Arrowhead 135 Ultra Record Update: Michael Koppy – Tuesday (1/28) 10am

Editor’s Note: Byron Kuster, a long time friend of Michael Koppy’s, drove him to the start in Int’l. Falls and home from Tower!  Other than cheering Koppy on, he is not allowed to provide any assistance during the event.

Michael Koppy arrived at Checkpoint 2, the Melgeorge Resort, at 8:41am on Tuesday (melgeorges.com).  This is the appropriate half-way point in the 135-mile Arrowhead 135 ultramarathon.  Koppy has been walk-running for the past 25.7 hours.  If it takes him about the same amount of time to finish the second half of the course, he will finish in just over 50 hours, well within the 60-hour time limit. 

He will also then become the oldest person ever to complete this race on foot (as opposed toto on bike or on skis). 

Many say that the second half is significantly harder than the first because of the numerous steep hills, so finishing within the time limits is not guaranteed.

At Melgeorge, Koppy was tired but in good spirits.  One person who had DNF’d (Did Not Finish), asked Koppy if he was going to “make it.”  Koppy responded with a confident, “Oh, yea!”  Koppy did have a blister on one toe being tended to, but it hadn’t given him a lot of pain up to that point.

Koppy planned to sleep a bit before heading out into the bright sunshine, crisp wind, and soft, mushy snow.  After 14 hours of darkness, it’ll be nice to be run-walking in daylight!

Koppy is participating in this rigorous event in support of “The Y” (YMCA).  Please show your support for him by donating as you are able. Go to:  https://www.duluthymca.org/runkoppy