Scott Dunlap is an ultrarunner and triathlete mostly known for running with his camera and taking pictures for his award-winning blog, A Trail Runner’s Blog (http://www.atrailrunnersblog.com). He was the 2010 USA Track & Field Masters Ultrarunner of the Year, and has won national Masters titles in events ranging from the 10-mile to the 100-mile (yes, he was taking pictures the whole time). He enjoys anything outdoors, especially if he can bring his girls Sophie Jane (5) and Quinn (1), and his pug, Ace.

Highlights for last year’ish:

2010 USATF Masters Ultrarunner of the Year
2010 USATF Masters 50k Trail Champion, RRCA Masters Marathon Champion, RRCA Masters 50k Champion
2011 wins include the Half Moon Bay Marathon (overall), Oakland Marathon (masters), Presidio 10-mile (RRCA national Masters champion), and top three finishes at the Woodside 50k, Crystal Springs 50k, Sequoia 50k, San Francisco Marathon (Masters), San Jose Half Marathon (Masters), and Santa Barbara 4-Miler

Scott’s 2012 Schedule:
Brooks Falls 50k, 1/22 – 2nd place
SF Half Marathon, 2/5 – 22nd/1:16
Austin Marathon, 2/19 – 2:47
Robert & Linda Mathis Memorial Run, 2/25
Way Too Cool 50k, 3/5
Boston Marathon, 4/16
Providian Relay, 5/5
Auburn Century, 6/3
Black Hills 100m, 6/23
Tahoe Rim Trail 50k, 7/21
Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc, 8/31
CIM Marathon, 12/2
Woodside 50k, 12/15

Sarah Lavender Smith, 42, took up running at age 25 and switched from mostly road to trail running in her mid-30s. She lives in Piedmont and is the proud mom of a 13-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son. She works with her husband in marketing their start-up business, a litigation graphics firm, and she’s a freelance writer for Trail Runner and other publications. She blogs about her twin passions of travel and trail running at TheRunnersTrip.com–a blog inspired by a year that she and her family spent traveling around the globe and participating in several trail-running events along the way.

Running highlights:
- Overall female winner of several local trail races, including: Lake Chabot Trail Challenge Half Marathon, Mount Diablo Trail Challenge Half Marathon, Golden Hills Trail Marathon, Redwood Park 50K and Rodeo Beach 50K. Several other age-group wins and top-3 finishes.
- Also, 2011 East Bay Triple Crown female champion (top cumulative time at three middle-distance trail races)
- A veteran of more than 30 marathons and 50Ks, with a marathon PR of 3:05, but relatively new to true ultra distances, having run only three 50-milers. Looking forward to graduating to the 100K distance at this year’s Miwok.

Sarah’s 2012 Schedule:
Brooks Falls Trail Run 30K, Jan. 22 1st/2:59
Chabot Trail Run 50K, Feb. 25
Oakland Marathon, Mar. 25
Miwok 100K, May 5
Maybe the East Bay Triple Crown series featuring Tilden Tough Ten May 20, Lake Chabot Half Marathon June 3 and Woodminster XC 9M June 17, but not sure yet if all three are happening or if I can make the dates.
Hope to pace at Hardrock 100, July 13
Skyline 50K, Aug. 12
Sept. through Nov. TBD
North Face Endurance Challenge Championship 50M, Dec. 1

I started doing triathlons in 2000 and finished over forty races including one Ironman in 2003. But it wasn’t until I completely bonked the last few miles of the Golden Hills Marathon back in 2006 that I knew (ultra)running was exactly what I wanted and needed. This was a sport that would continually test my limits physically and mentally, and push me to places I’d never previously imagined.

In 2007 I ran my first 50K and 50 miler and slowly started to cut my teeth in the world of ultra-running. After two years of trial and error I ran my first 100 in 2009 (Hundred in the Hood) and finished in 2nd place. In 2010 I finished Vermont 100 (10th) and Angeles Crest (5th). 2011 was highlighted with a top 20 finish (19th) at Western States in June and The Bear (8th) in September. 2012 is lining up to be my biggest challenge yet with The Hardrock 100 looming in July. The race takes place high in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and totals 67,000 ft. of total elevation gain/loss.

I was raised in Oakland, CA and have also made it my home with my wife of eleven years, Kerryn, and my two kids, Lauryn (10) and Jake (6). I enjoy my family, friends, traveling, good food, beer, and football. In my younger years I played a ton of competitive soccer, including a summer spent on the fields in Italy. I’ve also backpacked through Europe twice, sailed to the Bahamas, worked in the fisheries of Alaska, and driven all over the US.

My future goals in ultra-running are to successfully finish Hardrock 100, run the John Muir Trail, the Tahoe-Yosemite Trail and to have another shot at Western States.

David’s 2012 Schedule:
-As many ITR events as possible :)
-Lake Sonoma
-Brazen Diablo Trails 50K
-Quicksilver 50 miler
-Hardrock memorial weekend 3 day training weekend (You coming?). Headed out there for some serious recon.
-WS Pacer
-HARDROCK!
-Drink beer

Victor Ballesteros is honored to be joining ITR’s racing team after being somewhat of a lone wolf for the last two years.
Born in Vicksburg Mississippi (which some say was his mother’s lazy inspiration for naming him) at the age of seven, his family transplanted to Novato California and he’s been a NorCal boy ever since. Fortunately, he wasn’t born in Cali or we would have all come to know him as Nova.

Although he’s never been a stranger to running, by dumb luck, he only started running Ultras successfully since November of ’06.
By placing 2nd at his first Ultra, the Quad Dipsea, he’s gone on to prove that you can make a name for yourself with most (3) 2nd place finishes at a single event.
Highlights since have included wins at Dick Collins Firetrails 50 (first fifty miler- rookie record), Pirate’s Cove 50k (course record), Whiskeytown 50k (old course c.r.), Rodeo Beach 50k and most recently Rodeo Beach 20k.
As mentioned earlier, his true claim to fame is consistency… as in consistently finishing 2nd: Muir Beach 50k, Sequoia 50k,
Miwok 100k, Quicksilver 50k, Silver States 50k, Ruth Anderson 50k and last Last Chance 50.
When he’s not working, eating, drinking, running, sleeping or hanging out witih his beautiful wife Jena, you can catch him playing around the Bay Area with his Funk/Rock band Atomatronic.

Victor’s 2012 Schedule:
Jed Smith 50k 1st/3:17
Napa Valley marathon (first ever marathon)
Ruth Anderson 100k.
Then turn a 180° by running Tahoe Rim Trail 100 in July as a long run to gear up for a fastest known time attempt on the Tahoe Rim Trail with fellow Teammate Gary Gellin in August.
Of course there will be other events sprinkled in there, but that’s the highlight of this years schedule.

Larissa Polischuk is an experienced ultrarunner, having logged over 30 races at the marathon distance or farther including multiple 100Ks. She typically places in her age group and was second overall in the 2010 Quicksilver 50 miler, won the 2010 PCTR Angels Island 50K and placed 7th in the 2011 San Diego 100, her first 100 miler. Prior to her foray into ultra-running, Larissa was a member of the New Balance Excelsior Racing Team, competing in many road and cross-country races. The club also introduced her to her first trail run, the Dipsea, in early 2006 and she fell hard for the trails. You’d be hard pressed to find someone who will want to run further than her on any given day. She loves and now knows the trails in the Marin Headlands and Mt. Tam like the back of her hand and occasionally gets lost in order to discover new trails (or to get more mileage). In early 2011, she made a career change, making her passion her profession. She is an NASM certified personal trainer and a coach for the trail running group, The Endurables.

Larissa’s 2012 Schedule:
Chuckanut 50k
Miwok 100k
San Diego 100m
Marin 50m (ITR)
either Wasatch or Bear 100m in September

Background:
After 15 or so years of mountain and road bike racing and touring, I discovered trail running. At first, running was a way to stay fit in the winter or when traveling, and I frequently described myself as a “cyclist with a running problem”. In early 2008, I ran a 10k trail race with Pacific Coast Trail Runs and have been hooked on running and racing on trails ever since. My love for mountains and trails, meeting new friends, and exploring new limits has kept high my motivation in this sport.

Some highlights from the 2011 season:

Way Too Cool 50k – 3rd place.
This race is one of the original “track meets” of ultra and always attracts a fast crowd. I narrowly escaped a hard charging Tim Olson, the current 100k trail national champion.

Chuckanut 50k – 9th place.
Only one week after Way Too Cool, Chuckanut has arguably the deepest field of any 50k trail race. Squeaking in to the top ten in this event on barely recovered legs was a surprise accomplishment.

White River 50 mile – 3rd place.
A classic race in the incredibly beautiful shadow of Mt. Rainier and a former 50 mile championship event. In the spirit of questionable preparation, I participated in a 1000 mile bicycle tour in the Canadian Rockies for the two weeks leading up to the race. I slipped behind the on-fire Tim Olson but narrowly escaped from Andy Henshaw, the 100k road national champion.

Quicksilver 50 mile – 2nd place.
Second place to my good friend and phenom, Leor Pantilat, feels like a win. Despite being close to 30 minutes behind, my 6:29 was the 4th fastest time ever on this old course in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Goals for 2012:
My big goal for the year will be to break the 165-mile Tahoe Rim Trail speed record set by Killian Jornet whose time was 38 hours, 32 minutes. Way Too Cool, Chuckanut, and Lake Sonoma 50 are all on the list along with a smattering of local ITR races throughout the year and Masters cross-country in the Fall.

Training philosophy:
The word s of wisdom from others which I heed most are “speed kills”. I do a small amount of fast running when training and fit in enough short races throughout the year to stay sharp. Weekly mileage is a pretty consistent 50 of hilly trails at a moderate pace. Lately, what seems to work well is to run long (2-1/2 or more hours) every other day with a short run or bike ride on

Caren is a driven ultrarunner and boasts a resume that most of her peers would be proud to own. She is the holder of numerous course records including one for the famed Quad Dipsea, as well as one for Golden Hills Marathon, Mt Diablo Marathon, and Pacifica 30K. She has finished in the top five of Western States every year she has run it and can boast a sub-twenty hour finish in that prestigious event.

Both modest and shy, Caren will not brag of her running accomplishments, even when pressed to do so. Instead, she will deflect the attention towards what she is most proud of: her two teenage children and her small business. When she is not mothering Kelby and Taryn, Caren practices massage therapy. She has been doing so for nearly twenty years and is the owner of Massage By Caren. She is the go-to therapist in Davis, CA for deep tissue and sports related massage.
In addition to her successes as a mother, a small business owner, and an ultrarunner, Caren has previously found success as a professional road cyclist and in Tai Kwan Do, a sport in which she holds a black belt. She also is an avid backcountry skier and mountain climber.

JT began running ultras in 2005 and has built a reputation as a tough, consistent finisher, illustrated by his Rocky Mountain Slam finish in 2010 (Running Bighorn 100, Hardrock 100, Leadville 100, and Bear 100). Though he’s fond of PBR and has a vicious dog (Holly), he’s somehow able to focus on races, including shorter distances where he shows off his natural speed.  Keep up with the floppy hat runner on his blog.

JT’s 2012 Schedule:
Feb 5, 2012 – SuperHalf 1:28
Mar 17, 2012 – Salida Marathon
April 21, 2011 – Free State 100K
April 28, 2012 – Cheyenne Mountain 50K
May 12, 2012 – FoCo 50
May 19, 2012 – Jemez
May 28, 2012 – Bolder Boulder
June 2, 2012 – Golden Gate Dirty Thirty
June 10, 2012 – Garden 10 miler
June 23, 2012 – San Juan Solstice
July 8, 2012 – Summer Roundup 12K
July 12-16, 2012 – Hardrock!
Aug 18, 2012 – Pikes Peak Ascent
Oct 2012 – Slickrock 50
Nov 4, 2012 – New York City Marathon
TBA – Nolan’s 14
TBA – Badwater
TBA – Inca Trail Marathon

Tim Stahler has been an avid runner since age 10, initially competing in AAU and TAC cross country meets and road races around the Washington D.C. area. He ran competitively throughout high school and in college at Syracuse University, where his senior year he was named team captain for Cross Country and Track. Tim spends most of his time training in the amazing East Bay park system with his dogs, Griffin and River… racing anything from road 5Ks to trail marathons. He just completed his first 50k (Epiphany 50k in 4:28) and hopes to run his first 50 miler in 2012, gradually increasing the distance as he gets older and slower. From a young age, his greatest influences in the sport have been Pat Porter and Lynn Jennings. Today, the likes of Meltzer, Roes and Wardian provide him with motivation and inspiration to go longer and faster.

Stahler’s 2012 Race Schedule:
1/8/12 Epiphany 50k, CA 2nd/4:28
1/28/12 Coyote Hills 10K, CA
2/18/12 Bay Breeze 13.1 Mile, CA
3/4/12 Napa Valley Marathon, CA
3/17/12 Badger Cove 13.1 Mile, CA
4/21/12 Diablo Trails Challenge 50k, CA
6/9/12 San Diego 100 Mile, CA (Pacing)
7/13/12 Hardrock 100 mi, CO (Pacing)
7/28/12 Bad Bass Half Marathon, CA
8/11/12 Crystal Springs 50K, CA

Tim Long has had a passion for endurance sports since high school when he took up road cycling. He raced criteriums and road races through college and was President of his college cycling club at MSU, then laced up his first pair of running shoes in 2002 while living in Boston and quickly became involved with various running clubs and events throughout the Metro Boston area. Along with running and cycling, he’s been involved with race directing and chip timing for 10 years. Ultra trail running is his passion, propelling him to race over 900 miles in 2011 with 5 100 mile races in a three month span.

For 2012 Long’s primary focus will be on placing well in San Diego 100 and Hardrock 100. With enough training and preparation, he hopes to set a new fastest known time for the unsupported run of the 165 mile Tahoe Rim Trail in August. Tim runs a personal blog over at www.footfeathers.com

Long’s 2012 Race Schedule:
1/1/12 Brazen New Year Trail 13.1 – 4th/1:35
1/8/12 Epiphany 50k (FA), CA – 1st/4:28
2/11/12 American Canyon 50k, CA – 1st/4:23 (CR)
2/18/12 Bay Breeze 13.1 Mile, CA – 1st/1:21
3/10/12 Way Too Cool 50k, CA – 19th/3:59
3/17/12 Badger Cove Trail 13.1 Mile, CA – 4th/1:35
3/24/12 Woodside Ramble Trail 13.1, CA – 1st/1:34
4/21/12 Diablo Trails Challenge 50k, CA – 1st/4:51 (CR)
5/5/12 Miwok 100k, CA – 10th/10:15
5/19/12 Wildcat Trail Half 13.1, CA
6/9/12 San Diego 100 Mile, CA
7/13/12 Hardrock 100 mi, CO
8/13/12 Tahoe Rim Trail 165mi FKT attempt, NV/CA
9/15/12 Pine to Palm 100 Mile, OR
12/15/12 Woodside Ramble 50k, CA