Fraire and Fuhr Race to Impressive Wins at Black Mountain

Course knowledge and preparation key to victories

Preparation was a key to success at the XTERRA Black Mountain Trail Run on Sunday, March 25.

Paul Fraire of Fontana, Calif., and Heather Fuhr of Encinitas, Calif., ran to impressive victories in the 15-kilometer course. Fraire, 29, was the overall winner, completing the course in 1 hour, 3 minutes, 48 seconds; Fuhr was the top female and an impressive fourth overall with a time of 1:05:37.

More than 300 runners of various ages and skill levels participated in the trail run, which was held at Black Mountain Regional Park in northern San Diego. The race was part of the 2011-12 XTERRA SoCal Trail Run Series.

"Conditions were perfect and beautiful for running this course," Fraire said.  "Cool and sunny weather made for great visibility, which was helpful during the more technical and rocky beginnings of the course.  The course itself provided many fast flats with the occasional up and down hills to test the running spirit.  Overall, the course provided a fun, challenging mix of obstacles."

(Paul Fraire pictured, courtesy www.SuperSportsPhoto.com)

Fraire entered an XTERRA SoCal Trail Run Series race in December, and said he was "ill-prepared" for that race, despite finishing third overall. In the three months since that last race, he trained on numerous running trails in Southern California, including Black Mountain. The practice paid off in this race, as he was able to break ahead of the field after the first three miles, and then ran by himself in the lead for the final six miles. "Only after the next six miles of solitude and paranoia of losing the lead did I realize I was going to win," Fraire said.

Ricardo Rodrigues of San Diego placed second overall with a time of 1:04:25, and Erik Nau of Encinitas was third in 1:04:31.

Fuhr was the top female for the second consecutive year at Black Mountain. She often trains in the area, and said her knowledge of the course was essential to her success, especially during the stretch run of the course when she was able to fend off several elite male runners.

"I think knowing that the last mile is a pretty tough uphill definitely helps," she said. "You need to conserve something for that last push."

(Heather Fuhr pictured, courtesy www.SuperSportsPhoto.com)

Fuhr is a former Ironman World Champion, and placed third among the women at the 2011 XTERRA Trail Run World Championship in Hawaii last December.

Maggie Shearer of Trabuco Canyon, Calif., was the second female at Black Mountain with a time of 1:11:24.

In addition to the 15K long course, there was also a 5K short course. Peter Chenard and Katarina Medici were the male and female winners, respectively, of the 5K.

The race drew runners ranging in age from 11 to 73. Eric Ramos, who competed in his first XTERRA Trail Run race, said: "Everything from the registration and check-in to the post-race breakfast spread, and the competitors themselves … it was everything a runner could've dreamed of in an event, and I'm really looking forward to competing in the 2012-13 Series."

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

To view more photos from the race, please visit www.SuperSportsPhoto.com.

The XTERRA Black Mountain Trail Run was the sixth of seven races in the 2011-12 XTERRA SoCal Trail Run Series. The final race in the series will be the XTERRA Malibu Creek Challenge Trail Run at Malibu/Calabasas on April 29.

Age-group points can be earned at every race in the series. At the conclusion of the series on April 29, each age-group champion from the overall point standings will receive a free entry to the XTERRA Trail Run National Championship in Utah in September.

To register for a race in the SoCal Series, or to learn more about it, please visit www.trailrace.com.

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