Day 5: Run It Fast’s Race Across the USA – Stairway to Heaven

Run It Fast’sRace Across the USA‘ has brought together strangers, friends, frenemies, and down-right enemies that are on four diverse teams working hard together, and for each other, to try to advance their team across the country towards the finish line in New York City.

Today was a workman/woman day on the road that was a bit boring from a spectator’s viewpoint looking at the race in a one day prism. But this race isn’t a one day event, and several performances today concluded amazing 5-Day workweek totals.

Suzy Michelson Team: The Suzy’s don’t have bad days. They have days where they inhale and other days when they exhale. Today was an inhale day for the team that included their usual impressive output from it’s very deep roster. They dipped slightly from yesterday’s record output but still easily had more miles than any other team. They finished the day with 164.93 miles. They had contributions from everyone on Day 5 and were led by Barry Reece (23.15 mi), Chris Clemens (20.73), JR Reynolds (20.06), and Kimberly Atkins (20.0). Other notable performances came from Thomas Fowler (16.01) and Alex Barrientos (13.11).

The Suzy’s put even more distance between them and the rest of the field. They are 2/3rd’s of the way through New Mexico which is amazing considering two of the four teams are still back in Arizona. They called in their miles for the day from Santa Rosa, New Mexico (population 2,848).

The Suzy’s (applying proper social distancing procedures) met with the Santa Rosa High School lawn mower racing club, one of the very first in the USA. They traded racing stories while eating pizza and drinking some awful electrolyte mix Captain Tucker has been making the team drink every night.

Our lawyers say we aren’t at liberty to discuss the special ointment Tucker has his team applying liberally to their legs every night and before they run the next day.

Suzy Team Data at a Glance
Place: 1st
Day 5 Miles: 164.93
Total Miles: 894.71
Top 3 SMT Runners (Entire Race)

  1. Chris Clemens – 112.24
  2. Barry Reece – 103.35
  3. Thomas Fowler – 86.27

Jeffrey Price Team: It was the fourth consecutive day output dropped for the JP’s, but they still were able to put distance on the two teams behind them. The three most developing story-lines with this team are as follows. One, Heather ‘Double Dime’ McComb shows up and knocks out 20’s daily, every day. Friday was no different as she uncorked a 21.03 mile performance. It knocked her over the century mark for the workweek. Secondly, team captain Melissa Price has been running miles at such an escalating rate that the national debt is envious. She had her strongest day of the race with 16.47 miles (and has a total of 62.06 for the race). Jeffrey is for sure shining down on Melissa and how she is inspiring her entire team.

“And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll
And she’s buying a stairway to Heaven”

And lastly, Tom ‘Stairway to Heaven’ Orr did it yet again on Friday. Increasing his daily miles for the fifth consecutive day. He put down 22.21 miles on Friday, ending with 98.12 miles for the week. His progression this week is as follows: 16.09, 18.39, 20.29, 21.14, and 22.21.

Jeffrey Team Data at a Glance
Place: 2nd
Day 5 Miles: 126.9
Total Miles: 719.87
Miles Back: -174.84
Top 3 JPT Runners (Entire Race)

  1. Heather McComb – 106.4
  2. Tom Orr – 98.12
  3. Karl Studtmann – 76.14

Tom Orr is the ‘Race Across the USA’ –  Peak Performer of the Day.

Charlie Taylor Team: This gang woke up fresh, dressed, like a million bucks, threw on white socks, with their all blue chucks, stepped out the RV with no other team in sight. So, Steve Acciarito took their first asphalt bite, while the rest of the team dilly and dallied, and Ms. Marj met this exotic tea dealer, Sally, in the ally, while Greta Reed continued the team’s rally that started back in Cali.

The Chucks all showed up again, finishing the week a perfect 75 for 75 with team participation for the first 5 days of the race.

While their miles were slow to accumulate in the AM, a late day, hot baton passed back and forth that led to a respectful 110.04 miles for the day. They were led by Joshua Holmes (20.20 mi), Jeremy Reed (19.13 mi), and Elva Matamoros (16.03 mi). The Chucks are currently straddling the Arizona-New Mexico border and beyond socially distanced from the 2nd and 4th place teams.

Charlie Team Data at a Glance
Place: 3rd
Day 5 Miles: 110.04
Total Miles: 640.0
Miles Back: -254.71
Top 3 CTT Runners (Entire Race)

  1. Seth Crowe – 80.83
  2. Joshua Holmes – 78.69
  3. Jeremy Reed – 78.13

Hope Shull Team: The snooze crew, after two strong days, relapsed into Napageddon with just 52.07 miles for Day 5. They were led by team captain, Marylou Corino, with 13.1 miles. Sherry Meador followed Lou with 11.11 miles. Five runners didn’t lace up today for the HST. Load management was listed as the reason in the captain’s report. We are expecting a big weekend from this team, though. They are the most rested and well fed team in the race.

The Hopes were last seen at the Love’s Travel Stop in Joseph City, Arizona where Juleann Roberts was sipping a slushie and Houston Wolf was seen bagging four Tornados.

Hope Team Data at a Glance
Place: 4th
Day 5 Miles: 52.07
Total Miles: 534.27
Miles Back: -338.64
Calories Consumed: 783,193
Top 3 HST Runners (Entire Race)

  1. Marylou Corino – 90.6
  2. Kit Brazier – 85.48
  3. Randy Broadway – 60.5

Click HERE to view where the teams are on the Google Map

Day 5 Mileage Results of the Race Across the USA

  • Suzy Michelson Team – 164.93 miles (11.0 mi/runner)
  • Jeffrey Price Team – 126.9 miles (8.46 mi/runner)
  • Charlie Taylor Team – 110.04 miles (7.34 mi/runner)
  • Hope Shull Team – 73.87 miles (3.47 mi/runner)

RIF’s Race Across the USA Overall Standings (thru Day 5)

  1. Suzy Michelson Team – 894.71 miles (180.95/day, 30.8% completed)
  2. Jeffrey Price Team – 719.87  miles (143.97 mi/day, 24.8% completed)
  3. Charlie Taylor Team – 640.00 miles (128.00 mi/day, 22.0% completed)
  4. Hope Shull Team – 556.07 miles (111.21 mi/day, 18.4% completed)

Team Mileage Leader of the Day

  • Suzy Michelson Team – Barry Reece (23.15 mi)
  • Jeffrey Price Team – Tom Orr (22.21 mi)
  • Charlie Taylor Team – Joshua Holmes (20.20 mi)
  • Hope Shull Team – Marylou Corino (13.10 mi)

Top 10 Mega-Miles of the Day

  1. Barry Reece (SMT) – 23.15
  2. Tom Orr (JPT) – 22.21
  3. Heather McComb (JPT) – 21.03
  4. Chris Clemens (SMT) – 20.73
  5. Joshua Holmes (CTT) – 20.20
  6. JR Reynolds (SMT) – 20.06
  7. Kimberly Atkins (SMT) – 20.00
  8. Jeremy Reed (CTT) – 19.13
  9. Melissa Price (JPT) – 16.47
  10. Elva Matamoros (CTT) – 16.03

Top 10 Race Mile Leaders

  1. Chris Clemens (SMT) – 112.24
  2. Heather McComb (JPT) – 106.4
  3. Barry Reece  (SMT) – 103.35
  4. Tom Orr (JPT) – 98.12
  5. Marylou Corino – (HST) – 90.6
  6. Thomas Fowler  (SMT) – 86.27
  7. Kit Brazier (HST) – 85.48
  8. Kimberly Atkins (SMT) – 85.1
  9. Alex Barrientos (SMT) – 82.78
  10. David Nichols (SMT) – 81.08

Daily Updates and Standings Archive

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- who has written 1138 posts on Run It Fast®.

Joshua Holmes has completed 325 marathons/ultramarathons while running 100+ miles 62 including races such as the Badwater 135 (9x), Western States 100, The Last Annual Vol State 500K (4x). He is the founder of Run It Fast, the most driven club on the planet. His favorite races to date are the Vol State 500K, Badwater 135, Barkley Fall Classic, Catalina Eco Marathon, Chimera 100, Across The Years, Savage Gulf Trail Marathon, Strolling Jim 40 Miler, Tunnel Hill 100, RUTS, EC100 and the Flying Monkey Marathon in his home state of Tennessee. Follow @bayou Follow @joshuaholmes on Instagram

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