Fake Solo Runners


The Legit Solo Runner in its purest form is almost a unicorn. I know several of you—and I respect it. My first two hundreds were pacer-less. I got thru Angeles Crest in '91, and Wasatch '92 without a pacer. I had a crew in '91, no crew in '92. But crews and pacers can be fun, if you're willing to be responsible. More on that here.

I hear distant “Chariots of Fire” trumpets. The Solo Runner heroically running the 100 all by themselves—without an entourage, posse, or circus caravan. 

The Solo Runner idea was to encourage or goose signups in the Lottery Age we now live in. It's obvious that this can be gamed by clever people, with few penalties. However rules are mysteriously bent when celebrity or a course-record might be involved.

Take the doddering AC100 for instance. RD Ken Hamada was trying to get less cars up on Highway 2, because each runner had 14 friends with 2 cars each, creating traffic and confusion. So the answer there is to only let in people who have no friends, but that's another day altogether.

Fake Solo Runners make their real debut at Chantry Flats [75mi]. Because the daylight sections from Chilao [50mi] are a bit too obvious.  

Chantry Flats is a night time swirl of butt-hurt, spectators, gawkers, crew, family and friends who’re wondering if they’re going to inherit anything after their loved-one’s madness is over.

Nobody has time to play cop.

So off go the Fake Solos. They’ve gamed an idiot idea, and nothing is going to happen to them.

No back country aid station between Chantry and Millard [75-95miles] is gonna pop the fake Solos. They don’t want to haul out a bus load of deadbeats.  

Now that would be the real party bus.

Like in “Wages Of Fear”. Or “Sorcerer” in its last remake. A van full of busted losers, gripping the seats in front of them as the rear wheels come perilously close to the edge, sending sprays of gravel into the bushes over the sides.

So Fake Solo runners— make sure all of your posse wears the same sparkly outfits you wear too— because you’re a Badass Solo Runner.

See "What Is The Sound Of One Solo Clapping?"

Further readings from Canonical Texts





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