Severe weather stops Spain at Big's Backyard, 52 nations left
Spain's team was pulled on yard 25, and the field has thinned from 67 nations to 52.
Spain's race at the Big's Backyard Ultra World Team Championship was stopped on yard 25 because of severe weather, Keith Dunn reports. Spain will hold a race later this year to decide its national winner, who then gets an invitation to next year's Individual World Championship.
Spain will hold a race later this year to decide its national winner, who will be invited to next year’s Individual World Championship.
The rest of the field kept going. After 32 yards, 52 of the original 67 nations are still in the running, Dunn posted. The race is already underway and in a backyard ultra it only ends when one runner is left, so losing 15 nations this deep in is still an early-days number.
Who has gone out
Malaysia and Namibia were the first two nations eliminated. After 24 yards they were the only countries out of contention. Malaysia was won by Willie David Christopher with 21 yards, with the assist to Mark Eyton-Jones. Namibia was won by Tobias Verwey with 23 yards, assist to Donatus Aihuki.
The next wave came fast. By 29 yards the count was down to 55 nations. Tajikistan was won by Wayne Cassidy with 25 yards, Sergey with the assist. Ecuador went to Julio Cesar Sharup Guanuchi with 27 yards, assist by Juan Carlos Gonzalez Delgado. John Wilton won Brunei with 27 yards, assist to Faiz Anwar. Arjun Kulung Rai won Nepal with 27 yards, assist to Pancha Ram Budha. Pakistan was won by Jamal Said with 29 yards, assist to Israr Muhammad, and 高正治 won Taipei with 29 yards, assist to Wen Ya Tsai.
Three more yards took out three more. Paraguay was won by Ricardo Arias with 31 yards, assist to Daniel Tellez. Zambia went to Cosmas Bwalya with 32 yards, assist to Alick Mashowo.
What it actually means
The nations dropping now are the ones whose last runner standing managed somewhere in the 21 to 32 yard range. At a team championship, a country is out once its final runner stops, and Dunn credits both a national winner and the teammate who kept them company to the end. Spain is the one exception so far, out because of the weather rather than the clock, which is why it gets a do-over race later this year.
Fifty-two nations are still putting a runner on the start line every hour. That number will keep falling, and the live count from Dunn is the thing to watch.
Win the long run conversation
One email a day. Under three minutes. Marathon results, shoe fights and training arguments, settled.