DUGWAY PROVING GROUND, Utah -- Three of the 10 first-place spots in the 2017 Dugway Trail & Ultra Run were taken by non-Utah runners, though non-Utahns comprised only eight of the 128 total runners in the Oct. 21 event. The annual run is the one day per year when secured U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground allows public entry without sponsorship.
Six categories were offered over a course that offered flats, steep grades to climb, chilly temperatures in the 30s and 40s that kept runners cool, brilliant sunny skies, stunning desert vistas and elevation changes along dirt paths that ranged from 4,700 to more than 5,000 feet above sea level.
The event was sponsored by Dugway's Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation Office, which is under the Army's Installation Management Command. Other Dugway offices included Equal Employment Opportunity, Division of Emergency Services, defense contractor Jacobs and numerous volunteers.
Spc. Anthony Cruz of Dugway ran the popular 10K course. "It was definitely a beast," Cruz said. "It was tougher than I was expecting but I look forward to doing it next year."
First-place winners in each division were:
50K (31 miles, 10 runners): Alberto Garcia of Albuquerque, New Mexico, male category, time of 5 hours, 22 minutes, 33 seconds. Kari Bradley of Sandy, female category, with 6:45:06.
30K (18 miles, eight runners): Vicki Garcia of Albuquerque, female category, 3:33:46. Griffin Youngren of Sandy, male category, 2:31:23.
10K (6.2 miles, 37 runners): Gino Mangini of West Hollywood, California, female category, 00:54:04. Tim Cheneval of Park City, male category, 00:58:12.
Half Marathon (13.2 miles, 26 runners): David Farley of Erda, male category, 1:56:18. Amie Farley of Erda, female category, 1:49:58. Half Marathon division had 26 runners.
5K (3.1 miles): Dan Wheatley of Provo, male category, 00:29:20. Amanda Miley, West Valley City, female category, 00:37:47.
Military four-person teams (10K, 12 runners): Air Force ROTC from Brigham Young University sent three teams. The four individual times were averaged. First place went to Team 1: Jason Draper, Travis Woodfield, Juston Goldade and Spencer Staten. BYU was the only participant in this division.
Army Reserve Lt. Col. Daniel Perugini ran the 10K course as an individual, and admired its challenges, but added smiling, "I'd much rather it be flat; going up and down was difficult."
Army Reserve Maj. Kevin Burch learned the 10K's demands.
"I liked it because it was difficult," he said. "I liked it because of the obstacles in the way, but I'm definitely going to be readier next year."
Air Force ROTC Cadet Lance Longshore ran the 10K as a four-person team.
"For the first time of doing a 10K it was a huge challenge, but I learned a lot about long-distance running and the excitement you get running in a large group," he said.
Twenty-two Dugway residents or employees participated, the most since the Ultra Run began in 2013. Out-of-state competitors were from New Mexico, New Hampshire and Idaho. The farthest runner was from Japan, who was visiting relatives on Dugway and registered last-minute.
The next Dugway Trail & Ultra Run will be October 2018.
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