Running into the belly of the beast

The Black Mountain Monster Ultramarathon stalks local trails

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
June 4, 2023

As darkness fell over the Swannanoa Valley, June 3, most residents settled in for the night But as the sun came up over the Black Mountain Monster 6, 12 and 24 Hour Ultramarathon, June 4, dozens of dedicated runners were still testing their limits on winding forested trails in the center of town.

Nearly 220 runners participated in the 15th year of the annual race, which began on the Montreat College Black Mountain campus at 10 a.m., Saturday. Sixty-one of them ran the 3.25-mile course for six hours, while 108 were on the loop for 12. Seventy-five endurance athletes navigated through the trails through the night.

Hosted by local trail race organizer Relentless Running Events, the 2023 Monster featured entries from 13 states. Many of the participants set up camp at the venue, which surrounds the historic In-the-Oaks manor house, Friday evening.

Ten runners of the 24-hour race, led by Montgomery Chamberlain of Jonesborough, Tennessee, eclipsed the 100-mile mark. Chamberlain, who completed 33 laps for 107.25 miles, outpaced second-place finisher Johnny Glenn, of Sanford, by 3.25 miles. Nathan Whiting, a 15-year-old runner out of Mount Crawford, Virginia, also completed 32 laps for 104 miles.

Caroline LaFond, of Weaverville, led all female runners, completing 27 laps for 87.75 miles in 22:38:34. Sarah Nichols, of Marshville, completed the same number of laps in 23:42:44, earning second place among the 28 women who completed the 24-hour race. Spartanburg, South Carolina runner Hannah Barnhill rounded out the top three with 42 laps for 84.5 miles.

Devon Payne, of Arden, topped the entire field in the 12-hour competition, completing 18 laps for 58.5 miles in 11.26:52. She outpaced the top male runner, David Kane of Asheville, who registered 18 laps in 11:27:14. Steve Ritchie, a runner from Denver, N.C., finished second with 17 laps in 11:42:53, approximately 10 seconds ahead of third-place finisher Mike Grady, of Augusta, Georgia.

Sara Fenstermaker, of Fredericksburg, Pennsylvania, ended her 52-mile run in 11:04:10 to capture second-place in the 12-hour race, while Lauren Catalano, of Asheville, completed 16 laps in 11:39:29.

Eddie Posey, of Easly, South Carolina, completed 12 laps in less than six hours to take first in that event, while second-place finisher Anthony Pastore, of Charlotte, turned in 11 laps in 5:27:35. Jon Conner, of Candler, rounded out the top three with 35.75 miles in 5:57:50.

The top female finisher in the six-hour race, Alyssa Moudy, of Arden, rounded the loop nine times in 5:32:07, holding off Sarah Heaton, who completed the same number of laps in 5:46:18 to grab second. Katti Jackson, of Sylva, registered eight laps in 4:50:38 to take third place.

Fourteen runners from the Swannanoa Valley, including Black Mountain Councilmember Doug Hay, competed in this year’s Monster. Four local athletes completed the 24-hour event. Proceeds from the race benefitted the Montreat College Cross Country Summer Youth Program.

Photos of the 2023 Black Mountain Monster 6, 12 and 24 Hour Ultramarathon can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.