranek's mantle is probably getting pretty full of those 105mm shells as he took home his 4th consecutive Destin Beach Ultra 50 mile title. Grand slam finisher, Traci Falbo, showed off her leg speed by taking over 30 minutes off the female 50 mile course record (including the time it took her to eat a fresh grilled cheese sandwich and vanilla milkshake at one of the restaurant aid stations).

Joe Fejes again took home the men's title in the 24hr with 110 miles, 24 miles shy of his world record. First time 24hr runner, Jean Hofschulte, put in a full day's work enroute to bringing home her first place hardware.

Although all of our runners embody the principles of the special operations heroes mentioned above, one truly tells the story of this race. Long after the sun had gone down, 5 minutes before cutoff, a battered man appeared out of the darkness. His movement was labored as his weary legs attempted to move his body across the uneven sand to the finish. While putting the finisher's medal around his neck, a plastic bag gripped firmly in his hand became visible. Through the plastic one could see a SOWF patch. Fifty seven year old Michael Longoria had spent the last 50 miles handing out SOWF patches, pins, and flyers to the area beach goers and explaining the mission of the SOWF. For Michael and the rest of those involved with the Destin Beach Ultra, the mission is always much more than a run.