Sparky Races 500+ Miles of HOPE

05/05/2026

Run. Golf. Be better at getting better, whatever you are grinding on!
This. Is. Golf. Life. And the grind! Right? Be better today, then yesterday!

05/02/2026

Yesterday I played in our PGA Sections Sr match play, after firing a -3 on the front, it put me in the drivers seat and ended up winning 4&3. Today was aHitchcock Nature Center kind of morning as I finish off my last recovery week before we start to build for Kettle Morraine 100. LFG!

04/21/2026

1 down, 4 to go! LFG

We commend these three runners for their determination in signing up as Gnarly Bandit hopefuls and appearing at the Zumbro 100 starting line.

Although the trails began in excellent condition, the temperature drop with cold rain made the conditions particularly demanding early Saturday morning.

Congratulations to Mark Nygaard and Peter Koenig on their successful completion of Zumbro, the first race in the UMTR Gnarly Bandit series.

Following this event, participants can look forward to the Kettle Moraine 100 mile on June 13.

A special thank you to Donkey Label, our 2026 series sponsor, for their support; kindly explore their website for running and cycling gear.

04/16/2026

Sneak peak at a few photos by the infamous Cary Johnson from Zumbro 100 mile Endurance Run

04/12/2026

Zumbro 100
104 miles
29 hours 4 minutes
72 starters, 42 finishers
Tough and challenging course
15th overall
6 loop course at 17 miles per loop, my first loop was 18 miles, cause guess what, I missed a turn. Lol
I was in 54th place after loop one, and started the process of slowly picking em off. Once again, patience and persistence pays huge dividends.

Gnarly Bandit

• Zumbro 100 ✅
• Kettle Moraine 100
• Black Hills 100
• Superior 100
• Wild Duluth 100

Will post more once the race photos come in, as I saw my favorite trail photographer on the planet on several occasions!

03/24/2026

03/24/2026

To those who choose to follow my journey! Weekly running and golf training updates, fundraising once the sight is provided, and “in the life of” moments, the good, the bad, the ugly! Oh, and let's not forget Experience, Strength, and HOPE!

Races
Zumbro 100 April 10th
Kettle Morraine 100 June 13th
Black Hills 100 June 26th (uffda)
Superior 100 September 11th
Wild Duluth 100k October 17th
New York Marathon November 1st

Running 500+ miles for veterans 🇺🇸
PGA Professional | Veteran
PGA HOPE Lead | Patriot Award Recipient
Gnarly Bandit Series + NYC Marathon