There were only five starters at the 8 AM starting line. Notably missing was Rachel, who, in addition to Adrian and Karl, had intended to do the full 100 miles. That was very disappointing to the others who had planned to do the full distance and were looking forward to her company. The cold weather was almost perfect for running, although the occasional very light showers caused significant anxiety for the event host who remembered the near hypothermic experience of the 2009 Foolish Gerbil 100 Mile run. Fortunately nothing serious developed weather-wise.