Kodiak Will Eat AC100's Lunch


This is Ruperto Romero, 2014 AC100 winner, 10-time AC100 finisher at this year's AC100. But he's not running it. He's pacing Ulises Reyes to an eventual 25:56:50 finish. I totally did not expect to see him that day.

He'd been not invited back to AC this year. Think about that for a second. Or not. 

Ruperto is lining up on Aug 25 at the Kodiak 100 in Big Bear. He loves to race, and was not going to be denied. And this is one reason why Kodiak will eat AC's lunch.

AC100 Takes Two To The Chin 

One: Hal Winton, venerated co-RD, died this past May.

Two: the original race course from Islip Saddle [25mi] is now a 12-mile asphalt beatdown to Three Points [42.72], with a trail section up and over to Mt Hillyer [49,78], eventually rejoining the original course at Chilao [52.8] then Short Cut Saddle [59.3]. Then you get an eye-opening trail workout to Red Box, then rejoining the Original Course at Newcomb's Saddle [69].

This is due to the Pleasant View Ridge Wilderness Area, wherein no organized events are allowed, which means no Mt Williamson, Cooper Cyn, Sulphur Springs etc. Unless you'd done your homework back in 2009, ala Western States 100 re: Granite Chief Wilderness. But this didn't happen for whatever reason. So the AC100 is basically fucked.

 The original mountain race is no more. The newbies that sign up on the Day After The Race Goober Gold Rush won't ever know the difference. 

Enter The Kodiak

The Kodiak 100 comprises 4 simultaneous distances on the same course: 2 pt to pt 50ks [front & back], a 50-mile pt to pt, and the 100-mile loop course. All located within the same National Forest, no asphalt road thrashing, 

Kodiak is happily hosting Ruperto Romero. Whether or not he wins or places doesn't matter. They're voting for the future. It doesn't bode well for the AC100 when they couldn't find it in themselves to have a champion toe the line. 

 What is AC100 afraid of?



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