Success for Rank Strangers

Rank Strangers 2012 (left to right): Art Saffran, Monique Faber, Mark Clear, Kelly Bard, Maddy Melin, Eric Engdahl, Renee Roux, Jennifer Sell, Ed Stojakovic, Jeff Shampo, Steve Hill, Steve Smith. 

The Rank Strangers had one of their best outings in the Madison-Chicago run relay, despite hot weather that posed an extra test, temperatures in the 80s to 90s.  It wasn't all hot: there was an occasional breeze, which helped, and spots of shade were treasured.  Unfortunately, there was a lot of mileage on open roads.

The team finished the non-stop 198-mile race in 29 hours and 37 minutes for an average per mile pace of 8:57.  Fast runners in each van blazed through their legs to make our overall pace our fastest ever. Art Saffran, Jennifer Sell, Maddy Melin, Monique Faber, Steve Hill and Ed Stojakovic were the speedsters, sometimes well under 8 minutes per mile.

The team:

Mark Clear, Kelly Bard, Art Saffran, Jeff Shampo, Monique Faber, Jennifer Sell, Renee Roux, Steve Smith, Steve Hill, Eric Engdahl, Maddy Melin, Ed Stojakovic.  Our rookies were Kelly Bard from Madison, Steve Smith from Naperville and Maddy Melin from Hinsdale.   They brought the ranks of Rank Strangers to 40 different runners in eight (8) years of the relay.   Twenty-one (21) have run more than one time.

First timers Kelly Bard, Steve Smith and Maddy Melin
 at the finish, Montrose Harbor in Chicago

Jeff and Eric ran for the 8th time; they are the only ones to not miss a year with our team, which is the only one to compete in every race that started as the Great Midwest Relay, morphed into the MC200 and is now called Ragnar Chicago.   Other repeaters on the 2012 roster: Mark and Art (7 times), Renee (5), Steve Hill (4), Jennifer (3), Monique and Ed (2).   (Monique returned from the 2005 team).

What's so hard about a run relay?  Some veterans say it is more challenging than a marathon (26.2 miles) because:  you run three times in 24 hours, never letting your body recover properly; you don't get proper sleep, if any, and it is June so is often blistering hot.

Outstanding performances shook up the Rank Stranger record book.  Among the exploits:

1. Monique (11.8) had the longest run in Rank Stranger history, eclipsing Keith Dudding's 11.7 miler in 2005.  Jennifer (10.9) added the 3rd longest single runs ever.  Monique combined two legs; Jennifer's was the longest single leg the race has ever had. (Art combined two legs for a 9.1 mile run).

2. Jennifer (23.6 miles) and Monique (23.4) ran the most mileage this year, putting themselves 4th and 6th all time.  The all-time leader is Keith Dudding (28.4 miles in 2005) and Eric (26.6 miles in 2009).

3. Jeff took over the alltime mileage lead, passing Eric.  Jeff has 149.5 miles (18.7 miles per relay) to Eric's 147 (18.4 per relay).    Jeff ran his first 20 mile relay this year (20.3 miles).  He had cracked 19 miles two times in the past (19.3 in 2010 and 19.7 in 2008).   Jeff trailed Eric by 4.6 miles into this year's race.

Maddy, Steve and Kelly will get the veteran's first call for spots on the 2013 team and all the other privileges that come from being a Rank Stranger.  ("Mostly ceremonial," is how I think Art Saffran puts it).

Top 10 mileage for Rank Strangers - Jeff moved into first place this year.

Mile pace for 2012 race