Lundblad wins JFK 50

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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This sounds like one painful race. The Frederick News-Post has it:

WILLIAMSPORT — Mark Lundblad doesn’t remember the last 50 meters of Saturday’s John F. Kennedy 50 Mile.

It was sort of like a blur as he approached the finish line. All he knows is, he is this year’s winner.

The 39-year-old Asheville, N.C., resident won the 46th annual hike, breaking the finish-line tape at Springfield Middle School in 6 hours, 7 minutes, a good five minutes ahead of runner-up Oz Pearlman, of New York. Teague O’Connor, of Vermont, finished third, and Johan Oostuizen, of South Africa, was fourth.

Connie Gardner of Medina, Ohio, was the top women’s finisher in 7:15.16. Kevin Sayers of Frederick was the top Frederick County finisher, taking 78th in 8:29.33.

Lundblad, who was running in his fourth hike, finished fourth in last year’s hike. His 6:07 time was two minutes better than his time last year and it was a personal best for him on the course as well.

One thing Lundblad did differently this year was he did not race in a 50-mile event in Pennsylvania. “I had been in that race last year about five or six weeks before this one,” he said. “I never fully recovered from that race and my legs weren’t in the best shape.”

Coming down the mountain at Weverton Cliffs was the part of the race Lundblad liked. After enduring about 12 miles of climbing up South Mountain and running along the Appalachian Trail, the beginning part of the hike, the trip down the mountain was a relief.