100-mile trek requires remarkable endurance

There was a time when Scot Kuwaye thought that running a marathon was for “crazy people.” Laboring for 26.2 miles didn’t match his notion of fun.

But last month the 51-year-old Travelers Insurance claims manager from Kakaako, by all accounts a regular guy with a wife, twin daughters and an energetic Yorkie, entered the Western States 100-mile Endurance Run — a contest so challenging that renal failure, hypothermia, heatstroke and death are listed as some of the risks of participating.

Kuwaye ran through California’s Sierra Nevada for 28 hours and 23 minutes. Temperatures soared into the 90s during the day. He ran in thin air thousands of feet above sea level and at night. He had blisters on the bottoms of his feet.

Who’s crazy now?

Not Kuwaye. He’s been running for 20 years, not all of it as an ultramarathoner, but all of it as a way to improve his life.

“I started running as a healthy alternative to a breakup from a long-term relationship,” Kuwaye said. “Running was a great outlet that provided huge physical and psychological benefits for me. Previously to this I never had the urge or desire to run, (but) I began to realize the many positive benefits from running, and most importantly it was fun.”

Of course, running 100 miles takes years of preparation.

“I took progressions in my running,” he said. “I started doing marathons, and then I slowly built my races.”

He moved up to a 36-mile race, then 50 kilometers, a 50-miler and a 100-kilometer event. Each one was a challenge but not impossible, and that’s what he liked about it.

It took two years to prepare for his first 100-mile race.

“For me it built a lot of confidence that I could do it in incremental steps,” Kuwaye said. “If you asked me 10 years ago would I do something like a marathon, I would have said, ‘Marathons are for crazy people.’ But I was able to do it.”

Preparing for an ultramarathon is part of a lifestyle that goes well beyond regular 30-minute runs. It’s about walking 2 miles to work instead of driving, bringing fruit to the company potluck and walking the dog.

Living in Honolulu is a good start.

“Hawaii is the perfect place to do that because we don’t have snow,” he said. “You can be outdoors usually most of the year and just be active.”

The Western States Endurance Run, held June 27 and 28, was Kuwaye’s fourth ultramarathon. He was among 253 other finishers who completed the race within the allotted 30 hours. The course, which started in Squaw Valley and ended in Auburn, Calif., followed a portion a historic trail used by Paiute and Washoe Indians.

“I’ve been wanting to do this for four years,” Kuwaye said. “I want to always look back on this as just a great experience.”

And truth be told, he didn’t call it crazy. He called it fun.

“Good Fit” spotlights inspiring fitness stories of change, self-discovery and challenge, and other fitness-related topics. Tell us what motivates you and how you stay fit and healthy. Email features@staradvertiser.com.