Race Directors Report Fools 25 and 50K

2012 Initial Report

Ideal weather and a fast trail greeted an event-record 300 runners at the 2012 Fools 50K & 25K Trail Run. With a mild Northeast Ohio winter and a saturated water table in the weeks leading to race day, no one expected a nearly dry trail on April Fools Day.

In the 50K race, Jonathan Hastings of Grove City (second place at the 2011 Fools 50K) took aim at the course record of 3:59:02 and held a six-minute lead by the halfway checkpoint splitting 25K in 1 hour, 51 minutes. A chase pack of four runners - Nathan Szabados, Jason Dashow, Stephen Zeidner, and Vince Rucci - arrived at 25K within a minute of each other and it appeared they were racing for second place. Hastings reached the mile-28 Kendall Lake aid station with an eight minute lead but suffered an energy depletion on the Salt Run trail.

For the second consecutive year, a twenty-two year-old captured the Fools Run 50K win. This year, Nathan Szabados of Cleveland won in a finish time of 4:02:43. Jeffery Day of Berea finished second place in 4:05:02 followed by Hastings in 4:05:52.

In the women's 50K, Serena Wilcox of Cambridge, Vermont, became the first out-of-state winner in the event's four-year history, finishing in 4:44:55. Eighteen year-old Rachel Raykov of Hudson finished second-place in 5:03:46 followed by Rachel Nypaver in 5:07:35.

Wade Caldwell of Kent (1:52:23) and Janet Edwards of Parkman (2:12:44) claimed victories in the 25k race.

An event-record 299 runners finished, including 177 in the 25K and 122 finished the entire 50K.

Northeast Ohio's trail and ultrarunner community was on full display as nearly 75 volunteers stepped up during race week and race day to help make the Fools Run a success. THANK YOU to each volunteer who gave part of their day.