2011 WUROY
There has been a lot of chatter about the Ultra Runner of the Year award lately. Who is eligible, who is most deserving; roads?, trails?, 100 milers?, shorter distances?.
Fortunately, the WUROY has no such controversy or strings attached.
I am honored to be the 2011 recipient of Woody’s Ultra Runner of the Year! Woody is someone I have a great deal of respect for, both as a runner and even more as a great dad and person. His positive outlook and demeanor are a pleasure to be around. Plus he is a darn good runner, rocking a sub-24 at Leadville in his first try at 100 miles!
Of course this award is completely tounge-in-cheek, and we had fun with the idea. It is still a great way to cap the season and I very much appreciated the sentiment.
In Woodys words:
Alright, I have an announcement to make. After winning at 12 hours of Moab, witnessing your performance finishing Collegiate Peaks with a busted leg, running 100 miles at Bighorn with waterlogged feet, finishing Leadville with a 30 mile walk when you could have dropped, and NOW tacking on an additional 11 miles after getting your buckle…..I hereby select you for Woody’s 2011 Ultrarunner of the Year award. Certificate to follow via email. Haha! Seriously Chris, what a race and what a year!
This thing is definitely getting framed and put on the wall. Thanks, Woody!!!
Posted on October 18, 2011, in run. Bookmark the permalink. 15 Comments.
The Scene Begins 
gotta agree, the WUROY award is way more awesome than the UROY award. Congrats!
Right on, TG. Thanks!
Awesome! If I were deciding, Slickrock would have clinched it. That was great.
Expect a call from Woody’s Wood-Fired Pizza about a sponsorship.
Yeah, I read back through all of that and it sounds like I am the team captain for the Bad News Bears. Mmmm, pizza.
This is an award I can fully endorse. Well done.
Thanks, GZ. It is definitely an honor I was happy to receive.
I saw the title of this post and thought the “W” was for “Worst.” I was ready to argue that I was more deserving.
See you at the Fat Asses!
JT, you still wouldn’t stand a chance. I am definitely the best worst ultra runner. “Walking” or “Wounded” would make good substitutes, too!
No greater honor than the WUROY.
I need to retire now.
There were many in the running as some downright inspiring performances were laid down in 2011. Tim’s Hardrock, Scott J’s WS100 & UTMB, Jaime’s hobo jacket finish at RRR, Leila’s #3 finish & ambulance ride at Silver Rush, Nick’s #3 @ WS100 & HR, PG’s great season, SY’s Wasatch & Moab100, Brendan’s Jemez, JP’s SJS, GZ’s recent 100 debut, TG’s Red Hot….I could go on.
The breadth of races & experiences Chris persevered through demonstrated the grit and determination in the face of adversity that all season had me motivated to try harder and improve myself. The Slickrock ending was superb! I know I would not have run the extra mileage. But Chris has now raised the bar!
I’m going to keep the specific criteria for selection top secret. Seems like that’s the way to go.
Let’s see a repeat in 2012 Chris!
You left your fast CP50 and awesome LT100 debut off that list. Those were inspiring to me, for sure.
It was a crazy year, looking back on it now. Running Cheyenne Mountain 50K three days post being in bed with a fever (not recommended), and losing 12+ pounds at North Fork 50 are more examples of the carnage. Glad it all ended well with an amazing day at Slickrock and I am definitely looking forward to 2012.
Thanks, again!!
My debut is hardly worthy of such a list – but I love any criteria where it is clearly in the head of one person who can change that criteria as they see necessary.
Right on. Nothing more to say… Right on.
This is awesome! Well deserved.