As Ellie Pell neared the end of the Green Lakes Endurance Run 50K in August, she knew it was time to hold on and run as fast as she could when she saw the top runner stop at the final aid station, giving her a chance to take the lead and the victory.
BILLS GAME WEEK: Buffalo heads to Los Angeles for Monday Night Football matchup with Rams (preview) This particular race involved four laps on an approximately eight-mile course around Green Lakes State Park in Manlius, east of Syracuse. Pell, formerly of Interlaken and now of Ithaca, knew she was in the top 10 and the highest-running female at the end of the first lap.
“I love doing ultras, so I wanted to sort of scratch that itch a little bit and do this race for fun,” the South Seneca High School graduate said. “I went out there and I started jogging, because an ultramarathon is a jog; let’s be serious. I felt pretty good.”
Heading into the final lap, the race director told Pell she was 4-6 minutes behind the leader. With an aid station halfway through the course, Pell planned to stop to use the bathroom, get a drink, and fuel up for the finish.
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