The following article was written by Corinne Shalvoy and features her recent experiences with livestreaming and all that entails. Corinne is an avid trail and ultra runner, mother of two sons, and has been married to her ultra-running husband, Graham for 16 years. She recently joined the ATRA advisory board.
We were 92 miles into the 100 mile race in the desert when the drones began to hover. “Should we put on a bit of a show for them?” Jamil asked after which we started running 7-minute pace and bantering to the eyes in the sky. The burned wasteland-like terrain we ran across was something that would have surely inspired Hunter S. Thompson were he still living and able to tune in to the Mountain Outpost livestream of the 2023 Javelina Jundred. It was a strange moment; The pioneer of ultra-racing live streaming on the livestream, being followed by the very drone he commissioned to cover the event.
Drone footage of the Javelina Jundred course. Photo: Troy Wicks
Let’s rewind to the summer of 2023 and discuss this experience of live-streaming an ultra running race, Gonzo-style journalism inspired.
June 2023
I opened an email from my Aravaipa Athlete Manager, Bryce Brooks, asking if I’d like to do commentary on the first- ever livestream of the infamous Hardrock 100 Endurance Run. “Holy Shit! They are livestreaming Hardrock?” Excitement, and a bit of anxiety came over me. I’m as much a fan of this sport as a participant and I was honored to be given the opportunity to be on the commentary team. Of course I would love to be part of it.
My mind immediately went to what I needed to do to prepare. I’ve done a decent amount of public speaking over the years and my profession for the last decade and a half has essentially been interviewing people but this was new. This was LIVE. This was SO Freaking Cool. It took me about 2.5 seconds to say YES, as I envisioned how incredible it would be that THE Hardrock 100, not to mention the majesty of the San Juan Mountains that I grew up in, would be brought to the masses.
I madly began doing research on the small cohort of 146 runners. The list included many names that were unknown to me, and I enjoyed learning about their running backgrounds and life stories, especially how much it meant to each of them to be running Hardrock.
I proactively reached out to a few of my fellow commentators asking for advice and was excited to learn that a community document was being compiled with pages of facts about the race, links to athletes bios, and general stats about previous times/splits on various sections of the course. This Excel ‘block’ proved to be invaluable while we were on air. Kind of like doing all the meticulous prep work of taping the corners of your room so that when you’re ready to paint, nothing bleeds through the edges. I’ve learned that the more you prep ahead of time for these events, the more you can relax and have fun on the day.
July 14, 2023
I arrive at the Silverton gym on race morning and the electricity and anticipation of the ‘Tough and Wild’ run is palpable in the crisp, high altitude morning air. I meet Maggie Guetrl who is dressed in running clothes and vest, just in case she is called last minute to run in the event (she’s number one of the waitlist) or ready to join the livestream as a backup. Her own special conundrum of eagerness and misgiving coursing through her Tailwind-laced veins.
“The race is full,” comes the announcement from behind the livestream studio which is carefully balanced atop the high school gym’s stage. The message likely both relieving and disappointing for Maggie that she will not be participating as a runner this year.
Maggie Guterl livestreaming instead of running the Hardrock 100.
Photo: Peter Maksimow
Then I have my own revelation and a bit of angst. I stood on this very stage to buy concessions after basketball games vs. Silverton some 25 years ago. Perhaps a bit of my teenage insecurity creeps in as I realize I have no idea what I’m about to do. Welp, here goes nothing.
Livestreaming
“You can go up on the couch anytime now Corinne.” “Huh? Ok.” I approach the stage clinging to my laptop as a security blanket and follow suit as Andy Jones Wilkins (AJW) puts his headphones on next to me and then I follow suit and adorn my ears with my own set of headphones. It’s about to get real.
Andy Jones Wilkins and Shalvoy on the Hardrock 100 livestream.
There are at least six cameras around us and a monitor showing what the livestream audience is seeing. I can hear multiple people in my ear and see Bryce and the other producers down below us expertly navigating a barrage of computers, monitors and other tech equipment. I guess after that I just decided to be myself and share the stoke as accurately as possible with everyone who was following along.
My goal was to celebrate not only the front of the pack but the beauty of my hometown mountains and the true courage it takes for each and every one of these runners to toe the line of this inordinately difficult run.
Ultra experience
After about five hours of commentating I left the gym to try to get a quick nap before being picked up by my dad who drove me up and over California Pass to the Sherman Aid Station around mile 30 to meet my runner, Betsy Kalmeyer, for what would be a 13-hour pacing duty and her 21st finish of the run. Fun Fact: If you are running Hardrock and are over 60 years old, you can have a pacer with you the entire run if desired.
Once atop Handies Peak (the high point of the race at 14,058 ft), I got cell service for a moment and saw a missed text from Jamil. ‘Did you want to do some field reporting at Ouray Aid’? ‘I would love to, I reply, but I’m on the top of Handies pacing right now.”
Betsy Kalmeyer descending from Handies Peak during the 2023 Hardrock 100. Photo: Corinne Shalvoy
What I realized was that I was in fact in the middle of my very own Ultra. Commentating, then pacing, then waking up to drive back over to Silverton from Ouray to run the traditional “Depletion Mile” (a 1 mile race around the Silverton track that takes place following the final 48 hour cutoff and was also livestreamed of course), I suddenly understood why endurance athletes were also very good at this whole media side of things. I left Ouray the next day exhausted, yet somehow energized and even more in love with the sport.
The author and Arlen Glick running the Hardrock ‘Depletion Mile.’ Photo: Peter Maksimow
October 2023
Fast forward another few months and I was boarding a plane for yet another electrolyte and sugar-induced haze at the electric Javelina Jundred (a.k.a The Party in the Desert). This event was sure to bring another level of vibes between the heat of the competition (and the temps), the costumed runners (the race occurs on Halloween weekend), and the organized chaos of 3 races happening simultaneously on a looped course which ran directly behind the first time on-site livestream studio.
I felt a bit more prepared this go round but still completed the level of research necessary to be able to at least hold a candle to the walking Almanac’s that are Liam Tryon (a.k.a Aid Station Fireball) and Leah Yingling while calling the race. I enjoyed conducting pre-race athlete interviews the day before the race and taking part in a pre-race prediction show that gave me the opportunity to meet some of my heroes and the up and comers on the scene. Some good Thai food followed by a little rest before a 4 a.m wake up call and the promise of what would be yet another memorable 30 hours deep in the trenches of the sport of ultra running.
October 28, 2023 – early morning
I was so focused on packing multiple Halloween Costumes for each time I was on air that the only running clothes I managed to include in my giant suitcase was the Lululemon tennis outfit that would serve as my costume during my planned pacing of Tara Dower during the race.
I went from a 4-hour commentating shift, to preparing to pace Tara. A text from Brianna (Tara’s Crew Chief) informed me that Tara was having a rough day. Apparently she had decided to wrestle with a jumping Cholla cactus during her third lap, resulting in precious time spent at Jackass Junction aid having the barbs removed. Tara was unable to keep anything in her stomach and as Bri and I met her back at Jeadquarters she looked extremely pale and disappointed.
In spite of this setback, we left for the fourth lap. A couple of miles in I talked her through the tough decision to pull out of the race.
October 28, 2023 – late in the day
I was back on the mic a couple of hours later, dressed as Jamil a la Mountain Outhouse News days as the live-stream moved into the night and Tent City lit up like a rave. I decided that after my second live streaming shift and a couple of hours of sleep, I was up for pacing Jamil for his last lap of the race.
Wearing a pair of tights and an Aravaipa Media Team long sleeved sun shirt (not my best look), we ventured out into the night to get him his Western States qualifier. I was taken aback by his ability to think so clearly and maintain a level of positivity and calmness 20-plus hours into a race. Another meta moment as many people we passed had no idea Jamil was in fact running the race himself due to his professionalism while doing so (we checked on runners, picked up trash, basically did a bunch of QC while running). We even checked in on the livestream to see how it was going and Jamil reminded everyone that Airbnb check out time was 11 a.m. Ha!
30 Hour Day
Those 30 hours were comprised of 3 hours of research and interviewing, 10 hours of livestream commentary, 5 hours of pacing, 1 hour of helping a runner decide if she should drop, 3.5 hours of sleep, 1 hour of cheering, 4 hours observing the behind the scenes happenings, 2 hours of meandering around ‘Tent City’ talking with friends and crews, and .5 hours changing costumes.
Shalvoy’s first costume of the day.
Photo: Ryan Thrower
Over those 30 hours, I saw many sides of our sport. I saw pain and anguish, depletion and elation, exhaustion and hype, fandom and people supporting other people. I saw a group of people come together to create something of a piece of art. Art in the form of an experience that will stay with thousands for the rest of their lives. And I was moved to be a small part of it all.
How one might feel after 30 hrs of livestreaming.
October 29, 2023
It was Sunday, October 29, and it was my son Dash’s 9th birthday. I promised I would be home in time to celebrate with him for dinner so I arranged a ride back to the airport, unfortunately missing out on the awards ceremony. Un-showered and still wearing my final Chicago Bulls’ inspired costume, I boarded a plane back to Denver, just like Hunter S. Thompson at the end of “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. I emailed Matt Feldhake (Director of Marketing at Aravaipa), a couple of days later. “I hope you got some rest.” “Yes,” he replied, “but now it’s on to the next thing.” A more ‘Ultrarunning’ statement has never been spoken. And I can’t wait until the next Livestream.
Author’s note: In 2021 Aravaipa Running live-streamed the Black Canyon 100k, a ‘Golden Ticket’ race with the top two finishers in each the Male and Female divisions earning automatic entries into the coveted Western States 100. In October 2023 (3 years later), that livestream had 31k views.
Author’s note: In 2023 Aravaipa and Mountain Outpost streamed the Javelina Jundred (also a Golden Ticket race) and two weeks after the event it has already reached 31k views. To say there is a demand and audience for watching people run very long races over multiple days would be an understatement.
