It’s simple – he likes to go fast.
Uli Steidl, assistant coach for the Seattle U cross country and track & field teams, added another accomplishment to his already long list by setting the new speed record on Mt. Rainier with a time of 4:24.30 on July 26. According to Uli’s GPS data, he tracked 14.64 miles round trip.
He added that the course has a 9,255-foot elevation gain, too.
The previous record was 4:40.59, set by Willie Benegas in 2008.
“This is something he’s been thinking about for a few years now, so it’s wonderful to see him not only break it, but break it by as much as he did,” said head SU cross country and track & field coach Trisha Steidl, also his wife. “The previous record was stiff and was set by someone who was far more acclimated to altitude, which is a big part of this endeavor. I’m over-the-moon thrilled.”
Uli is no stranger to distance competition, or Washington’s very own Mt. Rainier.
He has won the Seattle Marathon every time he’s competed in it (10 times total, most recently in 2013), Uli and Trisha got married at the summit of Mt. Rainier on July 15, 2005, and he also coaches at the Seattle Running Club when he’s not busy with the Redhawks.
On top of those accomplishments, Uli was an NCAA All-American at the University of Portland, holds the Portland Marathon course record, ran for Germany’s marathon team in the 2007 IAAF World Championships, and has won the Masters Division of the Boston Marathon in both 2012 and 2014.
And that’s just to name a few.
He literally can’t be slowed down.
Uli has now summited Mt. Rainier roughly 15 times, but this was only his third attempt at the speed record, and the one he felt best about going into it and during.
Without having done a lot of specific vertical training on the mountain in the months leading up to his first speed record attempt, Uli still thought, “well, I’ll just give it a try and see what happens.”
Uli said the first time he attempted the record, he came close – within half an hour – but the second time he didn’t feel that good.
So he made some changes.
“I actually trained for it more seriously,” Uli said. “This time it was pretty straightforward, straight up, and the snow conditions were good, the weather was good, so it all kind of came together.”
Uli focused on the goal he wanted to achieve before it was too late.
“It’s partly because I’m not getting younger, and if I don’t do it soon, I can’t get fit enough to do it, so I better make sure I take this one seriously and prepare well for it so that I have a chance of doing it,” Uli said, remembering his shift in mindset and approach.
Uli doesn’t put this accomplishment on the same pedestal as his top athletic accomplishments because this is so different. It’s mountaineering. Fast mountaineering, but definitely not a marathon or a normal trail run.
“You can’t really go to your limits…because it gets dangerous,” Uli said. “In a road marathon, you can push yourself as hard as you can, and if you get too exhausted, you just go down…but in climbing Mt. Rainier, there’s no option of just dropping out.
“If you take a fall in the wrong place, it could be the last thing you do.”
In order to even climb Mt. Rainier by himself, Uli had to get a special permit from the climbing ranger. This was his sixth solo climb.
He noted that he’s not just a runner, he’s also a mountaineer. So this was the perfect fit.
“I combined those two passions and went for the record,” Uli said. “It’s something that I really enjoy. I like going fast, and I like running trails, but being up on the mountain, just the views you have from there, are just spectacular.”
Trisha hopes the student-athletes on her team see what a great role model Uli is in pushing himself toward his passions, and that they use him as a resource.
“I can’t speak for the team, but I hope they recognize what a strong, smart, well-experienced, hard-working person and runner he is,” Trisha said. “He is very well accomplished…and doesn’t expect quick results. He works hard for what he’s achieved.”
Uli’s feat attracted the attention of others in the SU Athletic Department, as well.
“As a department, we are extremely proud of Uli’s accomplishment,” Interim Director of Athletics Shawn Farrell said. “His hard work truly paid off, and he is an excellent role model for the student-athletes he coaches. His dedication to always improve and push himself to compete in what he is passionate about is inspiring.”