I spent 17 hours on my feet volunteering at the Bull Run Run 50 Miler on Saturday.
I thought I might be wistful about not running one of my favorite races, but being out there to encourage and support everyone was more rewarding than I could have imagined.
Instead of my singular journey full of emotion, I got to be a part of many.
I witnessed some beautiful displays of tenacity and courage out there on that unseasonably hot April day.
This image embodies the struggles and
triumphs that occur every year on this course.
Frank Probst and Gary Knipling became the first 70-year olds in history to finish the race.
It wasn't easy for either of them. Frank used to be pretty darn fast and he seems almost apologetic about slowing down. What he doesn't realize is that sometimes it's not the winners who really inspire us.
It's those
who fight the hardest who win our hearts, plant seeds in our minds and
uplift our souls.
To everyone who toed the line at Bull Run Run: Thank you for allowing this injured runner to race vicariously through you.
And shoutout to my fellow WUSsies for sweeping the Male and Female team competition!
I was secretly glad it rained all weekend. That allowed me to stay glued to the Twitters, stalking The Barkley Marathons.
Why does The Barkley fascinate us so? Every Spring, in intermittent breathless moments we wonder: Can it be done? #BM100
— Kirstin C (@ultrarunnergirl) March 30, 2014
There's something enthralling about this race that has a lot to do with the near impossibility of anyone completing it. Since its inception in 1986, just 14 runners have managed to finish.
If you aren't familiar with The Barkley, there's
simultaneously a wealth of information on the history of the race and a
dearth of it: Good luck figuring out how to enter or even when it takes
place. The race director and course designer, "Laz" has a clever and devious mind and takes great joy in making the course as difficult as possible. He and race co-founder Karl Henn got the idea for the race after seeing a news report about James Earl Ray's escape from Brushy Mountain State Prison in
1977. In the 55 hours he was on the lam, he made it just 8 miles. Laz
thought, “In that time, I could have made 100 miles.”
He's also one of the best storytellers alive. Do yourself a favor and read his books and writings, wherever you can find them.
"There is no success if failure is not in the mix."
"We are never so
alive as when we put it all on the line. And at Barkley the only
guarantee is that you will be pushed beyond your limits. Everything is
on the line."
Check out the links below to learn about the toughest 100 mile race on the planet.