Before the race, Groth said her personal goal was 24 hours, a benchmark time, but she would be happy with a finish. A lot don t even finish their first 100-mile. I think Patty will finish, she s that driven, but it will not be that fast, she said. The schedule for AT100 is spread over three days. Ferguson said this extended time for such races might be what keeps it from gaining much popularity, and big-ticket sponsors.
People have a hard time following a race that lasts more than a day.
They want the fast races, which means that s where the sponsors go. What ends up happening is team members pay their own way. That means the person with the money goes, not necessarily the best runner, she said. At 6 a.m. Saturday, the start of the race clock was marked with a blast from a shotgun, but at first it seemed no one noticed. Groth had explained that her strategy was for a slow start, with adjustments as needed during the race.