the 4th night on the road begins.
only 15 runners have passed halfway…
.
by tomorrow morning check-in the runners are supposed to be at mile 133.
past long creek.
really, they need to be past the georgia state line.
across the chatooga river.
preferably well past,
because the chatooga is where the serious mountains begin.
.
8 runners are in trouble.
they dont just need a good night.
they must have a good night.
.
the quarandillos are in the best situation.
with only 10 miles on their legs today,
the 14 they must have tonight are well within reach.
these numbers don’t sound like much at home.
but at home you have not been out on the road for 3 days and 3 nights.
you have not been eking out a subsistence living
scratching and clawing for enough food and fluids to survive.
you have not taken the horrible beating they have taken…
.
from the roads, from the hills, from the weather
from sleep deprivation
from hunger, and thirst.
.
you are not facing the prospect of having to run at the very edge for another six and a half days after tonight.
.
something these runners cannot afford to even think about
or crushing hopelessness will only add to their misery.
.
they must bring their minds into focus on only one thing.
survive the long lonely night.
move and stay alive.
.
these are desperate times.
.
tony and melissa have the next best shot.
with 12 miles today they only need 15 tonight.
billy weaver has to almost match his 16 mile day
with a 15 mile night.
diana and odie have a tougher row to hoe.
they did 19 today and must follow that with 15 tonight.
if diana and odie are facing near impossible odds,
for pamela smith the handwriting is on the wall.
she hammered out a 25 mile day,
and still has 15 more to go tonight.
.
it is no secret here
pamela wants this one bad.
and she will not surrender.
but the truth is,
the odds are against her,.
.
this is the real race tonight.
8 battered warriors
fighting thru the night
to live to fight another day.
.
sleep easy in your cozy bed.
while somewhere in the darkness
8 warriors battle for their lives.
.
up front jim fleming has taken command.
he cleared the kimsey before second place started it.
90 miles stand between him and paydirt.,
and he has shown no weakness.
.
jim winn is on the doorstep of the kimsey mountain highway
with resurgent kimberly durst only 3 miles back.
they will battle the beast in the darkness.
curtis barton and matt jenkins are right on their heels.
.
it is going to be a wild night out in the mountains.
.
every 12 hours brings another story to light.
.
i can tell you that right now there are 53 stories on the road.
epic tales of facing the impossible
and never giving an inch.