Oberstaufen Germany hosted the 25th running of the Hochgratbahn mountain race. The course record holder, Kurt Koning, was on hand to oversee the race which offered a 1000DM bonus for a new course record. The 6+ Kilometer (4.8m) course climbed 2800´ on a mixture of asphalt and dirt. The first 2k was entirely on asphalt and had moderate climbs, the final 2k had some grades over 20% and was dirt and loose rock.
Team USA: Dan Verrington, Dave Dunham, Paul Low
The USA team spent the week living and training in Oberstaufen, with the hopes of running well against the multinational field. The Australian team made a 30 hour trip arriving late the evening before the race. The remainder of the competion would come from the German contingent doing the race as a final tune up for the worlds.
Dave Dunham and Dan Verrington ran the course on Wednesday to get and idea of what to expect. The 'training run' took 39 minutes up and 36 down and left them both sore from the effort. The course looked nothing like it did on Wednesday as rain enveloped the region right through the teams departure on Monday.
Race day conditions were fog-drizzle-rain and 50 degrees at the base. Twenty meter visibility rain-fog and 20 mph winds covered the summit. "I was pretty worried at the start. My knee was bothering me from Friday on" noted Dunham. 187 competitors toed the line, with Paul Low the first one onto the hill, a sharp left 50m into the race. Low, Duham, and Dan Verrington along with Martin Sambale (GER), Daniel Green, and David Osmond (AUS) quickly formed the lead pack. The lead would exchange many times in the first 3k. Low noted "I thought I should lead a bit, then I'd take the lead and everyone stayed on the other side of the road". "Tuck behind me, idiots" was the thought running through his mind. The erratic pace and swirling winds began to take a toll. Verrington moved strongly into the lead at 3k. "I felt good, but I should have backed off on the steep climbs" said Verrington. Prior to 4k Dunham broke away. "I'd look back on the turn and see they were still 100m behind, then I'd think - 100m is 30 seconds!" said Dunham.
Dan Verrington carbo-loads, while Cathy Dunham holds on to the uncannily life-like stuffed "Dave Dunham" Teddy Bear she won at the local fair.
Dunham went on to win in the 6th fastest time run on the course, but 24 seconds shy of the 32.43 CR. Lowe moved into 2nd just after the 4k and held on to 2nd depite the lingering affects of a 37 mile day on Wednseday. Verrington rounded out the team scoring with his 6th place finish.
The group will now train in Salzburg for a couple of days before meeting up with the remainder of the team on Thursday.
1 Dave Dunham USA 33.07 2 Paul Low USA 33.45 3 Daniel Green AUS 33.55 4 David Osmond AUS 34.11 5 Martin Sambale GER 34.31 6 Dan Verrington USA 34.34 Women 1 Angela Sheehan AUS 40.57 Teams 1 USA 1.41.27 2 AUS 1.45.29 3 GER 1,49.36
