SILVERTON – While the global conversation around the 2018 Hardrock Hundred Endurance Run was around the late disqualification of men’s race leader Xavier Thévenard, the 25th running of the 100.5-mile ultramarathon saw its second disqualification, too.
Thévenard, a 30-year-old from France, had more than an hour lead and less than 10 miles to run when he was disqualified for receiving aid outside of an aid station halfway into the race outside of Ouray. He became the first-ever runner at Hardrock to be disqualified. The second followed a day later with significantly less at stake than Thévenard.
At 5:53 a.m. Sunday, seven minutes before the 48-hour time limit for the race that starts and ends in Silverton, Dima Feinhaus, a 55-year-old from Massachusetts, was disqualified for significantly deviating from the course.
“After careful consideration, investigation of the facts and conversations with the affected parties, it was confirmed that Dima turned off course at Stony Pass and returned to the course by looping around on roads to Cunningham Gulch rather than retracing his steps to the point of deviation,” the Hardrock 100 said in a post to Facebook. “The decision has regrettably been made to disqualify Dima from this year’s Hardrock. Our rules protect the integrity of Hardrock and the values of fairness and sportsmanship for all participants.”
Like Thevenard, the Hardrock committee said they did not believe the violation was malicious, and Feinhaus will be welcome to sign up for the lottery in future Hardrock runs.
Out of 146 runners who started the 25th edition of the run, 114 finished. Jeff Browning of Utah was the official men’s winner in 26 hours, 20 minutes, 22 seconds. Sabrina Stanley was 12th overall and the first women’s finisher in 30:23:38. Andy Hewat of Australia was the 114th and final finisher, as he kissed the finisher’s rock in 47:46:14. It was his fifth Hardrock finish. Browning, 46, will go for his fifth finish next year, while Stanley, 28, will go for her second.
Mark Heaphy of Montana earned his 20th Hardrock finish, while Betsy Kalmeyer of Leadville earned her 19th finish, the most of any woman. Blake Wood of New Mexico picked up his 22nd Hardrock finish. Kirk Apt of Fruita has the men’s record with 24 finishes, as he once again made it to the finish line this year.
Though no course records were set and nobody was struck by lightning, 2018 will go down as the most drama-filled Hardrock yet, and a lengthy process of clarifying the run’s executive rules will be a topic of focus before July 2019.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
