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Podcast: Ultrarunning History
Episode: 66: The 100-miler: Part 13 (1974-1975) Gordy Ainsleigh
Description: By Davy Crockett
Several 100-mile races and solo runs were held in 1974 across the globe that year, but the most significant run, which mostly went unnoticed at the time, was performed by Gordy Ainsleigh in the rugged, hot mountains in California. You were probably told he was the first, but he was actually the 8th to cover that trail on foot during the Tevis Cup horse ride and the sport of trail ultrarunning was not invented that year.
Previous to 1974, more than 1,000 sub-24-hour 100-mile runs had been accomplished on roads, tracks, and trails. Thus, Ainsleigh's run did not get m...