The Metropolitan 50-Miler has been an ultra fixture for the past three decades and claimed to be the second longest continuing ultra in the country. The 50-Miler was originally organized to be the Metropolitan AAU (now USA Track & Field) Championship, and was always coordinated and sponsored by New York Road Runners (NYRR). (A 50-kilometer event, named after NYRR official Kurt Steiner, was later added to be conducted in conjunction with the 50-Miler.) But somehow, the Met was recently omitted from the NYRR calendar. The long-standing tradition of the Met was now being threatened.

 

The event was not held in 2005 and was also in jeopardy this year. Public advocate, Glenn Ribotsky led a campaign to the ultra community to save the race. Glenn, besides a fighter for social causes, was also a historian and a traditionalist. He strongly believed the Met 50 was a tradition that needed to be maintained.

 

The Broadway Ultra Society (BUS) then agreed to conduct the Met this year on April 2. BUS had previously hosted 13 Metropolitan 50-Milers for the NYRR, and knew first hand what the event was all about. The BUS objective hoped to eventually find an organizer for the future and return the event to its original venue at Central Park.

 

But BUS realized another location would be needed for this year. That location was Alley Pond Park in Queens. The Park was no stranger to ultra events. Two Metropolitan 50-Kilometer Championships were held there plus other ultras. The vastness of Alley Pond provided plenty of the legroom for the distance runner. One particular area was the Vanderbilt Motor Parkway, a section of roadway dissecting various Queens neighborhoods. The Parkway has been converted to a park path and offered a greenway alley between Urbana. The Parkway also offered variations of topography with a series of ups and downs.

 

The newly created Metropolitan 50-Miler (and Kurt Steiner 50K) course would be out-and-back, where BUS could manipulate to equate in distance for both the 50-Miler and 50K. The eventual loop was 3.7863 miles. This years edition also included a new wrinkle. A participant did not have to declare what distance he/she was running and could be eligible in both races.

 

The turnout of 50 was an encouraging number, since the events were announced just a month ago. The featured performers were Bob Sweeney and Byron Lane. Bob already has won three Mets with a best of 5:38:41, and also was a Kurt Steiner victor three times, owning the event record with a 3:17:58. Byron, on the other had, has won a score of ultras in the area and has copped four consecutive New York Ultra Running Grand Prix titles.

 

Bob cruised through the 50K mark in 3:29:42 for another Kurt Steiner victory, but would later withdraw in the 50-mile portion. The Met50 brass ring was grabbed by Byron lane with a winning time of 6:48:35. Newcomer, Michael Oliva placed 2^nd nine minutes back, and Byrons training buddy, Tim Henderson finished 3^rd. Byron and Tim are Long Islanders and could not qualify for the Metropolitan USATF gold medal. That was awarded to Oliva from Westchester.

 

Gail Marino has been excelling at ultra distances from 50K to 12 hours. She won again at the 50K distance and also enjoyed a home field advantage. Gail, formerly of Staten Island, recently moved to the neighborhood and Alley Pond has become her new training grounds. Alicja Barahona won the 50-Miler and the Met Championship clocking 8:26:57. Alicja has also been a perennial winner at local ultras, and has been an ultra adventurer overseas.

 

Alley Pond was an ideal substitute, but the overall plan is still to return to Central Park in 2007. Hopefully, the Met can go back home again and continue the ultra tradition at its birthright. Glenn Ribotsky and the ultra public would all agree.