The Other Side of an Aid Station | Crewing & Pacing an Ultrarunner | Written by: Amy Krueger, CBM Crew
Imagine the start line of any race. Hopeful runners carb loaded, super shoes tied tight, dressed for efficiency, warmed up, and focused, awaiting the countdown. Now make it an ultra race: hopeful runners with full bellies, feet taped up, headlamps lighting the trailhead, vests stuffed with food, and teams of people anxious to support their runners in the mountains over the next 24-48 hours. That’s the spirit of the crew. Because ultramarathons aren’t a solo adventure. They’re a full production supported by this team effort.
With days of food and gear packed in their cars and a race plan that might shift by hours without Wi-Fi to adjust, a runner’s crew battles in the trenches to get their runner across the 50/100/200-mile finish line.
What Crewing and Pacing Really Means:
(Spoiler Alert – It’s Not Just Handing Out Snacks)
One of the first ultras I crewed and paced was for the iconic Leadville Trail 100 run (LT100) in Leadville, CO, with a group of ultrarunner friends. Just being present for this race was something special but participating was a different level of excitement. To be in the thick of the emotional highs and lows of 700+ runners and their hopeful, anxious, hungry, tired crews is hard to describe. Fun fact, the (LT100) inaugural race back in 1983 had 45 runners. It’s grown a bit.
Having watched a bunch of YouTube videos on crewing, I knew it would be an intense, sleepless 30+ hours of bopping from one mountainous aid station to the next, waiting for our runners to arrive for a 5-minute NASCAR-style head-to-toe gear check, gel swap, and dopamine hit of positivity.
We had two crew tents at different aid stations, with pacers meeting at a third station. This meant coordinating gear, food, cars, the shuttle, and ourselves back and forth multiple times, alongside the crews of the other 700+ runners. Funnnn. There was waiting, standing, sweating, dust blowing, and bugs. There was also music, cheering, cowbells, laughter, naps in the shade, people playing cards, lots of people watching, plenty of food, cold drinks, and zero complaining. Runners were flying in and out of the aid stations, camera crews capturing their runner’s heightened emotions, and volunteers everywhere with huge smiles and open arms.
How cool to experience the magic of the trail running community at its finest, up close and personal. This is what race day is all about for the crew.
More About Pacing:
Most ultra runners who have a crew, typically have a pacer, as well, who runs a section of the course with them to keep them on pace, on course, and mentally strong.
At LT100 I was the lucky one to pace Paul, on a 15 mile section overnight. I was to keep him moving from Twin Lakes (mile 61.8) to Outward bound (76.2) at a quick enough pace to beat the 3am cutoff yet arriving fresh enough to continue for another 24 miles to the finish. This meant I got to run a section of this iconic race with awesome race day vibes, which is the coolest thing about pacing.
So what’s the strategy?
Being a really good pacer means putting your needs second and still showing up as your best self for your runner.
- Keep them moving. You set a pace that keeps the runner moving based on their goals. Speed up if they’re chasing cut offs, or walk a bit to give their GI system a break. Relentless forward progress is the key.
- Be a positive distraction. Save your best work gossip, dad jokes, and juicy secrets for when your runner needs a distraction. Celebrate having made it up a hill or successfully getting a gel down without puking. Acknowledge their misery and remind them that hard is what they trained for and they are capable. Also, be ok running in silence if that’s what they need. Don’t take crabbiness personally; this isn’t about you.
- Keep them safe. It is your duty to not miss a turn (don’t just follow the runners in front of you!), know where the next water stop is, remind them to drink, keep track of how many times they peed, and to troubleshoot a cramping calf or a chafed spot under their armpit. Download the course, carry extra batteries, set reminders to fuel, anticipate their needs before they ask.
Paul, by the way, made it to 76 miles before the cutoff but DNF’d (did not finish) due to neuromuscular fatigue that caused a runner’s lean—a common ultra challenge. He’s since bounced back stronger than ever after strength training and nutrition planning. He is about to tackle a 200 mile race this November. Go Paul!