Pikes Peak ARES
provides Communications Support for
US Air Force Academy 50 Miler Ultra Marathon
29 April 2012
The US Air Force Academy sponsored their second annual 50 miler Ultra Marathon on 29 April 2012.
There were 286 registered runners participating. This event was actually 3 races run in parallel: a 26.2
mile marathon, a 26.2 mile “Heavy” marathon run with 35 pound back packs while wearing combat
gear, and a 50 mile “Ultra” marathon.
The race course was a 25 mile loop through the forests around the northern
end of the Air Force Academy The course was run once by the regular and
“Heavy” marathoners and twice by the 50 mile “Ultra” marathoners. Race
support was provided by four aid stations positioned around the course. In
addition to tracking runners progress, each aid station provided water,
Gatorade and light snacks plus light medical support. In addition to
providing runner support, Aid Station 4 was also the start / finish line and
“Race Central.” It was estimated that Aid Station 1, 5 miles into the race,
would have to support a heavy surge of runners packed together about 45
minutes after the race started. After passing Aid Station 1, it was expected
that the runners would start to spread out easing subsequent aid station
support to small groups and individual runners. The challenge, based on the previous year's lessons
learned, was continually accounting for all runners including those who dropped out from injuries or
exhaustion during the 14-hour race.
The Pikes Peak Amateur Radio Emergency Service (PPARES) was asked to provide the race
communications and develop a concept of operations that would continually account for all runners
during the long race. The PPARES Event Mission Coordinator, Al, KC0PRM, worked with other
PPARES members and race officials to develop a runner tracking concept of operations and organize
the PPARES Ham Radio Operators into four aid station teams. The Assistant Emergency Coordinator
for Digital Operations, Mike, K0TER, developed a runner tracking concept that employed digital
packets shared between aid stations via VHF radio transmissions while operating a UHF voice control
net.. Al published the Falcon 50 Race District-14 Pikes Peak ARES Comms Plan which was key to
implementing the tracking process and managing the PPARES resources. PPARES requires a formal
“Comms Plan” for every Public Service Event, Served Agency Exercise and actual Emergency.
The race official and PPARES agreed to concept of operations was to have race officials record on lists
each runner as they came into an aid station. The UHF simplex command voice net would be used for
high priority messages such as requesting evacuation of an injured or exhausted runner, or sending out
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Cadet Search and Rescue (SAR) to locate a runner overdue at an aid station. The line-of-sight
distances from the other aid stations to Race Central/Aid Station 4 were around 1-2 miles over rolling
terrain) so that Hand Held radios could be used, if desired. Al, KC0PRM, performed computer
modeling to confirm the size and duration of the surge expected at Aid Station 1 as well as the others.
Once underway, race officials lists of runner check-ins were provided to the PPARES Aid Station Team
for entry into formatted documents that were attached to a packet AIRMAIL message. The packet
messages were sent via VHF packet radio net to Race Central/Aid Station 4. There the data was
inserted into the database the PPARES Team had developed to collect and analyze the data. With this
information loaded in from each of the aid stations, the PPARES Aid Station 4 Team could determine
whether a runner had or had not checked into their next aid station on the race course. In addition, the
software allowed the team to predict the approximate time a runner should make the next aid station as
well as allowed analytics to determine if runners had missed aid stations and documented those runners
that dropped out of the race. Overall the software and data collection transfer and management process
addressed the key problem documented in previous races – knowing what runners were on the track
where, what race there were running, and identifying potential missing runners.
Each PPARES Aid Station Team was made up of a UHF Command Voice net operator, a VHF digital
packet operator and one or two alternate operators (voice and packet) who rotated between Aid Stations
to support the surge of runners early in the race. PPARES members used their own radios, antennas,
and emergency power. Because of the early race start, 0630, PPARES aid station team members were
on site prior to 0630 and were still manning Aid Station 4 at the 2030 race end.
At Aid Station 1 were Terry KD0JAX (UHF voice) and Don K0DRJ (VHF digital). Bob WL7RV
(voice) and Bill KC0ET (digital) were there to support the initial surge of runners 45 minutes into the
race. Terry used his HT for the UHF voice net. Don, with the help of the other team members
(Illustration 1) set up his 30ft tower with UHF/VHF J-Pole, a 3
element VHF beam, and a GR5V HF antenna (Illustration 1),
UHF/VHF/HF radios, laptop, and battery power as part of his portable
station. HF was not required for the event, but attempting to work DX
helped Don pass the idle time after the initial surge. About 0830hrs
Bob shifted to support Aid Station 2. Bill would shift among the other
Aid Stations to support as needed.
The surge did occur as predicted; however, the lists were delivered to
the radio operators at 10-15 minute intervals so data congestion within
the communications team was not experienced. Aid Station 1 used
portable battery power for radio operations during the entire time. It
closed at 1330 after the last runner passed through on the second loop
of the 50 Miler Marathon.
At Aid Station 2 were Judy KC0EHY (UHF voice) and her husband
Illustration 1: Aid Station 1ED WB0YAF (VHF digital). After 0830, Bob WL7RV arrived to
Don K0DRJ, Terry KD0JAX & assist with the incoming initial but smaller surge plus the added race
Bob WL7RV
traffic from the racers taking a required lap around a nearby lake
before heading off to Aid Station 3. Ed and Judy set up their portable
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UHF voice and VHF digital station, laptops and a canopy (Illustration 2). Ed’s VHF and UHF antennas
were mounted on a 12 foot pole that was positioned on his vehicles
roof. Portable power at this station was provided by generator.
During the race in the morning a unique situation arose. The race
officials were not used to having a radio team supporting them and
did not know that Race Central needed the bib numbers and times
sent to their location to keep track of runners – they were
maintaining runner lists; however, they would not release them to
the communications team for forwarding. . The issue was resolved
by the Race Director advising his officials at Aid Station 2 over the
UHF command net to provide the runner lists to the radio team for
transmitting to Race Central. After that, all went smoothly. About
1300, Bob had to depart and Larry KD0BLL arrived to support the
Aid Station 2 Team. Of note ,this was the first time that Larry
Illustration 2: Aid Station 2 - Judy
operated digital packet radio . Aid Station 2 closed at 1730 hrs.
KC0EHY, Ed WB0YAF, and Bob
WL7RV
Aaron KD6FLM (UHF
Voice), Shane KE5TVB (VHF digital), and Al KB1UKV
(voice net support) (Illustration 3)comprised the race support at
Aid Station 3 . Aaron and Al used their HTs to support the
UHF command net while Shane operated his mobile VHF/UHF
radios with his digital packet, hood mounted antenna, laptop,
and mobile power to support the digital packet net. Al, on
TDY from Ohio was a welcome team addition. The Aid
Station 3 team had a different situation presented to them. By
the time that runners began arriving at their location later in the
morning and again later in the afternoon, they were well spread
out. Their challenge was collecting and transmitting data on a
Illustration 3: Aid Station 3 - Al
slow by steady flow of runners over considerable lengths of
KB1UKV, Aaron KD6FLM, and Shane time. Since Aid Station 3 did not close down until early
KE5TVB
evening, Bill KC0ET set up his portable UHF/VHF voice and
packet battery powered station and supplemented operations
allowing the aid station team to travel to Race Central for dinner. . The hand-off between the regular
Aid Station 3 Team and Bill went smoothly demonstrating PPARES
ability to change shifts at a particular site without interrupting
communications on either net. Aid Station 3 closed at 1900hrs.
The Aid Station 4 Team - Al, KC0PRM, the PPARES Event Mission
Coordinator, Jarret NM0V (UHF voice), and Mike K0TER (VHF
digital) - supported the event from 0530 until 2030. After Aid Station
2 closed down, Larry KD0BLL joined the team. In addition, after
supporting Aid Station 3’s ability to breakaway to eat, Bill KC0ET also
joined the team late in the day. Jarret set up his tripod supported 20
foot tower and copper pipe J-Pole antenna along with his UHF/VHF
radio to be the Aid Station 4 UHF command voice net operator. Mike
set up his UHF/VHF radio with digital packet, laptop, and his J-Pole
antenna on a tripod supported 20 foot tower. Commercial power was
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llustration 4: Race Central/Aid
Station 4 - Jarret MN0V, Mike
K0TER (Head Covered), and
Al KC0PRM
used at the Aid Station 4 to support radio and computer operations. Al, using his HT, shadowed the
Race Director keeping the PPARES team informed on racer progress and the Race Director informed of
any medical and evacuation needs. Jarret accepted calls and messages from the other aid stations
managing the voice command net. Later in the day he was assisted by Larry. Mike, with his head
under a jacket (in order to see the computer screen that was washed out by sunlight) much of the time,
worked the packet net control and posted the packet message transmitted runner data to the race
information management program.When Bill arrived late in the day, he walked back up the trail from
the finish line ½ a mile to report the late runners coming in toward the finish line as it got dark.
The AFA 50 Miler race ended at 2030 hours as planned. Of interest, every 50 mile runner that
completed the race crossed the finish line before the 2030 hour cutoff ensuring they qualified for race
credit. In addition, every runner that participated in each of the three races was fully accounted for
thanks to the PPARES Aid Station teams reporting and Aid Station 4 PPARES Team's ability to analyze
the information collected during the 14 hour race. . At the end of the day, there was one runner
unaccounted for. The digitally transmitted aid-station logs showed that the runner had last checked in at
Aid Station 1 about 1330, and was not seen again. The SAR chief called the cadet’s squadron and
confirmed that the cadet was in his room, having left the race without telling anyone. The Air Force
Academy race officials were extremely pleased with the support that PPARES had provided. All 13
PPARES members enjoyed a great day successfully using their equipment on two radio nets to track
several hundred runners.
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