Happens every year. Some of the posts are mistakes, some are just guesses, but many are just not aware. The concern I have is not that a runner doesn't have the ability to run the Ascent/Marathon. It's that they won't be prepared and then fail to finish. Most runners need to bring at least some of their own fluids and energy bars/gels. If a runner brings enough for 2:30:00 and needs 4:30:00, they will likely DNF. Just looking at the world's best on the Peak can give you a good idea that you might not break 2 hours if you qualified with a 1:50:00 1/2 in Kansas City or Little Rock. Last year 10 people broke 2:30:00. That includes a record breaking win on the women’s side. This year 32 people indicated they would go 2:30:00 or better. Of those 7 of the runners are veterans and 6 others predicted they would break the overall course record. I’ll throw out the person who said 00:04:00 because they probably meant to say 4:00:00 And that record has stood since 1993. BTW, none of the vets running this year have yet predicted they would break the CR.
