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vol stare toad race4 days update part 1.i told you it was going to be a wild nightand i told you timing on sleep breaks would be importantif not decisive….at the time of the last check in john had a 6 mile lead.and he was starting a short sleep break.that short sleep break was all johan neededto cut that 6 mile lead down to 10 minutes….for the next 16 miles john fought like a wild Read more…

vol stare toad race 3 and a half day update . the competitive race has suddenly become very exciting… . ok, not suddenly. nothing happens suddenly in the vol state. . during the blistering hot afternoon johan steene made up more ground and we go into the night with john wright past tracy city at 284 and heading for the mountain mart at the top of that horrible descent into the sequatchie valley at jasper. Read more…

vol stare toad race random update . the darkness grows. . outside the sky is growing dark and threatening. the heat is still stifling. but the still air is filled with anticipation. the first rumbles of thunder have not yet been heard but there is mayhem brewing. . being july some runners are watching the sky turn ugly and wondering where they will seek shelter while others are seeing nothing except blue hell overhead. . Read more…

vol stare toad race day 3 part 2 . so the gap between first and second tightened overnight. both johan and john climbed out of the basin. john is now in manchester at 250 miles, and johan is 7 miles back at whispering oaks. they will start the day racing across the highland rim plateau (one of the hottest and most exposed stretches in the race) to the long climb up monteagle mountain. . we Read more…

vol state road race 3 days . it isnt really quite at 3 days yet. but i figured i would get an early start while waiting on the checkins to fill out. . what are you doing this pretty sunday morning? sitting on the porch with a cup of coffee and watching the sun come up? sleeping in? . for 106 people (at last count) this day started like the previous three. they are somewhere Read more…

vol stare toad race2.5 days.runners are hearing this from the locals all along the route;“just be glad you werent here last week.”“what?”.yes, it is true.last week was hot.this week it is only toying around 100.last week was really hot!even today the runners’ luck held.the temperature in kimball (at the 300 mile mark) came up just short of 110.but the leaders were still 100 miles awayenjoying temperatures 10 degrees cooler!see, 100 isnt so bad after all..at Read more…

vol stare toad race48 hours!.a lonely figure moves beside the road.at firstfrom a distanceit might be a mailbox..but as we get closer it grows into a lonely figuremoving.we have seen them for hours now,they have been scattered along the last 130 miles of road.each differenteach the same.some runningmost walkingsome move forward with an efficient rhythmeating the groundsome limp alongmany seem to walk delicatelymincing steps with feet that do not want to touch the ground.but onwardever Read more…