DEWAYNE HOLLOWAY_dewayne@mcnews.online
LOViT Trail – Nasty weather helped make the 2023 LOViT 100 a pair of memorable races this past weekend. The runners were undeterred with Wesley Hunt of Roland, Arkansas winning the 100 Mile Ultra Marathon and Jacob Phillips of Fayetteville, Arkansas winning the 100K race.
The LOViT 100 is a pair of ultra endurance races which take place on the Lake Ouachita Vista Trail each February. The 100 Mile race began Friday afternoon at 5 p.m. with 46 runners from 16 states and two other countries competing.
Photo by Debbie Rigsby
The 100 Mile race continued through the night and into Saturday with Wesley Hunt of Roland, Arkansas completing the course in 20 hours 33 minutes and 17 seconds. He was one of 29 competitors to complete the grueling course.
Bee Miller of Russellville, Arkansas was second with a time of 21:45:41, followed by Chris Lyle of Cave Springs, Arkansas with a time of 23:46.48. Robert Berry of Somerville, Tennessee finished fourth with a time of 23:48:17 and Noel Rascher of Alexandria, Virginia was fifth with a time of 23:50.31.
Kevin Byron of Jonesboro, Arkansas (24:02:48), Cary Eldredge of Lake St. Louis, Missouri (24:30:23), John Griffin of Hernando, Mississippi (25:02:02), Lily Charles of Winona, Missouri (25:41:11) and Pete Shoeenlaub of St. Joseph, Missouri (25:49:58) rounded out the Top 10.
The 100K race began Saturday morning with 46 runners from seven states starting the race. Jacob Phillips of Fayetteville, Arkansas was the first of 40 competitors to finish. He won the 100K with a time of 9:39:28.
Close behind Phillips was Brad Taylor of Texarkana, Arkansas who ran the course in 9:49:33. Cliff Pittman finished in third place with a time of 9:53:35. Gabriel Harris of Pottsville, Arkansas was fourth with a time of 11:31:08 and Joshua Manatt of Dardanelle, Arkansas was fifth with a time of 11:36:25.
Stewart Gray of Little Rock, Arkansas (11:41:31), Shannon McDowell of Paragould, Arkansas (11:53:27), Laura Kearns of Little Rock, Arkansas (12:17:28), Jaime Maher of Fenton, Missouri (12:17:43) and Erich Washausen of Fayetteville, Arkansas (12:25:15) finished out the Top 10.
Each race has four cut-off points that competitors must complete in a certain time limit to officially remain in the race.
The 100 Mile race competitors had to complete the first 34 miles in 11 hours and 35 minutes; the first 64 miles in 21 hours and 55 minutes; the first 82 miles in 28 hours and the 100 mile race in 34 hours.
The competitors in the 100 K race, which is approximately 62 miles, had to complete the first 30 miles in eight hours and 55 minutes; the first 48 miles in 15 hours and they had to finish the race in 21 hours.
For more information on the LOViT 100, and to view a complete list of competitors and their times, visit www.runlovit.com. You can also keep up the the event on their Facebook page www.facebook.com/runlovit.
