12 Hour Distance Classic
Jim Skophammer Edition
San Francisco, CA, 9/26/04

As the normal July track venue for the Skophammer 12 Hour was being rebuilt this summer, this year's race was run as a combined effort of members of two clubs. San Francisco's Dolphin South End Runners (who've held the Distance Classic in San Francisco for many years around the end of summer) paired with the traditional Skophammer organizers, the Bay Area Ultra Runners. It was fitting that the two work together, since Jim Skophammer was a past president of both clubs.

This year's race was held on a 0.79-mile dirt horse track at the Polo Fields in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Weather for the race turned out to be ideal, with a typical San Francisco summer morning fog giving way to sunny skies and a cool breeze through the afternoon, though reversing course at 6 hours made everybody run into a headwind for the second half of the run.

Greg Sheehan powered to the early lead, trailed by a lap or two by Peter Fish and women's leader Lynda Hendricks, with Matt Covey in fourth. Around 8 hours, however, Sheehan disappeared off the track, never to be seen again. Fish assumed the lead with Hendricks in close pursuit, and then he too decided to stop, around 8-1/2 hours. Hendricks maintained a 2-lap lead over Covey until the last half hour of the race. As she power-walked around, Covey started to push. He managed to close the gap to less than half a mile, but Hendricks ran enough to maintain her lead to the finish. In the process, she became the Distance Classic's first female outright winner.

Hendricks' winning run was only one of several excellent performances. Lucien Balmer ran a very controlled race for 54+ miles for third. Marian Lyons, closing in on her 100th marathon-or-longer race, was second woman overall. Angela Sinn completed 52 miles for her longest run ever. And there was spirited competition among the seven 70+ entrants in the field.

The race would not have been possible except for the outstanding support of volunteers from both clubs. Given Jim Skophammer's long service as a race director and volunteer, it's nice to see his legacy living on in the efforts of his club members.

co-RDs
George Rehmet (DSE)
Dave Combs (BAUR)
Brian Horwitz (BAUR)