Psychoactive Last Runner Standing

Leave it all on the course.

Pre Race

When Laurie and I started running with the Mattie's Diner Run Club last year, I learned about Psychoactive, a last runner standing race. Several of the club members had run the race and made it sound like a lot of fun. I ran it last year not really knowing what to expect. It was unlike any race I’d ever run. The race format is pretty unique even by last runner standing standards. You have a set amount of time to finish each 1.5 mile loop, but every five laps, the time drops by a minute. Last year we started out running a 14:00 pace which was conversational and fairly walkable. After running 52.5, the pace dropped down to 9:20 which was significantly tougher. Shortly into lap 37, I realized I was off pace and that it would be my last. I then realized that meant the lap wouldn’t count and I didn't want to run an extra lap without getting any credit, so I started sprinting in and made the cutoff by less than 30 seconds but I was spent and decided I was done. I ended up tied for 4th but in the days following I regretted the fact that I quit when I could’ve started another lap, even if I knew I didn’t have a chance of finishing. I knew if I came back I vowed to go until I was timed out or won, no matter what.

After the Run for Relief in May, I took it a bit easy and tried to focus on some speed work over the summer. Life and the heat got in the way a bit but by August I was building some consistency and put in a very strong 50k run on the greenway three weeks out from race day. I felt at least as strong as I was at this point last year and was determined to leave it all out there on the course. With our first child due in early December, this would be my last race for a while, why not go out on top?

Laurie dropped me off at Blackberry Ridge Farm at 7:00, I checked in, set up my stuff in the tent, chatted with friends, went over crewing strategies with Jesus, who was only planning 5 laps since he had his first 100 miler a week later, and got ready to go. Shortly after 8:00am, 125 runners gathered in the gravel around the fire pit. Adam Bratton, the self appointed “Head Enabler” of Human Powered Movement, donning a newly gifted custom lab coat emblazoned with a gold “FAFO” on the back, counted us down and we were off, walking across the dew covered fields for the first of an unknown amount of laps.

Blackberry Ridge Farm from above, curtesy of Ruben Felix

Laps 1-15 (Miles 0-22.5)

The first lap is all about figuring out the course. There were a few changes this year, some added elevation gain but also more time in the shade and less back and forth through the fields. Due to the slightly tougher course, we started out with a time limit of 21:30 per lap for the first five laps. I walked as much as I could and settled in for a long day. Lap two was the Mattie’s Diner Run Club lap of silence. When the diner closed a few months ago, the run club went out with a bang. We threw a funeral, everyone dressed in black and there was even a coffin that was carried on the run. We’re now meeting over at Great Wagon Rd Distillery on Tuesdays at 6:30 with most of the same people and vibes but the race wanted to honor us since about 15 of us were there. People weren’t completely silent during the lap, but the coffin did make another appearance for one lap of the Psychoactive course. After the lap I swapped my MDRC shirt for my white rabbit ez perf which I hoped would keep me cool and it was time to get down to business.

The coffin making a lap, curtesy of Wes Maxwell

The next few laps went by pretty quickly and before I knew it, we were at the end of lap five and would have our first time drop. Laps six through ten would have to be completed in 20:30, still an easy pace that allowed for a lot of walking. My nutrition strategy for the first 15 laps was to drink between each lap and eat some chews every few laps but to not carry anything with me. The effort and temperature was low enough to allow for this strategy. Between each lap I drank about six ounces or so of either Powerade or LMNT (an electrolyte drink with a ton of sodium). After lap 9 we got our first distance prize for the half marathon (an HPM bib belt) and after lap ten we lost another minute, down to 19:30.

Lap 12 was the always eventful Sierra Nevada Lap. The first 12 people who register for this lap have to drink a Sierra Nevada (N/A options available) during the lap and the first one back gets their first choice of prizes. I thought it would be fun and a good opportunity to test the legs a bit and remind them that I could go fast, so once the lap started, I drank an N/A cerveza in a few quick chugs (it’s stupid enough so I figured I’d leave out the alcohol) and took off. I took the lead on the lap by running up the first climb and from there on I was alone, cruising at about an 8:00 pace. I figured if I was gonna do this then I might as well give myself time to recover and properly hydrate after. I finished first with about 7 minutes left on the clock and snagged an awesome Sierra Nevada Flannel. I took time to rehydrate, use the restroom and relax a bit and then, like clockwork, it was on to lap 13.

Sierra Nevada Lap, curtesy of Wes Maxwell

I’m not sure when exactly but at some point it started to get noticeably hot. Luckily Jesus had brought a cooler full of ice water and sponges. Now between laps after drinking and eating a bit, I would grab a sponge and cool off my head, being careful to not get my feet wet for fear of blisters. The lack of humidity allowed this to actually work for once and by being able to cool off every 15-18 minutes, I was able to stay cool throughout the day. Not something I thought could happen given my history with hot races.

Keeping Cool, curtesy of Mike Cooke

Laps 16-25 (Miles 22.5-37.5)

Upon finishing lap 15, I switched up my fueling strategy since I would start moving faster I would need more of everything. This meant carrying fluids with me as well as eating every other lap. I was wearing my new Terignôta shorts (best $28 I’ve ever spent) which have a built in waist stuff pocket all around which fits a small water bottle. I decided to fill a 12 oz bottle up to the 8oz line alternating between Precision Hydration 1000 and 1500. This would be enough to hit my fluid, electrolyte and carb goals without overdoing it. After a lap or two, I decided to top off the bottle with water for a full 12oz since it was the hottest part of the day.

These laps started to feel longer as more and more people started to drop. The first big drop point was once we hit the marathon mark. This race is a very approachable first marathon since you only have to run a 12:20 pace to make it that far. Unless you really want a 50k or further, at that point the smell of the taco truck and sound of the party going on all around you are a pretty strong call to quit. Only 25 of us answered the bell on lap 19.

One of my favorite things about this race is the opportunity to run with other people and watch a race play out from within. At Mountain Masochist I ran solo for 49 miles. If you’re running solo at Psycho, you’re doing it wrong. The good thing about having so many friends running is that the longer you run the bigger your crew becomes. By the 30 mile mark we still had 6 members of the MDRC/GWRD club still in the race plus my friends Jeremy and Miller so there was no shortage of people to run with.

L to R - Miller, Tim, Me, Ryan and Laura, curtesy of Ruben Felix

Tim dipped out at lap 21 after a 50k. Miller barely finished in time then threw his hat at sprinted off the line to start lap 22 with a sort of victory lap, Anthony would also call it a day after 33 miles. Midway through lap 23 Rachel and I were running together about to finish the loop through the front field, Jeremy was just coming out of the woods, clearly struggling and off pace. I absolutely hated it for him. Nobody embodies this race better than him and he Is always a joy to run with. Rachel shouted some encouraging words to him but we both knew this was it for him.

As sad as it was to watch Jeremy get timed out, it was equally inspiring watching Lili answer the bell lap after lap. Last year she only made it 22.5 miles due to the heat, but this time she was cooling off well between each lap and looking strong. Lap 24 included the 35 mile distance prize (a coffee tumbler from race sponsor Black Coffee Roasting Co.) and Lili was still in it with only 14 runners left. She finished the lap in time and called it a day with a massive distance PR.

Aside from dropping time every five laps, every fifth lap is also a prize lap, meaning the first person to finish gets a bag of coffee. Last year I regretted not going for one to get my legs moving faster so I decided lap 25 would be a good one to go for after pushing lap 12 earlier. I went out front easily and nobody contested it. I ended up running around an 8:30 pace or so, not quite as fast or smooth as lap 12 but it still felt pretty good, aside from some leg fatigue that was starting to set in. Lap 25 would be Laura’s last and at the start of lap 26, only eight of us made our way to the start line.

The ever-dwindling field, curtesy of Ruben Felix

Laps 26-37 (Miles 37.5-56)

By lap 27, we were down to just seven, three of which were women. A lot of these laps started to run together. This is the hardest stretch of the race, you’re more than ten miles from the next distance prize (mile 50, lap 34) and there’s only a handful of runners left. By this point you’ve already talked to everyone and there isn’t much more to say. You’re really just holding on until the 50’s when the real racing starts.

At some point with the lap time decreasing, drinking 12oz during each lap started making me feel bloated so I let John and Jesus who were refilling my bottles know to stop topping them off with water. A few laps later the bloating subsided.

The early 40’s was a focus on the women’s race, they had announced a cash prize for the top woman and even though she was coming off the Hurricane 100k just two weeks prior, two time defending woman’s champion Rachel decided to try for it even though her goal for the day was “only” a 50k. After lap 27 we were down to six runners and only two women. I was running with Rachel most of the time but we overheard the other woman, Margaret, mention that she was a marathoner from Pennsylvania and her brother talked her into this race while she was in town for business. She’d never gone longer than 26.2 and now she was over 40 miles in. Rachel kept hoping she would drop but Margaret proved to be too tough. Rachel called it on lap 29 after 43.5 miles and then there were five. Right around this time Laurie showed up to cheer me on and help crew me. This was a nice morale boost after losing the friend I’d been running with for hours.

The final five, curtesy of Deb Dandro

Last year I had made it to the final five and quit at the same time as one other runner to tie for fourth. This year I was determined to get on the podium. After lap 30, we were down to 15:30, a 10:20 pace. From experience I knew this was the last time it could remotely be considered “easy”. My legs were starting to get heavy, soreness was felt just about everywhere, but we were past 5:00pm and the heat was starting to subside. It was now strictly a battle of will. I was determined to do better than last year, in place, distance and laps. As much as the next few laps started to hurt, I was determined not to stop. Any minute someone could break. The next time drop could blow the race wide open and I needed to be there for it.

we were still five strong at the start of lap 34, the 50 mile prize lap. I was hoping Margaret would call it here since she had the women’s victory locked up already. As we made our way through the front field I noticed it was just four of us, Ryan, Thomas, Margaret and I. Then I noticed the fifth runner coming out of the woods, far behind and moving slow. It was clear he would get timed out. Down to four. I finished the lap, got my HPM crewneck for finishing 50 miles, swapped out my bottles with John, Jesus and Laurie, dropped my hat as I no longer needed the shade and got ready for lap 35, the final one before things get really tough.

Four of us finished lap 34 but Margaret decided to call it and so it was Ryan, Thomas and I, with our podium spots secured, starting out on lap 35 after 51 miles and nearly 11 hours on our feet. Thomas had been cruising solo out front for a lot of the recent laps but this lap the three of us started out together and chatted for a bit. Turns out, Thomas is only 21 and woke up at 3:00am to drive here from Charleston, SC. For sure fatigue would catch up to him, right? Ryan, a Charlotte local had never run this race before but was a multi-time winner of another race with a similar format. I was the only one left with experience at this race but the other two had run at least 70 miles before, I’d never gone further than 55.5. It was anyone’s race as far as I was concerned and I was determined to keep it that way.

About halfway through before the second big climb in the woods I decided to make a quick bathroom break since I wouldn’t have time after the next time cut. It unfortunately wasn’t as quick as I’d hoped and next thing I knew, I was off pace to finish the lap. I didn’t panic but knew I needed to hurry. I ended up finishing strong with about 30-40 seconds on the clock but was now feeling a bit unsure of how much further I could go.

The pace is picking up, curtesy of Jason Seagle

I started lap 36 running a sub 8:00 pace, wanting to give myself enough cushion and see how easy it felt. You’ve got to believe that you can run sub 9:40 pace with 52.5 miles on your legs or you’ll never do it. It didn’t feel too bad and I was thinking I could hang in there for at least a few more laps but once we started climbing, my legs started to feel dead. The other two pulled away and I was now behind pace and alone. Doubt crept in big time. I thought if I wasn’t gonna win, why keep going. I told myself I wouldn’t quit, that I would keep going as long as I hit cutoffs, but if I just sandbagged it here, I’d miss the cutoff and could be done. That’s not my style though. I told myself I had to give it an honest effort so I started pushing. Not an all out sprint but I was moving pretty quick. The shout of "Two Minutes!" over the bullhorn let me know it’d be tight but with around 30 seconds or less, I came within view of the finish line. I sprinted across, swapped my bottles and Jesus jogged to the start line with me giving me a water bottle with plain water to drink before the next lap began.

Jesus keeping me hydrated, curtesy of Jason Seagle

Lap 37 was as far as I made it last year. I hit the cutoff but then quit which I regretted. I decided that wouldn’t happen this time. I’d keep going till getting cutoff no matter what. I started out fast again but it became apparent pretty quickly that the last lap had taken a lot out of me. We started climbing early on and my legs were completely gone. I couldn’t run no matter how bad I wanted to, all I could do was shuffle. I was alone and trying hard but it wasn’t enough. I heard Adam yell into the bullhorn “Four minutes!” When I still had over a half a mile to go. This was it, I wasn’t making it past this lap. The only question was do I walk it in or run it. As I popped out of the final wooded section I heard my friends yelling “We love you Mark!”. I felt the love and support of this awesome community of runners I get to spend every Tuesday with, I got a bit emotional and decided to run it in. I don’t ever walk across finish lines, why should today be any different. I was running through the fields with a quarter mile to go when the next lap started. I was officially a DNF. Then I heard the music switch to Volbeat, a Danish heavy metal band whom I would listen to while running when I was in grad school. I stopped listening to music during runs almost ten years ago but they were a staple of my old running playlist. Laurie knew that and she had them put it on to make me laugh. It worked. I opened up my stride and ran it in strong, sore, tired and grateful.

Finishing Strong curtesy of Ruben Felix

Post Race

Although I officially went one fewer lap than last year, the course was a hair longer this year giving me an unofficial distance of 56 miles, a new personal best. I high-fived/hugged the RD Adam as I finished, thanked all my friends for helping me throughout the day and finally, for the first time in about 12 hours, sat down. As I was asking Laurie for my towel so I could dry off and change shirts, Adam cracked open a "Psychoberry DNF Ale" and sprayed it like champagne and then handed it to me congratulating me on a great effort. It was 90% foam at that point but I stood up and finished it in one big swig. Then Deb gave me an unopened DNF Ale as my finisher prize. We stayed around for a bit to see how the race would play out but ultimately, I needed food and we ended up leaving probably 10 minutes before Ryan pulled off the win. Huge congrats to those two, they along with everyone else out there made for an unforgettable day.

HPM Head Enabler, Adam, doing some enabling, curtesy of Deb Dandro

A huge thanks to Laurie, John, Jesus, Rachel and all the other Matties/Great Wagon Rd crew who were out there crewing for me and cheering me on throughout the day, y'all make this race one of my favorite days of the year.

Some final stats:

• 56 oz Powerade
• 64 oz LMNT 
• 12 oz Sierra Nevada Trail Pass Breveza
• 112 oz Precision Hydration 1500
• 80 oz Precision Hydration 1000
• 80+ oz water
• 7 packages of Margarita Cliff Bloks
• 9 Precision Fuel 30 gels
• Hype Song that I declared during registration: Make Art Not Friends - Sturgill Simpson
• 56 Miles
• 4,925 ft elevation gain
• 11:19:09 (12:08 pace)

I can't thank the Human Powered Movement team enough for putting on this incredible event. For someone who loves running mountain races, you'd think running 37 laps around a farm would suck but it's probably the most fun race I've ever done. I get to spend the majority of the race chatting with other runners, something that typically only happens when passing or getting passed in a normal race. Everybody is out there for different reasons and everybody helps each other reach their goals, it truly is the best of the running community. It's a party not a race. A celebration of your hard work in training. Psychoactive is a National Holiday.

Meck Mile Run for Relief

Just one more lap.

Pre Race

After my win at Perennial, Miller from the Charlotte Sports Foundation reached out to me with an interesting proposition. They were putting on the Meck Mile in early May and wanted to get a group of local ultra runners to run for the entire 4 hours of the event to raise funds for Beloved Asheville, a non profit helping with Hurricane Helene relief. It would be only two weeks after Promise Land but without hesitation I said yes. I took most of the week after Promise Land off and basically focused on recovery, hoping my fitness would still be there.

The morning of the race was a bit odd, considering we didn’t start until 3. The normal race morning routine was out the window, I actually had to think about lunch before a race! I took it as easy as I could and made my way to the race around 2:15. We had a pre race briefing and we got to meet each other for the first time as a group. The other seven runners were my friend Rachel, Christina; whom I’d raced against a few times, Natalie; who I hadn’t met in person but had some mutual friends, Chris; who occasionally runs with the Mattie’s Diner Run Club, and Casey, Macy and Chase whom I was meeting for the first time. Also, my friend Jesus was there as our crew chief, considering he became my de facto crew at both Psychoactive and Perennial, I knew I was in good hands.

A big thanks to the Meck Mile and Albemarle.

My goal was to hit a 50k at least, I had previously run a 50k in just under 4 hours during a training run but never in a race. I knew it would be tough given the warmer temperatures but I was up for the challenge. Since I figured I’d be running a faster pace, I decided to eat every 20 minutes instead of 24, which would have me over 360 calories and 90 grams of carbs per hour. I worked out my plan with Jesus and shortly before 3:00pm, the eight of us walked to the start line. Miller made an announcement to the crowd about what we were setting out to do and we were off.

Hours 1-2

Right from the start, Chase, Rachel and I took off at a sub seven minute pace. We chatted a bit as we tried to settle into a good pace and assess the course that we’d be spending the next four hours running. After a lap or two Rachel dropped back a bit and Chase and I started running together. During the first few laps we passed Jesus and Adam (the RD of Perennial and Psychoactive, created of Human Powered Movement and in a man way, the reason I was here) were running in the first heat of the mile backwards. I cheered/heckled them as I passed and got to know Chase a bit as we ran together at a fast but (for now at least) sustainable pace.

Rachel, Myself and Chase near the start of the race. Photo curtesy of Jason Seagle.

Chase is an endurance coach and a hell of a strong runner. We both had goals of 50k but as he was about a month removed from an attempt at running a double marathon in 6 hours, he was in the same boat as me with a short turnaround from a big effort. It was good to have someone to push me to hit my goals and I was equally glad to hear he wasn’t trying for any more than 31 miles.

when I hit 20 minutes, I grabbed a gel from Jesus and the next lap, I grabbed a bottle and drank about half of it. I continued this routine every 20 minutes. Eat one lap, drink the next, repeat 20 minutes later. This method worked perfectly… for a while.

Chase and I alternated between running together and one of us pulling ahead after aid detours for the first two hours. Over the course of this stretch, I was averaging right around a 7:00 pace and was feeling pretty solid. The heat wasn’t really getting to me and I was enjoying the rotation of mile heats going off, getting to know my fellow run for relief-ers, and soaking in the vibes of the race and the volunteers.

Chase and I were really flying. Photo curtesy of Mike Cooke.

I ran mile 14 in 6:47 which in hindsight was a bit too fast but still felt ok. It was around this point that Chase started to drop the hammer just as I was slowing down a bit. I wanted to stay with him but I ran the next few between 7:20 and 7:30 and finished hour two right around 17 miles. I felt like even if I wasn’t able to keep it up, I only needed to cover 14 in the next two miles which gave me some breathing room.

Hours 3-4

Through two and a half hours I was still running mid to high seven minute miles and hit 20 miles with about an hour and a half to go. I was still on pace to hit a b 50k and really only needed to be slightly under nine minute pace from here on out to do so. Even though I was eating at a higher rate than I ever had during a race, I still seemed to hit the wall at 20. Mile 21 was my first over eight minute pace and my stomach was starting to turn on me.

During the next mile things got worse and during mile 23 I had no choice but to hit the restroom. After a 14:12 mile I was, for possibly the first time ever, feeling betrayed by my stomach. I was discouraged and each lap was feeling like a death march. I got back to the aid tent and sat down in a chair, another first for me (though I did once sit on a boulder during a low point in a race).

I was starting to feel pretty rough by this point, clearly shown on my face.

Jesus did his best to encourage me and get me moving again. I knew this race was bigger than me and I still had another hour to “run” so I knew I had to keep going. For the rest of race I would run a lap or two, sit in a chair for a bit, try to cool off, and get back out there. 

I was able to share these last few laps with my fellow runners, getting to chat a bit while grinding it out. With about a half an hour to go, Laurie arrived and gave me some encouragement. I started to turn around a bit towards the end and was able to scrounge out a few faster miles as the clock wound down, stopping with about 5 minutes to go as we needed to re-group so that we could all cross the finish line together on live TV. Shortly after 7:00 the 8 of us along with our crew chief Jesus ran into the stadium and crossed the line together compiling a grand total of 211 miles and raising over $13,000 for Hurricane Helene Relief. 

The eight of us crossing the finishing together. From L to R: Rachel Doxey, Natalie Daniel, Casey Cline, Macy Weeks, Christina DePriest, Chase Price, Myself and Chris Trifari.

Post Race

I finished with a total of 55 laps for just over 28 miles, third behind Chase and Rachel. I didn't quite hit the 50K I'd hoped for but after completely falling apart at mile 23, to log another 5+ miles was a major accomplishment. I had to keep telling myself "just one more lap" for about 45 minutes or so until I started to feel slightly less awful towards the end. 

We were met at the finish line by friends and family, and a bunch of SWAG, including a Hoka backpack full of goodies. We settled in on the infield to watch the pro races and recover as best we could. After the final pro race of the evening, we were brought up on stage to be recognized for our achievements. After coming off the stage we gathered for one final group photo before going our separate ways and each of us agreed that if the Meck Mile wanted to do the Run for Relief in 2026, we'd all be there.

The eight of us and Jesus (far left) being recognized on stage.

Some final Stats:

1. 64 oz PH1500
2. 32 oz water
3. 120 calories of gels and chews every 20 minutes until things went downhill (8 total)
4. Song played by a DJ as I was hitting the wall: a techno remix of Adagio for Strings (gave off major Willem Dafoe death in Platoon vibes)
5. 28.4 Miles
6. 1,430’ Elevation
7. 8:37 pace
8. $13,584.99 raised for Beloved Asheville

I'd like to thank Miller for inviting me to be a part of this very special event, Jesus for spending four hours crewing me and keeping me going, and my lovely wife Laurie for all of her support. My biggest thanks go to my fellow runners who inspired me to push my limits and kept me going when the going got tough. Can't wait to do it all again sometime.

Promise Land 50K++

It's mostly downhill from here.

Pre Race

After Perennial I had 7 weeks to get my legs ready for a mountain 50K. I had done a decent job with working on my speed and endurance during the winter but was a bit nervous as to my climbing abilities. With many trails in Western NC, including my go-to park; South Mountains, still closed due to Helene damage, I had few options. Luckily, Heartbreak ridge was open so it would have to do. Coming from the bottom of West Star Gap to the top of Heartbreak is 5 miles with 3,000' of elevation gain. Continuing to the Old Mitchell Toll Road adds another 400' in another mile. There aren't too many climbs of this caliber in the east coast so I decided to make several pilgrimages over the next month. My first training run on it was 29 miles and I made the initial climb without hiking a step. I was shocked at how well I handled it given my lack of mountain running. My next two runs on heartbreak were more of the same and gave me some really good confidence as no climb in Promise Land was taller than 2200' or longer than 4.5 miles. I was feeling really good about my training as I made the drive up to Virginia.

If you ever run this race, make sure you get there Friday night and camp out, there's really no better way to do it. The camp was already a buzz when I arrived around five. I set up my tent, checked in and caught up with friends, old and new. The pre-race pizza dinner and briefing from Dr. Horton is a can't miss. After the briefing I caught up with a few others and then turned in right around nine, just before it started to rain. I slept decently and woke up around 4:10, 20 minutes before my alarm and decided to get up and get ready to run.

Dr. Horton Telling Stories

Start to Sunset Fields 1 (Miles 0-13.7)

I checked in, ate my breakfast with a bit of coffee, warmed up a bit and made my way to the starting line. I lined up in the second row and had a brief chat with 5 time winner Michael Owen about mutual friends in the Ohio ultra scene. After the singing of the national anthem and a prayer from Dr. Horton, we were off. One kid took off like a bat out of hell and a pack of 9 developed behind him. I found myself about 5 feet behind the pack and decided to hang as close to them as felt comfortable. After a few minutes Michael caught up to me and we ran together and chatted for about a mile or so until it started to get steep. Once a few others caught us, Michael went with them but I was unable to hang. The initial climb starts out innocent enough, gaining only ~300' in the first mile, however, it gets much steeper as you pick up ~550' in mile two and a staggering 775' in mile three. No part of Heartbreak ridge is that steep. The steepest part forced me to hike and I got passed by a few others. I was relieved to see the turnoff onto the single track switchbacks for the rest of the climb. 

As I started climbing the switchbacks after Overstreet Falls I was within sight of three or four runners and after hiking a few sections early on, I told myself I need to be running more so I decided to run for at least the next minute and would count off in my head. No hiking until I got to 60. I made it a minute and decided I could still run so I counted off another minute, thinking two on, one off would be a good strategy, but I still felt like I could climb when I got to 60, so I counted another 60, and another, all the way to the top. I was surprised at how well I was able to run this section after the steep climb, but equally surprised that rather than catching anyone, I actually got passed by Sean.

The grassy road in the early morning fog

After 4.3 miles and 50 minutes I finally topped out and started to descend. I started to push a bit and quickly caught three runners and within half a mile I popped out onto the grassy road. The descriptions of this section don’t do it justice. Everything was a vibrant green with boulders strewn about up and down the mountainside. The first 3.5 miles of the grassy road were largely downhill and I really started moving fast. I passed Sean right away, chatted a bit and got into a really good flow and just enjoyed the beautiful rainy morning. I was told I would be greeted with an awesome sunrise here but the rain kept that hidden but the misty mountains were a fair trade. The last mile and a half to the Reed Creek aid station were slightly uphill and flat. I made good use of the low grade and caught the first female runner, chatted with her for a bit and set off after another guy. Upon reaching the out and back to the aid station I saw Mark on his way out and Matthew was at the aid station when I arrived, I quickly topped off my water and left ahead of him and set off on the hunt.

After leaving Reed Creek, you climb another 850’ or so in the next 2.5 miles. It’s the easiest of the three big clubs but don’t let it fool you, 300 of those feet come in a half mile just before the top. It started out fairly gentle and I was able to run it fairly well. When I saw Mark hiking it gave me a boost of confidence needed to run him down. I caught him about halfway up but by time it got steep again, Sean and Matthew had caught us and the three of them passed me slightly before the top. Finally we reached the parkway and a nice 2.7 mile gradual descent along a gravel road. I could see ahead of me that Matthew had dropped the others so I focused on catching at least those two. I felt strong and let gravity do the work quickly passing Mark and then Sean about a mile later. I made it to Sunset Fields to an abundance of cheering and heard someone say my name, I looked over and saw Jordan Chang telling me “the race starts here”. He was right. I flew through the aid station and on down the trail.

Sunset Fields 1 to Cornelius 2 (Miles 13.7-26.1)

After you cross the parkway you enter what is referred to as the “Dark Side” of the course. From Sunset down to Cornelius is almost entirely all downhill with one small climb, dropping more than 2,000’ in just over four miles. The first section of fairly smooth switchbacks were a lot of fun. I was in sight of Matthew and could see another unknown runner hot on my tail. I was slowly but steadily reeling him in and pulling away from my pursuer. After a junction the trail took a left on a considerably rockier trail, something of a specialty for me. I could tell he was being a bit more tentative on the rocks and knew I could drop him here so once I closed the gap and found an opening I went for it. Possibly one of the better, more aggressive passes I’ve had in a while. My high school cross country coach always said to pass with authority and I did just that. I practically took a lap down the mountain in huge strides narrowly avoiding rocks and when the dust settled I was alone.

One of the many creek crossings between Sunset Fields and Cornelius

This stretch of trail was one of the most beautiful stretches of trail I’ve ever run. Just simple, vibrant green old growth forest with a pine straw covered trail running along a creek. No vistas, just pure unadulterated forest. I was so enamored with the forest around me that I didn’t initially notice Trevor up ahead of me on the trail. After a few minutes I was within striking distance. When we came to the first creek crossing, he cautiously rock hopped while I splashed through and cut the lead in half. The next creek crossing was preceded by some stone steps down to the crossing. I slipped a bit on a wet stone and decided to do the safe thing. While he once again rock hopped, I plunged in to what I thought was thigh deep water to his left. A slight misstep and I was in up to my waist but I exited the creek ahead of him and took off. It had been a while since I’ve had one aggressive pass like this in a race, let alone two in as many miles. I was pretty fired up and came into Cornelius on a high. I refilled one bottle, thanked the volunteers and took off down the road. As I was leaving, Emma, who I was chatting with the night before but wasn’t running, yelled out the passenger window of a Jeep at me “You’re 13th!”. With all the back and forth I figured I was somewhere in the top 15 so to get some concrete info was welcome. “Hell yeah!” I said as I took off down the road.

Leaving Cornelius you have almost exactly two miles of gravel/paved road dropping only a few hundred feet before turning off to single track. The entire length of this stretch I was putting in low sevens but I could constantly hear Trevor right behind me. At one point I put in a mini surge for about a minute and could feel some separation but a few minutes later he was back. I couldn’t seem to shake him. He pulled ahead of me after a mile and a half but I pulled back in front just in time to be the first on single track.

The single track climb up to Collin Hollow was only a few hundred feet in a mile and the shallow grade felt good so I pushed pretty hard and was seemingly pulling away from him again only for him to overtake me a quarter mile out from the aid station. I didn’t need to stop so I was able to overtake him in the aid station and ran the next mile really well.

Trevor passed me at one point during that stretch but I got back ahead of him and was running a shallow slope really well and thought to myself ‘This is where I make my move’ I had been running the lower grades really well all day and thought I had a chance to pick off a few more runners. It was then that I heard him behind me again. He passed me on my left and almost as quickly as he was there he was gone. Completely vanished from sight in about a minute. I had just passed him on a similar grade, but now he was reborn and on a tear. I tried to pull him back in but my legs seemed to be losing power. I could still run uphill, but it was slow.

The next two miles were a grind and quite possibly my lowest point of the race. I had hoped to cruise through this section and instead it beat me up. Somewhere in the last three miles of this section, Matthew caught me and subsequently dropped me. Even though the last two miles to Cornelius were all downhill, I still was barely managing a nine minute mile. As I reached the out and back to the aid station, I saw Trevor coming my way with Matthew not far behind. I made it to Cornelius and topped off both bottles for the brutal climb ahead knowing that my goals of a top ten finish were all but gone.

Cornelius 2 to Finish (Miles 26.1-34.5)

Apple Orchard Trail. Ask anyone who’s run Promise Land and they’ll likely tell you it’s the crux of the race. With 2,000’ in three miles that hits you a marathon in, it can blow a race wide open. That’s what I kept telling myself throughout the race. ‘Anyone can’t blow up there, just don’t let it be you and you’ve still got a chance’.

Heading out of the aid station I saw 16-18 hot on my tail. I knew I had to run as much of this climb as I possibly could. I was caught by Paul pretty quickly and as he passed, I noticed his bib was 19, I was 20. “You’re supposed to be ahead of me” I joked with him as he started to pull away. The first mile or so was very runnable, however, my pace was still over 13. I didn’t care, I just kept running. I could see Paul hiking sections that I was determined to run. I eventually caught back up and passed him but realized we weren’t alone. Mark had caught up to us. I didn’t even see him on the out and back section which told me he was moving really well. After we passed some backpackers and reached the Boulder section, the other two passed me and I was relegated to 17th. I kept pushing, running, hiking, whatever I could until I reached the bottom of Apple Orchard Falls. They were pretty magnificent and I walked the slippery wooden boardwalk beneath them but I didn’t stop to soak in the view as I had work to do. I reached the steps and climbed with hands on knees. When it leveled off I ran what I could and kept pushing. I had glimpses of Paul in front of me but my main focus was get this climb over with.

Apple Orchard Falls

After the steps gave way to less steep switchbacks I started getting into a more consistent running cadence. I was catching back up to Paul as we passed a family hiking downhill. As I passed, a little girl told me “go 20 catch number 19!” I told her “I’m trying!” And I kept pushing hard on the switchbacks. I made it back to the section I descended earlier and knew I was close to the parkway. I decided I was done hiking and wouldn’t stop running till I made it to the top. After a few switchbacks I finally caught him. I kept “running” at a close to 20 minute pace but I was technically running. Even if I could hike that fast it was good for me mentally to keep a running cadence. After what felt like forever I reached Sunset Fields and topped off my water. “That was a humbling climb” I told the aid station workers. “It’s mostly downhill from here” they responded. I really didn’t like that they said “mostly”.

I crossed the parkway with 5 miles to go and, yes, after a 100’ climb it would be a screaming fast 2,200’ descent over 4 miles to the finish. I looked for traffic as I crossed and noticed a different runner, Nick had caught me. I wasn’t really looking forward to a sprint finish at this point as I knew my hopes of top ten were done and I just wanted to finish. But that’s not who I am. If I can see you, I’m sure as hell gonna try to beat you. I pushed the flat and ran the entire climb with him right behind me but I didn’t give up my lead. We finally reached the top and started descending the switchbacks. I tried to hold him off but he eventually slipped past and then I was on the chase. I kept him in sight but I just wasn’t really able to push the single track that hard.

The sight of the gravel road was a welcome one but I forgot just how steep the upper portion was. It was dark when I went up but in the light of day it was almost scary steep. I felt like I couldn’t really push here but he was also starting to pull away. Just then my timer went off for what would be my last feeding. I opened my last portion of chews and told myself that once I finished them I’d be through the steepest portion and would run him down. And I did exactly that. As I finished my last chew, I passed the ‘end state maintenance’ sign and the grade lessened just enough. I tried to lean forward as much as felt safe and let gravity do most of the work and just try to keep my legs moving. Sure enough, it worked. Within half a mile, I passed him. I kept pushing as to not give him a chance for retaliation. A few minutes later I heard voices behind me. A quick glance back showed me three runners. ‘Damn, I gotta go!’ As I looked back in front of me, there he was, almost impossibly far down the road was the bright red shirt of Trevor. This was exactly what I needed. Even if I had no chance of catching him, it’s better to be the hunter than hunted. Hopefully hunting him would keep my own hunters at bay.

With every turn I lost sight, just to see him again as it straightened out. I knew I still had a chance as I hadn’t seen the one mile mark on the road. I wanted to see it so bad but knew when if saw it soon it would likely mean I would run out of room to catch him. The mile marker came and went with me feeling no closer to him and unfortunately, I could hear footsteps getting louder. With a half a mile to go the road was getting flatter and I couldn’t rely on gravity anymore. I had to run like hell to keep from getting caught. I had no idea who was back there and I didn’t want to find out. Mercifully, the camp came in sight. This was it. Don’t hold anything back. I sprinted through the field and across the line and collapsed in a heap on the grass at the end of the chute. I looked back and about 12 seconds later, Deanna, the first place woman crossed the line followed less than 40 seconds later by second place.

Post Race

I crossed the line in 5:47:30, good enough for 16th out of 328. I was more than a half an hour slower than the 5:00-5:15 range I thought I was capable of. While talking with a few people on Friday night I mentioned that I wanted to find out if my race at Masochist was a fluke or if I had made a breakthrough in my ultrarunning. I'm still leaning more towards the breakthrough side of things. If I'm being honest, my buildup here wasn't as good as it was last fall. I could run at a lower gear all day but just wasn't quite fast enough when I needed to be. At the same time, in hindsight I could’ve pushed harder early on, especially on the grassy road. During my first 50 miler in Leadville I hit the downhills hard throughout and paid for it on the 11 mile downhill finish and I think that memory has haunted me into conservatism. Considering I ran the last 2.5 at about a 6:15 average and my legs felt pretty great the next day, I’m thinking I should’ve pushed the early descents harder. Perhaps blowing my quads isn’t as big an issue as I’ve feared, at least, at the moment, my legs feel fairly indestructible.

This course absolutely lived up to its hype and if it were a clear morning, it would’ve exceeded it. The competition was unreal as well. So many strong runners out there with a good mix of college kids and veterans. Due to Horton’s advanced running class, this race has become strangely popular among Liberty University students and there were about 60 of them registered with at least 2 finishing in the top ten. It was also pretty entertaining watching college kids support their friends at the finish line, getting their first experience of an ultra. This truly is more than just a race, if you show up the morning of and leave right after you finish, you’re doing it wrong.

Some final Stats:

1. 80 oz PH1500
2. 16 oz water
3. 120 calories of gels and chews every 24 minutes (15 total)
4. Song stuck in my head during the front side: Everybody's Changing - Keane
5. Song Stuck in my head during the dark side: Born Again - Tyler Childers
6. 34.5 Miles
7. 7,559’ Elevation
8. 10:04 pace

Results

I’d like to thank Dr. David Horton and everyone responsible for putting on this top notch event. There really aren’t many races of this caliber out there. Rarely do you see such a large race with such old school vibes, it’s really refreshing in a scene being slowly overrun by big commercial endeavors. This race is well worth the price of admission.

Race Shirt and Patagonia Finisher Shorts

2025 Perennial 6 Hour Race Report

What’s another 45 minutes of pain?

Pre Race

After running Old Fort Strong, I took some down time and got training again right around Christmas, just in time to get sick for a week. Throw in a vacation to Florida over new years and my training (especially elevation) was a bit behind. My goal for the spring was the Promise Land 50k++ but I wanted to get in a tune up race. Enter Perennial. I first encountered the race directors; Human Powered Movement, when I started running with the Mattie’s Diner Run Club (Tuesdays at 6:30 pm, swing by sometime). I ran their premier event, Psychoactive, in September and loved the atmosphere and good vibes of their races so it was with little hesitation that I signed up for their fixed time event in early March.

I focused more on speed than hills early on since the race would be fairly flat. I put in two marathons on the greenway a week apart but struggled a bit with consistency throughout January and February. My weekly mileage hovered around the high 40’s and for the month prior my longest run was only 22 miles. I felt a bit undertrained but fairly rested so I felt a good day could have me reach 40 miles which would require 13 of the 5k laps. First place would take home a free pair of Hokas so that was my main goal. Every 4 laps had escalating prizes such as a coffee travel mug and a hoodie so at the very least I wanted 12 laps. I felt like this was all achievable.

I arrived to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden about 45 minutes or so before the start. I found the Mattie’s Diner Run Club tent and my friends John and Jesus who would be running the 6 and 3 hours respectively. I checked in, pinned on my bib and got ready. The 10 hour race had already started and I cheered on my friends Jeremy and Jessica as they passed by. Soon enough it was go time. We gathered on a porch for a photo, counted down from 10 and we were off.

Start Line of the 6 HR race, courtesy of Debra Dandro 

Hours 1-2

To start things off we ran two quarter mile loops around the pond to thin us out before starting on the proper 5k loop. I felt like I was taking it fairly easy but my watch said I was sub-7. I looked around and a tenth of a mile in, I was already way out front. I ended up lapping someone on my second loop around the lake and could tell by time I hit the single track, I had a good 30 second lead or more. This was my first time running here and I didn’t really know what to expect with the course so I decided to dial it back just a bit for the first lap. The first mile or so was fairly rooty and technical with a few small climbs but generally downhill as it approached the lake. The second mile followed the lake shoreline with some decent views, a small climb or two and a few twisty parts for good measure. The third mile turned away from the lake and climbed uphill on a smooth crushed gravel path. Easily the quickest surface but the slowest elevation-wise. Before long I was cruising through the start/finish line on to lap two as my friends Jason and Rachel who would be doing the 3 hour cheered me on.

Off to a blazing start, courtesy of Debra Dandro

Since I was out front and figured I might be running solo all day, I wanted to throw in some up tempo sections just to keep me engaged, but I wanted to wait for this until lap three once I was fully warmed up. Lap two had me feeling great and moving really well and halfway through the lake section I caught up to Jeremy who was leading the 10 hour race. We ran together for a few minutes and chatted but once we hit the gravel climb, I left him behind.

As I started lap three, I decided to start pushing a bit every other mile just to keep from getting bored with it. This really went well allowing me to focus and push the descent, recover a bit along the lake, and push the climb.

By lap four I was able to switch it up and take the descent and climb a bit easier while pushing the lake section. When you’re trying to put in over 12 laps of a 5k course, you gotta do what it takes to stay focused on the task at hand and alternating miles like this, only pushing a particular section every other lap made things go by faster.

Through the first five laps I felt really strong and finished each of them around 25 minutes or so. My goal from the start was to swap out my water bottles every 2 hours so just after 2 hours I cruised into the aid station with empties in hand, dropped them on my chair while grabbing the fresh ones in one motion, and was off to down the trail on lap six.

Hours 3-4

I started doing the math in my head. five laps in the first two hours had me on 15 lap pace which would mean I'd get over 45 miles. I knew that was a tall task but I was feeling really good and figured 40 miles was in the bag. I kept up the mile intervals but my average pace was starting to slip just a bit. I still felt relatively good, but my sixth lap was about a minute or so slower than the previous few.

The seventh lap was where things started to get a bit tougher. I crossed over the 20 mile mark and could really start to tell that my legs weren't as accustomed to this kind of distance as I would like. I'll blame it on my lack of really long runs since I'd only crossed the 20 mile mark three times since early December. I was still running every step as the course wasn't forcing me to hike but it was starting to hurt a bit.

My eighth lap was probably the last one where I felt like I was still on pace for my early goals and that I was racing. I believe it was the last lap where I was still doing intervals, after a while they would become too much work. My legs were getting heavier but my overall pace was still pretty strong. I finished lap eight covering 25 miles at an 8:22 pace in three and a half hours. I still had plenty of time on the clock.

I started lap nine running with John for a bit, I asked him how his race was going and he said pretty well, he’s just finished a tempo section as he was using this as a training run for Mt Mitchell Heartbreaker 50 (Which he crushed by the way). I remember telling him all I needed was to run 30 minute laps to hit 40 miles and I remember thinking that would be very doable. I had been averaging under 27 minute laps to this point so 30 should be no problem, right? Right? 

For the past two hours at this point I was sharing the course with not only 10 hour runners but 3 hour runners as well. The previous lap had me get passed by someone for the first time all day, it was a 3 hour runner that I had previously passed but it told me that I was slowing down. Midway through lap nine I heard footsteps gaining on me fast. I looked over my shoulder to see Rachel absolutely crushing the 3 hour race. I tried to hang with her for a bit and chat but she was cruising and would go on to win the 3 hour race outright. 

I finally was forced to hike on the climb and finished lap nine in around 33 minutes and took my time swapping out my bottles before heading back out for the final two miles feeling like I’d be lucky to finish three more laps. 

Determination or Delirium? Courtesy of Ruben Felix Cosme

Hours 5-6

As the clock ticked over to hour five I was starting to feel over it all. Just completing three laps in two hours seemed like a tall task. Everything was hurting, I was moving slow and the nature of a fixed time event is you can quit anytime. The alure of calling it a day and hanging out at the finish line with a beer was strong. I resorted to telling myself I didn't even need to go three more, I felt like I was pretty far ahead and assumed that 11 laps (35.8 Miles) would be enough to guarantee a win. If things didn't get too much worse I could scrape out 12 for the additional tiered prize. "Two for the shoes, three for the hoodie" was what I told myself. It was starting to feel hot and I was fully in survival mode. I finished lap 10 in 37 minutes. 82 minutes left in the race meant two more laps were possible, like it or not.

Lap 11 was probably the lowest point of the day. I really didn't want to be there but I knew I couldn't stop. The lone highlight was when I passed the lead female runner who I had a feeling could be second overall (she wasn't) and I figured if I was a lap ahead (turns out it was two) then I could breathe a sigh of relief. As I made my way up the climb at the end of the lap it was clear to me I'd finish the lap with about 45 minutes left. I had just enough time to get another lap in, just like at Old Fort a few months prior. Another 45 minutes of pain wasn't gonna make me feel any worse afterwards and I knew I'd regret it if I stopped. I made the decision before finishing the lap that it wouldn't be my last, that way I wouldn't waste any time at the aid station and be tempted to quit. As I ran past the timing tent I yelled to the RD "I wear a size medium" referencing the hoodie I was about to earn with my 12th lap, which got a good chuckle from him. I stopped at the Mattie's tent to refill my water as I had run out. Rachel and Jason, fresh off their respective 3 Hour victories helped me out and I told them not to let me linger so they pushed me back out onto the course for one more lap.

Shuffling along the lake one final time, Courtesy of Ruben Felix Cosme

Just like at Old Fort Strong, I let it rip on my final lap. No point in holding anything back, just go for broke and don't get timed out. Everything still hurt, I was still moving slow, but this was my last trip through the technical descent. Last time running along the lake. Last time over the bridges and my last right turn onto the crushed gravel hill with way more switchbacks than were necessary. I crossed the line in 5:52:32, less than eight minutes to spare. You could say it was good pacing if you overlooked the fact that I ran two more laps in my first two hours than my last two. I was happy not only to be done but to win just my second ultra ever. I hobbled back to the Mattie’s Diner Run Club tent and collapsed into my chair.

Post Race

The finish line party was going strong by time the 6 hour race wrapped up, there was even live music at the botanical garden completely unaffiliated with the race which made for some confused people who showed up for music only to be in the middle of a race. One man asked how long the race was and stared in disbelief when I said the people still out there were going for 10 hours. The RD waited for a song break and then announced the men’s and women’s podium. The winning woman finished with only 10 laps, which meant I had lapped her much earlier in the race without realizing it. The real surprise came when he announced the second place guy had run 12 laps. I thought there was a mistake. Turns out I won the race by only three minutes. At one point I was probably within a half mile of lapping him only to nearly blow it. Good thing I went out for the final lap to get the hoodie. Nothing is ever guaranteed in ultra running, so many races I enter thinking I’ll win and very seldom do I actually pull it off. Three minutes was my margin of defeat at Masochist, seems like some poetic justice.

L to R Paul Geist (3rd), Chris Hardin (2nd) and Me (1st)

Some final stats:

• 40 oz Skratch
• 48 oz PH 1500
• 44 oz Water
• 100 calories of gels or chews every 25 minutes (14 total)
• Song that was playing as I finished: Honkey Tonk Flame - Tyler Childers
• 37.48 Miles
• 2,103 ft elevation gain
• 9:24 per mile

My haul from the race: Bamboo cutlery (4 laps), travel coffee mug (8 laps), lightweight hoodie (12 laps) and Hoka shoes (1st place)

I’d like to thank all of the Matties Diner Run Club crew who were out there and pitched in to help me and cheer me on. There was someone from our club on each of the podiums including Jeremy and Jessica winning the 10 hour races, special congrats to Jess on getting her first 50 miles on top of the win! At each Human Powered Movement race they give out a “good vibes” rock and this time it went to the entire Mattie’s crew, a well earned honor.

2024 Old Fort Strong Endurance Festival 6 Hour Race Report

Remember your why.

Pre-Race

I had planned on Mountain Masochist to be my final race of 2024. About 6 weeks out from race day, I decided to take off work on Friday, September 27 to get in a good long run the day before racing an all out road mile the next day. Earlier in the week I saw that Hurricane Helene might cause the run to be a bit wet. Instead of running to the Top of Mt. Mitchell via Heartbreak ridge, I thought I'd instead go to the Old Fort Gateway Trailhead and run along Jarret Creek forest road. By Thursday it was clear that hurricane force winds would make traveling to Old Fort, which had become one of my favorite training areas since moving to Charlotte in 2021, needlessly unsafe. I decided instead to travel east to the Uwharrie Forest. Friday morning I was about to walk out the door, I realized my sump pump had stopped working and our basement was at risk of flooding. After a trip to Home Depot that necessitated reroutes around downed trees, I replaced the sump and scrapped Plan C and opted for Plan D, a simple run out the door through my neighborhood.

Later that day I started seeing images and videos online of the destruction being seen in Western North Carolina. The Landslide east of Asheville on I-40 was the first sign of major destruction however, it really hit how bad it was when I saw the pictures of I-40 falling into the Pidgeon river near the Tennessee border. Then it was pictures of Chimney Rock and Montreat and Spruce Pine and many, many more. I texted friends in the area to see if they were ok but didn't hear back for over 36 hours. When I did get ahold of my friend Kendall, he said he was ok and had running water but the power was out and would be for days. As a member of the G5 Trail Collective and the Trails Coordinator for Hellbender, Kendall knows his way around a chainsaw and had been clearing roads and driveways since the rain stopped. I asked him if there was anything I could do to help and he told me he'd let me know as soon as he found out but that all things considered, they were lucky in Hendersonville but other areas were in much greater need and to try reaching out to Brandon Thrower, Race Director of Tanawha Adventures as he would be helping out at Camp Grier.

Camp Grier may be known to the ultra community as the start/finish line of Hellbender 100 and Mt Mitchell Heartbreaker but it is so much more. Nestled in the woods just outside Old Fort, NC, Camp Grier is a Christian Summer Camp that offers countless activities for individuals, families and youth groups. After the storm they went to work. With minimal damage done to the property they realized they had the capacity to help since their well provided uninterrupted water. After repairing one bridge and getting a large generator donated, they were up and running by the end of the first week. They were there to offer lodging, hot meals, showers, laundry and supplies to anyone who needed it, but they needed volunteers. I reached out to Brandon and as soon as they were accepting volunteers, I signed up and took off work to help out in any way I could. I spent 12 hours at the camp helping park cars, unload donated supplies, help people get their laundry to the washers and driers and just listen to people who had been through more hardship in one week than I had been through in my entire life. I met a woman who works in home healthcare in Burnsville who said 11 patients of theirs are still missing. She hiked two miles up to one address and found no sign of a house. I heard too many stories of people who didn’t make it. It was an experience I won't soon forget. Before I left I spoke with Jason McDougald, the camp director, telling him if there's anything I can do to help with rebuilding to let me know. He said to be on the lookout Friday as they would be announcing something big.

The devastation in Old Fort, photo courtesy of Rob Redding 

The announcement was the Old Fort Strong Endurance Festival, a 6, 12 and 24 hour running and mountain biking race to be held on December 7. Each participant would have the goal of raising $1,500 with all proceeds going to rebuilding homes lost during the storm. Old Fort is a small town of under 1,000 and lost over 50 homes, with almost nobody having flood insurance, FEMA funds would only go so far. Even though this would be 5 weeks after Masochist, I didn't hesitate to sign up and I got to fundraising. I reached out to family, friends and coworkers and ended up raising $4,075 by race day.

After my great race at Masochist I needed to recover quickly and get in as much training as I could in five weeks. Those five weeks included a week long trip to New York and Philadelphia as well as driving back to Kentucky for Thanksgiving. Recovery took a bit longer than anticipated and I ended up not getting in nearly as much training as I wanted. I hoped my fitness from Masochist would still mostly be there and that I’d be better rested. I’d have six hours to find out.

The night before the race, my wife and I drove to Hendersonville to stay with friends so that I’d have a shorter drive in the morning and she would hang out with them rather than sit around in the cold watching me run circles. The next morning I left for the race around 8am and drove to Old Fort passing hundreds of downed trees still sitting along the roadside. The devastation was still very present even though it was two months since the storm. I parked across from the camp entrance and started the three quarters of a mile walk to the check in. About halfway up the hill someone yelled out of a car “Need a ride?” It was my friends Dan and Angie from Georgia. I gladly accepted and they dropped me off at the check in. I set up my stuff in the runner village right off the course, warmed up a bit and walked down to the start line. I ran into Kendall who I’d be racing for the first time as well as his friends Brandon Crews who I’d raced against a few times previously. We chatted for a bit then the bikers and runners went to their respective starting lines to await the playing of the banjo to officially start the race.

The starting line of both races

Laps 1-3

The 3.9 mile loop started out on a flat gravel road that ran along the lake before dropping down the hill and after about a quarter of a mile, the course turned right onto a narrow single track climb. I wanted to avoid a bottleneck at the turn so I went out a bit fast. By the time I was descending I looked over and it was Brandon and I out front. I pushed just a bit harder and made it to the single track in first. The first climb was about 370' over three quarters of a mile but was very smooth and runnable as it was built for mountain biking. This climb ended up being a lot tougher than I expected as I really had to work to stay in front. By the time I reached the top I was in front with two local guys hot on my tail. I heard the two guys behind me talking about how the climb was easier than they thought which had me a bit worried since I was already feeling a bit worked. I decided if I was a bit slower on the climbs that I would make up for it on the descents. I pushed the next half mile creating a bit of separation until we hit the second shorter climb. At less than a hundred feet over only a tenth of a mile, this climb wasn't much on paper but it hit pretty hard. The two guys behind me had reeled me in again by the top but then I started to push again. The next mile and a quarter started with a big winding descent followed by a flat section along the creek. I was able to really push this section and was feeling good as I started pulling away again. After crossing Jarret Creek the trail became an old gravel road and after a small clearing, the road started to climb for a quarter of a mile with about 150' of gain. At the top of the road the course took a left turn back onto single track and climbed a few more feet before starting a descent through several switchbacks. After straightening out the course passed through the finish line where it joined the mountain bike course. I passed through and descended the gravel road past the stables and towards the lake in the lead in 29:09 elapsed.

The first lap was a bit shorter as the start line was not the same as the finish. Once I hit the lake I turned left a took the short loop through the runner village. Being the first to run through was exciting and gave me a big boost. I went through without stopping for aid and took off back down the road along the lake. I had a decent lead as I started the big climb for a second time but I was quickly reeled in. Second and third place were hot on my tail as I climbed the big hill a second time. We chatted a bit on the way up but once we hit the top, I tried to create some separation again. I pushed the descent and had a small gap by the bottom and continued to push the flats as I started to lap the back of the pack. I finished the second lap in 33:10 with a slightly larger lead but after looping through the village and starting down the gravel road, second and third place weren't too far behind me.

As we started out on our third ascent of the big climb, Robbie and Jordan had completely reeled me in. I tried to hold them off but they were out for blood this time and passed me with a vengeance. I tried to catch back up once I topped out on the climb but the second smaller climb nearly broke me. It wasn't that big but it was steep and it hurt the third time around. I started to question how many more times I wanted to run up that damn thing. I pulled myself together and pushed the descent but by the base of the final gravel road climb, Foster Ramsey had caught me. We chatted for a bit and he was gone. By the time I finished lap three I had dropped from first to fourth, despite only running it 48 seconds slower than my second lap. It seemed everyone else was just getting warmed up as I was starting to break.

Early on when I still had the lead, photo courtesy of Icon Media Asheville

Laps 4-6

I swept through the runner village still thinking I could rally and fight my way back on the podium. As I started climbing again, I was once again passed, dropping me to fifth place. I tried to hold it together on this lap but things were starting to unravel and I wasn't even two hours in. I continued the rhythm of suffering on the climbs and pushing the descents because that was all I could seem to manage. I finished my fourth lap in 36:35, my slowest by almost three minutes. I made a quick stop to swap out a water bottle and then went back out. Halfway up the climb, Brandon Crews passed me. I wished him luck and he was gone. My legs started to really feel heavy as I continued to climb and I just wanted to get to the downhill so I could start pushing the pace again. When the descent finally came, so did the agony of blown quads. I wasn't even halfway through a six hour race and my quads were more destroyed than they've been in years. I pushed through the pain and finished the lap in over 40 minutes, a far cry from my earlier laps. But as bleak as things seemed, I was still 5 laps in in only 2:53. I still had hope that I could right the ship and perhaps squeeze in another 5 laps in the next 3:07. I would only need to do 36 minute laps, how hard could that be? I would need to maintain about a nine minute mile, but as I started out on lap six, that started to seem very unlikely considering I was hiking the climb at a 16 minute pace. Cramps started to set in during the climb and I started to get really down on myself. It was hard, I was hurting and it wasn't gonna get any easier. 

The thing about a fixed time race is you go past the finish line every few miles and can quit at any time without being a DNF. My only other attempt at a six hour race had me packing up and leaving after five hours. Nobody would fault me, I was running this race for charity only five weeks after a very stout effort at Mountain Masochist. As those intrusive thoughts crept in, I focused on all the people who donated on my behalf. Friends, family, coworkers, strangers. They all gave what they could to help people they didn't even know. I thought back to all the people I met while volunteering at Camp Grier knowing they had it so much worse than some blown quads. I decided no matter what, if I wouldn't quit until there wasn't enough time on the clock to finish another lap. I finished lap six in over 45 minutes, another five minutes slower than my last, but there were still 2 hours and 20 minutes left on the clock. More than enough time for another lap, so I went back out.

Laps 7-9

It really helped to focus on individuals who had donated to my cause. I thought about my parents who had helped out cleaning up the 98' flood in Falmouth, KY, 45 minutes from where I grew up. They donated both to the race and to Camp Grier on my behalf since they couldn't help out personally. I thought of Jerry and Kerry, friend's of my wife's family who I'd only met a handful of times who are some of the kindest people I've ever met. I thought about my friends Jesus and John from the Mattie's Diner Run Club who both donated on my behalf. It turns out when you've got a large support system and a damn good reason to do what you're doing, you can push through a lot of pain.

Somewhere along the climb at the start of the seventh lap I passed Jordan who had been in second the last time I saw him. He was looking to be in just about as rough of shape as me. I was now in fifth but still very much hurting. Lap seven finished in 46 minutes and I now had an hour and 34 minutes to finish. In order to get in two laps I would need to maintain my current pace, losing any more time would make a ninth lap very difficult. 

I set out on the eighth lap thinking it would be my last, there was part of me that hoped it would take me 50 minutes and I'd have no choice but to call it. I pushed those thoughts aside and decided to just run and see what happens. As I climbed the second climb of the lap I looked ahead and thought I saw my friend Kendall up ahead. I got excited that I had finally caught him and I pushed a bit to catch up to him. As I caught him I told him that lapping him was a career-defining moment for me. He laughed and told me he was just walking out a final lap and had done much better than he expected given that he was coming off of injury and sickness. I told him it was likely my last lap as well and continued on downhill. I made it to the finish line in 5:12:13 elapsed. Damn. I had just run another 46 minute lap and I had 48 minutes left. I had to go one more lap. 

The last thing I wanted was to run a ninth lap and finish over time so I decide to give it everything i had. I sprinted through the runner village and pushed the gravel road as hard as I could. As I passed the course marshal who had directed me right onto the brutal climb for the last five plus hours I joked with him that this was the last time I'd go right but he couldn't make me do it again. I hiked the final climb, glad to never have to hike it again, and pushed downhill. I never let off the gas for the final lap, hoping that perhaps one of the four guys ahead of me had stopped after eight laps and that I could sneak in under the wire. I crossed the line in 41 minutes with just over six minutes to spare and collapsed in the grass by the finish line exhausted, sore and grateful. 

The Boathouse Aid Station and the Runners Village, photo courtesy of Camp Grier

Post-Race

I finished 5th overall but finished the same amount of laps as the winner, Robbie Harms, a fact that I was very proud of. I hobbled my way towards the aid station, about 200' down the gravel road from the finish. I passed Foster and congratulated him, he apparently finished 4th by only 24 seconds. I arrived at the aid station in search of food and there I ran into my friends Rachel and Miller who were working the aid station and they gave me Oreos and beer, not a bad combo. I made my way to my spot in runners village and changed into warm clothes and caught up with Kendall and Brandon. I chatted with them for a while at the finish, delaying the inevitable walk down the half mile gravel road to my car. Downhill was the last thing my trashed quads needed.  

Some final Stats:

• 37 oz of Skratch Hydration
• 37 oz of Precision Hydration 1500
• 40 oz of water
• 100 calories of gels or chews every 25 minutes (14 total)
• song stuck in my head: Whatever the DJ or band was playing in runner village
• 34.76 Miles
• 6,309 ft elevation gain
• 10:10 per mile
• $4,075 raised
• Over $1 Million total raised by the event

I made the long, painful walk down the gravel road, grateful that I didn't have to take a right turn to go back up the climb. When I made it down to the parking lot there was a man sitting in a camp chair at the end of his driveway. He asked me how the festival was going and I told him it was pretty good. He thanked me for everything we were doing. that's what it was all about.