Golden runner Sarah Pizzo wins 2022 Wasatch Front 100 race

GOLDEN, Colo. — Sarah Pizzo took first place among female racers with a time of 24:47:50 in this year’s Wasatch Front 100 Endurance Run, held in September. The 100-mile ultrarunning event is one of the most uniquely challenging in the world, known for its mind-boggling difficulty.

The route ascends nearly 4,200 feet in the first 4.4 miles and then follows the ridgeline of the Wasatch range in Utah’s Rocky Mountains. By the end of the race, runners have climbed and descended a total of 24,000 feet.

Pizzo describes ultramarathons as “eating contests while running.” If she doesn’t eat 100–200 calories per hour, she starts feeling exhausted, which leads to negative thoughts, she says. “Whenever I get into a ‘dark place,’ I remind myself to catch up on calories so my energy returns and my mindset improves.”

Pizzo, who grew up in Genesee, is nearing 40 years old. “Obviously, I love winning races,” she says, “but my goals have shifted: Taking care of my body so I can enjoy the sport for a long time. Playing a larger role in the community to help others enjoy the sport. Sharing my knowledge through coaching and mentorship. Helping put on races.

“We trail runners are very passionate about our sport, and we nurture relationships with fellow trail runners,” she says, and indicated that trail runners encourage and help competitors even during a race. “There is a general sense that we are all in this together, and we make each other better through competition.”

Over the 25 years she’s been competing, she’s learned to “enjoy the journey” and place more value on preparing for and executing a good race. “My biggest challenge is time. Working full time as an attorney at Turner Law and raising a three-year-old son make for a tricky balancing act.” She leans on her husband and her parents and appreciates her flexible work schedule.

The extra things that might make her faster––strength training, physical therapy, taking naps––she doesn’t always have time for, and she might not get to run as much as she’d like. If she gets to a race feeling undertrained, she convinces herself that her experience and mental strength will carry her. “There are many uncontrollable factors that affect a race, so I don’t base my self worth on the outcome,” Pizzo says.

Pizzo is a member of the BP Run Co athlete team. She started out competing for Mullen High School and then for the University of Michigan. Working toward a common goal as a member of a team is a great motivator, she says. “I always put forth more effort when I know people are relying on me,” she continues. “But I don’t take myself too seriously. When I’m nervous before a race, I remind myself that I’m my own harshest critic. The outcome of the race isn’t going to change my life.”

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