Vernon runner headed for ‘ultramarathon' 100-mile race

Undaunted by the mega-miles, and fascinated by the challenge, Sabrina Moran, a 2005 graduate of Vernon High School and a junior at The College of William and Mary, recently raced the Mountain Masochist Trial Run, a grueling 53-mile running challenge held in November in Lynchburg, Va. At just 21 years of age, she was the third female finisher in the entire race and the first woman to finish under the age of 30. Moran ran it in eight hours and 49 minutes. As a result of her finish, she received an automatic bid to race in the prestigious Western States 100, a 100-mile trail run in Northern California that will take place on June 28. Save going to college, Moran has lived in the same house in the Sussex Hills section of Vernon all of her life. Of her endurance racing and training, she said, “I’m a full-time student and I always put academics first. My parents are both public school teachers; they would be proud of me for saying that, but it’s true. Sometimes, especially if I have a big lab report due, that means my mileage takes a hit. But I’m at school to learn.” In addition to academics and training, Moran is the lifeguard at an indoor pool, a teacher’s assistant for a speed reading course, a member of Campus Crusade and Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a volunteer for an adopt-a-grandparent program and the skit team coordinator for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. “It takes a lot of balance trying to fit everything in throughout the week, especially because the academics at William and Mary are especially rigorous.” Moran is typically up by 5 a.m. to either run or study. “I think that the time before the sun rises is an untapped resource that college students don’t typically take advantage of. I feel great when it’s 8 a.m., and I’ve been studying for three hours. America was built on productivity.” In the weeks leading up to the Masochist, Moran’s mileage took a big hit. “I had been cruising along at 175 miles per week when I flipped off my bike, bruised my knee, and got knocked out of chiropractic alignment.” This meant not running for a week, forcing her to cross-train. She said she was fortunate to have a bike at school so she could do so. She made a speedy comeback and then ran back-to-back 30-mile runs in just a four-day period to “maintain the integrity of my endurance” and cross-trained the rest of the days. “My mileage sounds crazy, but it’s definitely manageable. Other than my bike accident, I don’t get injured very easily. I back off when I’m tired, but I’m rarely tired. I like the cumulative effect of high mileage day after day because that’s what is going to help in the middle of an ultramarathon. You have to push past muscle soreness and keep moving. I wouldn’t call any run grueling. I really enjoy running. But I guess, from an objective point of view, doing repeats on the mountains of Vernon may seem a little painful.” Not for Moran; she thrives on hill repeats. Moran’s athletic background stretches back to age 2, when she started dance. The next year, she began playing soccer. In the past, she’s played traveling soccer, traveling basketball, school basketball, softball, track, field hockey, cross country, swimming and volleyball. “I liked running best, though, and I started in the track program at Vernon as soon as I could. I always ran distance and was moderately successful. I don’t think I have a lot of natural talent. I just work really hard all the time.” Her senior year of cross country was her strongest at Vernon High School. She placed third in the SCIL and 44th at the Meet of Champions. She made all-county, all-area and third team all-state and was also named Vernon’s 2005 scholar-athlete and the SCIL runner-up scholar-athlete. “When I graduated from Vernon, I went on to run for the varsity Division I program at William and Mary, but quit after indoor track in order to explore distances longer than the 10K and to have an opportunity to branch out and become involved in different things at William and Mary.” The summer following her freshman year, Moran ran a continuous 100-mile fundraiser run around Sussex Country for the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition in honor of her mother’s two-year anniversary of being in remission from ovarian cancer. The following January, Moran raced a Recover from the Holidays MHRRC 50K and placed first for women with the second fastest women’s time in the history of that race. Last summer, she ran a continuous 24-run around Vernon as a fundraiser for her friend, Bryan Carey, who is on a long-term mission trip in the Amazon jungles of Peru. “I felt really good after that race. I was able to run the next day for several miles at a pretty nice pace.” This November she raced the Masochist, and now “I get to run the Western States-100.” Moran said she wouldn’t be an ultramarathoner if her parents weren’t supportive of it. “I guess it’s a weird thing for anyone looking on, and I might be worried if I had a daughter who found it exciting to train for 100-milers. But they’ve seen me grow in the sport and know how much joy I get from the challenge. I’d rather run for 24 hours than do a sprint workout any day. My brother and I run together sometimes. His longest run with me was about 33 miles. I’ve also trained some with my best friends, Aimee Chegwidden of Hardyston and Garret Martucci and Andrew Weyant of Vernon.“ Moran is also a part of Team Blitz, a competitive racing team that meets near her college. “Usually, I come to practice after already running about 20 miles and then run some with them. They make sure I don’t get slow. We also cross-train together and often stretch and eat together.” Three of her Team Blitz teammates drove her to the Masochist and crewed for her. “They yelled support from the aid stations and tossed me Spiderman fruit snacks, my favorite running food.” This spring will mean mega-miles and a lot of discipline for Moran as she prepares to compete in the 35th Annual Western States Endurance Run. The 100-mile race is one of the oldest ultra-trail events in the world and certainly one of the most challenging. It’s conducted along The Western States Trail, starting at Squaw Valley, Calif., and ending in Auburn, Calif. The trail ascends from the Squaw Valley floor (elevation 6,200 feet) to Emigrant Pass (elevation 8,750 feet), a climb of 2,550 vertical feet in the first 4.5 miles. From the pass, following the original trails used by the gold and silver miners of the 1850s, runners travel west, climbing another 15,540 feet and descending 22,970 feet before reaching Auburn. Most of the trail passes through remote and rugged territory, accessible only to hikers, horses and helicopters. Due to the remoteness and inaccessibility of the trail, the Western States Endurance Run differs substantially from other organized runs. Adequate mental and physical preparation are of utmost importance to each runner, for the mountains, although beautiful, are relentless in their challenge and unforgiving to the ill-prepared. The Race begins at 5 a.m. on Saturday of the last weekend in June at the west end of Squaw Valley. Runners must reach the finish line no later than 11 a.m. the following day to be eligible for an award: a silver belt buckle specially engraved, reading: “Western States Endurance Run, 100 miles, one day.” Moran has her sights on earning one of these buckles and said she is very honored and proud of the invitation to compete in this unusual race. Costs to get there are a bit steep, so the lifelong Vernon resident is asking the community for help. “I am currently seeking financial support in the form of sponsorship from local businesses to help me get there. Many of the runners I will be racing against are professionals or have some sponsorship assistance, and this would help me a great deal.” Interested sponsors can reach Moran at sbmora@wm.edu or 973-670-7241.For most people, the thought of running a marathon is an incredible, sometimes crazy feat. Twenty-six-point-two miles is a long way. Fifty-three miles is even farther. And 100 miles? Nearly twice that.