DNFs
UltraSignup doesn't always list the entrants who Did Not Finish (DNF). So, for completeness, these are, I believe, all the times I've started a race and not officially finished:
| Year | Race | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Deadman Peaks Trail Run 50 miler | WNATF: Was Not Allowed To Finish[^1] |
| 2014 | Cedro Peak 45 miler | Flu caught up with me |
| 2015 | Western States | SAR injury1 |
| 2015 | Leadville | Same SAR injury + didn't pay attention to cutoffs |
| 2016 | Bighorn 100 Miler | Trekking pole broke |
| 2016 | Fat Dog 120 | Different trekking pole broke + bad nutrition; finished but too late |
| 2019 | Foothills 50k | White-out blizzard (nobody finished) |
Eventually, I'll write up a race report for each of those, because I think DNFs are more noteworthy (and unique) than other race reports.
Cancellation Mid Race
In addition to the above, the Jemez Mountain Trail Run 50 miler was canceled due to a sudden storm while I and most others were out on the course in 2014. There were only 20 finishers that year. The storm caught everyone by surprise and even some of the aid station volunteers were going hypothermic. I believe a few entrants went to the hospital, but nobody died.
Did Not Start
Although I had a covid rollover entry to the 2021 Santa Fe Century, I chose not to start. Initially, I had planned to, but it was during Balloon Fiesta and the day after the AA50k. Between my Balloon Fiesta drinking and my AA50k drinking, I was just not healthy enough to want to ride SFC in horrible weather.
Although I was registered for the 2023 Boston Marathon, my right foot
was not in good enough shape for me to do the Tough Ruck the day
before. Additionally, although I had planned on taking my family
with me to Boston for an east-coast vacation, that plan changed when
my daughter Iris was appointed to the United States Military Academy.
I'll be taking our family to her acceptance day ceremony in August,
instead.
[^1]: It was the Race Director's first race and my first ultra. I barely made the turnaround cutoff and I looked dodgy. RD radioed down to the aid station captain at the next aid station and requested I be examined for fitness when I arrived. There was no cutoff, but I was cut anyway.
I injured my foot in a search-and-rescue mission in May, but continued to train on it a little longer than I should have. I did realize that it wasn't healing properly and did back off, not soon enough. I ran the first thirty some miles with a limp. I then took analgesics and the limp went away, but I was in crazy pain and semi-hunched over. I missed a turnoff and went a long way up a hill (misleading others off course, too). The others recovered (including one spectacular—record breaking—finish, but I had to drop at mile 85.