Josh Grassel Runs MST 100 in Sub-24 Hours

Howdy!

Josh Grassel, leader of the Sunday Java Jog did something pretty incredible this past March...

Check out the video below for the full story of his sub-24-hour, 100-mile run on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.

Image 1: Picking up my bib the day before the race, lucky number 13. There is still hope in those eyes, naive of what is about to happen.

Image 2 and 3: The race starts in the early morning dark at 6am. 

Image 4: Turnaround at mile 16.2 with 2:40 elapsed time. My wife and my parents get me ice, water, and gels before heading back.

Image 5: Drinking a Jabin at mile 32 with 5:30 elapsed time. Here I picked up my first pacer, Eli, to join me for some hot and sunny midday miles.

Image 6 and 7: Taking a longer break than planned to cool down and get rehydrated at mile 45 with 8:40 elapsed time. Tanner (left) joins the crew early before he starts his pacing shift. Eli (right) hangs out for a while after pacing, keeping the good vibes going. 

Image 8: Enjoying some grapes and cold brew at mile 53 with 11:05 elapsed time, which is roughly the time it took me to complete the MST 50 mile race one year prior. I have a few more miles alone before Tanner joins me as the sun sets.

Image 9 and 10: Tanner has completed over 20 miles of pacing me, and Tavyn is about to keep me going as we pass midnight. The vacancy in my eyes is showing the toll of 80 miles and 18 hours elapsed. My closest point to giving up was seeing Rosa so comfortable in the bed of the truck, I longed to lay down and sleep.

Image 11 and 12: After Tavyn paced me for over 14 miles, I completed the last 6.5 miles to the finish on my own with music blasting in my ears. Laura and Rosa ran the last downhill stretch to the finish with me, and I’m definitely not crying…

Image 13: A broken and exhausted Josh Grassel (middle left). A first time pictured Josh Albert (right), who took over for Laura when she needed to sleep during the night shift.