Niswonger completes 100-mile endurance race in less than 29 hours

Jason Niswonger plans to run with his cross country team when it opens practice Monday.

That is if his blisters have healed.

Niswonger, the 35-year old Oak Ridge High School coach, completed the Burning River 100, a 100-mile endurance race in Northeast Ohio. He covered the course in 28 hours, 42 minutes.

"This was a very interesting course," Niswonger said. "Some of it was pretty technical on trails. They have an awesome trail system up there for people to run and walk. Some of it's out in the middle of the woods with steep hills, rocks, all kinds of roots. It wasn't just road running."

Niswonger has been taking it easy since the race, which he started at 5 a.m. Saturday and finished Sunday morning. But the main reason for not running is because of the blisters on his feet.

"Cross country practice starts at school on Monday, and I'll probably run with the kids on Monday," he said. "A lot of that depends on the blisters.

"I'm usually not prone to blisters, so they caught me by surprise. But as soon as my feet are in good shape, I'll be ready to run again."

Niswonger attempted this race last year, but only made it through 82 miles. He credited his crew with helping him complete the race, especially his wife's dedication.

"She's a trooper," he said. "She did a lot for me. Any time I needed a change of shoes or socks, they wait at the aid stations. I had a lot more crew that helped a lot."

Another person who played a crucial role in his success was Central assistant cross country coach Bryan Kelpe. Niswonger said that Kelpe's assistance in training was as helpful as his aid during the race.

"He's a much better runner than I am," Niswonger said. "I used his expertise and he paced me for the last 40 miles."

Niswonger said his crew helped with nutrition and hydration, but admitted it became more difficult to eat deeper into the race.

"You try to eat solid food early," he said. "A lot of high-calorie food -- candy bars, fruit. They have aid stations about every four to seven miles. Once you've been gone, I don't know if it was the heat or what, but I usually kind of lose my appetite by the end."

Niswonger would like to try the inaugural Ozark Trail 100 in south central Missouri as his next lengthy race, but his job as Oak Ridge cross country coach likely will get in the way.

"They're holding it Nov. 7, which is the same day as state cross country," he said. "I know a few people who won't be able to do it because of that. I'd consider doing it if they moved the date."