The Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon has become one of the most popular marathons in the country. It’s a cult like event full of some of the best and most interesting runners from across the United States.

Last year the event sold out in 4 minutes!

So this year, naturally, the process to garner entry into the race has been changed to enable a more equal chance to all hoping to run the marathon. Instead of it being a speed push/refresh (your browser) contest to see who gets in to the event.

Monkey Trent (RD) sent over these instructions on how registation for the 2012 race will happen:

PAY ATTENTION: Registration for 2012 will involve a weighted lottery. Registrants will be directed to the registration website, below. The registration website will be open for one week. That is, you will have one week to put your name in the hat. After this weeklong period closes, we will use a weighted lottery to select those who will have the misfortune of running the Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon this Fall. If selected to run your credit card will be charged $80, and we will notify you of your poor luck. If you are not selected to run, you can thank your lucky stars.

Approximately 300 runners will be selected by the lottery to run the marathon.

Please note: there will be an option to make a $180 donation to the Friends of Warner Parks, which will allow you to bypass the lottery and get right in. This option will be available to the first 20 registrants who take this offer, on a first come, first served basis.

Registration for the lottery should open on August 1, 2012 at 8AM Central Daylight Time. Registration for the lottery will close on August 8, 2012 at 8am. The lottery to be held a short time later.

When registration opens, you can Click Here to access online registration. Until then, there is really no point in trying.

Oh, and all the usual stuff applies. That is, please bring an ID with you to packet pickup. It is reasonable to bring your confirmation email. We will not be offering refunds if you do not start, do not finish, do not have fun or do not PR. Or really for any other reason. You may not transfer your registration. To repeat, no refunds, no transfers. Since registration is capped, yours may keep out another runner. Therefore, we ask that you show up ready to run on race morning. If you cannot make it, please try again next year. Regardless, we will offer you a good run.

Good luck to all who attempt to register. I’m hoping for equally good (or is it bad?) luck so that I can see you there.

The Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon will take place on November 18, 2012 at 8:00am CST just outside of Nashville, Tennessee.

[Joshua Holmes (2nd), Daniel Fox (1st), and Paul Lefelhocz (3rd)]

Congrats to all finishers of the 2012 Last Annual Vol State 500K and to everyone who started the race back on July 12, 2012.

Daniel Fox became the first uncrewed winner of the race and did so in impressive fashion finishing the epic race in 5 days 3 hours 9 minutes and 33 seconds.

All hail King Dan II.

Second place went to Joshua Holmes who shaved off over 55 hours from his finish last year to finish in 5 days 17 hours 4 minutes and 49 seconds.

Third place went to Paul Lefelhocz who shaved many hours off his 2011 finish as well. He led for a portion of the race and finished strong with a time of 5 days 20 hours 5 minutes and 6 seconds.

The first female to ‘The Rock’ was former ‘King’ Juli Aistars, uncrewed this year, with a time of 6 days 4 hours 18 minutes and 34 seconds.

2012 Last Annual Vol State 500K Results

1. Daniel Fox – 5:03:09:33
2. Joshua Holmes – 5:17:04:49
3. Paul Lefelhocz – 5:20:05:06
4. Juli Aistars – 6:04:18:34
5. Sulaiman Seriki – 6:10:49:44
6. Richard Westbrook – 6:20:13:55
7. John Price – 6:20:29:56
8. Jay Dobrowalski – 6:20:46:15
9. Charlie Taylor – 6:22:56:05
10. Sherry Meador – 7:13:42:10
11. Dusty Hardman – 8:11:04:47
12. Shannon Burke – 8:13:13:36
13. Psyche Wimberly – 9:04:57:01
14. Diane Taylor – 9:16:02:01
15. Marvin Skagerberg – 11:06:43:53

• Thomas Mikkelson – 250 miles
• Jan Silverman – 218 miles
• Rita Barnes – 185 miles
• Sal Coll – 156 miles
• Fred Davis – 125 miles
• Erika Matheny/Adam Venn – 122 miles

(Relay)

• Mike Melton – 121 miles
• Abi Meadows – 100 miles

The ‘man’ of the race was Marvin Skagerberg who overcome insurmountable odds to finish the race.  He did so outside of the 10 day cut-off, but it didn’t matter. He inspired thousands along the way with his courage, inner-toughness, and never-say-quit attitude. He was guided along the way by his crew of Stu Gleman and was joined for the last few dozen miles by Abi Meadows, and her daughter, who did wonders with Marvin’s gnarly feet.  Congrats to Marvin on doing another ‘big thing!’

Congrats to everyone who toed the line at the ferry in Dorena Landing, Missouri.  It takes a lot of ‘guts’ to even get on that ferry and toe the line.

An epic race and an epic fraternity everyone enters who reaches ‘The Rock’ in Castle Rock, Georgia atop Sand Mountain, in the middle of a corn field, overlooking Nickajack Lake.

The Last Annual Vol-State Road Race (2012 Edition)

Missouri to Georgia 500 kilometers (314 miles)

Drivers in Tennessee may see some strange characters walking and running alongside the road between July 12 and July 22. While sensible people will be heeding the weatherman’s advice to avoid exercise during the heat of the day, thirty runners from across the country are set to participate in the 32nd “last annual” Vol-State Road Race. The Vol-State, a 500 km (314 mile) footrace, beginning in Dorena Landing, Missouri and finishing at Castle Rock, Georgia, is one of the oldest races of its kind in the world, as well as one of the longest.

The runners will be divided between two divisions; Aided runners will have a crew and vehicle along to provide fluids and food, while the Unaided runners will rely on what they can purchase or carry along the route. The majority of this year’s field will be in the Unaided division. The ultimate, overall winner will carry the coveted title “King of the Road” for the next 12 months. Reigning “King of the Road”, 73 year old Don Winkley out of Corpus Christi, Texas will not be defending his crown, as he will be competing in a footrace across France that takes place at the same time.

The course record is held by Dewayne Satterfield, a mathematician at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, who completed the course in 2009 in a time of 3 days 17 hours 42 minutes and 12 seconds. While Dewayne has not entered at this time, rumors persist that he will be there when the runners board the ferry, to make an attempt on the unaided record held by Dan Fox out of Seattle, Washington. The “Feral Fox” completed the course unaided in a time of 5 days 12 hours 19 minutes and 11 seconds. Fox is entered in the 2012 race.

While some of the runners will be competing for records and championships, others will be in the race as a personal challenge. The time limit for the event is 10 days, and runners will be entering Georgia up until time expires, as everyday people seek to achieve the seemingly impossible distance in Tennessee’s July heat.

The Vol-State is renowned among mega-marathoners for the famous hospitality of Tennesseans. Every runner returns home with stories of the kindnesses shown to them as they struggle thru the Tennessee summer heat. While the runners are thrilled just to receive words of encouragement, they have been offered everything from ice-water and sandwiches, to a bed and a shower. The challenge and the scenery is what brought the race to Tennessee. But, it is the Tennesseans themselves that keep the runners coming back.

The race can be followed on RunItFast.com

The race can be followed on several Twitter accounts from runners and participants including Joshua Holmes (@bayou), John Price (@VBultrarunner), Shannon Burke (@s4121burke), and Naresh Kumar (@iamarunr).

The race can be followed on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/volstaterun 

and on Joshua’s Facebook page at http://facebook.com/ultrajoshua

Acourse map, with runner locations marked with “stickpins” will be available during the race at: http://www.tinyurl.com/VolState2012

Landmarks on the course, and their distance:
Dorena Landing, MO ferry landing 0 miles
Hickman, KY old downtown district 2 miles
Union City, TN old downtown district 18 miles
Martin, TN old downtown district 31 miles
Dresden, TN square 40 miles
Gleason, TN high school 48 miles
McKenzie, TN square 56 miles
Huntingdon, TN square 67 miles
Lexington, TN square 92 miles
Parsons, TN downtown 107 miles
Linden, TN square 125 miles
Hohenwald, TN square 144 miles
Hampshire, TN downtown 162 miles
Columbia, TN square 177 miles
Culleoka, TN downtown 188 miles
Lewisburg, TN square 201 miles
Shelbyville, TN square 223 miles
War Trace, TN downtown 233 miles
Manchester, TN square 249 miles
Pelham, TN downtown 266 miles
Monteagle, TN downtown 274 miles
Tracy City, TN downtown 280 miles
Jasper, TN downtown 296 miles
South Pittsburg, TN Tn River Bridge 303 miles
Castle Rock, GA scenic overlook 314 miles

The Entrants:
Juli Aistars, Illinois
Rita Barnes, Ohio
Sal Coll , Georgia
Dan Fox, Washington
Dusty Hardman, Florida
Sherry Meador, Alabama
Abi Meadows, Georgia
Mike Melton, Florida
Joe Ninke, Florida
John Price, Virginia
Sulaiman Seriki, Tennessee
Jan Silverman, Illinois
Charlie Taylor, Tennessee
Diane Taylor, Tennessee
Psyche Wimberly, Georgia
Shannon Burke, Indiana
Jay Dobrowalski, California
Ray Krolewicz, South Carolina
Paul Lefelhocz, Ohio
Marvin Skagerberg, Texas
Richard Westbrook, Georgia
Mike Montgomery, Tennessee
Mike O’Melia, Alabama
Billy Ray Richardson, Tennessee
Shirley Smith, Alabama
Chris White, Tennessee
Erika Matheney, Texas
Thomas Mikkelsen, Ohio
Lynn Turner, Oklahoma
Joshua Holmes, Tennessee

Race Reports from 2011 Vol State:

• Joshua Holmes Race Report
• Naresh Kumar Race Report
• Don Winkley Race Report (Winner)
• Fred Murolo Race Report

Hideki Kinoshita (RIF #88) is back on top of the Extreme Racer Standings with 681.6 points.  Joshua Holmes (RIF #1) is in second place with 575 points.

Third place is Emily Conley (RIF #24) who is leading the women with 426.4 points.  She is followed on the women’s board by Laura Raeder (RIF #20) and Nadia Ruiz Gonzales (RIF #69).

Each runner is awarded 1 point for each race mile. (More details HERE)

Where Run It Fast Runners Are Running This Weekend (July 7-8, 2012)

Storified by Joshua Holmes · Fri, Jul 06 2012 19:17:35

Happy 4th of July to all of the Run It Fast – Club runners and runners all over the United States today.

Pictured in the photo above is RIF #80 Scott Gatlin during the first annual Flag Run in Jackson, Tennessee on July 4, 2012.

He was joined by about 20 other runners including RIF #38 JD Favara, RIF #39 Tanya Favara, RIF #82 Matthew Wylie, RIF #84 David Johnson, RIF #85 Brett Beckham, and RIF #120 Stephanie Johnson.

May running and physical fitness continue to make strides to make our country healthier and stronger.

If you are running a 4th of July race today then be sure to Run It Fast.

Use the tag #runitfast on Instagram for your 4th of July running photos (or running photos anytime) and the same tag on Twitter as well.

(You can join Run It Fast – The Club and learn more about it by clicking HERE.)

Here is the finisher’s medal from the Liverpool Triathlon that took place on July 1, 2012 in Liverpool, England.

A very beautiful die-cut medal showcasing the beautiful city of Liverpool (I assume!)

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

[Medal submitted by Bryan Llorente. Follow him on Twitter @bryllo84]

Here is the finisher’s medal from the Queens 10K that took place on July 1, 2012 in Queens, New York.

The race had 5,442 finishers and was won by Julius Lomeriyang in a time of 29:20.

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

[Medal submitted by Seth Tabor. Follow him on Twitter @Taborifica]

Here is the finisher’s medal from the Leadville Trail Marathon that took place on June 30, 2012 in Leadville, Colorado.

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

[Medal submitted by RIF #68 Brenton Day. Follow him on Twitter @thealerunner]