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Most people who set out for a weekend run don&rsquo;t feel the need to rent their own port-a-potty.
				Then again, most people aren&rsquo;t aiming to run 100 miles.
				Candice Krout Dutko, of Mountain Top, spent the better part of last weekend doing just that, running laps around a 6 1/2-mile route until she hit 100 miles.
				And, yes, she rented a port-a-potty to help her complete her quest.
				Krout Dutko&rsquo;s quest to complete the 100-mile ultra marathon began last year when she competed in an ultramarathon in South Carolina. She managed to finish 80 miles, which for even the most accomplished distance runners is much farther than they would ever run at one time.
				But Krout Dutko wasn&rsquo;t satisfied and signed up for this year&rsquo;s version of the race, hoping to reach 100 miles.
				Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and races across the country began to canceled.
				Still Krout Dutko trained.
				Then the event she signed up for was canceled, Korbut Dutko faced a choice &mdash; find another place to run an ultramarathon or let all that training go to waste.
				&ldquo;There was no way I was not doing this,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;because I never want to train for (an ultramarathon) again.&rdquo;
				So Krout Dutko set out looking for a spot to run 100 miles. She considered several places, including Nescopeck State Park, but eventually settled on a 6.5-mile loop in Mountain Top.
				She started running at just a little past 4 a.m. on April 11 and had to finish the 100 miles in 36 hours to qualify as a virtual finisher of the South Carolina race.
				Taking only three breaks to sleep about a total of hour during the event, Krout Dutko finished her 100 miles with about 15 minutes to spare.
				&ldquo;I was definitely out there longer than I expected,&rdquo; she said.
				And, as can be expected, there where moments when Krout Dutko felt like she wasn&rsquo;t going to make it. But she had friends and fellow runners out on the course with her for portions of the event that helped &ldquo;push her&rdquo; through those tough times &mdash; all way maintaining proper social distance, of course.
				&ldquo;There were definitely times where I felt like I wasn&rsquo;t going to make it,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Last year, I felt like that around mile 60. This year, I felt like that around mile 75. Fortuntaly, a friend showed up (to run with me) then.
				&ldquo;She arrived just at the right time.&rdquo;
				Among those cheering her along were her husband, Andy, and 10-year-old daughter Alekzandria. The two even ran a few miles with her.
				Even though it may have been a bit of struggle after loging more than 90 miles and spending more than 30 hours running, Krout Dutko was able to finish strong.
				&ldquo;My feet were on fire toward the end,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;But I was surprised. I jogged a lot after mile 97.
				&ldquo;I was on my 10th wind.&rdquo;
				Nearly 24 hours after completing the ultramarathon, Krout Dutko admitted she hadn&rsquo;t even attempted to put on a pair of shoes and was likely to lose at least one toenail.
				The next day, it was back to work, however. &ldquo;I work in health care, so &#8230;&rdquo; said Krout Dutko, who is a nurse.
				She still referred to the whole effort as a &ldquo;good experience.&rdquo;
				The experience included training that began back in November. Krout Dutko said her preparation for the event was a lot of crossfit training and just spending a lot of time on her feet.
				&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t regret doing it one bit,&rdquo; Krout Dutko said. &ldquo;I want my daughter to know that you can do anything you want to do.&rdquo;
				Even if you have to rent a port-a-potty to do it.
				Wilkes-Barre Half Marathon 
				Krout Dutko&rsquo;s next endurance event will be the Greater Wilkes-Barre Half Marathon, where she will be the event&rsquo;s organizer, instead of a participant.
				She said she is still optimistic that the July 19 race will be able to be held, but is waiting until mid-May to make a final decision.

Mountain Top woman completes ultramarathon