Howie Breinan, creator and RD for the Don’t Run Boston 50K, achieved a feat unique to the ultra community and closed the circle of life with his accomplishment.

On a sweltering and steamy Sunday, Howie set out to be the first person test run and finish the entire TARC 50 Miler course.  He crossed the finish line after 12 hours and 28 minutes of enduring brutal heat conditions and set the course mark to beat.  It only seems appropriate that not  only Breinan -the first 31 miles of the course are the DRB50K -  be the one to attempt this effort but that it be done on the hottest day of the year.  In true Trail Animal style he pierced the heat, got”off track”, recovered and ended strong and in good spirit.  Hid account is below.  Congrats to Howie for again, showing us how we Animals do it right!

Howie Breinan’s account:

Came in feeling strong in 12:28.   I missed the turn to the CCC and ended up
doing the loop backwards plus some bonus pipeline twice (it is a trail
animal race after all, and someone had to do it).   I was able to run the
whole way, overall probably at least as good as the Ponkapoag loop.   I had
a slow stretch from 28 to the CCC, but then picked it up, especially the last 2 miles.  I really enjoyed the section after getting out of the CCC all the way to Chickatawbut.  Had a bit of a tough time from Chick to Rte 28 just because legs were a bit fatigued for a long rocky downhill.  Finally started to feel like I had cooled off some once I left the house of poison ivy.  Stephen ran me in the last 0.88 or so.  Overall it was a really good day for me.  I did jump in the pond… not quite as refreshing as for those in the past who did the same after DRB (can’t remember who…. maybe Craig?)

Stephen Peckiconis also writes:

Howie finished 50 (or more) miles in 12:28, running from 0641-1909 on a day with dew points regularly registering over 70.  I dropped at 16 because 70’s my limit, my body just can’t handle that.  Had thought it would be like Saturday but the temps on Sunday put things over the top.  Howie didn’t seem fazed and a good sign was the he was the only one regularly peeing, processing plenty of fluids.

Paul was there running with Howie through the 50K.  David Molk and Norm Sheppard also started with us.  Like myself, they decided 16mi was a good drop point, as it was a quarter mile from our cars.  Howie’s pace was faster than I expected.

Tim Reif again amazed me by finding us in the middle of nowhere to run for a couple hours.  Chris Haley ran with Howie from approx 28 to 50K, and then he and I ran the
6 mi Ponkapoag loop with Howie.  My favorite part of the course but Howie’s least fave.

After 4pm Howie was on his own, and that included the period from 5pm until Now with the dew point at 72 degrees!  I ran the last mile with Howie and he did it in around 8m30s.

There was some discussion/misunderstanding on the part of the course from 28-37, hopefully Chris Haley or Howie can explain that.

I thought I was drinking well before I dropped.  After that I drank more, rested, went home, drank more, and then weighed myself.  Down 4.5 lbs, or 3% after all that.  Not what I expected.  I think I was using my spring water loss rate and forgot that it just might be a little higher today.  Going to have to learn to drink until it hurts.