day 1 is the window for us in the race management. . up until we get the runners on the ferry it feels like the pressure is on. memories of the year the bus company missed the pickup date. the year...
THE LAST ANNUAL VOL STATE ROAD RACE 314 Miles
Dorena Landing, MO to Castle Rock, GA
Twice daily tracking will be maintained, and runners wishing to drop will be transported back to their vehicles. Finishers will be shuttled with their vehicles to motels near the finish for a safe sleep before getting behind the wheel. There is no greater freedom than being totally alone on the open road, relying only on your wits, your skill, and your physical ability to cover ground in order to reach the finish line.
Come experience it for yourself.
July 10-20, 2025
Laz’s updates
vol state update:12 hours (nothing to see here)
read more
Top quotes from the stinky bridge checkpoint:
“At least I’m not dizzy and nauseous.” “A light pack is important, But for gods sake don’t cut weight by eliminating your water!”
vol state update: and they’re off (way off)
it was quite an inspiring sight to see the largest vol state starting field ever stream off the ferry and head for hickman. the first couple of miles was an adventure, as landslides in the old...
vol state update: the night before the ferry
the theme of the day… . butterflies . 80 virgins are tossing and turning, sleepless in what might turn out to be the last bed they sleep in for days. 50 veterans are not resting any easier....
ABOUT
The Vol-State is not just another ultramarathon. It is much more than that. The Vol-State is a journey, an adventure, and an exploration of inner space. It begins with a ferry ride across the Mississippi River, from Missouri to Kentucky, and finishes at “the Rock,” high atop Sand Mountain in Northwest Georgia. What lies in between are 314 miles of the great unknown. From the time the Vol-Stater steps off the Ferry until they reach the Rock, they are totally reliant upon their own physical and mental resources. For the next four to ten days, in the face of the heat and humidity of July in Tennessee, the Vol-Stater must make their way on foot, along highways and backroads, from one small town to the next, over hills and across rivers, up mountains and down long valleys, all the while accounting for all of their most basic needs; “what will I eat?” “When will I find water?” Where will I sleep?”
Success is not guaranteed. There are no aid stations, teeming with volunteers waiting to tend to your every need and encourage you to continue. There are just miles and miles of empty road. Your friends can follow your progress from afar, but no pacers can carry your burden for you. If you do encounter another runner, theirs is the same desperate plight as your own. You will have doubts. Finishing will often seem an unfathomable dream. Your worst enemy may become the knowledge that an air-conditioned ride to your car at the finish (in the dreaded seat of disgrace”) is but a phone call away.
Many will fail. But, for those who find the steely will and muster the sheer dogged tenacity to overcome the impossible obstacles, and reach the rock on foot, the Vol-State can be a transcendental experience. No words can adequately describe the sense of combined relief and amazement to be experienced at the Rock. No one can explain the regret that this incredible journey has actually come to an end. Former King, Barry Crumrine probably summed up the Vol-State experience as well as it can be put into words;
“I found in myself something that I never knew was there.”