How can running in circles for that long be so much fun?

Even those who don’t take to the streets stay up and watch merrymakers

mob Times Square to the tune of “Auld Lang Syne.” Celebrating New Year’s Eve means parties, watching the ball drop, and with successful maneuvering through a crowded room at 11:59, a midnight kiss with someone you’ve had your eye on all evening.

Then there is the ultramarathon crowd, which would rather celebrate closing out one year’s logbook and starting the new one by running in circles for 24, 48, or 72 hours. Across the Years is a fixed-time race on a 1.05-mile course that lets runners do just that. Participants have 24, 48, or 72 hours to cover as much distance as possible, being free to stop, eat, and sleep whenever they want. But the clock is always running.

Events span the last day of the calendar year, go through midnight on New Year’s Eve, and end at 9:00 a.m. on January 1. Sunny Arizona days, two aid stations with all of the Gummi Worms you can eat, changing direction every four hours . . . New Year’s festivities just don’t get any better for ultrarunners.

The Across the Years 72-, 48-, and 24-Hour Footrace started when founder Harold Sieglaff presented the first year-end run on December 31, 1983. There was a six-hour race with one entrant, a 12-hour race, and a 24-hour race held at Washington High School in Phoenix. Over the years, the six- and 12-hour events were dropped, the 48 and 72 were added, the location changed, race directors changed, and ATY grew a following.

In 2003, the race moved to Nardini Manor, a private estate on the outskirts of Phoenix owned by ultrarunner Rodger Wrublik. He custom-built a 500-meter

M ost people ring in the new year with champagne, horns, and fireworks.

© Cathy Tibbetts

The 1.05-mile loop winds along a lake and small waterfall.

certified track on its perimeter, and the race became so popular that the organizers had to limit numbers by lottery.

In 2011, the race moved to Phoenix to Camelback Ranch-Glendale, the springtraining facility for the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. A wide, 1.05-mile, mostly gravel path winds past ball fields, desert landscaping, lush greenery, and a lake with a waterfall. With night lighting, a large lawn to set up tents, and toilet facilities every quarter mile, it’s as if the venue were made for ultrarunners instead of Major League Baseball.

And the new location could accommodate so many runners that the lottery was eliminated—at least for now.

Faye Guastamacchio of Kingman, Arizona, showed up for her first ATY almost wishing that there had been a lottery. “An ultrarunning friend and I went wine-tasting 10 days ago,” the 38-year-old engineer said. “Then we had a bottle of wine. Then we went to another friend’s house for eggnog. Then we had more wine. The next thing you know, I was on her computer with my credit card signing up for this.

© Cathy Tibbetts

<4 Faye Guastamacchio on the west side of the loop.

“So here I am,” she laughed. Faye knocked off 54.59 miles before tendinitis kicked in, forcing her to stop earlier than expected. “I am not used to the convenience of all that food, and so often. I definitely ate more than I’m used to, and it kept my energy level pretty high even when my ankle started getting painful.

“T have no motivation if there’s not a big mountain in front of me to drool over, but it wasn’t maddening to run in a circle for hours. I was expecting that to drive me crazy, when in reality it was much easier and more fun than I had imagined. I would do it again, but I think I’d practice running on flat more.”

“T loved it from the first loop,” Bogie Dumitrescu said, also running ATY for the first time. His reasons for signing up: warm weather, a building block for upcoming races, and the fact that he had never done a 24-hour race before.

“My main goal was to run part and walk part and get 70 to 80 miles in without getting injured,” the 36-year-old Colorado engineer said. “Everything was awesome! Next year, if I do not go anywhere on vacation, I am definitely doing the 48 or 72.”

Robin Vollinger, from Casa Grande, Arizona, decided to try ATY for the first time as a training run for a 50-miler she was doing in March. “This beats sitting around and drinking on New Year’s Eve,” the 47-year-old teacher said. “Besides, I’d rather spend the money on a running dress than a cocktail dress.”

Robin clocked 34.64 miles before calling it a day and heading out to dinner with friends. “It was a fun event for all levels of ability. People even had their kids out there. And it was harder than I had expected. They do such a nice job that I may do the 72 next year.”

Terri Handy of Niwot, Colorado, was also there training for another event— the seven-day Marathon des Sables in Morocco. “It’s the perfect place to try out food, clothing, and gear for a multiday event.”

Terri, returning for the third time, won the 24-hour event in 2006. When asked why she keeps returning to run around in circles, the 47-year-old physical therapist replied, “It sounds horrible when you just sit and think about it. But you get into the flow. Everything is taken care of for you, and it’s mindless. Instead of worrying about tripping over roots, you wonder what they’re going to be serving for lunch.

“And it’s like a big family there. Everybody is so supportive of each other.”

All in the family

It was a family affair for 8-year-old Tajh Redden, who ran the 24-hour with his mother, Sabrina. Tajh was still going strong on Saturday afternoon when Mom made him stop at mile 31. “That was enough for one day,” Sabrina said as Tajh cranked out a few more miles on Sunday morning before the race ended. “All of our friends are ultrarunners, so he doesn’t think that is very far.”

“My legs are sore, but not tired,” said Tajh, who set a course record for 8-yearolds with a total of 35.69 miles. “It was fun and hard.”

A family back for its third ATY was Matt and Anne Watts of Broomfield, Colorado. “Running a timed race on a flat loop is so different from what I normally do. It’s a nice change of pace and a nice way to bring in the New Year,” Matt said.

Anne agreed. “What I like about the timed race is that you end up doing whatever mileage you want …no pressure of DNF. Also, the camaraderie of all the people out there on the track is some of the best.”

Carrie Sauter of Woodbine, Maryland, returned in 2011 for her second ATY. “I completed ATY 72-hour in 2007-2008 and loved every minute of it. There was a sense of community, more than what you feel in an ultra,

Tajh Redden set a course record for 8-year-olds, covering 35.69 miles on the 24-hour race.

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© Cathy Tibbetts

which is already very supportive. I felt like my tent setup was in a neighborhood, and I had caring folks around me all the time. There was always someone to talk to while you’re doing your loops, and certainly people would understand if you needed to be quiet. The medical staff was awesome, helping me with blister care and swelling. The organizers and volunteers do a wonderful job with this event! As for the looped course, this provides an added mental challenge—the true grit of battling the monotony shines through. Love it! Better than any big loop or point-to-point course.”

Marty Kennedy of San Dimas, California, competed for the fourth time in 2011 and loves the ATY camaraderie as well. “I also like this race because it does not only favor those who are the most athletic people. I have seen the stellar athletes

crash and burn while people who no one would identify as athletes soldier on to the end,” the 55-year-old private investigator said. “Because I group myself with the nonathletes, Iam inspired by the possibilities that this race

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opportunity to push through when your mind is telling you that you cannot finish.”

Also returning for her fourth time was Fran Mason, who raved about the new location. “liked the fact that I wasn’t bumping elbows

<4 Fran Mason at the 48-hour race, getting closer to her 1,000-mile jacket. Special jackets are awared to those reaching 1,000 lifetime miles at ATY.

with everybody on every curve,” the 60-year-old Boulder, Colorado, resident said. “I can’t think of a better place or a more wonderful bunch of folks with whom to wrap up the past year and start the next.

“Tl be back next year because I have only about 700 more miles to run before I get that 1,000-mile ATY jacket!”

Ah, yes, the jacket

Jean-Jacques d’Aquin of Montrose, Colorado, has 400 miles to go to get his 1,000-mile jacket, awarded to runners who complete a lifetime total of 1,000 ATY miles. The 72-year-old retired professor signed up for the 72-hour race with the goal of closing the gap as much as possible.

“T like the fact that the loop is 1.05 miles. Every time you cross the timing mat and see the computer screen, it’s nice to see the number change by a whole mile, as opposed to the old 500-meter course where you’d only see your total go up a fraction. And that extra .05 miles is great—you get a free mile with every 20 laps!”

Eight-time ATY finisher Robert Andrulis was another fan of the 1.05-mile loop. “I liked Camelback Ranch mostly for the fact that it was a longer loop—just over a mile versus 500 meters. While I loved the feel of Nardini Manor, such a short loop really left one feeling like they hadn’t accomplished much with each loop. With 322 laps for 100 miles, it could really wear on a person; and I never did find a surefire way of dealing with that consistently. With a longer loop, and the one at Camelback Ranch was not boring, it was nice to be able to feel like a larger step toward the goal was accomplished on each loop,” the Chandler, Arizona, resident said.

“T also enjoy ATY because it was my first ultramarathon. It showed me just how foolish I was to assume I could do as many miles as I had planned (it’s always easier on paper), and it keeps doing that every year I return. Thankfully, there are no cutoffs, so one can always recover after a bad patch and continue on to a reevaluated goal.”

A two-time winner of the 24-hour event, June Gessner, can be found at ATY on New Year’s Eve more often than not.

“What I find extremely appealing about the race, other than the obvious weather, food, and great race director, is the way it’s set up with the 72-, 48-, and 24-hour runs all together,” the Salida, Colorado, resident said. “I always try to do the last day, and I get to see our sports greats, often setting records for their chosen race. History is made right there while you are going around cranking out your own miles trying to run the best you can, inspired by all those others that are out there. The race goes through moods as the hours go on. It is an entity all to itself.

“And, of course, it keeps me off the streets on New Year’s Eve!” Mr