There is a lottery for "crazy people," and Andy MacGinnitie sort of won.

Which is how MacGinnitie, 41, an allergist at Pittsburgh's Children's Hospital, wound up covered in dirt and sweat in the wee hours of June 29, gutting his way to the finish line of the 35th annual Western States Endurance Run.

Not just any runner with an impressive training log can compete in the grueling event. Applicants must have completed previous ultra-distance races in certain times, and even those with well-qualified resumes -- such as MacGinnitie, a veteran of 20 such races -- don't always make it.

"There are so many crazy people who want to do this, they have a lottery. If you don't get in two years in a row, they let you run the next, and that's what I did."

California's Western States covers a 100-mile course over old gold and silver mining trails, from Squaw Valley to Auburn. Before runners are through, they'll have tackled a daunting vertical rise in elevation, including 2,550 feet in the first 4¹/₂ miles.

"I trained almost entirely on the trails in Schenley and Frick Park, so I think I was very lucky in Pittsburgh to have those hills," said Oakland's MacGinnitie, who completed Western States for the first time four years ago.

"When I did it the first time, I lived in Boston, and [the terrain] was pretty flat."

His goal was to complete the race in 24 hours; those finishers receive a commemorative belt buckle featuring the likeness of a mountain lion, something you might actually encounter on an ultra run. This isn't the New York Marathon.

"I hoped to break 24 hours [his earlier attempt was just under 28], but just to finish a 100-mile race is a pretty good accomplishment, so early in the race, I tried to take it easy.

"About halfway through, I realized I was half an hour ahead of my time goals."

He got the belt buckle, and an official time of 23 hours, 42 minutes and 5 seconds. MacGinnitie was 90th among 270 finishers. The event was won by Oregon's Hal Koerner in 16:12.16.

MacGinnitie, 6 feet 3 and 185 pounds, said race officials had six weigh stations along the steep, rocky paths to help determine severe dehydration. He made sure to imbibe water and sports drinks and washed down some gels and M&Ms. He also carried with him a flashlight; the race's Web site has photos of runners ankle-deep in water as they pick their way through a stream in the dark.

"Western States is certainly the most challenging," he said, laughing.

A calendar day is a long time to be mostly alone on the trails, but MacGinnitie said he never got bored. "Because if you don't pay attention, you'll trip and fall."

A friend in Chicago got MacGinnitie, a native of Atlanta who played football and rowed before getting into running, interested in ultras a few years back. Life at home with his wife and young kids, coupled with long hours at the hospital and training, makes for an interesting routine.

"Typically, I get up at 4:30 in the morning, run, go home, get the kids off to school ... I go to bed at 9:30. So, I'm looking forward to having some more downtime now."

It's no accident that ultra marathons and triathlons are populated with people in the medical profession, he said: "Compulsive, goal-oriented, driven people tend to do these sorts of things."

Marie Bartoletti can relate. The Carnegie teacher, 49, has done marathons all over the country and, when she isn't running races, helps pace others. Tendon surgery put her on crutches 18 months ago, but she is back on the trails, placing 211th at Western States in 28:49.17.

Bartoletti will run her 100th marathon in San Francisco later this month.

Fast Firecracker

Brentwood's Firecracker 5K was once again one of the largest and fastest holiday races, with 1,319 finishers along Brownsville Road. The top four represented a Who's Who of former WPIAL standouts. Ryan Sheehan, 23, won in 14:40, four seconds ahead of former Baldwin High teammate Dan Mazzocco. Both were PIAA track champions, as was fourth-place finisher Jeff Weiss (McGuffey High School).

Third place went to Weiss' Slippery Rock University teammate, Pat Reagan (14:58), who attended Albert Gallatin. Weiss finished fourth in the NCAA Division II 10,000-meter run in May; Reagan was 12th at 5,000 meters.

Former IUP great Mindy Sawtelle, 34, won the women's division (18:07) over Holly Whoolery (18:13).

In Cranberry, there were 328 male and 324 female finishers -- an unusually even mix -- in the annual Race for Virginia 5K. Gibsonia's Robert Regan won in 17:13; top woman was Catherine Rodgers, 18, of Sewickley (20:35).