HOTS 36 hour update
the race has taken shape now.
all day long john clarke pursued bev abbs across the hills and hollers of eastern kentucky.
from liberty to phil
from phil to dunnville
from dunnville to russell springs.
from russell springs to jamestown….
thru pounding thunderstorms in the morning
and under a blazing sun in the afternoon.
.
bev pushed the pace relentlessly
and john hung on with the tenacity of a bulldog.
bev took a short break in liberty
john arrived just as she was leaving
and took a break of his own.
.
after 36 hours bev was just leaving jamestown (at 124 miles)
while john was just coming into town (at 120)
.
trailing by a mere 10 miles (110)
james turner lurked in the shadows,
waiting to scoop up the wreckage
if the two leaders batter the life from each other.
.
17 miles back came the peleton;
7 runners were packed between 93 miles and 90…..
.
40 miles back a second battle is taking place.
a battle for nothing less than survival.
9 runners have already quit the course.
.
at the tail end of the 73 who are entering the second night
3 of them are but a single mile ahead of the relentless cutoff.
pam smith, diane taylor, and gina kimrey have no cushion at all.
can they hold off oprah for 8 and a half more days?
it seems impossible if they do not buy some breathing room tonight.
.
and so the race must seem to every runner.
bone weary and sleep deprived.
but with no chance to truly relax.
as they march into another ling night.
Categories: HOTS