Madison and Spooner Prevail at XTERRA Muleshoe Trail Run

A rookie and a veteran took the top honors at the XTERRA Muleshoe Trail Run, which was completed on Sunday, June 19, at Spicewood, Texas.

Michael Madison of Austin, Texas, was the overall winner, completing the 16-kilometer course at Muleshoe Bend Park in 1 hour, 12 minutes, 16 seconds. Madison, 26, normally competes in road races, and this was his first try at a trail race.

"I wanted to mix it up a little bit this summer and try my hand at an off-road race," he said. "I wanted to set the pace early and see what competition I was going to have. Within the first half mile, I had put a fairly comfortable distance on two guys behind me, but wanted to keep pushing while the terrain was still solid. The way the course set up allowed me to open my stride early which was nice."

Madison kept the lead all the way to the finish, although Dylan Johnson made a strong push in the final mile. Johnson, who is 17 and a senior at Dripping Springs High, placed second with a time of 1:12:31 - 15 seconds behind Madison.

Although Madison is new to trail running, he is no stranger to competitive running. He is a former member of the track team at the University of Missouri, and now competes for the Central Texas Mizuno Team. He also serves as an assistant coach for a running group called Gilbert's Gazelles.

In the women's division, veteran XTERRA runner Claudia Spooner added yet another victory to her trail run resume. She completed the course in 1:25:37, which was good for 11th overall. Spooner, 41, has been the top female finisher at six of the last seven races in the XTERRA Texas Trail Run Series.

"It was actually pretty technical due to the extremely dry conditions here with lots of sand and rocky footing," said Spooner, who resides in Cedar Park, Texas.

Spooner said she ran the course with friend Matty Weston, and they were staying at a comfortable pace for most of the race. With around three miles remaining, other runners started approaching them, so Spooner took off for the finish line. "I said I better quit talking and start running," she said. "I didn't want to take any chances of losing the lead."

Jessica Scott of Webster, Texas, placed second with a time of 1:28:05. In addition to the challenging trail, runners had to battle scorching temperatures in the 90s during the race.

The XTERRA Muleshoe Trail Run was the fourth of five races in the 2011 XTERRA Texas Trail Run Series. The final race in the series will be the Pure Austin Fitness XTERRA Magnolia Hill Trail Run, which is scheduled for Aug. 28 at Navasota, Texas.

The final race in the series is open to runners of all ages and skill levels, as there will be separate courses at 16 kilometers and 6 kilometers.

To register for a race in the XTERRA Texas Series, or to learn more about it, please visit www.racerevolutions.com or www.xterratrailrun.com.

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