December 2, 2002

Ricklefs & Heaslett Named 2002 USATF Ultrarunners of the Year 
Pirrung & Trason Take Masters Honors

For their outstanding performances in 2002 in the sport of ultradistance running, USA Track & Field’s Mountain/Ultra/Trail (MUT) Running Council selected the following athletes as the men’s and women’s ultrarunners of the year in open and master’s categories. These athletes will be presented awards at the Hyatt Regency in Kansas City, Missouri during the breakfast awards banquet at the USATF Annual Convention on Saturday, December 7, 2002.

Chad Ricklefs - (35, Colo.) Ricklefs is the 2002 USATF 100K National Road Champion taking the title at the Edmund Fitzgerald 100K in October. He also won the JFK 50 Mile, America’s largest ultra race, late in November 2001. Ricklefs showed his speed and versatility by setting a course record at the high-altitude Leadville Trail 100-mile race in Colorado in August. For these outstanding performances, Ricklefs is awarded the Ted Corbitt Award.

Ann Heaslett - (38, Wisc.) Heaslett is selected for the Ruth Anderson Award for earning two National Championship titles in 2002 at the White River 50 Mile Trail Championship and the Olander Park 24-Hour Championship. She contributed to a team medal at the 100K World Cup, as well as well as delivering other fine performances at a variety of distances and terrain.

Roy Pirrung (54, Wisc.) – For his consistent first place finishes in the 50 to 54 age-group at three USATF Ultra Championships in the 2002 qualifying period and his first place age-group titles at other significant ultraraces, Pirrung is selected as the Men’s Master’s Ultrarunner of the Year.

Ann Trason – (41, Calif.) Trason, a seven-time winner of the USATF Ultrarunner of the Year Award completed another truly outstanding year of racing ultra distances in 2002. Trason’s six course records at distances from 50K to 100 miles demonstrate that her tremendous talent continues as she competes as a master’s runner as she consistently wins overall.

Considered for their World and American Record performances in the master’s age-group category 75 to 79 were Californians Helen Klein and Ray Piva. In the year 2002, 79-year old Klein ran a 50K World Record and a 50-mile American Record among her seven other ultraraces. Seventy-six-year old Piva set a World and American Record at 100 miles (23:01:56) within his World Record 24-Hour performance of 102.5 miles at the USATF 24-Hour National Championship in Ohio in September. Piva also claimed a World and American Record at 12 hours, 50K, 50 miles, and 100K.

MUT members vote on the ultrarunners of the year from a list of nominees who have run exemplary performances at USATF National Ultra Championships, World Challenge 100K, and other significant races. MUT members are appointed by USATF Men's, Women's, and Master's Long Distance Running Committee Chairs since the group was established in 1998 to assist USA Track and Field with the sports of mountain, ultra, and trail running.

Roy Pirrung, Ann Heaslett, Deana Drossin, and Chad Ricklefs 
at the 2002 USATF Awards Breakfast

Previous Ultrarunner of the Year award winners are: