The highlight of my running year was a trip to Rocky Mount, VA, for the Crooked Road 24 Hour Ultra, my first ultra distance race. This is the second year for this event put on by the Crooked Road Running Club (CRRC). My friend, Frank, and I had wanted to participate in an ultra since watching part of the Umstead 100 a couple of years ago.
The setup is simple. The race is run on a 0.95 mile loop mostly flat with one small hill. The surface was mostly cinder track with some gravel and a short paved section. Start time is 8:00 am Saturday morning. You have until 8:00 am Sunday to travel as many laps as you can. You can quit at any time. Each lap is 0.95 miles. There is an aid station at the start line. Each time you pass through a race official tallies your lap and calls out the total.
Here’s how the exchange goes early in the race. Race Official: “Hey Alfred, that’s nine laps. You’re looking strong.” Me: “Yep, nine laps, thanks. Beautiful day for it.” Here’s how the exchange goes later in the race. Race Official: “Hey Alfred, that’s 21 laps. Good job.” Me: “Grunt, thanks.” Here’s how the exchange goes still later in the race. It’s after dark now. Race Official: “Hey Alfred is that you? That’s 30 laps. You’re doing great.” Me: “Gasp, urk, yeah.” Yep it’s a trip from Chatty Cathy to Lurch from the Adams Family in just a few short hours.
My plan is simple. For the most part, I’m hiking. Every half mile I run about 100 yards to stay loose and to maintain the fiction that I can actually pull this off. After about 18 or 19 laps I give up on running and stick to hiking. It’s been tough year, and I’ve had more than my share of aches and pains.
Given that it’s a loop course, you get to be both a participant and a spectator. You see the other runners over and over again. The pace is slower than other races so you get the opportunity to say hey or maybe talk for a few seconds. Later in the day, as people pause to stretch or stop for a bite at the aid station you get exchange names, goals and descriptions of which body part currently hurts most. I see Frank on and off, and we do a few laps together throughout the day.
As the sun drops, volunteers put out glow sticks to mark the course. The temperature starts to drop. Runners layer up. The headlamps come out. At full dark, the aid station looks like a cross between a general store and 1950s dinner. Bright with the promise of food and temporary warmth.
Little things become big deals. The course’s one hill starts out as a nuisance but becomes a looming obstacle. At one point I stand at the bottom and can just see the glow stick at the crest. I am convinced that someone has put the glow stick partway up a tree just to mess with me. When I get to the top, I see it right beside the trail, just where it should be.
As the race wears on, I begin to hurt. Even though I’ve walked 95% of the race, my legs are stiff and sore. I have blisters on my feet. On paper 50K looked like a done deal. The last six or seven laps on my way to 33 laps to hit the magic 31.363959 mile mark tax my mental and physical strength to the max. I honestly do not know if I can make my goal. I keep finding my headlamp shining on a spot three feet in front of my feet.
The support from race officials, race volunteers and other runners is breathtaking and unceasing. A rising tide of enthusiasm and positive energy propels the runners or at least floats them around the course for one more lap.
Some highlights:
Seeing a runner wheel around and sprint back to the aid station when he hears a volunteer yell: “Hey we’ve got hot grilled cheese sandwiches.”
Having another runner materialize beside you in the dark and say: “That’s an impressive display of stamina young man.”
Finding yourself shocked at how good a piece of pepperoni pizza tastes after 10 hours on the move.
A 24-hour race on a loop course is a fabulous opportunity for runners looking for a distance PR. Whether you shoot for a half marathon, 50K or a 100 miles, you have an aid station every mile and 100 friends that you just met cheering you on.
My friend Steve and I visited the Crooked Road 24 to support my brother-in-law Frank, my niece Meredith, and my friend Alfred. We were allowed to run with them as pacers. We were impressed with the entire set-up. The course was short enough for safety purposes, but long enough to keep things interesting. The support by the race volunteers was outstanding, and the support between the runners was inspiring as well. Last year, a participant set the Canadian national record with his performance. There were some runners this year that went some serious distances. There were also a lot of runners who pushed and stretched themselves to personal records. We really enjoyed our visit and look forward to next year.