Streeter completes 50k run

Sam Streeter started running when he was a sophomore in college. He used it as a daily break from studying while attending Dartmouth.

Now, at 24 years old, he has completed his first 50k ultra marathon, the Vermont 50.

"I can't help but get excited to run another ultra, perhaps the Vermont 50 or one closer to home in the Rocky Mountains," Streeter said.

Streeter completed the 32-mile course in four hours and 34 minutes. He placed fourth overall out of the 188 who finished. The race began with 240 people running.

Streeter is somewhat humble – he considers a race a race, and one he finished fourth. He finished first in his age division and was second out of all the men who ran. But rather than brag about being first, he considers himself to have placed fourth – just to be fair to everyone else running.

Streeter said that running in college helped him let off steam, get some fresh air and get his head out of the books. "Now running is a genuine pleasure of mine," Streeter said.

Streeter said he was inspired to run in the 50k race because he finds himself intrigued by what the human body is capable of accomplishing physically. "I think 'Wow, I wonder if I can do this too? How far can I go?'"

Although Streeter is new to the ultra distance running, he is fascinated how much strategy is involved in ultra distance running – knowing when to eat, drink, push, and rest is essential to having a good long run, Streeter said.

"I read about people running great distances, pushing their physical limitations and surprising themselves and others by what can be done," Streeter said. "I love the mental challenge as well as the physical challenge."

Training for the race was not the normal run-of-the-mill training for Streeter. Instead of training on paved roads and smooth, flat ground, Streeter ran in the mountains.

This past summer, Streeter worked at Dartmouth's Moosilauke Ravine Lodge, which is located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Because of the remoteness of the lodge, he was only able to leave the lodge twice a month. He used his free time to run. "The terrain around the lodge is very technical," Streeter said. "[There are] lots of rocks and roots in the trails, plenty of steep ascents and descents, and an infinite number of loops and routes to make."

This training gave Streeter an advantage over the faster runners he said. "A part of the race was on dirt road, which turned out to be a bit of a struggle for me. I'm not a fast runner, and I never have been. But this summer, I learned that running endurance and running strength are very different from running speed." While some runners gained time on the dirt road, Streeter was able to gain time on the more technical single track portions of the race which allowed him to catch up with the faster runners.

Streeter said he loved the support and encouragement during the race. The atmosphere was a positive one as all the race volunteers were out on the course cheering for everyone. "I received so many high fives and cheers as I rolled through the aid stations," Streeter said. "It blew me away."

Streeter will be returning to the Rocky Mountains soon, and he is looking forward to coming home to Wyoming and putting on his running shoes. "I love our Wyoming countryside, both the prairie and the mountains," Streeter said. "Running will be a great way for me to soak it all in."

As for his next race, "The distance of my next ultra race is a topic of discussion," Streeter said.