CO-FOUNDERS: Joe Malinowski & John Tempone
CHARTER MEMBERS: George McVeigh, Bill Armstrong, Nic Lanzetta, Rob Saraniero, Mary McMurray, Phil Silas, Tom Corris, Pat Johnson, Bonnie Day, Kelly Bergenstock, Amy Riggio, Bob Phillips, J.C. Neives-Campos, Roger Claussen, Jerry Bergenstock,
Chris Andres, James & Rebecca Moore, Marty Lindemann, Vicki Crosby,
Rannveig Fredheim, Burl Hickman, Keith Hosman, Dionisio de Leon, Walt
Coleman, Florence Hamn, Christine and Alex Popadopoulos.
"Life
should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely
in an attractive and well preserved body. But rather to skid in sideways,
body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming, "WOO-HOO what a
ride!"
A little bit of history... Joe Malinowski was interested in the JFK 50 Mile Run since the early 1980s. At that time he had already completed about 10 marathons and recently relocated from Dallas, TX, to Lake Ridge, VA. There was no such thing as the Internet; personal computers were still in the 8088 generation, and most of all... you had to be crazy to run marathons let alone ultramarathons. Joe inquired about the JFK 50 Mile, but there was no readily available information. The dream remained on the back burner!
In 1997, Joe had no problem finding information and sent in his application for the 35th annual running of the JFK 50 Mile Run. Joe had earlier joined the RidgeRunners that year and had no takers to run with him. But, to his surprise, George & Jean McVeigh, Bill Armstrong and Buddy Baker came out to crew with his wife Kathy and run parts of the course with Joe. One month before his 50th birthday, Joe finished his first 50 mile "ultramarathon."
To see Joe finish the 50 mile distance began to peak the interest of USMC Col. John Tempone and George McVeigh. In April of 1998, Joe and John signed up for the Bull Run 50 Mile Run being held right in our backyard, so to speak. The course is a "thru-loop" that begins/finishes at Hemlock Park in Clifton, VA, after running to Bull Run Park near Centerville, back thru Hemlock, then Bull Run Marina, Fountainhead Park and back to Hemlock. During one of their training runs along the Bull Run Trail on the Occoquan River, Joe and John talked about how their co-workers think they are the office "LUNATICS" for running such insane distances.
Team Lunatic was born that day!
The only requirement
to become a Team Lunatic member is to complete a 50K ultramarathon
distance. Most folks feel anything beyond the marathon (26.2 miles)
is an ultra, but purists maintain that at a minimum, 50K (32+ miles) of a
"completed" race is the definition... so do we!
Joe and John finished the Bull Run 50 Mile that year and they also signed up for the JFK 50 Mile. This time they were joined by George McVeigh. John popped his ankle twice during the Appalachian Trail portion making
the sound similar to tearing off a chicken wing. He twisted it again on the C&O Canal and managed to complete 47 miles before he called it quits. Joe and George finished with excellent times.
Again, in April of 1999, Joe signed up for the Bull Run 50 Mile and this time a fall on the trail twisted his back and Joe had to drop out at 37 miles with muscle spasms. But, the JFK 50 Mile Run saw Rob Saraniero and Bill Armstrong join Joe and they all finished with great times.
In 2000, both Joe and Rob successfully ran the Bull Run and the JFK 50 Mile Runs. This time Nic Lanzetta joined the Team Lunatic ranks and virtually blazed the JFK course. Earlier that year Joe attempted his first 100 mile run in the Massanutten Mountain Trail 100 Run. The temperature rose to 96 degrees by 10:00 AM and Joe dropped out after 30 miles to run another day. A great piece of "LUNATIC" legend that year was the mileage that Joe and then "ultra-newbee", Mary McMurray accomplished in a 28 day period. Along with their normal training runs, Joe and Mary ran the Andiamo 45.5 Mile Run on 10/7/01, the Marine Corps Marathon on 10/22/01, and the JFK 50 Mile Run on 11/4/01. Certain toenails have not yet grown back!
During 2001, Joe, George and Mary traveled on down to Raleigh, NC, for the Umstead 50/100 Mile Run in the month of April. Joe's goal was to try the 100 mile distance again, with George and Mary doing the 50 mile run. We don't know the connection with temperature and Joe's 100 mile attempts, but the temperature rose to 92 degrees by mid-morning and virtually cooked them. George managed to squeeze out 40 miles (not a shabby day's run!) and Joe and Mary completed 50 miles. They will be back in 2002! This year during the Bull Run 50 Mile, Phil Silas joined the Team Lunatic ranks completing his first ultrarun.
To show team spirit, Joe designed a Team Lunatic logo (top of this page) for the 2001 JFK 50 Mile Run. This year added Tom Corris to our ranks who ran along with Nic Lanzetta and Rob Saraniero to set the course on fire. Joe and Mary again went the distance. Tom also ran previously this year in the Holiday Lake 50K, Catoctin 50K and Mountain Masochist 50 Miler. Definitely TEAM LUNATIC material!
On April 6, 2002, Charter Members Joe Malinowski & George McVeigh went down to Umstead State Park in Raleigh, NC to run their second 50/100 Mile Endurance Run and came back with Team Lunatic's newest member, Bob Phillips. Bob finished his first ultra, the Umstead 50 Mile Endurance Run 13:39. Rumor has it that Bob has now been looking at the Western States 100 Mile Endurance web-site.
On April 20, 2002, Bonnie Day again ran the Dogwood Half-Hundred in the Massanutten Mountains of the George Washington National Forest. Sadly this would be Bonnie's last race on the mountain trails she so loved. Approximately 27 miles into her run near Veach Gap, Bonnie was found approximately 40 ft below a narrow rocky portion of the trail. Since no one saw her fall, it is speculated that she either slipped, tripped or lost her balance. Her condition was reported to the race officials who then contacted emergency personnel. Over 30+ mountain rescue, EMS, and Strasburg Volunteer Fire Department personnel responded to the incident. Due to her location and the terrain it took approximately 5 hours to extract Bonnie and bring her down to the Elizabeth Furnace camping area to a waiting helicopter. She was then evacuated to University of Virginia hospital. Bonnie suffered a subdural hematoma that proved fatal late the following day. Bonnie's husband Ron and her sister were at her side.
During this same Dogwood Half-Hundred, Kelly Bergenstock and Amy Riggio became our newest members. Bonnie was the reason that Kelly and Amy ran the Dogwood. They both felt privileged to have been there with Bonnie. She was a strong runner who inspired others to do what they never thought possible. Kelly and Amy never got to tell her but...they finished! Bonnie, you'll always be in our hearts during our ultras!
On May 18, 2002, J.C. Neives-Campos joined the Team Lunatic ranks by completing the Capon Valley 50K along with Kelly Bergenstock, Pat Johnson, George McVeigh, Phil Silas and Joe Malinowski
On November 27, 2002, Joe Malinowski, John Tempone, Mary McMurray, Bob Phillips, Phil Silas, J.C. Neives-Campos, George McVeigh, Kelly Bergenstock, Pat Johnson, Amy Riggio, and Roger Claussen ventured down to Boonsboro, MD, for the 40th Annual JFK 50 Mile Run. Amy started with a nagging knee injury and made it to the 25 mile mark to run another day. George had a fall in the mountains and another on the C&O that caused a hand laceration requiring 7 stitches. He too will be back! Congratulations to Team Lunatic's newest member, Roger Claussen, and also to Kelly Bergenstock and
Pat Johnson in finishing their 1st 50 Mile ultra. In addition, John Tempone completed his 1st JFK after dropping out at the 47 mile mark in 1998. And, yes, the rest of us finished too!
On May 17, 2003, Jerry "Kelly's Dad" Bergenstock became our newest "Lunatic" and came away with an awesome time of 5:32:58 at the Capon Valley 50K in WV. Other "Lunatic" times were "JC" Neives-Campos 7:01:48, Joe Malinowski 7:06:28, Kelly Bergenstock 7:06:28, Mary McMurray 7:06:29, Amy Riggio 7:06:29 and George McVeigh 7:36:56.
On September 27, 2003, Chris Andres
joined the ranks of "Team Lunatic" by completing "The Big Schloss 50K "Fat Ass", Great North Mountain,
in WV. Chris Andres and Bob Phillips, with the dedicated assistance of Tom Corris and Jim Beam, completed the inaugural Big Schloss 50K up and over and through the woods of the Great North Mountain just south of Wardensville, WV. This was Chris’ first 50K and he posted a fine time of 7:46 finishing in 7th
place overall.
On November
22, 2003, James & Rebecca Moore
officially became members of "Team Lunatic". Both James & Rebecca
are veteran ultrarunners in their own right, but were officially given
their Lunatic vests at this year's JFK 50 Mile Run, Boonsboro, MD. James
has run numerous 100 mile ultras and has completed the "round-trip" of the
C&O Canal two times... that's 371 miles!! Jim's wife Rebecca has run
the JFK 50 Mile Run five times and a whole bunch of other races! Now
that's LOVE!
On May 8-9,
2004, Marty Lindemann & Bob Phillips
finished their first 100 mile run by completing the Massanutten Mountain
100 Mile Trail Run in 31:23:27 and 34:45:10 respectively.
On May 15, 2004, Vicki Crosby
became our newest "Lunatic" by completing the Capon Valley 50K, in Yellow
Springs, WV, with a fine time of 6:12:46. Other times were: Roger Claussen (18th overall) 4:32:17, Rob Saraniero 4:47:04, Tom Corris 4:58:18, Amy Riggio & her step-sister-in-law Sara 7:04:38, Joe Malinowski & Mary McMurray 7:04:40, and George McVeigh 7:15:06.
On April 2-3, 2005, Dionisio
de Leon & Walt Coleman, our newest RidgeRunner members also
finished the Umstead 100 Mile Endurance Run in Raleigh, NC with fine times
of 28:32:35 and 29:14:48 respectively.
On May 14, 2005, Rannveig
Fredheim, Burl Hickman and Keith Hosman went beyond the
marathon distance by successfully completing the Capon Valley 50K.
The weather proved to be an added burden as temperatures reached the
mid-80s. Rannveig, Burl and Keith has fine times of 5:47:35, 8:25:03
and 7:06:00 respectively.
On April 29, 2006,
Christine Popadopoulos went the
distance during the 1st Annual 24-Hour Endurance Trail Run in Pr.
William Park covering 52 miles. The race was directed by her husband
Alex Popadopoulos who is already a
certified "Lunatic" due to his numerous ultra finishes to include the
Massanutten Mountain 100 Mile.
I'm sure more will be added to the history and membership of...
TEAM LUNATIC!
