Hamster 2025
August 2, 2025
32 hours around the 2.6 mile loop at Lake Padden, 109.2 miles
83rd race of a hundred or more miles
Happy, hurting, hilarious hamsters getting loopy. I was laughing a lot at myself as I always say never again. Last year at Hamster I had a tough race in the heat with lots of leg cramps and I said I was done with this race. But of course this year I signed up again for 32 hours of hamster loopy fun. I went into this race with a BHAG, big hairy audacious goal, three loops past the 100 mile loop. You see I’ve completed this race five times, now six. I have never finished with more than two loops past the hundred, so darn it all this year I was going get that elusive third loop, and spoiler alert, I did.
I also got some outrageously swollen hands, not enough salt. I am gonna have to work on that more. I felt quite happy during the day, and night and all the next day. The only time when things got icky and I felt bad was the last loop, everything seemed to hurt. Chris, who came to pick me up and do the last two loops with me, said my body knows it’s almost done so it decides to make sure I’m done by telling me how much things hurt. Thanks Chris for picking me up and taking good care of the hamsters. Congrats to Cecilia who finally got her hundred on this course. I met Cecilia five years ago at hamster. She has learned a lot about ultra running and put together a solid race for third place woman and her first hamster buckle.
This race is a great venue and so many friends come here every year. So you can choose to socialize or run. Some people can do both and I have had years where I socialize more, this was not one of those years. I wanted my BHAG. I like to get to the race early to socialize before the race starts so Aurora agreed to get up early and drive her mom’s cray cray friends to the race in the hamster mobile. Thanks Aurora. During the race I like to run. With a loop course it is tempting to stop every loop which really negatively impacts your race. I make a point of moving through that start finish area fast so I’m not tempted to waste time. This is a good strategy for any looped race and it worked to help me get my BHAG.
For the past two years we have had quite a group of BIRCs (bad influence running club) at this race. We even have a special spot where most of us set up. I also notice that many of the BIRCs sign up for the shorter races or leave early due to factors. Last year I was left alone and whined to the aid station people that all my friends left. Sad, lonely hamster. The volunteers teased me about finding more friends on the loop or that they are my friends. This year Cecilia and I were the remaining two hamster BIRCs. One of the things that makes this race special is the volunteers take good care of all the hamsters. They cheer loudly for the last few hamsters as they know not many people are left and these hamsters have been on the loop all day, all night and most of the next day. Thank you Gretchen and volunteers you are the best and thank you for being hamster friends.
Notes to remember and numbers for me:
Bring cooler with cold drinks, inari with seasoned rice was the bomb, have food for at finish as you are hungry, bring wind breaker as that may be enough for overnight, eat more salt.
Half, 2:40, missed marathon time bc running with Brenda, fun, 50K, 6:50, 50 mile, 11:46, 100K, 15:23, 100 in 27:54, 101.4 in 28:25, finish with 45 min to spare, almost had time for fourth loop…hmmm
Finally got coveted Lazy Susan for first place
2016, 101.4 miles, first and only woman, wowsa hamster
2019, 104 miles, third woman, silly hamster
2021, 106.6, miles, second woman, wobbly hamster
2023, 106.6, miles, second woman, happy hamster
2024, 101.4 miles third woman, gangster hamster
2025, 109.2 miles, first woman, hilarious hamster