Top Canadians at the brutal Bear 100-miler

For 21 years, The Bear 100-mile race has challenged ultrarunners with beautiful scenery, relentless terrain, and inconsistent weather for “36 hours of Indian Summer.” The 2019 race was no different as Canadians Tara Berry, Adam Harris, James Crossman, and Razvan Lazareanu demonstrated their grit through the rain and mud. Most of the race is at altitude, gaining just over 6,100 metres across 100 miles from Logan, Utah to Fish Haven, Idaho. With course records remaining at 17:50:15 and 20:45:48, the Bear 100 continues to test even the most experienced and talented endurance athletes.

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American winners Jeff Browning and Katie Asmuth looked strong all day, finishing in 19:06:00 and 23:23:31. Fresh off the mean trails of UTMB, Courtney Dauwalter paced and crewed for her husband Kevin Schmidt. Despite the rain and mud, Schmidt finished 62nd in 27:53:09.

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Berry was in second and third by a significant margin for most of the day, finding ease and smiles wherever she could. However, the best and worst thing about a hundred-mile race is that both the highs and the lows don’t last. After throwing up most of her calories at 73K, things took a turn. By the time she picked up her pacer Alex Lea at 122K, the two friends decided to embrace the ultra death march through the night in rain and mud.

Berry and Harris chose the Bear 100 because crossing the finish line comes with qualifiers for the Hardrock, Western States, and UTMB lotteries. But while Berry shuffled toward the finish, she questioned her hobby, laughing at ever wanting to do another 100-miler. Still, through the discomfort, the smiley and talented ultrarunner finished 6th place in 26:18:17–receiving her qualifiers.

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Berry frolicking before the downpour. Photo: Adam Harris

"Indian Summer" on the Bear 100 course in 2018. Photo: Katie Mills

Harris continued looking stronger and stronger the more miles he clocked. He and Berry ran together for the first 32K. Harris loved the fall colours, but definitely felt the altitude, coming from sea level. Once the mud and rain hit during the night, he was grateful that he mostly trains in the Vancouver rain, “which played to my advantage.” Harris worked his way up from 13th to 6th place in the last 30K for his sixth-ever 100-mile race in 21:46:44.

You would never know it was Crossman’s first 100-mile race last weekend. He was having full coherent conversations in the cold rain and muddy conditions at the 92-mile aid station. Crossman “had a great experience, no dark moments,” until the slippery mud towards the end.” Crossman crushed it, placing 31st in 25:19:42.

Lazareanu finished 175th in 34:59:00, well under the 36-hour cutoff. Other Canadians made an appearance crewing and pacing at aid stations. Alissa St Laurent (also fresh off the UTMB circuit) crewed and paced a friend at the race as well.

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