Rookie runner excels at ultramarathon

David Neal makes his way along the 54-kilometre Black Spur Ultra trail race in Kimberly, B.C. The 47-year-old was running his first-ever ultramarathon and celebrated a fifth-place overall finish with a time of 6:06:02.1. Photo credit: Black Spur Ultra

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~

A first-time ultramarathon runner surprised everyone including himself with his recent fifth-place finish at the Sinister Sports Black Spur Ultra trail race.

David Neal, who works as a Safety Environment Management Systems Officer with Formation Safety and Environment, travelled to Kimberly, B.C., on the weekend of Aug. 24 to compete in the gruelling 54-kilometre cross-country style race with 2.4 km of elevation gain in the Purcell Mountains. It was his first ever ultramarathon, but his pace and nutrition strategy paid off as the late-blooming 47-year-old moved quickly to the front of the pack amongst a field of 117 runners and kept up the pace.

He crossed the finish line with an impressive time of 6:06.02 and surpassed dozens of younger and more experienced runners.

“I had no expectation of doing this well in my first ultra-length race, but halfway through the course I started to monitor my average pace and understand where I was in the field of runners and it motivated me and helped strengthen and quicken my pace,” said Neal.

Before setting out he had set a “realistic goal” of finishing the course in seven hours and 15 minutes. His impressive finish was nearly one hour and 10 minutes quicker than anticipated.

A runner’s high 

With a background in cross-country skiing, hockey, and soccer, Neal only became involved in competitive running in the past year. He began to take up trail running a few years back as an escape and says he used it as a coping mechanism for his grief following a string of deaths in his family that included the loss of his sister, mother and father over a three-year period.

“It seemed to help me cope, putting me in a meditative state, and feel better about things that were bothering me in life and the loss of loved ones who were close to me,” said Neal. “I am surprised with my progress and recent results and never thought success would come so quickly.”

After finding self-described “inner peace” from traversing the numerous cross-country trails in the Greater Victoria Area, last spring Neal decided to take things a step further and compete in the Vancouver Island Trail Running Series. The six-race series features courses of between 10 to 20-kilometre length races that are also run over rugged terrain. Success came quickly and has included four top three finishes, including a first-place finish in the 40 to 49 age category in a race at Mount Washington on Aug. 10; one race in the series remains at Mt. Tzouhalem in October.

Achieving a strong result at the Black Spur Race was a more daunting task. Three legs of the winding single track 54 km course challenge competitors to climb steep rocky mountainous terrain, at times using hands, for distances of approximately 800 metres. Footing can be treacherous with loose rocks and debris but Neal says his slight stature, he’s 5’7” tall and weighs approximately 150 lbs, was an asset over steep ascents and gave him an advantage. 

“There are some sections of the trail where you need to descend steep inclines and there is lots of loose rock,” said Neal. “I have learned to be careful and mindful of my foot plants and to always keep my eyes scanning up the trail and on the ground immediately in front of me where I’m stepping because it’s so easy to roll your ankle quickly and ruin your race.”

All competitors are recommended to have an emergency warm layer and a thermal blanket in their hydration vest, in addition to required water and nutrition, for the entire race. The runner’s progress is monitored by support staff at check point stations and by race paramedics.

Next summer he plans on returning to Black Spur, but will double that distance and run the 108-km course. In order to stay both mentally and physically prepared he plans on competing in his first road marathon, the Greater Victoria Marathon on Oct. 13, with his next ultra-length race being the Diez Vista 50k Trail Run in Port Moody, B.C. next April.