2021 Peterson Ridge Rumble 40/20 Preview

by Chase Parnell — April 6th, 2021

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With the rescheduling of Lake Sonoma and a variety of other race cancellations, a lot of the faster runners around Oregon and surrounding states were looking for a competitive tune-up race to prep for the rest of their seasons. The Peterson Ridge Rumble became that race with a flurry of last minute registrations. Really excited that the stars aligned in a way that allows us to spotlight this Central Oregon classic and enjoy higher than normal levels of competition.

The race takes place this Sunday, April 11th and starts and finishes in Sisters, Oregon, a fun little mountain town in Central Oregon just 20 minutes north of Bend. And believe it or not, this will actually be the 19th running of the Rumble. I think it’s safe to assume that any race that’s been around for that long is doing something right.

In my opinion, the course is the perfect early season test-piece. It’s fast. Gently winding bomber singletrack through ponderosa forest and only a little technicality. Open it up and enjoy some rhythm trail running. It’s a great way to work on your speed before transitioning to longer races in the summer where slower mountain running is usually the norm.

A few more details on the course: first of all, the “40 miler” usually runs short. Both years I ran the Rumble it was more like 36 miles so don’t be thrown off by that; if it feels like someone is starting to push towards the finish a little early, it might not be that early. The track sneaks up on you and before you know it, you’re done.

After a little mini out and back (update: apparently there’s no out and back to start this year’s race so the course might actually be more like 34ish miles), you essentially head out on a 15-20 mile easterly loop and then head out on another 15-20 mile westerly loop. The 20 mile race only does the first loop. The first loop is faster terrain but the second is more aesthetically pleasing and takes you to a little higher elevation so that means you get a really nice long downhill to funnel you back to the finish. Here’s the route from my Strava entry when I ran it in 2019. Don’t be fooled by the appearance of the two climbs. They are only 600-800 feet a piece, but as you can tell, the second climb is a little more aggressive so keep that in mind.

With that, let’s take a look at who’s toeing the line. If you’re from Oregon, you probably know many of these names as they’ve been crushing it for years, but even if you aren’t from around here, you’ll certainly recognize some some of the big players. It’s going to be an exciting race! We’ve been given permission to be out on the course in a safe socially-distanced manner to provide race updates so be sure to give Treeline Journal a follow on Twitter and instagram to follow along! If you know that any of the runners below won’t be making it to the start line, let me know in the comments so I can update the list!

The 2021 Peterson Ridge Rumble Men’s 40 Miler

Brett Hornig: Trails and Tarmac coach, Ashlander, Southern Oregon University alum. While Brett seems to fly under the radar a bit, the guy has a lot of really incredible results. He was 6th at the Broken Arrow Skyrace 52k in 2019 amidst a super competitive professional field, he won the 2018 Secret Beach 100k, and just a few weeks back he won a 6 mile virtual barnburer in Ashland’s Lithia Park called the Tar N Trail. Check out the Strava GAP pace on that run. Brett will be in the mix. I think if Peterson Ridge had a bit more climbing that would play to Brett’s favor but there might be just enough in the second half for him to pick up some carnage and make things interesting.

Ryan Kaiser: Trial lawyer Bendite with sass. Ryan has done just enough running this year to be dangerous. I like this Progression run he did this last Saturday, “wu; 6:19; 6:00; 5:53; 5:43; 5:36; 5:27; 7:04; 5:43; 5:43; cd.” I’ve done a little running with Ryan and his superpower seems to be how fit he can get despite taking breaks with low mileage. It’s like he somehow never gets that out of shape. He’s another guy who will pick up steam in the second half and work those hills. I’ve been dropped by him on more than a few climbs. Ryan has a big lifetime base with lots of 100 milers under his belt. This will feel like a sprint to him but I have no doubt that he’ll maximize his performance on the day.

Jeff Stern: Santa Barbara sun-worshipper, Ultrarunning Mag features writer, Salomon athlete. I wrote up a profile on Jeff before his golden ticket attempt at the 2021 Black Canyon 100k. He didn’t hit his goal at that one but I think he’s bounced back with a focus on races that are more in his wheelhouse. He’s been doing some shorter runs with more intensity and should be primed for a course like Peterson Ridge. He’s coached by Mario Fraioli and is a guy who seems to be improving substantially with each passing season. Just this year he won the Montara Mountain 50k and the Drum Canyon Ranch 25k, both smaller events but great tune-ups for this more competitive field at the Rumble. Glad Jeff’s making the drive up north to hang out in Central Oregon for a minute. Hope he owns a puffy jacket.

Hal Koerner: Need I say more? I have no idea what kind of fitness the two-time Western States champ will bring as I don’t see that he’s ran any races since 2019. But who knows? Maybe 2020 was just the reboot he needed to find some of that former glory. (Update: Someone forwarded me this instagram post by Hal, in which he said, “Don’t know if it’s been the bagels, taco bell burritos or the lack of beer (say what?) but my training plan for the Peterson Ridge Rumble next weekend has come together better than any race I’ve prepped for in the last 6 years.” So watch out guys, Hal’s coming for you!) I think people forget that Hal wasn’t just a great 100 miler runner, he also ran a 2:35 marathon! The guy could turn it over when he needed to. But no matter what it’ll be fun to have him on the start line, hopefully rocking the latest North Face kit, although I couldn’t tell you if he’s still actually with them or not. Hal owns Rogue Valley Runners and is the race director for Pine to Palm 100, Lithia Loop Trail Marathon, Tar N Trail six-miler, and is co-RD for the Siskiyou Out Back races. Last note: I’ll never forget the 2012 Chuckanut 50k. At one point I was running next to Hal and the music in his headphones was so loud I could hear every word. So whenever I think of Hal, I think of music on full blast.

Rick Stilson: This is Rick’s race! Somehow he always shows up fit and ready to roll. He’s ran the Rumble 40 the last six years in a row and hasn’t finished any lower than 3rd place! That’s some pretty incredible consistency, especially for an early season race in April. I had the pleasure of sharing some miles with Rick during the Waldo 100k a few years back. Great guy! Big time family man and I think that’s one of the reasons he doesn’t race as much as he used to, but he comes out for Peterson Ridge every year so it must mean a lot to him. Hope he has another big day out!

Scott Williams: Springfield, Oregon run commuter and veg enthusiast. Scott hasn’t ran a lot of ultras in the last few years but it looks like he’s full-on in 2021 with a nice progression of races: Peterson Ridge 40 –> Mary’s Peak 50k –> Siskiyou Out Back 50k –> Waldo 100k. That’s a great calendar right there. Back in 2016, Scott was 2nd at Mountain Lakes 100, 3rd at McKenzie River 50k, and he won the Nut 100k and Mac Forest 50k. The guy is a great runner so if his fitness is anywhere near what it was in 2016, he’ll be one to keep an eye on. From the looks of his Strava, he’s fit and running a lot. Someday I’ll have to ask him why his insta handle is hoovedlocust.

Others to watch

Croom Beatty: 4th Javelina Jundred 100 miler (2020); 1st Mountain Lakes 100 (2019).

Jason Smith: Beast coast transplant. Won a bunch of races over there.

Yassine Diboun: He’s done it all. Fairly recently, 2nd Sean O’Brien 50 miler (2020).

Nathan Stroh: Veteran out of Klamath Falls. 4th Badger Mountain 100 miler (March 26, 2021… two weeks ago).

Edward Murphy: 3rd Badger Mountain 100 miler (2021… yes, same as above). Rematch!

Peter Curran: 5th Ochoco Trail Runs 50k; King of Pilot Butte (if you know, you know).

Ryan Cotton: Lots of wins at 24 hour timed events will not get you a win at the Rumble but it will get you in the preview!

Gordon Freeman: 2nd Mountain Lakes 100 (2019).

The 2021 Peterson Ridge Rumble Women’s 40 Miler

Keely Henninger: Big talent, Nike employee/athlete, might take down course record. Keely’s story is pretty wild. She didn’t run on a team in high school or college, but sort of just fell into trail and ultra running through acquaintances during undergrad at Penn State. She finished second in her first 50 miler, a smaller event, at 21 years old. A year later she finished 3rd at one of the most competitive races in the country, the JFK 50 miler. A year after that, she won the White River 50. Keely continued to improve each year, all the way to the highest tiers of elite international competition. In 2017, she finished 4th at UTMB’s CCC and followed that up in 2018 with a pair of 5th place finishes at Lavaredo and Ultra Trail Cape Town. Unbelievable. While the Rumble course has changed a bit over the years, Joelle Vaught has the course record in 4:57:05. Keely is coming off a bit of downtime but appears to be ramping it up with a consistent mix of 50-70 miles per week of running and a lot of mountain biking to supplement. And oh BTW, Keely is in for Western States in June so the Rumble will be a nice rust buster and fitness builder towards the big dance.

Natalie Chirgwin: The Ashland contingent is strong this year. Natalie is fairly new to ultras but she’s already managed a 3rd place finish at the SOB 50k and a very impressive 13th place finish at The North Face 50 Miler San Francisco, which was arguably the most competitive 50 miler in the country before the race quit itself. Natalie also won the 2017 Mount Ashland Hill Climb so I’m imagining that, like most ultrarunners that live in Ashland, the punchy climbs in the second half of this 40 miler will barely register.

Leah Brown: First off, Leah must be psyched on life. Go check out her ultrasignup. She has NINE races in the queue! She’s not messing around. In addition to stoke, Leah appears to have some pretty nice range. She does well in the Portland Trail Series events but then can go all the way up to 100 miles, finishing 3rd at the Mountain Lakes 100 in 2019.

Others to watch

Melissa Elbert: 1st AZT Oracle Rumble 50 Miler; lives at 8,500 feet elevation in Blackhawk, CO.

Dani Reese: Bendite. 2nd Pine to Palm 100 (2019); in for Cascade Crest 100 in September.

Rebecca Touvell: 4th White River 50 (2019); 6th Peterson Ridge 40 Miler (2019).

The 2021 Peterson Ridge Rumble Men’s 20 Miler

Colton Gale: Colton is a guy that is always going to be ready to race. I think he has big dreams and he’s doing a lot of the little things that need to be done to get there. In early March, he finished second at the Mastondon 10 miler in 54:56, averaging 5:37 per mile on winding singletrack with a few gradual climbs. Last I heard, he’s also building towards a road marathon later this year so his training should be tailored to a fast course like the Rumble. Colton has even been out on the course a few times leading up to this race so he’s going to know which segments he can push to match his strengths. Again, Colton is a guy I really respect for his consistency and determination. It seems like each season he makes one more step forward. He’s got a great longterm coach in Ryan Ghelfi (Trails and Tarmac) and I really think he’ll put all the pieces together at a big race someday and really surprise some people. The Rumble is just one more step in the journey.

Thomas Morgan: I was tempted to leave Thomas’s write-up as follows: ran a 13:27 5k. That’s enough, right? With that kind of talent, anything is possible if he’s feeling good on the day. That said, Thomas runs a fair amount but I wouldn’t say he’s training hard or with specificity. He’s been spending a lot of time on the skis, skinning up mountains in the Cascades, and had a pretty good run at last weekend’s Horse Butte 10 miler here in Central Oregon, finishing third in a time of 59:32. I’m curious to see how Thomas does because I think he’ll get a significant bump in fitness even from that singular hard 10 mile run; who knows what he could roll that into at Peterson Ridge. He might run the fastest time in history for someone who runs 30-40 miles a week.

Casey Campbell: (Update 4/10/21: Casey unfortunately had to pull from the race.) I don’t know much about this guy, but after looking at his ultrasignup, it’s clear that I should. He’s been tearing it up on the shorter trail race scene. If his fitness is anything like it was in 2019 when he won all the Bend Trail Series races that he entered, we probably shouldn’t be surprised if he’s up front and charging from the gun. On Saturday, he did a 17 mile run around Bend at 6:19 pace sooooo, he’ll probably be ready enough to throw down. Casey ran at least one season for the Oregon Ducks back in 2013-2014; not an easy team to make! This should be fun.

Alastair Thurlbeck: Another really fast dude. Just ran what appears to be a solo 15:40 5k a few weeks ago on the track. In 2020, he battled it out with Casey Campbell (above) at the Oakridge Triple Summit Challenge so these guys have a little history. Alastair won the 2020 Three Sisters Skyline 50k.

Others to watch

Josh Seekatz: Three-time winner of the Run for the Hills 30k (2014, 2017, 2018); ran for University of Puget Sound.

Benjamin Flaata: 1st Hell of the Northwest trail half marathon (2020) in 1h 15m.

Emile Chol: 3rd Oregon Coast 50k (2018).

The 2021 Peterson Ridge Rumble Women’s 20 Miler

Kimber Mattox: Kimber has taken the mountain and “short” ultra scene by storm these last few years. After a really solid college running career, primarily as a steeplechaser, she has slowly transitioned to longer and longer trail races. In 2015, she represented the USA at the World Mountain Running Championships and actually finished as the top American that year! She battled a few years of injuries, which I wrote extensively about in this article, but has since gone on to make another mark on the sport. She again qualified for the World Mountain Running team in 2019, traveling to Argentina and contributing to the American women’s fifth place finish. Kimber then made her ultra debut at the always-competitive Way Too Cool 50k in March of 2020, just before the pandemic hit, and WON! She’s had a really nice block of training over the last few months so I think she’ll be tough to beat! Kimber is coached by David Roche, runs for Brooks, and coaches endurance athletes for Chaski Endurance.

Dani Moreno: Dani is heading north from her training grounds in Mammoth Lakes, California but is an honorary Bendite because I know she subscribes to our Rise & Grind newsletter (see how I did that?). Okay, Dani is FAST! Just last week she ran a 16:32 5k on the track! She won the 2020 USATF half marathon trail national championships but also the 2018 Broken Arrow Skyrace 26k, so she has versatility and range. Dani also coaches for Chaski Endurance and runs for Hoka and Laird Superfood. Laird is based in Sisters so maybe that’s the impetus for coming up to the Rumble? I don’t know. Either way, it’ll be fun to see what Dani can do on this course. I think her recent work on speed will pair nicely. And who knows, maybe she’ll have to use that speed in a sprint finish on the Sisters high school track. One can hope.

Camelia Mayfield: Of the three, Camelia definitely has the most experience in longer trail races. In fact, I’d say she’s developed a 100 mile specialty since having huge performances at Western States (7th in 2018, 5th in 2019). She’s signed up for Western again this year so I imagine she’s hoping to start building up a big block! Camelia ran in college for Portland State, finished 3rd at the 2018 Lake Sonoma 50, and has won the last two Three Sisters Skyline 50ks. After taking a look at her Strava, it would appear she might be just starting to ramp back up the volume so I don’t know if she’s currently in peak form, but you can never count out a runner with her level of talent and resume. Camelia runs for Gu and Brooks and coaches for Trails and Tarmac.

Others to watch

Anne Ciaverella: 1st Mountain Lakes 100 (2016); 3rd Pacific Crest 50k (2019).

Julia Frey: 1st McKenzie River 50k (2017); 1st Backcountry Rise 20 miler (2019).

Anna Eschelman: 1st Run the Rock 20 miler (2019); 2nd Mac Forest 50k (2018).

Nicola Traudt: 1st Echo Valley 50k (2018); 1st Taylor Mountain 50k (2017).

Hilary Lewis: 3rd Run the Rock half marathon (2020).

Wrap Up

Alright, what do you all think?! Anyone brave enough to call out some predictions? Putting this out on the Tuesday before the race, you never know if there’ll be any last minute entries. Who knows, maybe a Renee Metivier or a Max King or Ryan Bak? Who knows. If there’s anyone I featured that isn’t going to make it to the start line, let me know so I can update this post. For a smaller event in Central Oregon, I think the race director, Sean Meissner, did an awesome job assembling the field! Can’t wait to see how it all shakes out. Nikki and I will be out on the course providing updates on the Treeline Twitter and instagram accounts so give us a follow to stay in the loop!

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