3rd PLACE FINISH FOR CHARLIE ENGLE!!!

After a grueling 135 miles in 123 degree heat, Charlie finished the 2006 Badwater Ultramarathon in 28:18:36 - 30 minutes faster than his 3rd place finish last year.
At the start line, 280' below sea level, the crowd was full of energy, Charlie was full of enthusiasm, and the crew was ready to go!

The fisrt 17 miles are difficult. The runners shoot out of the gate with great excitement only to quickly realize they've just begun a 135 mile climb to the portal of Mt. Whitney.
At this point the runner is not allowed to have a pacer which makes the run seem that much longer, but with the stamina that Charlie has - who needs a pacer?

I along with 9 crew members were at the ready stopping literally, every 1/2 mile to refuel, wipe down, and ice up Charlie as he makes his way. With the speed and talent of an Indy Race car crew, we quickly learned exactly what Charlie needed at every stop.

It takes an awful lot of water, a ton of ice, and plenty of energy gels to make it all happen.
After reaching Furnace Creek, the 17 mile point, Charlie had his first pacer, Christian from France. Charlie has raced with him before in Mauritania. He is an excellent runner and is thinking of running the Badwater race next year along with Michel, another Frenchman who crewed with us.

Along the way the two vans which carried the crew, leap-frogged each 1/2 mile taking good care of Charlie and switching pacers quite often. Everyone wanted a chance to run with Charlie, especially his kids and they got their chance.

Everything seemed to go smoothly as Chuck, co-crew chief, and I followed the designated route to get Charlie to the finish. Not only did we want to get him there, but we had a well thought out strategy given by Ray Zahab from Canada who planned to get him to the finish much faster than last year.

To keep Charlie on track, Ray needed to make sure he ran up to pace with the plan and deignated times at each check point. We would also need MORE ICE! Off go Kevin Lin and Nicole Chaing from Taiwan for an ice run. Charlie did very well with all the help from his "International Crew!" As we passed through the night quickly, he was very strong, and gave his usual humor along the way.

The last few miles were the toughest as the steep climb to the top of the Mt. Whitney portal approached. With the enthusiasm and driving force of "Team Charlie" we all shared in the joy and honor of watching Charlie cross the finish line 30 minutes faster than his previous time.

All he could say is: "I ask myself every year I do this, if I am crazy? "
We are all very proud and we look forward to the next challenge....

Lisa Trexler
Team headquarters, North Carolina