For history
on the race you can go to the website for the course info! I will sum it up with 9,200 feet of elevation
change and 26.2 miles of running everyone’s GPS comes in at 27 miles. You run up 8 mountains turn around and do it
again backwards.
Race morning my amazing 7 month prego wife decides to pack up with Stihl and go
hike over 10 of the mountains for around 12 miles and I am guessing 5,000 feet
of elevation gain. We leave out of
Poteau and made the famous stop at Daylight Doughnuts for the normal mountain
run pre-food. We then headed to big
town of Big Fork, AR.
The race is
held in some of the best scenic area’s around Southeast Oklahoma and Southwest
Arkansas. The race is held on an old
postal trail from Big Fork, AR to Athens, AR.
This trail runs north and south and they didn’t think of taking the easy
path they took the shortest path.
Picture Taken by Tatur Running
Race time 8:00am and they are never late and they never get in a hurry. Big turn out this year and was super excited
and was very well rested for this race.
I hadn’t trained the best but was feeling super good because I had
really tapper for this race and absolutely love running in the Eagle Rock Loop
area.
Tatur Racing Picture
I pointed the trail out to Chris and there he went as the other 3 of us went on to hit the
aid station. I was the last out of the
station and I couldn’t see any of the guys.
So I had to hustle to catch up with Cole. The forest service had cut
some dozer paths to help with a forest fire but had caused some serious
confusion for the ABF Marathoners. I was
chasing Cole and looked up and he was on the dozer trail and I was on the
single track running trail and I was now about 50 yards from him but we were
running the same direction. He looked over
at me and it was pretty funny the look on his face. But he then came back into my trail and was
still in the back of the lead back and that is where I stayed as Chris had really
started climbing Brushy Heap like a mad man.
I just tried to hang in with the pace as it started to feel like I was
racing. I settled in at the back of the
lead pack and looked at my watch after I came over the 7th mountain
and looked like I was on pace to hit my goal of 2:15 for the turn around. We hit the dirt road and we all ran together
to the turn around where the Texarkana Group working the aid station was cooking Chicken Noodle Soup, my favorite on a trial run! Had a full cup and filled my Gatorade and hit
the trial with the rest of the group.
Chris gave up the lead to Tom on the road and Tom started
pulling the pace, Chris was looking strong behind him. The first climb out of the aid station Chris
that was looking super strong and I was thinking earlier in the race that his guy
might leave us all anytime but he started falling off the pace. To me this was meaningless because with the
hard climbs at this distance, anything could happen in this race. I was still enjoying but feeling the pace.
I hung in
there for the next couple of mountains and Cole took the lead and started
pushing the climbs. He hit the top of
Brushy Heap and then just blazed down the steep side of the mountain with Tom
into Big Shot aid station. I had 8.5
miles left to go and I got to see Stihl, he had left his mom and ran with a
fun run group to that aid station. The
race director told me that he was going to give Stihl a ride back to the finish line. I then saw Kristin and her dad
and it was good to see them making it so far and they still had to turn around
and go back to the trail head, “WOW,” one in shape Momma!
Thankfully Tom and Chris got fuel and this gave me chance
to make up a little time in the aid station, still no
Chris but the next 3 climbs were big and there was plenty of racing ahead.
I remember Tom leading out of this aid station and I felt the pace slow
but I would try to speed up to pass him but it was feeling to hard to get
around him so I hung in rear a little longer and then finally took the lead but
wasn’t trying to push the pace any just keep up the effort. I then got to the 13th mountain
which has previously been a tough mountain for me past races at ABF so going into this race this
year I wanted to push up it. The next climb I paid dearly. I slowed down the push and Tom caught me ¾ of
the way up the mountain. I said, “your
looking good.” He said “I feel terrible”
this is when he started running!!! Yes don't know what the grade was but it was not running grade! I felt as he was very upset at how bad he was
feeling so he just started running like a man on a mission to kill the rest of the race. He then pushed to the top and blazed down the backside into Tatur aid
station I could see Tom run straight through the aid station and looking back I
should have done the same but I was on pace for a great PR and didn’t want to
blow up. I also had decided to run the
last mountain before the race and I did until ¾ of the way up the hill and I
had to use the men’s room so I lost a couple of minutes there but was one of
those I had to stop moments!
I kept running over the top and popped out on the what usually feels like the forever dirt road and started trying to make up some ground with the smoother terrain. I surprisingly felt good and keep
pushing the pace for the each mile. When I hit the payment still no
Tom until I topped the hill and there
he was but it was to late to make a chase for the man that owned the course and
he never been beaten at ABF Marathon. He
is a legand on the trail and he had a bad day and I couldn’t hang with
him. I told my wife that it didn’t
matter if I had gotten 20th place because I was almost 20 minutes
faster than my Personal Record on the Course so I was super happy and it was
great to have 3 other great guys to run with this year! I got second place and my time was 4:32
Hope this makes you want to get out
and run some trail! Have a great day and
thanks for reading!
http://www.athensbigforkmarathon.com/
http://www.athensbigforkmarathon.com/
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