Takedown Report

Chadron State College Coach Brett Hunter Running 100 Miles this Weekend

By Con Marshall

Chadron State College Men’s Wrestling Coach Brett Hunter was a two-time state champion wrestler at Rushville High School and a two-time national champion at Chadron State, winning a total of 274 matches and at least 31 matches each of the eight seasons he competed in the sport.  But this weekend he’ll be attempting a much different and strenuous challenge.  
Hunter has entered the 100-mile race that is the headliner of the Lean Horse Ultra Marathon in the Black Hills of South Dakota.  On Monday, he said he was both excited and nervous about what’s ahead, then added that it’s something he’s eager to attempt. 
His previous longest race was a 50-miler over the same course a year ago, and he recalls that afterwards he felt terrible, hurting all over both physically and mentally.  “I had to gut it out to finish. It was terrible.” he remembers.
Now he’s going to try to run twice as far. He knows it will be miserable, but he’s steadfast in giving it his best shot.
He admits that during his days as one of western Nebraska’s all-time outstanding wrestlers he never enjoyed running, but did it to get in shape and to make weight.  “Back then I thought running two to four miles was a lot, and when I went out for track as a high school senior I never ran more than a half mile in a meet,” he noted.
Now entering his 14^th season as the Eagles’ head wrestling coach, Hunter doesn’t relish running, but he wants to stay active and healthy, and obviously has become much more than a casual jogger.
His first distance race of special note was a half marathon (a bit more than 13 miles) at Jackson Hole, Wyo., in 2022.  The next year he ran two 30-mile races in the Black Hills, and was encouraged when he won his age group and finished seventh overall in one of them.
Last year he took on the 50-mile race and completed it in 11 hours and 57 minutes, placing about 30^th among the 125 entries. … more at … https://chadronradio.com/csc-coach-brett-hunter-running-100-miles-this-weekend/

August 19, 2025 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | fitness, half-marathon, marathon, running, training