Our RAW 2020 Crew
RAW 2020 never happened as the CoVid-19 pandemic spread, resulting in most events worldwide to be canceled. We tried to roll to 2021, and then again to 2022, but circumstances and life's over committments and priorities kept us at home. Although at times it feels like we may never pass this way again, I'm still hopeful for 2023.
See the full crew photo gallery here...
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Our crew are an integral part of the team and essential to our success. The crew has the important job of keeping me safe, fed, hydrated, and protected 24 hours a day for the 3 day race. When I am weak, my crew are strong. They remind my of who I am, and who I can been. Every finish and attempt is a shared accomplishment. None of this would be possible without their skill, dedication, and commitment.
Support at RAW2020 is a second trial run for RAAM 2021. RAW shares the first 930 miles of the RAAM course, and roughly the first 3-4 days. We will support with two vehicles this year, FOLLOW and SHADOW, and hope to rotate in some fresh crew members a bit later this year, perhaps in Flagstaff, for the final run into Durango.
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Cathy Pearce: Crew Chief
Eric's wife Cathy Pearce is serving as crew chief and brings significant crewing experience and leadership to the team. She has crew chiefed Hoodoo 300 2018, RAW 2019, and Hoodoo 500 2019 (over 1200 miles crewed). Cathy has significant additional experience crewing and feeding at stage races, and two masters national championships. Cathy is also a talented life-long runner. In 1999, Cathy qualified for the U.S. Women's Olympic Trials in the Marathon with a 2:49:45 at the Tucson Marathon, won the 50-54 Masters Mountain Running Championships at Loon Mountain in 2014, and is a three-time winner of the La Luz Mountain Run in Albuquerque New Mexico. She continues to compete as an elite masters running regionally. Formerly, Cathy coached high school cross country and track and field, and led the all-girls Academy of Notre Dame Tyngsboro MA teams to several league championships between 2010 and 2014. Throughout her life, Cathy has always contributed significantly to her local running community. In 1999 she was the founding president of the Socorro Striders and Riders. She currently is an active member of the Tucson Runners Project.
In her professional life, Cathy is a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Oro Valley AZ.
Cathy keeps coming back to crew me again. Words cannot describe her commitment to my success and safety. Without her, none of this would ever happen. |
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Jack Pearce: Navigator, Feeder, DriverEric's youngest son will be joining the crew again in for RAW 2020. Jack currently lives in Minneapolis where is works in the financial and wealth management industry. Jack has accumulated an amazing 1000+ miles crewing Dad, between DK200, RAW 2019, and Hoodoo 500 2019. While everyone on the crew is a generalist, sharing driving, navigating, feeding, hydrating, electronics, photography, social media, and errands, Jack will have the lead responsibility of tracking my fed and hydration.
Jack crewed me in my first > 12 hour event, the 2014 Dirty Kanza, and at RAW 2019. After the RAW DNF, Jack returned and crewed me to a RAAM qualifying finish at Hoodoo 500. I think he is practicing for RAAM 2021! |
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Jim PorterJim has been a runner, cyclist, and hiker for over 40 years. Hner, he has finished 100-mile trail races and many other ultras and road marathons. Professionally, Jim recently retired as Chief of Reservoir Operations for the New York City water supply where he worked for nearly 30 years providing water and weather forecasts to support water supply management. He and his wife live in Tucson where they enjoy missing New York winters and are active with the Tucson Runners Project and other groups in the local fitness community.
I so happy to have Jim's ultra-running experience on the crew. I know when things get tough, he will know what I am going through, and what needs to be done--and will get it done. |
