Article Written by Victor Ballesteros…
Fight-or-Flight
By Victor Ballesteros
So many times in my life I’ve
encountered moments where the choice of
flight was never really an option. And the
clarity of fight was an all-or-nothing
endeavor.
This year’s 26th edition of the
Tamalpa Headlands 50k was, without a
doubt, one of the most all-or-nothing
moments I’ve ever experienced…ever.
Most race write-ups stick to the
basic facts of the event. That’s not this. This
is a race director’s story, and it all started
when I was a little kid growing up in
Mississippi. Well, kind of, but not really.
Yes, I did grow up in Mississippi, but that’s
not the start of this story. This is…
2024 was my freshman year putting
on this race. It had its own unique
challenges, but all in all, things worked out
and its success catapulted this year’s event
into hyperdrive.
With two months to go, we sold out,
having the biggest field in the race’s history.
For the first time ever, we had a waitlist. A
week before race day, I was able to get the
last remaining waitlist individuals in.
A month before the race part of our
course closed due to a rockslide. With
enough time to plan, I made a reroute up
the Dipsea trail from Stinson Beach. To
maintain a true 50k I added a little extra
sauce including the OG beach crossing at
Rodeo Beach which used to be the official
start for many years.
While the RD might be the “director,”
these events would not happen without the
glue that are the volunteers! Between our
Course Director, Ken Michal, Volunteer
Director, Michael Li, Inside Trail Racing’s
Craig Schmidt and my ever-helpful behind-
the-scenes wife & partner in all things, Jena
Rose, we managed to raise one of the finest
crews I’ve ever had the chance to work with.
With a team this awesome, I knew we could
accomplish anything.
The day had dawned with a beautiful
orange-red sky. As I awoke to that (I slept in
the open box truck at our start/finish, Santos
Meadow, because that’s what Dirtbagger
RD’s do) I had a moment of pause. We
brewed a special beer for the race called
“Runner’s Warning Red IPA”. The name
was a play on “Red at Morning, Sailor’s
Warning” relating to the sunrise over our
course’s incredible ocean views. Was that
an omen?
As we approached go-time, I rallied
the eager runners toeing the line at the
start. I asked them to take it all in because it
would be the only moment we’re ever here
together in that space and time. I also
wanted them to celebrate this life and each
other’s, together on the trail. And with that,
they were off!
Forty minutes later, I received a text
from Ken and the State Park Ranger that a
car had crashed directly on top of our
course, blocking the Matt Davis Trail. When
it was determined that runners would not be
able to get around it, we flew into fight
mode. We looked at every course alteration
option. The weight of making this race the
most amazing experience for 279 runners
was immense. With the clock ticking, it
came down to a decision to send everyone
down the Dipsea Trail, which was part of
our return course, and then back up after
reaching the Stinson Beach aid station.
Despite the obvious confusion it caused the
runners as they crossed the finish line, there
seemed to not be a soul upset that they had
run a distance shortened by 1.5-ish miles.
Our returning men’s champ, Cole
Campbell, dropped to the grass and said,
“I’m glad it wasn’t any longer.” One by one,
as runners arrived back at Santos, many
sentiments were the same.
Massive CONGRATS to our course
and USATF winners (Oh yeah, right. This
was a United States Track and Field 50k
Trail Championship!), Cole Campbell and
Taylor Tuttle! Our top three men, including
Liam Meirow and Spencer Fergusun-
Dryden finished less than one minute apart!
On the women’s side, the battle for third
place was intense, with Ellaney Matarese,
Julia Vasquez Giguere, and Jennifer
Schmidt all about two minutes of each
other! Our youngest finisher was 16 y.o.
Avery Gaffney, while in the elder
statesperson division, Errol “Rocket” Jones
showed the kids how it’s done at the spritely
age of 75. The Rising Star Award winner,
Zhang Ronjin, made it to the line with five
minutes to spare before the final cutoff!
As the day’s events settled, and we
awarded our top ten male and female
USATF finishers their proper placement
recognition, the unfortunate reality sank in.
Our course was short. Official course
records had to be upheld. Although the
incredibly fast times would not count as
official CRs, given the day’s circumstances,
all were still basking in their achievements.
This year’s performances were stout
with a 90% finisher rate. Would they have
broken records that day? Despite
unseasonably humid weather slowing many
folks down, it would have been close.
Regardless, it was insanely exciting. The
stoke from all the runners was equally on
fire.
By design, the finish line party was
rockin’, and the food and drink flowed all the
way to our final finisher!
For the first time ever, we had a legit
livestream crew helmed by Jesse “Let’s
Wander“ Ellis. Ultra commentator royalty:
“Tropical” John Medinger and The Stats
Master: Schuyler Hall did the play-by-play
calls all day. At one point I asked TJ what
was the most difficult experience he ever
encountered as a storied RD. He replied,
“You had a car crash on your trail. I can’t
top that.”. My favorite interview moment of
the day was with our Kid’s One Mile
Challenge winner, Evie Hoagland, part of
the Hoagland Ultra-family. I asked her if
she’d ever want to run as far as her mom
and dad have. Her response, “I’m not so
sure.”
When all was said and done and any
trace of what had happened there in the
meadow was gone (I’m usually the last to
leave a party), I had a moment to pause,
look around, and take in the deepest
gratitude I’ve felt in a very long time. In that
same celebratory moment of life, I thought
about the individual involved in the car
accident. Reports I received indicated that
not all was good. At the final writing of this,
I’m still unsure of their condition, and it
haunts me.
The ways in which lives can collide
with each other, literally and figuratively, for
good or bad, and how we’re able to absorb
those interactions come all the way back to
that kid in Mississippi. You see? It is part of
the story. One of the greatest skills my dad
taught me was to be a problem solver.
When we run at these events, we prepare
as best we can for the unexpected. Fight-or-
flight. All-or-nothing. We endure. That’s the
heart of our sport, and it strengthens our
lives. I sincerely hope the driver of the car is
recovering, and that they can continue on in
this world with all the vigor of an ultrarunner.
The time we have running this
“Ultra” called life may be limited, but the
strength, joy and love that our tribe creates,
makes it all worth L.I.V.I.N.G.
Until next year, Tamalpa Headlands
50k. Peace, love, and trail dirt.
