There has been a recent brew-ha-ha in the ultrarunning community surrounding The Grand Slam of Ultrarunning that began with the fact that Nick Clark and Ian Sharman are both running the races that make up the Slam, are possibly competing for the fastest cumulative time running those races and that Nick decided not to pay the Slam entry fee because he thought up some better ways to spend $80 and didn't feel the need for any additional hardware.
Honestly, I seriously doubt that Ian feels the need for any more hardware or validation either. The man can run...like the wind. Maybe was just sitting around and simply could not figure out what to do with the $80 that was buring a hole in his pocket and simply said, "I think I'll just mail it off to Stan Jensen and the Slam."
In fact, now that I'm at it I have a little bone to pick with Ian. It just so happens that when I had my amazing sub-24 hour run at Rocky Raccoon Ian was busy smoking the old course record that had stood forever and thus I ended up with a crappy percentage rating on Ultrasignup for one of my best races ever. Thanks for that Ian.
Anyway, the actual furor was kicked off by the little notice below:
MESSAGE FROM THE GRAND SLAM OF ULTRARUNNING™ COMMITTEE AND THE WASATCH 100
RACE COMMITTEE The Grand Slam of Ultrarunning™ Committee and the
Wasatch Front 100 Mile Endurance Run Committee do not endorse, recognize, or
ratify anyone or their times involved in the so-called “unofficial” grand slam
of ultrarunning. Likewise we do not support, encourage, or sustain anyone
involved in this pursuit.
We continue to recognize, applaud, and award
the runners who are legitimately registered in and officially complete The Grand
Slam of Ultrarunning™.
We also remind all who are observing or otherwise
involved that the term “Grand Slam of Ultrarunning™” is a trademark of The Grand
Slam of Ultrarunning™ entity, and only those who are official entrants and
finishers of The Grand Slam of Ultrarunning™ are entitled to use the term “Grand
Slam of Ultrarunning™” in whatever form (including in any form that might cause
trademark confusion) in connection with their running endeavors.
I haven't the foggiest notion why this message was felt necessary and I don't remember the little "TM" next to The Grand Slam of Ultrarunning last year when I did it but whatever, that was the match that lit the powderkeg. (actually it's likely that most people could give a crap its just a vocal minority on the ultralist that are going banannas about it.)
As the debate, actually I should say diatribe, raged on I felt increasingly complelled to jump in because it seemed to be turning more towards a "What a rip-off" type deal along with the usual "They are ruining/co-opting/profiting from our sport" types of arguemnts. I saw the "what a rip-off as an oppertunity to state some facts about what I personally recieved for my $80 and here it is.
As someone who completed the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning in 2012 I can
tell you what I got for my $80 in 2012, I have no idea if this changes from
year to year. You’d have to ask Dan Brenden
who has completed the Slam more than any other person.
To begin with, I expected nothing but “an award” and I had no idea what
that was and I really didn’t care. I
figured it would be something that would commemorate the occasion of finishing
and that seemed fine to me.
Stan put together an e-mail group for all the slammers that year and
sent out an introductory e-mail as well as a group e-mail with our WS pictures
so we could have some chance at recognizing our fellow Slammers on the course. He also sent out various other alerts and
well wishes. The intent of the list was
to try and build a sense of community amongst the Slammers. My recollection is that few people
participated in the e-mailing but there was sporadic traffic among the group. The guys (we started with one female and she
DNFd at WS so I never got to connect with her) I connected with most were the
ones who I ended up running relatively close times to and it seemed like the
top three runners in our cohort would hang with each other as well so the
community part was probably more based on running ability and who you ended up
bumping into on the courses. Anyway, I
liked that part and the email group helped make that connection.
Stan also made the attempt to hook up with us at the finish line of WS
and Wasatch. He happened to be able to
check in with me on both occasions, asked how I was doing, gave me a “congratulations
and job well done”. That was nice
too. I have no idea if he met up with
everyone, or anyone, else so experiences may vary. It was a surprise at WS because I wasn’t
expecting anything really. It was kind
of like getting a birthday card from your insurance agent; a sort of “huh, that’s
nice, I guess I wouldn’t have expected that” type of feeling.
If you completed the Slam you received.
1)
A trophy (the award). It’s a kind of stylized Eagle head on a square
base that has a little placard on it with your name and Grand Slam of
Ultrarunning, maybe something else I don’t remember right now. It’s maybe six inches tall and the base is
maybe 3.5 inches per side. I remember
getting it and immediately thinking “there’s no way in hell that the TSA will
let me on the airplane with this thing.
It’s heavy and has a couple serious points on it.” TSA did let me on the plane with the trophy
despite the fact that it’s one of the most dangerous looking things I’ve ever
laid eyes on and could seriously do some damage.
2)
A polo shirt with “Grand Slam of Ultrarunning
Finisher” embroidered on the left breast.
3)
A matching visor also with “Grand Slam of
Ultrarunning Finisher” embroidered on it.
4)
A lapel pin.
For some reason though I think the pin was a Wasatch pin. I haven’t looked at it since I received it. However, I don’t think any other Wasatch
finishers got one. I know I didn’t get
one when I did Wasatch the year before and was not in the Slam.
5)
We were greeted and congratulated by Tom Green,
the original Slammer.
And yes, you even get your name posted on “the list” along with others
who paid their fee such as:
2006 Darcy Africa
2004 Scott Jurek
2003 Lisa Smith-Batchen
1998 Pam Reed
1998 Ann Trason
1995 Gordy Ainsleigh
1990 Dick Collins
1989 Helen Klein
1989 Marshall Ulrich
(Ok, I really don’t know when the fee was instituted so maybe some of
these folks got in free.)
Is this an $80 value? Sure, why not, who knows. But more to the point, it was an $80 value
for me even if all the crap listed above was free and Stan and the Wasatch
committee sat around laughing their asses off and smoked my money like a big
fat cigar. I like my little awards and
recognition, it’s kinda’ cool and this is something I wanted to do. Does anyone but me give a crap, I hope not. People should be looking to their own lives
trying to figure out what would be kinda’ cool for them and then they should go
do that thing.
As far as I’m concerned the year 2012 was own secret running Nirvana. I ran Boston for the first time ever. I ran Western States, Vermont, Leadville and
Wasatch and nobody, no circumstance, no change can ever take that from me. Not terrorists, not corporations, not race
committees and when I am dead and gone I still will have done these things and in
this moment, I think that’s kinda’ cool.
Oh, I almost forgot, I have also apparently recently received the legal
right to use the term “Grand Slam of Ultrarunning” for my $80 so you see, it’s
the gift that just keeps giving.
Namaste
When race morning came I felt pretty good and just like I
planned I took off easy and after I warmed up a bit I picked up the pace and
just kept rolling along. It was a
perfect morning for a race and I felt good jogging along at my easy pace. I was making pretty good progress until about
mile seven and then I started to get an ache in my shoulders, chest and biceps. I couldn’t figure it out at first but as I
ran the ache turned to a throbbing pain and then I realized it was from
carrying those toilets the day before. When
I carried them I had to grip them using a bear hug and of course I lifted with
my legs and it must have taken a lot more strength than I thought.
