Black Canyon Ultras: Hydration for the win

During both the 50k and 100k something very interesting happened early in the race. The lead pack approached an early aid station (the second on course I believe) around 1-1.5 hours into the race and blew right through it. Except one person. For the win. Seth Ruhling let the lead pack go to top off his flasks, then worked to close the gap later. He wound up at the top of the podium. 50k, same scenario. Several guys blew through without topping off, except for Jeshurun Small. He won the race. I’m not sure if the women were in a similar situation, unfortunately the live stream didn’t cover the women at that juncture. But the takeaway is clear: HYDRATE! My rule at Ultras is to top off at every aid station (unless there’s two within an hour from each other). If you are properly pushing your limits, which you should be, then your number one and number two jobs are to drink and eat (or slurp gels). Ultra racing = carbs + hydration/running.