Last Annual Vol State 500k - My first rodeo

 



2024 was my first attempt (and finish) of the Last Annual Vol State 500k road race.  This "report" is two years after the fact (and I will try to supplement it as time goes by).

I really didn't know what to expect as my longest run before this was Badwater 135 (and it was about 15 years prior).  I drove to Kimball, TN and attended the supper before the Last Supper at a China buffet.  I got to meet other runners and see RD Laz again. I met my roommate for the next night Jim Halsy (a LAVS veteran).   I spent the night at a local hotel (dump....but because the price is so cheap I stayed there again in 2026....and was reminded that it was and is a dump).

The next morning, I followed Jim and others to the parking lot (also finish line) at a ranch where we would board the bus.


We took the bus to Union City, TN.  From there we would board the bus to the race start by boarding a ferry at Hickman, KY and riding it to Doren's Landing in Missouri. 


In MO, Laz lit his cigarette and the race was on....we re-boarded the ferry for the return trip across the Mississippi River to Kentucky where we started running.

OK, now I am going into an abridged story and will try to expand later:   Overall, I was pleased with my running times.  I think the 7 marathons in 7 states in 7 days via Mainly Marathons had helped.   At one point I did take a wrong turn that added a mile or two but realized it soon and got back on course.  While sitting at a gas station, another runner came up. His name was Jeremy Eppley -0 we joined forces and ran the rest of the race together and finished #51 and #52 (weird as I finished #50 in 2026).  We also joined up with two other runners: John and Matt (85% sure of their names, I am horrible with names but do recall they shared names with apostles).  The four of us did most of LAVS together

We went through aid stations, Bench of Despair, angel stations, a rainstorm, bridges, and day time and night time running. 



Saw quite a few dead armadillos and snakes (think either John or Matt almost stepped on a copperhead too but jumped over it).   We were hit by a very heavy rainstorm right before the Camp Grounds.   My hands swelled from the rain (and my trekking poles).




Near the end of the race, John and Matt created a slight gap on us and finished a few spots before Jeremy and I finished.  

I had kind of hoped to finish in the 6 day window so as to finish on the day I turned 60, but that wasn't meant to be (missed it by a couple of days).  My finishing time was 8 days, 5 hours, 58 minutes, 42 seconds  (I got down into the 7 day finishing window in 2026).




I made myself a display after the race with various mementos including a small bottle of JD I carried with me for the 314 miles plus some coins I picked up along the way.



After the race, I came home to a nice card one of my son's sent me for my birthday....and I got my LAVS finishers jacket.



Here is a photo dump of MANY images I took before, during, and after the 2024 LAVS:


Location: Missouri, USA

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