Reflections on following the 2020 Moab 240 and the Future of 200s
by Chase Parnell — October 14, 2020
WHAT. A. RACE. I’ll try not to be too overly enthusiastic about this, but man, I was inspired by the Moab 240 this year. I don’t know if it was the cast of characters, the simple relief of getting to follow a live race during the covid era, or my sketchy emotional state due to an over-saturation of political media, but I was pretty keyed up and really enjoyed following this one. I’m going to hit on a few of the story lines that resonated with me and spotlight the athletes that entered my orbit over the course of the last four to five days.
Michele “Mickey” Graglia wins BIG at the 2020 Moab 240!
Honestly, I have Eric Schranz from Ultra Runner Podcast to thank for putting Mickey on my radar years ago. I listened to both his interviews with Mickey, one from October of 2014, the other from July of 2016. Give those a listen if you want a hear his full origin story. In short, Graglia is an Italian-born ultra runner living in the United States, who earlier in life made his living as a model. And we’re not talking J.C. Penney ads, but real high-end runway fashion modeling. It’s funny because you see pictures of him now as this fairly regular looking ultra dirtbag with a beard, and then you google his name and see something entirely different.
Mickey specializes not in traditional mountain hundred milers, but the most extreme forms of this sport, way out on the fringes. In 2016, he ran the Yukon Arctic Ultra 100 miler in temperatures dipping to negative 40 degrees, and then just six months later, he ran Badwater, with temperatures soaring to 130 degrees. So it was no surprise to see his name on the starting list of Moab 240.
In 2018 Mickey won Badwater, which really shifted his public persona from a good ultra runner with an interesting background and no fear, to a real competitor that is always going to be in the hunt for the win.
On October 9th at 7am, Mickey took the race out hard, gaining an early lead, and pretty much held on to it for the entire 240 miles. There was one point around mile 60 where David Goggins overtook him, but in the middle of night one, Mickey regained the lead and never let it go.
There were times throughout where it looked like Goggins might catch him, but they really just yo-yoed between about 8-20 miles apart throughout the second half of the race. Mickey didn’t relent, finishing with an incredible time of 61h 43m 15s, which puts him in 4th place on the all-time performance list behind Courtney Dauwalter, Mike McKnight, and Piotr Hercog. That said, race director Candice Burt reported a high DNF rate early on in the race because of the extreme heat, so perhaps Mickey’s time is even more impressive than it appears.
#Moab240 update from pacer: photo from mile 215 @MickeyGraglia laid down on the street. He gave him 1 minute to get up and start running, was scared he would get hit by a car. Currently in lead at 234 miles, @davidgoggins next in 221.
— Billy Yang (@BillyYang) October 11, 2020
Our sport is weird. pic.twitter.com/fZwYKim86q
In my opinion, this win really ups the Mickey Graglia stock. He’s starting to amass some big wins, proving that the longer and tougher the event, the better he does. Looking forward to seeing what he decides to do next!
David Goggins Backed It Up at the 2020 Moab 240!
Goggins ran the Moab 240 in 2019 and was credited with a DNF at around 200 miles. I remember much of the story as it was happening last year but the details never completely emerged so I don’t feel comfortable saying exactly what happened. The drama revolved around Goggins going way off course, seeking medical attention for pulmonary edema, and then when it was decided that he could not re-enter the race, he ran a total of 250 miles on his own to finish his own version of the race.
If I observed anything on Twitter, it’s that he has a passionate fanbase that draws a lot of inspiration from his STAY HARD ethos. To them, Goggins can do no wrong and any push-back he gave during his 2019 running was just him being a warrior and a vicious competitor, and not as his detractors claimed, irresponsible, disrespectful, and contrary to the ultra spirit.
Either way, Goggins had some unfinished business and he took care of it. After ceding some ground to Mickey in the first 100 miles, Goggins never wavered after that, maintaining essentially the same pace as Mickey all the way to the finish. Both said they didn’t sleep a single minute for the entire duration, which is totally mind-blowing. Goggins finished in 2nd place with a time of 63h 21m 29s, less than two hours back from Graglia. This finish puts Goggins in 7th on the all-time performance list in the race’s four year history.
Just for kicks, here’s Goggins doing pushups just five minutes after he crossed the line:
Jessi Morton-Langehaug has a Hell of a Story and Wins the Women’s Moab 240 Race!
Jessi is no stranger to long suffering. In fact, she knows it so intimately that she wrote a book about it. Check out this description, “Defying the Odds is a book about Jessi Morton-Langehaug’s journey of going undiagnosed with Lyme disease for 10 years. When she is finally diagnosed, her doctor tells her she will never run a marathon because her body is too damaged, and she has to be happy just walking through life. This is a story of courage and love as Jessi goes on a search for healing through natural medicine, energy workers, meditation and Ayurveda eventually completing many marathons and ultra marathons . . . This book is a message of hope, courage and love. It is a message that when you change the mind, you change everything.”
After leapfrogging with a few other ladies early in the race, Jessi was able to separate and retain a small but solid lead all the way to the finish. For me, she serves as yet another example of how weathering difficult times can result in immense strength and mental toughness. As she states, the ability to control the mind is a powerful tool. So happy she didn’t lose hope and that her diligence paid off. Congrats to Jessi and best wishes in her continued fight against any lingering after-effects of chronic lyme disease.
Will this Edition of the Moab 240 Spur on 100 Mile Elites to Run 200s?
I follow a lot of these races and I have to say that it seemed there was just as much buzz around this event as there is for most major trail 100s. Not like Western or Hardrock, but on par with just about anything else. With excellent live tracking and Mickey and Goggins getting so much love on the interwebs, it makes me wonder when more A-list 100 mile runners (beyond Courtney of course) are going to enter the fray. I’ve said this for awhile now; I’d love to see Jeff Browning take on a 200. I think he’s uniquely suited to excel: iron gut, tons of experience, grinder, super tough. But then again, can we blame these guys for not wanting to go 200 miles?! It’s almost obnoxious to even assume they’d want any part of it. I know, I know, longer isn’t always better, but I do think the 200 provides a pretty interesting “viewing” experience with 48-72 hours of continued coverage and storylines to follow. The fact that everyone has to survive at least two full nights is pretty exciting. At Western, the winner crosses the finish before sundown on the first day.
200s are definitely an interesting blend of ultrarunning and adventure racing where logistics, sleep, nutrition, and strategy have heightened importance and consequence. I can’t imagine enduring the mental challenges of a 200, but I’m definitely curious. And really, is there any better motivator than curiosity?
Lastly, you hear some of the old timers lament the loss of the grassroots feel of ultra running, how its lost some of the magic and community feel. Well, I’ve heard multiple people say now that you can experience that feeling again at 200s.
Candice Burt is a Behemoth in the Sport of Ultra Running
This is something I’ve known, but seeing how she managed the race and simultaneously connected with the virtual audience, was truly next level. The marketing engine that is Candice’s many and varied social media feeds is unparalleled. Well, if she has a rival, it’s Jamil Coury with Aravaipa. And actually, you didn’t think Jamil was going to stand by while Candice dominated this fairly new and emerging 200+ market did you? These are very successful business people and they know how to fill holes and generate interest. If you haven’t heard already, Jamil launched a 250 mile point to point race called the Cocodona 250. With Candice’s races filling up every year, it would seem there’s plenty of room at the table for more 200+ mile races.
Back to Candice. I’m just really impressed with her and how savvy she must be to organize these truly epic events. To me it feels like it would be something akin to planning 10 weddings on the same day. Of course she has a team to off-load much of the work to, but the buck stops with her, and that’s a lot of pressure. Somehow she’s able to be out on the course marking the route, managing race operations, sharing personal anecdotes on the socials, and generating excitement not only around the race that is happening, but planting seeds and selling slots for the following year’s race! I can tell you that after Mickey and Goggins finished, my finger was hovering over the registration button for next year’s Bigfoot 200 waitlist.
It’s a Wrap!
Alright, those were the primary take-aways from my “spectating” experience. Again, there are so many storylines and I apologize if I didn’t hit on something major that I missed. The Moab 240 really spotlighted for me of how incredible this 200s community is. If you have to be a rare bird to run a 100, you got to be really tweaked to run a 200. Whatever it takes to get you out the door to train! Massive congrats to all those who toed the line and got it done in Moab. What an achievement.
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I was fortunate enough to participate and finish the Moab 240 this year! What a great first 200 miler to do with a great group of runners and volunteers! Thank you for the experience of a lifetime everyone!