Phil Young hits 50 miles at Tunnel Hill on 100-mile WR pace

Phil Young went through 50 miles at the Tunnel Hill 100 on 100-mile world record pace, according to Zach Bitter, who posted the update while the race was still underway.

Zach Bitter

@zbitter

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is on 100 WR pace at Tunnel Hill through 50 miles!

That is the whole of what has been reported. Bitter tagged Young and said he was on world record pace through 50 miles. No 50-mile split, no projected finish, no finishing time has been posted.

What it actually means

Halfway on record pace is not a record. Tunnel Hill is the kind of race where fast early splits happen and the second 50 decides everything, and a 100-miler can come apart in the last quarter in ways a halfway split gives no warning about. Until a finish time shows up, this is a live update and nothing more.

It is also worth separating who is saying what. The pace call came from Bitter, not from a timing company, a race report or an official result. He is watching the race and reacting to it in real time, which is how most ultra news travels on race day, and it is not the same as a ratified mark.

The other thing to hold loosely is the record itself. World best claims at 100 miles depend on course certification and on which governing body is keeping the list, and none of that has been addressed here. If Young finishes fast, the conversation about whether the mark counts will start then, not now.

So the honest version is short. One of the best known names in American ultrarunning says Young was on record pace at halfway at Tunnel Hill. Nothing else about the race has been reported yet. If the second 50 holds up, this becomes one of the bigger ultra stories of the year. If it does not, it was a fast first half on a flat course, which happens most years.