Run It Fast®

Goodyear ½ Marathon and 10 km Race Report from the Ground and High Above

As Christa and I were on our drive up to the Creemore Vertical Challenge (25 and 50km race near our home in Toronto), last weekend we got the word from Run It Fast #1 that we could go to Akron and ride in the Goodyear Blimp while the Goodyear ½ Marathon was going on. As the week progressed we found out that due to additional video equipment onboard only one of us would be able to go up. Christa pitched the idea of her running the race, while I was high above in the blimp. The race organizers went for the idea and the following article is our race review from the ground and high above! Below is our views on this fun race from high above and running on the ground.

Getting There

Given the 6:30 am start, we left our home in Toronto Canada after work at 5:15 pm on Friday night and arrived in Akron at about 11 pm. We were barely able to put our heads down, when our 3:45 am wakeup call came. Christa had to meet race organizers before 5 am at the start, while I had to drive out to Goodyear Launch facilities 20 minutes from the race course before 5:15 am.

Christa Pre-Race

We arrived at the race start so I could pick up my race kit before 5am. Getting to the start was quite easy since there were roads still open and the race start was in the parking garage so you just drove in and parked. I went to pick up my race kit which included a t-shirt, bag, towel and Goodyear blimp magnet. The bag drop was just a few feet away where they were ready to take my stuff.  They already had clear plastic bags to put your stuff in – you didn’t even have to worry about this part.  So far I was really impressed. Did I mention how easy it was – I guess that’s what happens when you are the first runner to arrive! Since I had a couple hours to kill I decided to walk around and familiarize myself with the start line and all that was available to the runners.

First off to make every runner happy there were tones of port-a-potties set up in different locations around the start line. This made it very easy when the crowds started to arrive as you never really had to wait that long. The finish line was already all set up with ice, water and Gatorade which was great but I also notice there was a band setting up, 3 food trucks and a beer tent not to mention a few other vendors setting up. I could tell there would be a good party going on at the finish.

Twenty minutes before the start I met up with another RIF member – always nice to meet new friends! We chatted for a bit and then I lined up in my corral which was easy to find because they had tons of signs. The pacers had already started lining up in their timing slots. That’s when I noticed that the blimp had started to circle the start line. It was exciting to see because I knew Chris was up there – what an opportunity. I asked one of the ladies beside me to take my picture with the blimp in the background, I wanted a picture of Chris and I at the start – when I told them that my husband was up in the blimp they instantly knew why I was so excited. It was about at this point that the announcer came on saying that the race start would be delayed by 15 minutes due to heavy traffic arriving for the race. Then we were off!! Time to burn some rubber!

Chris Pre-Race

Arriving at the Goodyear Airship facilities I could see the Blimp in the distance. Once signed in, I met the other 3 gentlemen that had been invited to report on the race. Also on the Blimp were our pilot and a video technician from Goodyear. We took off about 6:10 am and we were over the Goodyear facilities where the start finish line was in about 10 minutes. Having run in many races, I am usually part of the masses lining up behind the start line. I was able to look down and see the nearly 3000 people in the Half and 10 km taking their positions. One problem, cars were still trying to come off the highway and make it to the parking lot. One of the race committee members was onboard the blimp and radioed down to ground that these people would not make it to the start by 6:30 am. There was a 15 minute delay to the start of the race. Traffic cleared quickly and at about 6:45 am the race was on.

Christa During the Race

There was a bottle neck right at the start line because they forgot to move the Goodyear race car off the course before the race; but we got passed it pretty quick which was good. I quickly started following the 2:05 pacer who introduced himself as Dave. He was from Akron and seemed like he knew what he was doing telling us that we were going a bit fast off the get go and needed to take it easy as we settled into our pace. He also seemed to know the course pretty well telling us about the next hill coming up. He was friendly and knowledgeable just what you need in a pacer. I felt like we were in good hands.

Since the race started at 6:45am the heat wasn’t a factor until later on near to the finish which was great. A lot of the course was shaded because of the time of day, but it did end up getting pretty warm near the end of the race. The course went out and came back past the start finish where I stopped to take a picture of the Goodyear race car. How often do you get to be this close to a race car? We then went into the Goodyear training ground where they do all the testing and training for the Goodyear blimps. Normally this is closed to the public so this was a lot of fun to be behind the scenes. We went headed down by the derby track where they hold the derby races in Akron.

The aid stations, provided water and Gatorade, where well staffed with friendly volunteers and approximately 3k apart. Some of the aid stations offered gels and they even had a spray station where runners got sprayed down with water as they ran by. We went through various parts of the city ranging from subdivisions to busier main streets; traffic was not an issue since all the main streets were closed off to traffic with police monitoring so no one would get hurt.

The rest of the race flew by with many parts of the course lined with people eager to cheer us on to the finish. The last part of the race took us around the Goodyear race track where you looped around to the finish line. During the whole race the Goodyear blimp was circling the course which gave us the feel that we were competing at a major sporting event.

Chris During the Race

It was quite the site to see runners quickly spread out and a lead pack formed immediately. Our pilot followed the race leaders and we snapped quite a few pictures from high above in the Goodyear Blimp. Since I am not from the area it was hard for me to keep track of who the leaders were, since I didn’t know the course route. Even though we were only 1000 feet off the ground, the trees lining the streets made it hard to see runners at all times. Given that there was a 10 km race along with a ½ marathon, it didn’t take long to see the lead 10 km runner enter the Goodyear Test Track (about 1.5 miles from the finish) and see that he had a commanding lead. As he ran the last mile, he was gaining a bigger margin between him and the second place runner. Up in the blimp we estimated that the winner finished in about 33 minutes. It was hard to track the lead ½ marathon runner as they would have encountered traffic from the slower 10 km runners when they merged. We finally found him and estimate he finished in about 1:09.

As we were in the blimp, I was wondering what I would write about. Anyone who has read any of my previous race reports knows I don’t like to focus on me and I want to provide the reader with information they will be able to use when deciding if they want to run this race in the future. I know it would be hard, 1000 feet up in the air, but as the morning went on I got some great (at least I think they are great) ideas to cover.

First of all, the roads looked very wide and I don’t think crowding on the course was an issue. There is nothing worse than a race, with skinny narrow roads where hundreds of runners bottleneck up. That can really impact your pace and race. Given the size of the roads, the runners spread out quickly.

Second of all, I saw a couple of the water stations and they seemed long. This is great, as runners can go further down the water station where it isn’t crowded to grab their drink. Given the heat and humidity that was expected Saturday, a 6:30 start was a great idea. The course seemed to be shaded in a lot of spots so for much of the race I thought this would offer relief to the runners. From above, the course looked fairly flat too. No major hills that I could see. I loved the idea of running 1.5 miles around the Goodyear test track. It looked hot and open, but having the ability to run in what is normally a restricted area has always been a positive in a race for me. (Being a big sports fan, I have always remembered my finish on Ford Field in Detroit, finishing at center ice at Copps Coliseum, where an AHL Pro team plays and running on the Formula One track in Montreal).

With the ease of parking in the Goodyear parking lot right at the start line, from above it looked like a great race. I know Christa’s report will echo the same opinion from the ground!

Christa Post Race

The finish was very well organized with cold water and Gatorade being handed out by volunteers as well as ice cold towels. They were so refreshing and a major perk because of the heat. All race participants had 2 food tickets and got one free beer. They had 3 food trucks at the finish, offering half pints of Stricklands chocolate and vanilla ice cream, Eddies Famous Cheesesteak sandwiches and Galley Boys from Swenson’s which has been featured on the food network. Beer was free for all runners and they had a variety of Bud, Shock top and a local IPA which was a nice surprise. They also offered live music the whole time during the post-race party which ended at 11am. This gave all participants an opportunity take part in the festivities. All in all I really have no complaints about this race. The organizers did a fantastic job and put on an amazing event. I would highly recommend this race or any other race in the series to anyone who wants to enjoy a great race and be well taken care of from the start to beyond the finish.

Chris Post Race

We continued to circle the start/finish area until about 9:20 am. This gave finishers a chance for photo ops with the blimp and I understand the award ceremonies wanted to have photo ops with the blimp. We could see some of the slower runners still out on the course, while some of the 10 km and faster ½ marathon finishers were already in their cars and leaving the race site. It was very relaxing in the blimp, comfortable seats and open windows to take some pictures. It really was perfect area to view a race from. The pilot was extremely friendly and gave us a lot of information about the Goodyear Blimp program. The blimp is fairly quiet and we could hear the announcer below us. If you ever get the opportunity to ride in the blimp then you should. It is an amazing experience. We landed back at the launch site, with some Boy Scouts looking on. The pilot showed off some of the blimps capabilities (the new one can do a complete 360 while hovering in the same spot, something the older models could not do). I jumped in my car after a few more photos and drove back to the race site to meet Christa. I found her right beside the finish line. It was a unique feeling, to see the same finish area from the ground, where only 45 minutes before I had seen it from the air. It was a lively atmosphere, with a band still playing, beer being given out (yes Christa saved me a beer ticket) and food being handed out. I was a little jealous of the medal she received as it was quite cool. I wish I could have been up in the blimp and then ran the race. Maybe next year, I will come back to Akron and run the ½. If it wasn’t for the 5 hour drive it would be on my list in 2016. I will have to see if I can make it fit my schedule.

 

Overall Conclusion

From the time Chris was put in contact with the organizers to getting my feet back on the ground, communication was excellent and all the little details were taken care of. From what we both experienced, our opinion is that this race series is going to continue to grow as the attention to detail is not an accident. The runners are taken care of and for the price of the entry fee, it’s a great value. Thanks again to Run It Fast, Goodyear and The Rubber Running Series for a once in a lifetime experience.

– Chris and Christa Baker (August 2015)

7 more finishers before the turn over to 8 days on the clock. The long line to The Rock will continue today as several more are expected to finish. Congrats to all of these amazing finishers.

194 Hour Vol State 500K Standings 7:30am Friday, July 17th (38 Finishers, 21 Running, 21 DNFs)

1. Greg Armstrong – 3 days 22 hours 5 minutes 23 seconds (King of the Road)
2. Johan Steene – 3 days 23 hours 15 minutes 52 seconds (uncrewed course record, 2nd overall)
3. John Fegyveresi – 4 days 19 hours 28 minutes 54 seconds (3rd overall, uncrewed)
4. Steven Smith – 4 days 20 hours 3 minutes 48 seconds
5. Lisa Van Wolde – 5 days 8 hours 6 minutes 47 seconds (1st Female)
6. Marylou Corino – 5 days 8 hours 6 minutes 52 seconds (T-1st/2nd Female)
7. Jeremy Ebel – 5 days 16 hours 42 minutes 30 seconds (uncrewed)
8. Andrea Stewart – 5 days 21 hours 33 minutes 59 seconds (3rd female, uncrewed)
9. Jay Dobrowalski – 5 days 23 hours 34 minutes 38 seconds (uncrewed)
10. James Adams – 6 days 5 hours 47 minutes 12 seconds (uncrewed)
11. Sal Coll – 6 days 8 hours 4 minutes 25 seconds (uncrewed, 4x finisher)
12. Bo Millwood – 6 days 10 hours 11 minutes 20 seconds (uncrewed)
13. Karen Jackson – 6 days 10 hours 11 minutes 40 seconds (uncrewed)
14. Rick Gray – 6 days 11 hours 10 minutes 8 seconds
15. Lisa Hazlett – 6 days 11 hours 22 minutes 27 seconds
16. David Lettieri – 6 days 15 hours 43 minutes 46 seconds (uncrewed)
17. Michael Callans – 6 days 17 hours 17 minutes 5 seconds (uncrewed)
18. Thomas Alm – 6 days 17 hours 29 minutes 9 seconds
19. Timothy Daily – 6 days 17 hours 29 minutes 39 seconds
20. Edward Masuoka – 6 days 20 hours 3 minutes 9 seconds (uncrewed)
21. Ben Herron – 6 days 21 hours 5 minutes 29 seconds (uncrewed)
22. Tim Purol – 6 days 21 hours 47 minutes 8 seconds (uncrewed)
23. Jeffrey Stephens – 6 days 22 hours 20 minutes 44 seconds (uncrewed)
24. Tom Dekornfield – 6 days 23 hours 4 minutes 42 seconds (uncrewed)
25. Scott Krouse – 7 days 3 hours 32 minutes 27 seconds (uncrewed)
26. Gina Fioroni – 7 days 7 hours 2 minutes 59 seconds (uncrewed)
27. Thomas Skinner – 7 days 8 hours 15 minutes 34 seconds (uncrewed)
28. Caleb Nolen – 7 days 9 hours 48 minutes 10 seconds (uncrewed)
29. Shelly Mack – 7 days 10 hours 32 minutes 13 seconds
30. Allen Wrinkle – 7 days 12 hours 0 minutes 2 seconds (uncrewed)
31. John Sharp – 7 days 12 hours 0 minutes 18 seconds (uncrewed)
32. Sherry Meador – 7 days 12 hours 58 minutes 18 seconds (uncrewed)
33. Ally Gregory – 7 days 14 hours 25 minutes 40 seconds
34. Christian McMahon – 7 days 16 hours 25 minutes 59 seconds
35. Sergio Bianchini – 7 days 16 hours 46 minutes 9 seconds (uncrewed)
36. Christopher Knight – 7 days 18 hours 8 minutes 52 seconds
37. Shane Tucker – 7 days 23 hours 11 minutes 44 seconds
38. Gregg Ellis – 309 miles
39. Joshua Swink – 304 miles
40. Richard McKnight – 300 miles
41. Fred Davis III – 299 miles
42. John Price – 297 miles
43. Johnny Adams – 296 miles
44. Dallas Smith – 295 miles
45. Don Winkley – 293 miles
46. Jameelah Abdul-Rahim – 282 miles
47. Gilbert Gray – 282 miles
48. Troy Johnson – 272 miles
49. Cathie Johnson – 272 miles
50. Tim Loudermilk – 270 miles
51. Joseph Kowalski – 270 miles
52. Garry Price – 270 miles
53. Lynda Webber – 268 miles
54. Terrie Wurzbacher – 258 miles
55. Paul Heckert – 252 miles
56. Bill Haecker – 252 miles
57. Jay Hamilton – 250 miles
58. Diane Taylor – 250 miles
59. Ben Pennington – 250 miles

DID NOT FINISH (21): Richard Westbook 257 miles, Remy Brandefalk 249 miles, Sandy Geisel 189 miles, Francesca Muccini 188 miles, Jeff McGonnell 165 miles, Nathan Dewall 145 miles, Johnny Adams 145 miles, Joe Ninke 145 miles, Mike Delang mile 135, Curt Chambers mile 130, Dale Rucker mile 125, Marcia Rasmussen mile 125, Ronald Trignano 109 miles, Sue Scholl mile 107, John Rasmussen mile 92, Ann Kerkman 83 miles, Troy Varney 83 miles, Brian Pickett mile 78, Betty Holder 56 miles, Michael Melton mile 54, Amanda McMahon mile 45, Larry Phillips mile 39

*bold = Run It Fast Club members

Congrats to RIF member Shane Tucker finishing in less than 8 days.

RIF’s Gregg Ellis has now finished his epic battle against the Vol State with a time of 8 days 1 hour 24 minutes 40 seconds. Congrats, Gregg!

“I Lived A lot of Life in Those 314 Miles” – Gregg Ellis

RIF member Shane Tucker running to The Rock and on The Rock with his crew gf extraordinaire Julia Beavers.

Several more finishers throughout today reached The Rock. They include Joshua Swink, Richard McKnight, Johnny Adams, John Price, and Don Winkley.

Quote of the Race: “I’ve had a couple layers peeled back before, but I’ve never had MY onions put in the blender like that.” – Johnny Adams

204 Hour Vol State 500K Standings 7:30pm Friday, July 17th (43 Finishers, 16 Running, 21 DNFs)

1. Greg Armstrong – 3 days 22 hours 5 minutes 23 seconds (King of the Road)
2. Johan Steene – 3 days 23 hours 15 minutes 52 seconds (uncrewed course record, 2nd overall)
3. John Fegyveresi – 4 days 19 hours 28 minutes 54 seconds (3rd overall, uncrewed)
4. Steven Smith – 4 days 20 hours 3 minutes 48 seconds
5. Lisa Van Wolde – 5 days 8 hours 6 minutes 47 seconds (1st Female)
6. Marylou Corino – 5 days 8 hours 6 minutes 52 seconds (T-1st/2nd Female)
7. Jeremy Ebel – 5 days 16 hours 42 minutes 30 seconds (uncrewed)
8. Andrea Stewart – 5 days 21 hours 33 minutes 59 seconds (3rd female, uncrewed)
9. Jay Dobrowalski – 5 days 23 hours 34 minutes 38 seconds (uncrewed)
10. James Adams – 6 days 5 hours 47 minutes 12 seconds (uncrewed)
11. Sal Coll – 6 days 8 hours 4 minutes 25 seconds (uncrewed, 4x finisher)
12. Bo Millwood – 6 days 10 hours 11 minutes 20 seconds (uncrewed)
13. Karen Jackson – 6 days 10 hours 11 minutes 40 seconds (uncrewed)
14. Rick Gray – 6 days 11 hours 10 minutes 8 seconds
15. Lisa Hazlett – 6 days 11 hours 22 minutes 27 seconds
16. David Lettieri – 6 days 15 hours 43 minutes 46 seconds (uncrewed)
17. Michael Callans – 6 days 17 hours 17 minutes 5 seconds (uncrewed)
18. Thomas Alm – 6 days 17 hours 29 minutes 9 seconds
19. Timothy Daily – 6 days 17 hours 29 minutes 39 seconds
20. Edward Masuoka – 6 days 20 hours 3 minutes 9 seconds (uncrewed)
21. Ben Herron – 6 days 21 hours 5 minutes 29 seconds (uncrewed)
22. Tim Purol – 6 days 21 hours 47 minutes 8 seconds (uncrewed)
23. Jeffrey Stephens – 6 days 22 hours 20 minutes 44 seconds (uncrewed)
24. Tom Dekornfield – 6 days 23 hours 4 minutes 42 seconds (uncrewed)
25. Scott Krouse – 7 days 3 hours 32 minutes 27 seconds (uncrewed)
26. Gina Fioroni – 7 days 7 hours 2 minutes 59 seconds (uncrewed)
27. Thomas Skinner – 7 days 8 hours 15 minutes 34 seconds (uncrewed)
28. Caleb Nolen – 7 days 9 hours 48 minutes 10 seconds (uncrewed)
29. Shelly Mack – 7 days 10 hours 32 minutes 13 seconds
30. Allen Wrinkle – 7 days 12 hours 0 minutes 2 seconds (uncrewed)
31. John Sharp – 7 days 12 hours 0 minutes 18 seconds (uncrewed)
32. Sherry Meador – 7 days 12 hours 58 minutes 18 seconds (uncrewed)
33. Ally Gregory – 7 days 14 hours 25 minutes 40 seconds
34. Christian McMahon – 7 days 16 hours 25 minutes 59 seconds
35. Sergio Bianchini – 7 days 16 hours 46 minutes 9 seconds (uncrewed)
36. Christopher Knight – 7 days 18 hours 8 minutes 52 seconds
37. Shane Tucker – 7 days 23 hours 11 minutes 44 seconds
38. Gregg Ellis – 8 days 1 hour 24 minutes 40 seconds
39. Joshua Swink – 8 days 4 hours 38 minutes 32 seconds
40. Johnny Adams – 8 days 5 days 22 minutes 28 seconds
41. Richard McKnight – 8 days 5 hours 8 minutes 20 seconds
42. John Price – 8 days 6 hours 13 minutes 1 second
43. Don Winkley – 8 days 7 hours 36 minutes 14 seconds
44. Dallas Smith – 8 days 10 hours 9 minutes 11 seconds–not updated below Dallas
45. Jameelah Abdul-Rahim – 282 miles
46. Gilbert Gray – 282 miles
47. Troy Johnson – 272 miles
48. Cathie Johnson – 272 miles
49. Tim Loudermilk – 270 miles
50. Joseph Kowalski – 270 miles
51. Garry Price – 270 miles
52. Lynda Webber – 268 miles
53. Terrie Wurzbacher – 258 miles
54. Paul Heckert – 252 miles
55. Bill Haecker – 252 miles
56. Jay Hamilton – 250 miles
57. Diane Taylor – 250 miles
58. Ben Pennington – 250 miles

DID NOT FINISH (21): Richard Westbook 257 miles, Remy Brandefalk 249 miles, Sandy Geisel 189 miles, Francesca Muccini 188 miles, Jeff McGonnell 165 miles, Nathan Dewall 145 miles, Johnny Adams 145 miles, Joe Ninke 145 miles, Mike Delang mile 135, Curt Chambers mile 130, Dale Rucker mile 125, Marcia Rasmussen mile 125, Ronald Trignano 109 miles, Sue Scholl mile 107, John Rasmussen mile 92, Ann Kerkman 83 miles, Troy Varney 83 miles, Brian Pickett mile 78, Betty Holder 56 miles, Michael Melton mile 54, Amanda McMahon mile 45, Larry Phillips mile 39

*bold = Run It Fast Club members

Run It Fast’s oldest member Dallas Smith finishes the Vol State 500K for the second time, uncrewed, at age 75(ish) in 8 days 10 hours.

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Day-by-Day Vol State 5ooK Recaps

• Day 8: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)
• King of the Road, Greg Armstrong’s Vol State 500K Race Report (2015)
• Day 7: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)
• Day 6: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)
• Greg Armstrong Repeats as 2015 Vol State 500K King of the Road
• Day 5: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)
• Day 4: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)
• Day 3: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)
• Day 2: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)
• Day 1: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)

Vintage Vol State 500K Race Reports

• One Mutant’s Last Annual Vol State 500K Race Report (2012)
• Charlie Taylor’s Vol State 500K Race Report (2012)
• Naresh Kumar’s Last Annual Vol State 500K Race Report (2011)
• Joshua Holmes Vol State 500K Photo Journal + Race Report (2011)
• ‘King of the Road’ Don Winkley’s Winning Vol State 500K Race Report (2011)

Historical Vol State 500K Results

• 2014 Last Annual Vol State 500K Results
• 2013 Last Annual Vol State 500K Results
• 2012 Last Annual Vol State 500K Results
• 2011 Last Annual Vol State 5o0K Results

– Run It Fast®

Many more finishers made it to The Rock completing their Vol State 500K journey over the night and early morning. Congrats to David Lettieri, Michael Callans, Thomas Alm, Timothy Daily, Edward Masuoka, Ben Herron, Tim Purol, Jeffrey Stephens, Tom Dekornfield, Scott Krouse!

Lynda Webber is supposedly back from the dead but still at mile 235.

168 Hour Vol State 500K Standings 7:30am Thursday, July 16th (24 Finishers, 36 Running, 20 DNFs)

1. Greg Armstrong – 3 days 22 hours 5 minutes 23 seconds (King of the Road)
2. Johan Steene – 3 days 23 hours 15 minutes 52 seconds (uncrewed course record, 2nd overall)
3. John Fegyveresi – 4 days 19 hours 28 minutes 54 seconds (3rd overall, uncrewed)
4. Steven Smith – 4 days 20 hours 3 minutes 48 seconds
5. Lisa Van Wolde – 5 days 8 hours 6 minutes 47 seconds (1st Female)
6. Marylou Corino – 5 days 8 hours 6 minutes 52 seconds (T-1st/2nd Female)
7. Jeremy Ebel – 5 days 16 hours 42 minutes 30 seconds (uncrewed)
8. Andrea Stewart – 5 days 21 hours 33 minutes 59 seconds (3rd female, uncrewed)
9. Jay Dobrowalski – 5 days 23 hours 34 minutes 38 seconds (uncrewed)
10. James Adams – 6 days 5 hours 47 minutes 12 seconds (uncrewed)
11. Sal Coll – 6 days 8 hours 4 minutes 25 seconds (uncrewed, 4x finisher)
12. Bo Millwood – 6 days 10 hours 11 minutes 20 seconds (uncrewed)
13. Karen Jackson – 6 days 10 hours 11 minutes 40 seconds (uncrewed)
14. Rick Gray – 6 days 11 hours 10 minutes 8 seconds
15. Lisa Hazlett – 6 days 11 hours 22 minutes 27 seconds
16. David Lettieri – 6 days 15 hours 43 minutes 46 seconds (uncrewed)
17. Michael Callans – 6 days 17 hours 17 minutes 5 seconds (uncrewed)
18. Thomas Alm – 6 days 17 hours 29 minutes 9 seconds
19. Timothy Daily – 6 days 17 hours 29 minutes 39 seconds
20. Edward Masuoka – 6 days 20 hours 3 minutes 9 seconds (uncrewed)
21. Ben Herron – 6 days 21 hours 5 minutes 29 seconds (uncrewed)
22. Tim Purol – 6 days 21 hours 47 minutes 8 seconds (uncrewed)
23. Jeffrey Stephens – 6 days 22 hours 20 minutes 44 seconds (uncrewed)
24. Tom Dekornfield – 6 days 23 hours 4 minutes 42 seconds (uncrewed)
25. Scott Krouse – 303 miles
26. Thomas Skinner – 301 miles
27. Caleb Nolen – 293 miles
28. Gina Chupka – 288 miles
29. Sherry Meador – 282 miles
30. Allen Wrinkle – 280 miles
31. John Sharp – 280 miles
32. Shelly Mack – 280 miles
33. Christian McMahon – 280 miles
34. Ally Gregory – 278 miles
35. Shane Tucker – 278 miles
36. Joshua Swink – 277 miles
37. Christopher Knight – 272 miles
38. Fred Davis III – 271 miles
39. Dallas Smith – 264 miles
40. Sergio Bianchini – 257 miles
41. Rich McKnight – 254 miles
42. Gregg Ellis – 254 miles
43. Don Winkley – 253 miles
44. Johnny Adams – 252 miles
45. John Price – 248 miles
46. Tim Loudermilk – 240 miles
47. Joseph Kowalski – 238 miles
48. Jameelah Abdul-Rahim – 238 miles
49. Gilbert Gray – 238 miles
50. Remy Brandefalk – 238 miles
51. Lynda Webber – 235 miles
52. Troy Johnson – 235 miles
53. Cathie Johnson – 235 miles
54. Terrie Wurzbacher – 232 miles
55. Paul Heckert – 229 miles
56. Garry Price – 228 miles
57. Bill Haecker – 224 miles
58. Jay Hamilton – 222 miles
59. Diane Taylor – 222 miles
60. Ben Pennington – 222 miles

DID NOT FINISH (21): Richard Westbook 257 miles, Sandy Geisel 189 miles, Francesca Muccini 188 miles, Jeff McGonnell 165 miles, Nathan Dewall 145 miles, Johnny Adams 145 miles, Joe Ninke 145 miles, Mike Delang mile 135, Curt Chambers mile 130, Dale Rucker mile 125, Marcia Rasmussen mile 125, Ronald Trignano 109 miles, Sue Scholl mile 107, John Rasmussen mile 92, Ann Kerkman 83 miles, Troy Varney 83 miles, Brian Pickett mile 78, Betty Holder 56 miles, Michael Melton mile 54, Amanda McMahon mile 45, Larry Phillips mile 39

*bold = Run It Fast Club members

Scott Krouse finished shortly into the start of day with a time of 7 days 3 hours 32 minutes 27 seconds and told race officials, “I collapsed at the base of Jasper mountain, recovering, when I read laz’s update about that annihilating descent….I was like, ‘well that’s ironic.’ ” Congrats Scott on a strong race.

Run It Fast member Ben Herron finished early this morning with a sub 7-day finish of 6 days 21 hours 5 minutes 29 seconds. Ben also completed the Vol State 500K relay with the team Run It Fast, Ya’ll back in May. Herron along with Steven Smith completed both the solo and relay version of the 500K this year.

Gregg Ellis is now past Pelham and has started the ascent to the top of Monteagle mountain.

And now he’s to the top!

“Stopping in Jasper for the day at mile 294. Time for shower and some grub then a nap before bringing it home tomorrow early morning” – Shane Tucker

Dallas Smith said he got to enjoy another sunrise on the road this morning. And what a beautiful one it was judging by this photo he posted to Twitter. You can follow Dallas on Twitter @SmithBend

RIF member Whitney Franklin spotted Rich McKnight (above) up on Monteagle a few moments ago. Rich is less than 40 miles from the finish.

RIF spotter Whitney also just found Troy and Cathie Johnson crossing I-24 just past mile 250 in Manchester, TN. It looks like they are going to do it this year after a joint DNF last year. Amazing couple!

“Vol State Day 8. 37 miles. 294 miles total. 20 miles to finish. After some rest. I am hoping to get up around midnight and try to finish. All miles covered before 7:30 AM will count as part of the day 8 total. Hopefully, the finish time should be around 6 or 7 central time. I will enjoy my last 20 miles of this adventure…..” – Shane Tucker

“Today we ended up in Manchester,TN 250 miles in our journey. 64 miles to go!!! We celebrated a little, and we are heading to Monteagle abought 10 pm. Shin Splints bad, on right leg.” – Troy and Cathie Johnson

Congrats to the following two, Gina and Thomas, on reaching The Rock!!!!

26. Gina Fioroni ‘Chupka’ – 7:07:02:59 – “I woke up at 2:30 this morning, I have a flight to catch this evening!”
27. Thomas Skinner – 7:08:15:34 – I ran it a second time to see the difference between crewed and screwed.Running ……screwed …..is …..harder ……..than ………running ……..crewed.

Vol State vet John Price, who has the most finishes of all-time, is to the top of Monteagle.

“Day 8, Thursday, Tracy City, MM 281

I’m running on raw nubs. Last night I soaked them in peroxide mixed with water in a hotel wastebasket, as Don Winkley had advised. 77 now, he was King of the Road one year. I expect he’ll beat me this year. He’s supported. Someone like that speaks, you listen.

I’m sitting on a side deck of a church in Tracy City, were I’ve just dined on a Slim Jim. Having peanuts after this post. That’ll be supper. Also were I just slept for a hour. That’ll be my sleep. Nearest hotel is hours away.

Vol State 500K Splits

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Day-by-Day Vol State 5ooK Recaps

• Day 8: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)
• King of the Road, Greg Armstrong’s Vol State 500K Race Report (2015)
• Day 7: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)
• Day 6: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)
• Greg Armstrong Repeats as 2015 Vol State 500K King of the Road
• Day 5: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)
• Day 4: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)
• Day 3: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)
• Day 2: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)
• Day 1: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)

Vintage Vol State 500K Race Reports

• One Mutant’s Last Annual Vol State 500K Race Report (2012)
• Charlie Taylor’s Vol State 500K Race Report (2012)
• Naresh Kumar’s Last Annual Vol State 500K Race Report (2011)
• Joshua Holmes Vol State 500K Photo Journal + Race Report (2011)
• ‘King of the Road’ Don Winkley’s Winning Vol State 500K Race Report (2011)

Historical Vol State 500K Results

• 2014 Last Annual Vol State 500K Results
• 2013 Last Annual Vol State 500K Results
• 2012 Last Annual Vol State 500K Results
• 2011 Last Annual Vol State 5o0K Results

– Run It Fast®

Day 4: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015): Carnage Road

72 Hour Vol State 500K Standings 7:30am Sunday, July 12th (68 Runners, 12 DNFs)

1. Greg Armstrong – 244 miles 
2. Johan Steene – 234 miles
3. John Fegyveresi – 204 miles
4. Jeremy Ebel – 188 miles
5. Steven Smith – 188 miles
6. Lisa Van Wolde – 185 miles (F)
7. Marylou Corino – 185 miles (F)
8. Michael Callans – 179 miles
9. Jay Dobrowalski – 178 miles
10. Francesca Muccini – 175 miles (F)
11. James Adams – 169 miles
12. Timothy Daily – 157 miles
13. Andrea Stewart – 156 miles
14. Jeff McGonnell – 156 miles
15. Bo Millwood 147 miles
16. Karen Jackson – 147 miles
17. Ben Herron – 146 miles
18. Thomas Skinner – 145 miles
19. Jeffrey Stephens – 145 miles
20. Tim Purol – 145 miles
21. Sherry Meador  – 145 miles
22. Nathan Dewall – 145 miles
23. Sal Coll – 144 miles
24. Richard Westbrook – 144 miles
25. Edward Masuoka – 144 miles
26. Scott Krouse – 144 miles
27. Shane Tucker – 143 miles
28. David Lettieri – 143 miles
29. Allen Wrinkle – 141 miles
30. Gina Chupka – 141 miles
31. John Sharp – 141 miles
32. Thomas Alm – 141 miles
33. Caleb Nolen – 140 miles
34. Lisa Hazlett – 138 miles
35. Rick Gray – 138 miles
36. Joshua Swink – 138 miles
37. Christopher Knight – 136 miles
38. Tom Dekornfield – 136 miles
39. Gregg Ellis – 136 miles
40. Fred Davis III – 130 miles
41. Mike Delang – 129 miles
42. Sangy Geisel – 129 miles
43. Joseph Kowalski – 129 miles
44. Bill Haecker – 128 miles
45. Johnny Adams – 125 miles
46. Richard McKnight – 125 miles
47. Ally Gregory – 124 miles
48. Shelly Mack – 123 miles
49. Christian McMahon – 122 miles
50. Curt Chambers – 122 miles
51. Gilbert Gray – 121 miles
52. Remy Brandefalk – 121 miles
53. Dale Rucker – 121 miles
54. Tim Loudermilk – 120 miles
55. Lynda Webber – 118 miles
56. Sergio Bianchini – 118 miles
57. Dallas Smith – 117 miles
58. Don Winkley – 116 miles
59. Jameelah Abdul-Rahim – 115 miles
60. John Price – 111 miles
61. Jay Hamilton – 108 miles
62. Paul Heckert – 107 miles
63. Garry Price – 106 miles
64. Troy Johnson – 105 miles
65. Cathie Johnson – 105 miles
66. Ben Pennington – 102 miles
67. Diane Taylor – 98 miles
68. Terrie Wurzbacher – 98 miles

DID NOT FINISH (12): Joe Ninke 145 miles, Marcia Rasmussen mile 125, Ronald Trignano 109 miles, Sue Scholl mile 107, John Rasmussen mile 92, Ann Kerkman 83 miles, Troy Varney 83 miles, Brian Pickett mile 78, Betty Holder 56 miles, Michael Melton mile 54, Amanda McMahon mile 45, Larry Phillips mile 39

Run It Fast members Sal Coll and Shane Tucker taking names around mile 146.

Laz’s 72 Hour Pep Talk

the long thin line grows thinner:

the 4th morning is here.
once again the sun beats down
the chirring july flies sing…

Steven Smith hits mile 200 of The Vol State. Only 114 miles to go.

The Canadian women of Marylou Corino and Lisa Van Wolde are at mile 200 in Lewisburg.

Greg Armstrong is strong once again and banging out 10-11 minute miles as he starts to feel the pull of The Rock a bit as he moves towards Monteagle Mountain.

Shane Tucker is to mile 152 where he is now going down for sleep and will get back at it once the sun is down.

Race leader Greg Armstrong has turned the volume up to sub 10 min miles and is now at mile 265 with less than 50 miles to go. He is 10 miles away from the base of Monteagle mtn.

“Thanks for all the encouragement and positive energy! This race has been brutal. Three straight days of a heat index at 100 degrees. Never have I been so humbled.  Am at the base of Mounteagle about to make the ascent! Less than 50 to go. The Rock is near!” – Greg Armstrong

Ben Herron is all thumb on his trek towards Columbia, TN.

“Having a blast! (really lol) the camaderie is admirable. We all are in pain, we see it in each other’s eyes. Yes it hurts, it’s extremely hard, this course is unforgiving and relentless. Goals and plans have changed too many times to count but the goal of reaching the Rock hasn’t. I’ve ran out of food n supplies in between just about every town, I’ve begged strangers for water, I’ve been dehydrated, gotten cramps, hobbled thru 144 miles but I’m still marching toward the Rock. This course will make the most fluid runners hobble. It will turn 10 min miles into 30 min miles. If it was easy then everyone would do it. The Vol Staters we don’t want easy, we want to earn our seat in the camp chair “throne” on the Rock. We just want to finish this beast and prove to ourselves that we have what it takes inside. It is about survival now. ‪#‎GetToTheRock‬” – Gregg Ellis

“Yikes, I just took a look at Mike’s (Delang) feet. No wonder his painful grimaces and slow pace, the skin has completely come off 3 toes. Let’s see how well I can treat and tape them with what tools I have and if it will help him move forward. We are desperately trying to avoid a call to the ‘meat wagon’ that would end our race. Our goal is to walk the 9 miles to the next town and see how he does.” – Sandy Geisel

84 Hour Update Shortly. Runners are still reporting their positions….several more DNF’s. Armstrong is at 281. Steene 273.

84 Hour Vol State 500K Standings 7:30am Sunday, July 12th (63 Runners, 17 DNFs)

1. Greg Armstrong – 281 miles 
2. Johan Steene – 273 miles
3. John Fegyveresi – 234 miles
4. Steven Smith – 224 miles
5. Lisa Van Wolde – 211 miles (F)
6. Marylou Corino – 211 miles (F)
7. Jay Dobrowalski – 202 miles
8. Jeremy Ebel – 202 miles
9. Michael Callans – 200 miles
10. Andrea Stewart – 179 miles
11. James Adams – 178 miles
12. Thomas Alm – 176 miles
13. Lisa Hazlett – 174 miles
14. Rick Gray – 174 miles
15. Bo Millwood 173 miles
16. Karen Jackson – 173 miles
17. David Lettieri – 172 miles
18. Sal Coll – 171 miles
19. Edward Masuoka – 170 miles
20. Richard Westbrook – 170 miles
21. Jeffrey Stephens – 169 miles
22. Tim Purol – 169 miles
23. Scott Krouse – 165 miles
24. Sherry Meador – 165 miles
25. Caleb Nolen – 164 miles
26. Ben Herron – 163 miles
27. Joshua Swink – 163 miles
28. Timothy Daily – 163 miles
29. Thomas Skinner – 162 miles
30. Shane Tucker – 152 miles
31. Shelly Mack – 150 miles
32. Bill Haecker – 147 miles
33. Allen Wrinkle – 146 miles
34. Gina Chupka – 146 miles
35. John Sharp – 146 miles
36. Christopher Knight – 145 miles
37. Dallas Smith – 145 miles
38. Fred Davis III – 145 miles
39. Gregg Ellis – 145 miles
40. Lynda Webber – 145 miles
41. Sergio Bianchini – 145 miles
42. Tom Dekornfield – 145 miles
43. Joseph Kowalski – 145 miles
44. Gilbert Gray – 142 miles
45. Jameelah Abul-Rahim – 142 miles
46. Remy Brandefalk – 142 miles
47. Don Winkley – 140 miles
48. Johnny Adams – 139 miles
49. Richard McKnight 139 miles
50. Ally Gregory – 137 miles
51. Sandy Geisel – 136 miles
52. Tim Loudermilk – 135 miles
53. John Price – 131 miles
54. Christian McMahon – 131 miles
55. Curt Chambers – 131 miles
56. Cathie Johnson – 125 miles
57. Troy Johnson – 125 miles
58. Jay Hamilton – 125 miles
59. Garry Price – 114 miles
60. Paul Heckert – 113 miles
61. Ben Pennington – 111 miles
62. Diane Taylor – 108 miles
63. Terrie Wurzbacher – 108 miles

DID NOT FINISH (17): Francesca Muccini 188 miles, Jeff McGonnell 165 miles, Joe Ninke 145 miles, Mike Delang mile 135, Dale Rucker mile 125, Marcia Rasmussen mile 125, Ronald Trignano 109 miles, Sue Scholl mile 107, John Rasmussen mile 92, Ann Kerkman 83 miles, Troy Varney 83 miles, Brian Pickett mile 78, Betty Holder 56 miles, Michael Melton mile 54, Amanda McMahon mile 45, Larry Phillips mile 39

After the updated standings were posted, Francesca Muccini who was the third female, dropped from the race per her Facebook update. Congrats to RIF’s Francesca who had an amazing run. Great job, Francesca!

The eloquent Dallas Smith checks in with these words:

Day 4, Sunday, Hohenwald, MM 145

The Vol State 500k has added a new term to the running lexicon, “2 mph.” A speed ordinary runners don’t consider, but every Vol Stater knows. When you have no play left except an enfeebled walk then you make that play.

You can endure even that and emerge running the next day. I did. The fever on my quads broke during a deep sleep untroubled by dreams or trips to the bathroom. This morning, I hit US 412 at 4:14 in Parsons. I stopped at 6:30 pm at Hohenwald.

The moon is a stingy mistress withholding her light, hanging in the eastern morning sky, offering only a thin smile and each day falling a little closer to the rising sun.

When I left Parsons a whip-o-will was calling, second consecutive morning to hear that sound. A chorus of frogs, several kinds, were making their calls, including one that sounded like barking. And a bullfrog was grunting. These hopeful sounds launched me into another burning day.

I have a hip hop vibe going, running with my shorts pulled down low, so they can rub a new spot and let the old spot rest. May improve my style category, trotting down the road with drooping britches.

I remember a guy two years ago had same problem, but different body part. He wrapped his scrotum with duct tape. Which seemed an imperfect solution. That’s the fate of the uncrewed runner – making do with what he has or he can find.

Rich McKnight’s shadow gives the Vol State course a subtle message!

Gregg Ellis just hit the half way point (m157). Congrats Gregg! Only 157mi to go!

Steven Smith is back on the road after a short rest. He has just 89 miles to go and is currently in 4th place.

Couple great photos above from Shane Tucker while cruising through the Natchez Trace Parkway.

“We got up at midnight and started our journey at 0030. We wanted to get a lot of miles in before the heat. Yesterday we went 39 miles,today we went 34 miles, and stopped in Linden,TN. It was very hot today! We have knocked out 125 miles.” – Troy Johnson

Armstrong has got to be getting close to The Rock!

“Halfway at 1:58 AM on day 4. Unofficial Vol State clock time of 3 days, 17 hours and 58 minutes.” – Shane Tucker

Laz’s Nightly News Report from the Road

blood on the highway

one word keeps surfacing at the vol state…

 

 

brutal.

 

today was a truly brutal day.

another escalation in the heat index

battered the weary footwarriors,

 

and more than a few were pushed beyond their capacity to endure.

 

one by one they capitulated.

all day long.

65 of the original 80 remain,

and many of them are hanging by a thread….

 

tomorrow promises to be the hottest day yet.

 

and we knew it would happen.

the relentless oprah has overtaken a runner.

sentimental favorites terrie wurzbacher and diane taylor

find their backs to the wall tonight.

 

they must run down oprah in the darkness

to keep their dreams of reaching the rock alive.

 

of course they are only trying to buy a day.

oprah never lets up.

 

at the front,

greg armstrong has begun his push to the finish

and is running very strong.

johan steene still refuses to go away

having, unbelievably, cut the lead to 8 miles

over a 30 mile stretch of road almost devoid of aid possibilities.

I cannot find the words to describe the improbability of this feat.

 

fegy is now totally alone in third.

 

and steven smith has returned from the void to grab a solid hold on 4th.

 

the canadiennes are smiling and dancing along in 5th/6th.

 

Jeremy ebel and jay dobrawalski have taken very different routes

to fall out of contention.

 

Jeremy ran 10 miles off course

(meaning a 20 mile error by the time he gets back)

jay has simply crashed and burned…

 

his corpse stumbles on,

refusing to quit.

 

the first half of day 4 has been a nightmare.

now we will see what the night itself will bring.

 

laz

_____________

Day-by-Day Vol State 5ooK Recaps

• Day 8: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)
• King of the Road, Greg Armstrong’s Vol State 500K Race Report (2015)
• Day 7: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)
• Day 6: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)
• Greg Armstrong Repeats as 2015 Vol State 500K King of the Road
• Day 5: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)
• Day 4: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)
• Day 3: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)
• Day 2: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)
• Day 1: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)

Vintage Vol State 500K Race Reports

• One Mutant’s Last Annual Vol State 500K Race Report (2012)
• Charlie Taylor’s Vol State 500K Race Report (2012)
• Naresh Kumar’s Last Annual Vol State 500K Race Report (2011)
• Joshua Holmes Vol State 500K Photo Journal + Race Report (2011)
• ‘King of the Road’ Don Winkley’s Winning Vol State 500K Race Report (2011)

Historical Vol State 500K Results

• 2014 Last Annual Vol State 500K Results
• 2013 Last Annual Vol State 500K Results
• 2012 Last Annual Vol State 500K Results
• 2011 Last Annual Vol State 5o0K Results

– Run It Fast®

The 2015 Last Annual Vol State 500K kicked off earlier this morning in Hickman, Kentucky. The Mississippi River was too high from all the heavy rains the area has taken on lately so the ferry was not running across the river.

So instead of starting on the banks of Missouri and running onto the ferry, runners instead started in Hickman, Kentucky next to the ferry after simulating the time the ferry ride would have taken. The race started at 7:30am CT.

Run It Fast had 13 runners sign up for this year’s LAVS and 12 that started. Here is a photo of them on the simulated ferry as they waited for the time to click off:

Last year’s ‘King of the Road’ Greg Armstrong (RIF #373) started strong and took off with the lead. Here is a photo that RIF’s Bill Baker took of Greg 7 miles into the race:

RIF’s Josh Tyner caught RIF members Marylou Corino and Lisa Van Wolde making the turn at mile 18 in Union City this morning.

Shane Tucker taking a quick break in Martin, TN:

After 12 hours, last year’s King Greg Armstrong has a 2 mile lead over Brian Pickett’s ‘Charge!’ Armstrong is 8 miles ahead of course record pace after the first 12 hours. Sweden’s Johan Steene is at 63 miles with 4th overall, first female being Sue Scholl, who set the women’s course record last year. Second female after Sue is Lisa Hazlett with 51 miles and third is Marylou Corino and Lisa Van Wolde with 49 miles.

12 Hour Standings as of 7:30pm on Day 1 – 80 runners:

1. Greg Armstrong – 68 miles
2. Brian Pickett – 66 miles
3. Johan Steene – 63 miles
4. Sue Scholl – 53 miles (F)
5. Lisa Hazlett – 51 miles (F)
6. Rick Gray – 51 miles
7. Steven Smith – 50 miles
8. Nathan Dewall – 50 miles
9. Marylou Corino – 49 miles (F)
10. Lisa Van Wolde – 49 miles (F)
11. Francesca Muccini – 49 miles (F)
12. Jeremy Ebel – 48 miles
13. John Fegyveresi – 48 miles
14. Jay Dobrowalski – 48 miles
15. Michael Callans – 47 miles
16. Marcia Rasmussen – 46 miles
17. James Adams – 45 miles
18. Thomas Alm – 45 miles
19. Tom Dekornfield – 43 miles
20. Don Winkley – 43 miles
21. Ronald Trignano – 42 miles
22. Ally Gregory – 42 miles
23. Shane Tucker – 41 miles
24. Sal Coll – 40 miles
25. Johnny Adams – 40 miles
26. Gregg Ellis – 40 miles
27. Richard McKnight – 40 miles
28. Jeff Mcgonnell – 40 miles
29. Joe Ninke – 40 miles
30. Shelly Mack – 40 miles
31. Gina Chupka – 40 miles
32. Jay Hamilton – 40 miles
33. Andrea Stewart – 40 miles
34. John Sharp – 40 miles
35. Allen Wrinkle – 40 miles
36. David Lettieri – 40 miles
37. Scott Krouse – 40 miles
38. Ben Herron – 39 miles
39. Mike Delang – 39 miles
40. Jeffrey Stephens – 39 miles
41. Bill Haecker – 39 miles
42. Tim Purol – 39 miles
43. Sandy Geisel – 39 miles
44. Jameelah Abdul-Rahim Mujaahid – 38 miles
45. Caleb Nolen – 38 miles
46. Karen Jackson – 38 miles
47. Bo Millwood – 38 miles
48. Edward Masuoka – 38 miles
49. Gilbert Gray – 37 miles
50. Thomas Skinner – 37 miles
51. Remy Brandefalk – 37 miles
52. Richard Westbrook – 36 miles
53. Joseph Kowalski – 35 miles
54. Dale Rucker – 34 miles
55. Tim Loudermilk – 33 miles
56. Sergio Bianchini – 32 miles
57. Lynda Webber – 32 miles
58. Joshua Swink – 32 miles
59. Betty Holder – 32 miles
60. Michael Melton – 31 miles
61. Fred Davis III – 31 miles
62. Sherry Meador – 30 miles
63. John Price – 30 miles
64. Garry Price – 30 miles
65. Dallas Smith – 30 miles
66. Tony Varney – 30 miles
67. Christian Mcmahan – 30 miles
68. Amanda Mcmahan – 30 miles
69. Christopher Knight – 30 miles
70. Ann Kerkman – 30 miles
71. Diane Taylor – 30 miles
72. Curt Chambers – 30 miles
73. Terrie Wurzbacher – 30 miles
74. Larry Phillips – 29 miles
75. John Rasmussen – 29 miles
76. Troy Johnson – 29 miles
77. Cathie Johnson – 29 miles
78. Paul Heckert – 28 miles
79. Ben Pennington – 28 miles
80. Timothy Daily – 21 miles

– Run It Fast®

80 runners is insane.

there are so many runners along the road,

it looks like a 10k is going on….

a really slow 10k.

day 1 was blessed with mild conditions.

the “heat index” was a paltry 97,

altho things promise to heat up tomorrow.

the runners took full advantage.

Armstrong logged a neat 68 in the first 12 hours,

but he had not buried the field.

brian pickett was well within striking distance,

and is probably the fastest pure runner in the field.

greg’s advantage in multiday experience will be tough to overcome

(over another 250 or so miles)

behind the leaders,

runners were lined up in close order.

day one is just a chance to get blooded a little bit.

things won’t start to get serious until tomorrow,

when much more typical temperatures are expected….

and greg seems pretty tight with the 110+ heat indexes.

the real story on day 1 is the response of rural Tennessee to the race.

road angels apparently were out in abundance,

offering up cold refreshment to the cooking runners.

the city of Dresden set up a “welcome center”

with cold drinks, watermelon, and various other treats.

gleason’s fire department

set up an aid station, which was just starting to get customers after 12 hours.

maybe the nicest touch so far

has been the hand lettered signs;

“Welcome Vol State Runners”

“All the way to the Rock”

“Every Step Counts”

the small towns along the way have embraced the vol state

and its runners.

this is going to be a very interesting week.

laz

_____________

Day-by-Day Vol State 5ooK Recaps

• Day 8: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)
• King of the Road, Greg Armstrong’s Vol State 500K Race Report (2015)
• Day 7: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)
• Day 6: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)
• Greg Armstrong Repeats as 2015 Vol State 500K King of the Road
• Day 5: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)
• Day 4: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)
• Day 3: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)
• Day 2: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)
• Day 1: The Vol State 500K Live Blog/Standings (2015)

Vintage Vol State 500K Race Reports

• One Mutant’s Last Annual Vol State 500K Race Report (2012)
• Charlie Taylor’s Vol State 500K Race Report (2012)
• Naresh Kumar’s Last Annual Vol State 500K Race Report (2011)
• Joshua Holmes Vol State 500K Photo Journal + Race Report (2011)
• ‘King of the Road’ Don Winkley’s Winning Vol State 500K Race Report (2011)

Historical Vol State 500K Results

• 2014 Last Annual Vol State 500K Results
• 2013 Last Annual Vol State 500K Results
• 2012 Last Annual Vol State 500K Results
• 2011 Last Annual Vol State 5o0K Results

– Run It Fast®

Harriette Thompson is now the oldest woman to ever run at marathon after she completed the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Marathon this morning at the age of 92-years old. She finished with a time of 7 hours 24 minutes.

Thompson has run the San Diego Marathon 16x and ran a 7:07 last year to set the record for 90 years and older. She started running marathons when she turned 76-years old.

According to ATHLinks Thompson ran a 44:26 5K two weeks prior. She ran a 6:27:03 at the 2009 San Diego Marathon

Congrats to Harriette in showing the world that anything is possible if we will just get out there and try it.

source/photo: Competitor

Asphalt in My Blood

i got hooked in 1970.
it wasn’t really a big deal,
i ran from tullahoma to estill springs and back.
it was only 16 miles, altho that was the furthest i had ever run.
the big thing was, i got asphalt in my blood.
from that day on,
i could not escape the call of the open road.
the map didn’t start until 1977.
i had used maps for quite a while to plan new places to run.
it was a miserable january,
and i had brightened it by getting a map of the city,
and using january to run every single road,
marking them off with a magic marker.
one night i got out my county maps
and shaded all my runs. all the places i had been.
then i cut out the maps and taped them together:
coffee, bedford, and franklin counties.
they looked dam impressive, so i hung it on the wall over the kitchen table.
the itch got worse,
and soon my map included lincoln, moore, and rutherford counties.
it was either 1979 or 1980 that tom osler changed my life.
i read some article, either by or about him, that introduced a concept so revolutionary
that it completely redefined my capabilities.
walking was not just what happened when you could run no further.
it was acceptable to walk on purpose.
and if you mixed in a little walking as you went,
your horizons expanded beyond the horizon.
suddenly i found that i was not limited to 30 or 35 miles in a run.
i could go on and on indefinitely.
in 1980 i took my first stab at running across tennessee
(north to south-125 miles seemed plenty ambitious at the time)
after making every mistake a noob can make,
i ended up aborting after 93 miles.
it was a failure that would give birth to the vol-state
(but that is another story, for another day)
as time went by, i added to my skill set and my tools.
they invented water bottles
and i got me a liquipak.
around 1983 i got a bodabelt 100-miler fanny pack.
i still use the liquipack and bodabelt 100-miler.
no better products have been produced.
growing my map became a passion.
i left on christmas eve and ran overnight to sandra’s dad’s house in dickson for christmas.
it was a hundred and some odd miles,
depending on which way you went.
i eventually went all of them,
and part of the holiday tradition became reports on where family members passed me on their way to the gatherings.
i took trips that went on for days, overnighting in cheap motels…
or cemeteries and church lawns.
my map grew and grew.
sandra took me to arkansas, and let me out.
a week later i showed up at home.
(she loves to tell people that no matter where she dumps me, i always find my way home)
somewhere along the way,
my goal became to add every county in the state to my map…
of course there are rules.
all the lines have to connect.
the map i have now is something to see.
it is 30 feet long, and 5 feet tall.
it is crisscrossed with lines;
it is not enough to do every county,
i have to do every route between every city.
the annexation of new counties eventually slowed.
(there are 95 counties in tennessee)
many of the counties are far away.
some lacked suitable roads for trekking.
and i spent a lot of happy days running new roads in counties already on the map.
but the map has never stopped growing.
i have never really had a plan.
there were so many counties, and so many runs to do.
i would just pick something new, plan it and do it.
i have seen some changes during the 43 years of this project.
the days of doing 30 miles at 8 minutes a mile,
and calling it “taking it easy” seem like a dream.
these days, as an old man with over 100k miles on the odometer, and a crippled leg,
20 minute miles feel like flying.
but i have never forgotten the ultimate goal.
altho i cannot go “fast” any more,
the horizon is still only limited by the time i have available.
last night it dawned on me that the end is drawing near.
it was finally time to sit down and take a count on what i have left.
what i came up with is 7 “runs” on my bucket list.
7 “runs” i have to do before i die.
if i could do any run i wanted.
these are the runs i would do:
bartlett to milan (haywood and crockett county)- 80 miles
brownsville bisects this one right in the middle.
convenient for making this a nice challenging 2-day run.
i ran the 1976 jackson marathon, which went into crockett, and does connect.
but that was pre-map, and apparently the actual course is lost to history.
it doesn’t count unless i can mark it in.
knoxville to tazewell (union county) -45 miles.
one good day.
mooresburg to sneedville to rogersville (hancock county)-50 miles
one long day.
i did a 60 mile run in hancock and hawkins county back around 1985, but it does not connect… yet
bristol to morristown (washington and greene counties)-83 miles
on us 11-e, i would love to do this as a continuous run of around 36 hours.
bristol to mountain city to elizabethton to bluff city (johnson and carter counties) 78 miles
up in the smoky mountains.
greenville to newport to sevierville to knoxville (cocke and sevier counties) 79 miles
i’d have done this a long time ago, except fot the smoky mt tourist traffic.
these roads used to be shoulderless, and i am not sure they are much better now.
timing will be important.
johnson city to erwin to the appalachian trail (unicoi county) 50 miles
this just seems like the run to complete my project with.
something about ending at the AT (home of so many other men’s dreams) just seems right.
there they are.
achievable.
despite my physical limitations, the real obstacle these days
is my financial limitations.
but i have made many good friends over the years,
and they have been wonderful in recent years,
accompanying me on the way,
providing good company
and making it possible for me to do these “runs.”
in my dream finish,
durb, and dirt, and others who have been a part of my lifetime project
are with me on that final 50 miler.
it is on a 4-lane road, with plenty of room for us all.
i think that would be the greatest run of my life.
at the same time as i was preparing this list,
my eye was caught by dozens of other roads as yet undone.
this list are the ones to complete the map.
there is more open road calling to me than i can complete in a lifetime.
and that is the way it should be.
living is not living,
without hearing the call of the open road.
laz

[originally posted by Lazarus Lake/Gary Cantrell to the Ultralist in 2013. Laz is the creator of the Barkley Marathons, Vol State 500K, Strolling Jim 40 Miler, A Race for the Ages, and Laz’s Backyard Ultra]

Daylight Savings Time, “Spring Forward”, has finally passed so that longer days and warmer weather can begin to make its way to us. Spring is on the horizon and the racing season is swiftly approaching. However, Run It Fast members have apparently not let the snow, ice or cold weather hold them back.  The Extreme Racer competition is already in full swing, only two months into the year, with many new participants joining in the fun.  The rest of the year should hold some pretty impressive numbers and accomplishments.

Leading the way for the men is RIF #190 John Kent Leighton with 383.05 points. RIF #279 George Southgate takes second place with 325.4 points. RIF’s founder and RIF #1, Joshua Holmes, comes in third place with 235.4 points.

Taking first place for the women is RIF #159 Diane Bolton with 202.6 points. RIF #280 Suzanne Michelson is in second place with 117.9 points and RIF #210 Amanda Staggs takes third place with 101.3 points.

Here are the 2015 Extreme Racer standings through February:

Extreme Racer Top 10 Leaderboard

1. John Kent Leighton – 383.05 (RIF #190)
2. George Southgate – 325.4 (RIF #279)
3. Joshua Holmes – 235.4 (RIF #1)
4. Diane Bolton – 202.6 (RIF #159)
5. Steven Smith – 169.4 (RIF #387)
6. Arland Blanton – 157.2 (RIF #290)
7. Charlie Taylor – 157.2 (RIF #353)
8. Shane Tucker – 120.3 (RIF #337)
9. Suzanne Michelson – 117.9 (RIF #280)
10. Amanda Staggs – 101.3 (RIF #210)

Extreme Racer Male Leaderboard

1. John Kent Leighton – 383.05 (RIF #190)
2. George Southgate – 325.4 (RIF #279)
3. Joshua Holmes – 235.4 (RIF #1)
4. Steven Smith – 169.4 (RIF 387)
5. Arland Blanton – 157.2 (RIF #290)
6. Charlie Taylor – 157.2 (RIF #353)
7. Shane Tucker – 120.3 (RIF #337)
8. Brian Recore – 100 (RIF #395)
9. John Sotomayor – 84.8 (RIF #393)
10. Dennis Arriaga – 63.1 (RIF #140)
11. Nathan Bass – 50 (RIF #174)
12. Michael Dasalla – 44.1 (RIF #411)
13. Mark Ogletree – 41.7 (RIF #247)
14. Jeff Van Demark – 35.5 (RIF #322)
15. David Mickelsen – 30.5 (RIF #164)
16. Robin Robbins – 6.2 (RIF #33)

Extreme Racer Female Leaderboard

1. Diane Bolton – 202.6 (RIF #159)
2. Suzanne Michelson – 117.9 (RIF #280)
3. Amanda Staggs – 101.3 (RIF #210)
4. Donna Dworak – 92 (RIF #310)
5. Heather Shoemaker – 91.7 (RIF #44)
6. Jennifer Hatcher – 81.7 (RIF #323)
7. Heather Zeigler – 78.6 (RIF #246)
8. Kim Crowe – 71 (RIF #245)
9. Leslie Harwell – 61.6 (RIF #417)
10. Belinda Young – 50.8 (RIF #358)
11. Lisa Gonzales – 45.5 (RIF #5)
12. Christy Bowers – 45.5 (RIF #60)
13. Aimee Shilling – 31 (RIF #418)
14. Sue Stephens-Wright – 26.2 (RIF #321)
15. Helen McMullin – 26.2 (RIF #390)
16. Marylou Corino – 26.2 (RIF #410)
17. Tiffani Glass – 17.3 (RIF #328)
18. Julia Beavers – 15.5 (RIF #339)

 

It will be exciting to see how the competition unfolds over the next few spring and summers months. So many fun races are coming up and, with this bunch, the numbers are bound to continue to climb. I hope everyone is able to enjoy the sunshine and warm weather as much as possible!

[Extreme Racer points are rewarded per each racing mile completed. Example: marathon = 26.2 points, half marathon 13.1 points, etc.]

 

Welcome to 2015! A new year, a new beginning. A new plethora of races across the board. The year has already begun well for Run It Fast, with members wracking up race miles the first week, even the first day, of 2015. We have already gotten the Extreme Racer competition off to a great start.

The 2014 second place winner, RIF #190 John Kent Leighton, is leading the men with a whopping 240.75 points for January. RIF #353 Charlie Taylor is in second with 131 points, and RIF #387 Steven Smith brings up third with 109.1 points.

A member of Team Staggs, RIF #210 Amanda Staggs comes in first for the ladies with 88.2 points. RIF #323 Jennifer Hatcher comes in second place with 81.7 points. RIF #310 Donna Dworak comes in third place with 49.6 points.

Here are the 2015 Extreme Racer standings through January:

Extreme Racer Top 10 Leaderboard

1. John Kent Leighton – 240.75 (RIF #190)
2. Charlie Taylor – 131 (RIF #353)
3. Steven Smith – 109.1 (RIF #387)
4. Joshua Holmes – 104.4 (RIF #1)
5. Amanda Staggs – 88.2 (RIF #210)
6. Jennifer Hatcher – 81.7 (RIF #323)
7. Arland Blanton – 78.6 (RIF #290)
8. Shane Tucker – 76.2 (RIF #337)
9. Suzy Spiceland Michelson – 65.5 (RIF #280)
10. John Sotomayor – 58.6 (RIF #393)

Extreme Racer Male Leaderboard

1. John Kent Leighton – 240.75 (RIF #190)
2. Charlie Taylor – 131 (RIF #353)
3. Steven Smith – 109.1 (RIF #387)
4. Joshua Holmes – 104.4 (RIF #1)
5. Arland Blanton – 78.6 (RIF #290)
6. Shane Tucker – 76.2 (RIF #337)
7. John Sotomayor – 58.6 (RIF #393)
8. Mark Ogletree – 41.7 (RIF #247)
9. David Mickelsen – 30.5 (RIF #164)
10. Jeff Van Demark – 19.3 (RIF #322)
11. Dennis Arriaga – 13.1 (RIF #140)
12. Michael Dasalla – 12.4 (RIF #411)

Extreme Racer Female Leaderboard

1. Amanda Staggs – 88.2 (RIF #210)
2. Jennifer Hatcher – 81.7 (RIF #323)
3. Suzy Spiceland Michelson – 65.5 (RIF #280)
4. Donna Dworak – 49.6 (RIF #310)
5. Christy Bowers – 45.5 (RIF #60)
6. Kim Crowe – 31 (RIF #245)
7. Aimee Shilling – 31 (RIF #418)
8. Sue Stephens Wright – 26.2 (RIF #321)
9. Helen McMullen – 26.2 (RIF #390)
10. Lisa Gonzales – 19.3 (RIF #5)
11. Julia Beavers – 15.5 (RIF #339)
12. Tiffani Glass – 14.2 (RIF #328)

With Run It Fast continuing to spread all over the US and beyond, and with a whole new spread of runners participating in the Extreme Racer competition, this year is already turning out to be a good one. I’ll be excited to see what the next few months have in store and to watch the race miles accumulate in our awesome and inspiring club.

[Extreme Racer points are rewarded per each racing mile completed. Example: marathon = 26.2 points, half marathon 13.1 points, etc.]

I’m honored and happy to announce that the 2014 ‘Hope Shull Inspirational Runner Award‘ goes to RIF #353 Charlie Taylor from Gallatin, Tennessee.

Last year’s winner RIF #5 Lisa Gonzales beautifully captures why Charlie Taylor is this year’s winner of the ‘Hope Shull Inspirational Runner Award’:

Last year, I was honored to be named the 2013 Hope Shull Inspirational Runner Award. When RIF #1 Joshua Holmes asked me who I felt was deserving of the 2014 award, quite a few RIFers came to mind but one runner stood out – RIF #353 Charlie Taylor.

Charlie is an ultra runner and a survivor of cancer. Having survived cancer myself, he was inspiring to me because he not only battled it with determination and humor but he also didn’t let it stop him from living life the way he wanted to.

Many of my friends in Run It Fast are friends with him and I would see his posts or posts about him and I got to follow his story. Charlie is a survivor of colon & liver cancer. He went through surgeries to remove first the colon cancer and then the liver cancer last January. Once he was recovered from that, he then had to do 12 rounds of chemo but as soon as he was given the all clear post-surgery, he was back to running. He was a running machine!

If you have never gone through chemo, let me tell you what it’s like: Chemo is like having your life ripped out from under you. Everything, and I mean everything, changes. It makes you feel like you’ve aged 50 years in a day. Every detail of your life is focused on not getting sick from the treatment, surviving the treatment, and then recovering from it. You feel like your life has been hijacked. You are exhausted and food tastes like crap and things don’t work the way they used to. You have to worry about white blood cell counts and not getting a cold because your immune system is shot. And then there’s chemo brain – forgetfulness and not being able to focus. Honestly, if given a choice, I’m not sure I would do it again. That’s how bad it is.

I had to stop running for a while because of my tumor and the surgery to remove it but I ran a little through chemo. Mostly though, I was happy that I could continue to work and function on my own. I was so excited when my 6 rounds of chemo were done because I thought I would immediately bounce back and start running long again. But that didn’t happen and I was tired for months after my last chemo treatment. I was trying to get back into running but was this close to giving up. I was just too tired and frustrated.

But then last July, I saw that Charlie was going to run the Vol State 500K (314 miles across Tennessee) as part of 3 person relay team. I remember thinking how can he do that? How can he run that much? I was barely running 5Ks and I’d been done with chemo for months. But he did it and he and his team set a course record! Then Charlie ran a 50K in August…the same month he finished his last chemo session. Charlie was running ultras in the midst of 12 sessions of chemo! How could he do that? Where did he find the energy? Or even the desire to do it?

In the year since Charlie had his surgery last January, he ran 12 races including 8 ultras (one of them being the Pistol 100 Miler!). As I started back running , posts about him would periodically pop up and I would tell myself to “Suck it up buttercup!”. Surely, if he can do all that, I could run a half marathon, right? And if he could do ultras during chemo, I could run a marathon a year after I was done with chemo, right?

Seriously, I still don’t know how he did it. He is made up of some strong stuff! He inspired me to be that strong too and to push myself.

The great thing about Charlie is that he is always smiling or cracking a joke in his photos. The cancer that he is dealing with is scary and has daunting odds but Charlie is positive and squeezing all he can out of this life. I think where I had seen myself as a victim of cancer, Charlie didn’t even give cancer the power to affect him at all. That was what was most inspiring to me. He battled it on his own terms and in his own way and inspired me to do the same.

This year, Charlie will be running the Barkley Marathons (one of the toughest, most insane 100 milers in the world). I look forward to seeing what he does there! If you want to be inspired, you should follow him too!

Thank you Lisa for those powerful words that summarize why Charlie is the winner of the Hope Shull Award for 2014.

The other Run It Fast members that were finalists for the award this year included Mark Hellenthal, Nathan Bass, Amber Goetz, and Marj Mitchell. They all inspired us in 2014 and continue to with their drive and indomitable will to be stronger than any obstacle they might face.

What is the Hope Shull Inspirational Runner Award?

In January 2012, we presented Hope Shull with a membership to Run It Fast – The Club at the Race for Hope 5K in Henderson, Tennessee.

The 5K was held to honor Hope as she had terminal cancer with just a few weeks to live. She died shortly after the race was held.

Hope was a personal friend to myself and many other of the early members of Run It Fast. I ran several of my very first 5K races with Hope and her good friend Marj Mitchell in West Tennessee.

I wrote Hope a letter to be presented to her at the Race for Hope 5K last January that Marj read to her at the race.  The letter included a permanent membership to Run It Fast along with a few other words that included the creation of an award in her honor –  ‘The Hope Award.’

January 12, 2012

Hope,

I’m amiss that I can’t be at the race today.  I’m in Los Angeles, but you are on my mind as you often are.

I asked Marj if it would be ok ,and she thought it would be, so I want to proudly announce you as the newest member of Run It Fast – The Club.

You will always be RIF #225, a special number to me as 25 has always been one of my two most favorite numbers.  You will always be a part of the club no matter what transpires from this day forward between any of us.

I’ve always wanted you to be a part of the club because you embody EVERYTHING that Run It Fast was created to become. Run It Fast is a club full of members that have this deep down desire to overcome obstacles in life and limitations that most others let hold them back or down. Run It Fast members don’t let their situation or hardship in life dictate their life for them.

Instead they go out and conquer life by digging deep to train hard, run races, and forge friendships along the way that inspire others to do things that perhaps they didn’t think were possible either.

Also, I want to announce that starting this year, at the end of the year, the Run It Fast – Club will annually give one member the honor of being named the Hope Shull Inspirational Runner of the Year!

I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the example you’ve set for me not only with running but with life.  I’ll never forget sharing the car ride back to the start of the Labor Day 5 Miler with you a couple of years ago. That was a beautiful day and a lot of fun.

With my utmost love, respect and admiration,

Joshua Holmes

Run It Fast ® (RIF #1)

Congrats to Charlie on joining Lisa as the winners of this prestigious award. Thank you for the inspirational you have and continue to provide for Run It Fast members and runners all over the globe.