Bendt Wins Twice at Hickory Knob

Samantha Bendt was looking for a trail race with a challenging distance last weekend. She found it by completing - and winning - two races on the same day.

Bendt took the spotlight twice at the XTERRA Hickory Knob Trail Run, which was completed on Saturday, April 21, at Hickory Knob State Park in McCormick, South Carolina.

The event featured two courses - a 5.5-kilometer short course, and an 11.5-kilometer long course. Bendt registered for both courses, and was the first female finisher for both.

She completed the short course in 28 minutes, 1 second, and then had about a 20-minute break before the start of the long course. Bendt said she started fast in the long course and stayed in front the entire way, finishing with a time of 58 minutes, 51 seconds.

"I knew I was the first female because I focused on entering the woods as the first female and maintaining that position, which I did successfully," said Bendt, who is 33 and resides in Rock Hill, S.C.

Bendt was one of four runners to complete both courses for the event. She said she planned on running both courses for at least a month.

Trey McCain of Cayce, S.C., ran just the long course, and was the overall winner with a time of 46:26.

"I didn't know my pace. I didn't know how far back second place was. It was just me, the trail, and really great conditions," said McCain, 24. "The forecast had called for rain but thankfully it didn't. The weather was cool and the humidity stayed low and I was happy about that. I think my favorite part of the course was where the trail came out to the lake and I saw a guy fishing in his boat. It wasn't special but it made me laugh a little to see that during a race."

McCain is a former collegiate runner at Mars Hill College, and said one of his goals for this year is to win an XTERRA South Carolina age-group title so that he can earn a free entry to the 2012 XTERRA Trail Run National Championship.

Carl Epley from Marion, N.C., placed second with a time of 48:33, and Henry Redden of Augusta, Georgia, was third in 56:35.

Brian Parker of Illinois was the first overall finisher for the short course with a time of 23:26.

The XTERRA Hickory Knob Trail Run was the first of three events in the 2012 XTERRA South Carolina Trail Run Series. The next event in the series will be the XTERRA Harbison Trail Run on July 8 at Columbia, S.C.

To register for a race in the series, or to learn more about it, please visit www.xterratrailrun.com.

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