The Wasatch 100 Draw: NOT!

I attended the "draw" for the Wasatch 100 Mile Run today, held at the Homestead Resort in Midway, UT. This is the location where the race ends, a serene and pleasant location that belies the torment and pain the most runners experience in the 20-30 hours previous to thier arrival.

The Race Director told us that there were 500+ applicants, and after taking into account the "guaranteed runners", and the "Grand Slammers", the percentage of success in the draw was going to be around 65%.

The process was pretty sterile, with occasional outbursts of cheering when one of the attendees was selected. The Race Director would draw out a name, and his assistants would confirm that name was properly registered and paid in, and then they'd check off the name and record it as an official entry.

All the way up to today, I had assumed that I was going to draw out, but as the names kept being read, and my name became increasingly absent, I realized there was a strong chance that I was going to go home empty-handed. Several of us in attendance eneded up leaving with the knowledge we were not going to run the Wasatch 100 this year, and to say were weren't disappointed would be a lie, but there are many races to run, and many years of running ahead of me, so I'm not too torn up. ;)

September will be a repeat of the Bear 100, and October will be my first Pony Express 100, so I'll still get three 100's this year. Gotta love the process!