2026 Umstead 100- Collecting Laps to 100
What a weekend! Last Saturday, I lined up for my sixth Umstead 100, and I was beyond excited. This year, the weather gods were definitely on our side. Last year was a battle against high temps and humidity, to what it turned out to be one of my hardest 100 miles race, but this time? Perfection. We started in the high 40s/low 50s, it warmed up to a pleasant mid-60s during the day, and then dropped to the high 30s at night. Ideal conditions for a long day (and night) on the trails.
Lots of great things went according to plan, and many previous lessons were applied to make it to the finish line in one piece. Like every year running these long events, you are constantly gauging the need to shift goals along the way. Normally, my goals are as follows: Goal A PR, Goal B, finish under 24, Goal C, finish before the cutoff time of 30 hours, and finally Goal D, don’t die.
As usual, the whole event, coordinators, volunteers, the crew, and my Pacers were outstanding. Well, let me restate that last group because Tara, Charu, Santa and BD were all phenomenal! I could not have had such a great event without them.
Before we get to the recap, I really want to thank you all for the support and words of encouragement during training, during the event, and after the event. Special thanks for the texts, Strava messages, photos, videos, and messages that provided me with extra encouragement at different points of the event. The TUFF running group was again there, supporting many outstanding runners and others like me. It was so great to set our InsaneRunning staging area across them and next to our friend Eric, Adrian (MountTinMan) who were running tackling their own goals and targets with many other friends, another indication of the great ultramarathon community. Also with us toeing the start line were previous Umstead 100 finishers, Venu, Kaleel, Naveen, Kali, and Alex, who was going for a under 20 hour finish. Also with us, Simeka, Malini, Anthony and Rafaela tackling the 50 mile distance, and Prathiba tackling the 100 miles distance for the 1st time given that last year she did the 50 mile event. Muthu, an ultrarunner veteran from Ohio who was following our training plan for the most part, traveled once again this year to also tackle U100.
Below is the race recap,
Let’s start with some pre-race prep work. All the packing and labeling were completed a few days before the event. Some last minute adjustments based on the forecasted weather conditions and last-minute changes to the event. Although I was bringing my hydration vest for the last three loops where it was going to be a tad cold, I added an empty spare handheld bottle, so I could also had the option to only run with the handheld just in case I started to get too hot due to the cover of the vest. Also added an additional running shoe, socks, and shirt that I was planning to use just in case and left at the car, that was nearby our main home station.
All the nutrition is labeled to minimize confusion. The crew and pacers had the pictures of the prep work as well as the other bags/backpacks that I was going to use during the event, including the location and set up just before the start.
Similar to last year, a new infusion set and CGMS sensor were in place for two days to make sure they were all good and operational to reduce the chance of falling due to sweat and movement and running out of insulin. New battery for the pump as well. For the CGMS I decided to stay with the Guardian 4 sensor, which was giving a little bit more discrepancies between actual and the sensor, but I knew it works during cold weather and longer runs without losing connection or stop working, compare to the Instinct sensor. Unfortunately the Instinct sensor, although more accurate, it stops working when the temperature starts to drop below 50s. So I went for slightly less accurate, were I could a least see the trending data, versus having no data for a period of time.
My training this year was solid. Despite some snow and ice interrupting a few super long runs, I managed to complete a full peak week and another high-mileage week right before it. I was also coming in with some good momentum, having run a strong Tokyo Marathon and paced the 4:50 group at the Tobacco Road Marathon couple week ago. That pacing gig was great practice for the kind of sustained effort I was hoping for at Umstead.
The course was the same as last year, with the bridge still out of commission, meaning we’d be running two out-and-backs per 12.5-mile loop. The aid stations were set up at the start/finish, a smaller one halfway through, and the main “Aid Station #2” at the far turnaround.
We went out to set up our “home base.” Our canopy area was buzzing with energy. We had a great crew: Alex, gunning for a sub-20-hour finish in his second Umstead 100, and Rafaela, Simeka, Kim, and Anthony, taking on their very first 50-miler. Nearby, friends like Naveen, Kali, Kaleel, Venu, his wife Padmaja, and others were setting up, all ready to tackle the 100 or 50-mile distances. The sense of community was fantastic. It was great to meet all the other InsaneRunners we were hosting at our home base station. Similar to last year, we had over nine runners with us in five canopies. Three canopies in a row, and the other two near by. We also met with Cameron, Jen, Eric, Adrian, and others, who were setting up their canopies and area in preparation for the event. Our friends from the TUFF running group were there, ready, setting up near us. The TUFF group is a large, great running community that we have been friends with for just over a year.
We also spent some time talking and strategizing on any final adjustments, planning, and visualization on how the flow coming in from the course to refuel, replenish, and change was going to take place. This was to minimize confusion and optimize for quickness in and out of the home base station.
Race morning arrived. My usual breakfast of cream of wheat and a latte was supplemented with a small croissant for some extra carbs about two hours before the start. For the first time I got there 1st in line to the gate, and Alex just arriving a few minutes after me. Once the gate oppened, I drove in, dropped my bags on the drive in, and spent some time chatting with so many running friends, sharing goals and soaking in the pre-race excitement. Half an hour to go, I took a caffeinated gel, hoping for a little extra boost. After a few announcements, at 6:30 AM, we were off!
Loop 1:
I started Loop 1 easy, just letting my legs loosen up for the first three miles. It was cool to see the sea of headlamps bobbing in the pre-dawn darkness. I didn’t even carry one, knowing it would be light soon and there were plenty of runners around me. My blood sugars were hovering between 110 and 150, not my perfect running range of 170, but manageable for the start of the event. Once I found my rhythm, I started to pick up the pace a little bit, feeling strong and comfortable, running both the uphills, flats and downhills. Going in I knew I needed to do a quick stop, given that at the start there was a line for the bathrooms and by the time I decided I needed it the line was too long. I could of continue all the way to mid aid station, but I was feeling it a little bit, and although I could of hold until then and not stop this early on a long event, I decided that if one of the porta-potty was available as I was passing by the smaller aid station I would stop and use it. Fortunately an empty porta-potty was available and decided to stop near the mid-point aid station and glad I did, given that the stop made me feel a whole lot lighter, better and gave me a fresh burst of energy. I was clocking 10:30 to 11:00-minute miles, a bit faster than planned, but my heart rate was still in check, so I went with it, it felt like a happy zone. I kept running along a meeting a few runners a long the way, Luz Zapata was tackling her 100 miler looking strong, we chatted for a mile or so, where we shared our stories and goals for today’s event. Also chatted with Cory for a little bit as he was looking for a better performance compared to last year’s heat storm. I flew through the aid stations, just grabbing a quick water refill on the way back. After a quick stop at home base to swap gels and bottles, and switch my shirt with a singlet, I was out for loop two.
Loop 2:
Still feeling strong on this loop! My sugars were holding steady, and I was keeping the faster than planned pace, even running the uphills, including the notorious “one-mile never ending hill.” I felt great. Legs were strong. I was still consuming my gels, baby food, and Tailwind without any issues. It was awesome seeing everyone on the course—Malini, Kali, Naveen, Christine, Khalil, Venu, Alex, Eric—all looking strong. Alex was just a bit ahead of me, looking incredibly powerful and steadily increasing his lead. Amy, a pacer from a few years back, we were crossing each other, looking string as she was tackling the 50 mile race. Simeka, Rafaela and Anthony were also crushing the 50-miler. Anthony was flying by still with a smile. Robert, another experienced ultrarunner was looking great and running strong, for some reason I kept cheering for him but using the wrong name. I realized that later in the day, hope he knows I was cheering for him and that it was not a case of taking to an imaginary friend. Malini really showing how the prep work pays as she was looking happy and with lots of energy on the course. Padmaja also chipping away the miles and looking confidence with every single step she was taking. Once again on this loop, I made quick passes through the aid stations and closed out the second loop feeling fantastic.
Loop 3:
Another quick turnaround at home base. Even with my purple singlet I was working up a good sweat and didn’t want to overheat, so I started to focus more on hydration. The sun was out, but the temperatures were perfect. As I headed out, I had that “uh-oh” moment: I forgot to reapply Aquaphor and I also forgot to apply on the previous lap. I could feel a little chafing starting on near my armpits and between my legs. It wasn’t a huge problem yet, so I kept running and pushing the pace. I intentionally power-walked one of the longer uphills to keep my heart rate down. Another familiar face was Bradley who was tackling his 4th Umstead 100, looking solid and steady pace. At Aid Station #2, I decided to stop and grabbed some Vaseline for my arms to address the chafing, drank some Diet Pepsi, and ate some chips. Dave Gross from Run Smart training running group was tackling his 1st 50 mile event with his daughter. He was looking great and always with a smile and happy to see everyone always cheering and positive energy. Venu, Adrian, Eric and Kaleel still looking fresh and with high hopes that this year was going to be a great year. My energy was still high, my legs felt strong, and I was running most of the uphills on the way back. My glucose was dipping a little, so I made sure to keep up with my gels and finished my bottle of Tailwind.
Loop 4:
Heading out for my last solo loop! My legs still had lots of power, but I could feel my energy starting to wane as my glucose dropped closer to the 100 mark. I slowed down a bit to a 11:30 to 12-minute mile pace, which was still on track to get me under 10 hours for the 50-mile split. Along my 4 mile into the loop, I saw Simeka, this time not having too much fun, I mentioned to her that she did not had to make a decision right there, instead to head to headquarter, go to our home base, sit down for a bit, eat and after she head out to continue, only then to consider stopping. I also reminded her that she had more than 12 hours to finish a 12.5 miles loop.
I kept on running then on my steady pace just to be reminded once again I forgot the Aquaphor! Ugh!! The Vaseline from the last loop was long gone, and the chafing was getting worse. I had to stop once again at the turnaround aid station for more Vaseline, some soup, and soda. My pace slowed to about 12:15-12:30, but I was still running well and confident. I texted as I headed out from the 2nd aid station and with a mile to go, I texted my crew to let them know I was coming. Along the way I kept seeing great runners tackling the 100 miler, Lindsey another veteran ultrarunner looking strong and pressing on the pace. Another great runner Scott, who was tackling his 14 Umstead event and his 11th U100, he was looking consistence and solid every time we crossed paths. My pacer, Tara, met me on the trail and ran me into the finish of the loop, grabbing me some soup from the aid station as I walked up the short hill to our homebase camp.
Loop 5:
After a quick stop at home base, Tara and I headed out for loop five. I decided not to change my shoes just yet, as they were still felt fine. She did a great job keeping me at a decent, steady pace. We talked about our respective lives and our passion for running and health. We talked about diabetes for a while making good time and making the miles pass with ease. My stomach was starting to feel a little off, and my sugars were still on the low side. I was taking in fuel but had to be careful not to overload my stomach as it was taking longer to feel ok for me to continue to eat. So there was a little bit of less fuel coming in, which then it caused me to slowdown a bit, so I could prevent a really bad low. This is the loop where in the past couple years, my sugars typically crash, and it’s usually dark by the time I’m on my way back.
But this year, I was early enough that we didn’t need a headlamp, which was a huge mental boost! At the turnaround, I was extremely happy to see Michelle from work that brought lots of joy and energy. She told me that Mohan another friend from work was at home base in the hopes to see me and other runners. He was able to see Alex as he was way ahead of me.
Another great runner was Brian Recore, who was also tackling his 6th 100 at Umstead, last year we shared a few miles on our last loop on what was a really though event. It was great to see him once again tackling the mileage this year with better temperatures. At the station I went a got some more Vaseline, and I tried dipping a hamburger bun in hot chicken broth, which was surprisingly easy to get down. After more soda and water, we headed back, with Tara keeping my mind occupied with great conversation.
Loop 6:
Back at home base, I made sure not to forget the Aquaphor this time! Santa and Charu were ready to pace me. I did a full gear change: fresh shoes (my others were starting to feel flat), new socks, a new shirt, and a vest for the cooling temps. We grabbed our headlamps as we headed out into the night. My sugars were still stubbornly on the lower range, and with my uneasy stomach, I couldn’t force down the calories I really needed to keep the pace. Now, the PR goal, goal A, was not going to be possible, I had to make the tough choice to slow down rather than risk getting sick. The sub-24-hour goal was still possible, but it was getting tight. Santa and Charu were fantastic, providing encouragement, checking on me and checking in that my sugars were not getting into a trouble zone. From time to time they let me zone out with my music when I needed to. At the aid station, I had more bread and broth, although I new it was not going to be enough to cover the now deficit in calories. As we finished the loop and I was eating some potato soup back at camp, a smell piece of potato got stuck in my throat, and I had a very uncomfortable moment where I was fighting not to throw up. I was glad that I was able to managed to keep everything down, but it stressed me out as I did not want it to loose any of the calories I desperately needed in.
Loop 7:
Santa stayed with me for loop seven. I was still moving, but slower than I wanted, walking most of the uphill and jogging most of the flats and downhills. Seeing my friend Roland at the aid station was a wonderful surprise and gave me a jolt of energy. Santa kept and eye on the time and cue me when it was about time to head out form the aid station. By now, I knew that a PR was definitely off the table, but finishing under 24 hours was still the goal B. Santa was a great, realizing I needed some quiet time to be “in the zone” and just letting me do my own thing as I was slowly moving along. As we were getting back to finish Loop 7, I got the news that Alex completed his second 100 miler, not only under 20 hours, but, Holy Tamales, UNDER 19 HOURS, AMAZING!! That gave me another boost of energy, as I was super happy for him. I got back to home base, BD was already waiting and ready for me. I ate more soup, chicken broth and bread, and got ready for the final push.
Loop 8:
BD, a super ultramarathon veteran, was up for the last loop. I did another quick bottle and gels change, lubed up, and we were off, still with a shot at sub-24. BD was great, asking me if I could give 30 second of running on the downhills, for which I happily comply with a minute or two of running. We were moving along, but I think I made a mistake on one of the downhills, 5 turn hill. I pushed the pace a bit too hard, given that I was feeling a tad better, trying to bank time a little bit of time, and then after that push my energy and blood sugars cratered. My sugar dropped below 100, and the next four miles turned into a death march. It was hard to keep any momentum and keep me moving straight. The original plan was a quick turnaround at the aid station, but I knew that unfortunately, I needed more time now. We decided to stop, sit down, and eat something substantial. Even with the low temperatures, I did not want it to sit too close to the heater as I did not want it to be too comfy there. I started shaking a lot from the cold, but I resisted the urge to get too comfortable by the heater. BD handed me some ginger ale, and that really made me feel better. I think I had three small cups of it. Maybe I should have tried that earlier as it helped my stomach.
Good friend Ryan had told me if I could hold an 18-minute/mile pace for the last 5 miles, I could still make it under 24 hours. That might sound like enough time, but with the last few miles coming in around 20 to 22 minute per miles, due to the low sugars, I needed to do something. So, I stood up, still shaking, told BD, “This is not going to get done sitting on a chair. Let go!” and we headed out. Slowly but surely, the 300-400 calories I’d slammed on the way down and the food from the aid station started to finally kick in. I started jogging, then running for short segments. My legs still felt strong; it was just a lack of energy due to the lack of fueling. We crossed path with Venu, who was just a few meters behind us and reaching the aid station as we were heading out. In the end, we both finished within a few minute of each other, both earning our sub-24-hour buckles! It was amazing to see him achieve his goal.
Finish Line:
I couldn’t have done it without my incredible pacers: Tara, Santa, Charu, and BD. Thank you all so much. And a huge thank you to our crew master, Jamie Thompson, who was, once again, a rockstar at home base, helping everyone and making sure my quick turnarounds were efficient.
At the end, our friend and ultrarunner Jay was there to cheer for us and helping us with making sure we were all good. He has pace me a few times in previous years, but this year unfortunately was out of commission and could not pace me. It was phenomenal to see him at the end. He helped me load up all the items from home base that Jamie and the crew packed for us so we did not have to worry about.
It was incredible to see the successes of our crew:
- Alex had a phenomenal race, not just breaking 20 hours but smashing it with a time of 18:57!
- Anthony came in first overall in his very first 50-miler!
- Amy who paced me a few years back, came in third Female on the 50-miler! Absolutely phenomenal
- Benson ran a solid race, finishing 5th in his first 100-miler.
- Simeka pushed through a tough third and last loop to finish her first 50-miler.
- Malini, Kim and Padmaja completing their first 50 mile Ultramarathon
- Kaleel finished strong with a new PR!
- Venu finishing 100 miles under 24 hrs
- Prathiba finishing her 1st 100 miler
- Muthu finishing his 1st Umstead 100, redemption from last year tough race
In conclusion, it was a good race. I still have some things to figure out with my blood sugar management if I want to chase a PR in the future. But the weather was a gift, and I’m so happy to have completed my sixth Umstead 100. I’m already looking forward to next year as I continue the pursuit of that 1,000-mile buckle. Thank you, everyone
Congratulations to all! I can’t wait for next year, as I am already hearing about many runners interested in pursuing Umstead 2027.
While waiting at the headquarters and taking some rest before heading back home, I needed to recharge my phone and Genno and Laurie offered to charge it for me. To my surprise they took the opportunity to left me a phenomenal picture, LOL Loved it!!
| Month/Year | Event | Location | Type | Time |
| Mar-26 | Umstead 100 | NC | Ultra | 23:42:47 |
Highlights:
Course: 8x 12.5-mile with 2 out-and-back segments. This was an adjusted course from last year due to bridge construction. Great, ample trails, not technical, but lots of ups and downs. One long mile hill between miles 4 and 5. Excellent for 100 first-timers; highly recommended.
Venue: At the Start/finish, there is excellent variety and availability of food, plenty to drink, and amazing volunteers. You would not go more than 4.5 miles without hitting an aid station.
Expo: N/A
Weather: This year, the low 40s at the start and a temperature rise in the upper 60s. Lower to upper-30s for the night time portion. With just over 58% humidity, and a super pollen season. Amazing running weather for Umstead 100.
T1D: Sugars remained great during the first 5 loops of the event. Learning from past experiences helped me adjust and improve this year’s fueling plan. But it was a struggle for the rest of the loops due to stomach uneasiness.
Fueling:
Pre-Race: 1 serving of Hot Cereal and Latte. Half of the banana about 20 minutes before starting.
Race: Mix fuels from liquid calories, gels and solid foods.
Post: FOOD!!!!!
Learning Points:
- Taking advantage of great weather and find the zone quickly is key. That worked well.
- Your crew/pacer makes a huge difference. Thank you Jamie, Tara, Charu, Santa and BD
- Need to figure out how to really be more aggressive with the fueling when not feeling well.
- Having fun is one key element of a great Ultra. Always SMILE!