The Race Bling for A Race For The Ages (ARFTA) is Friendship

I was walking around the A Race For The Ages (ARFTA) course in Manchester, Tennessee waiting for my start time when I spied someone who had the same race shirt as I did. Mine was in my plastic bin with all my other gear as I was planning on wearing it the next day. Yet this shirt from the Hainesport Endurance Race was from last year and almost certainly meant that runner was from my home state of New Jersey. So, I approached him and I soon had a new friend, Walt. That is the magic of ARFTA – you seem to always make a new friend.

Even before the race started, friendships were being made. I arranged to have dinner with a perfect stranger from Texas, Dave. I didn’t realize that he had two other Texans with him, Michael and Patty. When Dave introduced me to the two of them and Patty heard I was from New Jersey she replied, “So you’re a Yankee!” We all laughed. Sometimes I do feel like an out of place visitor when I travel, except at races. It is my home away from home. It was wonderful to share a great dinner with them and talk about ultra-running. It is not often that I eat dinner with people and they know who Sally McRae, Courtney Dauwalter, and Ashley Paulson are.

The next morning at the hotel breakfast, I met Ed who was also eating breakfast. We also talked a while about running. He was an impressive runner, having finished the Bigfoot 200, a grueling 200-plus-mile run through the Cascades of Washington State with more than  40,000 feet of elevation change. That is something I am not sure I could do. He would also be starting with me since we were in the same age group.

My Friends from Texas

An hour before my start time I checked in and picked up my race bling. I love my race bling, and my wife knows that race shirts, mugs, medals and other bling should never be thrown out. The ARFTA race has great bling. This year it was a participation trophy, a tote bag, a sweatshirt, and an umbrella. (Something I never received before.) A great cache of goodies. Yet the keepsakes I prize most are the friendships that are made.

I go to a lot of races, and I always find people to connect with but at ARFTA it seems easier and more frequent. The connections also seem slightly deeper.

I am not sure why that is. It is not because the course is beautifully laid out. It is mostly on a black asphalt parking lot that zigzags around in an unusual pattern. It is not because of the weather –it is always hot and made even hotter by the asphalt. This year it was more brutal than usual in that temperatures rose to over 100 degrees during the day. It is not because of the food. While it is plentiful and filling, it is provided by Cracker Barrel, so it is definitely not for everyone, especially if you are a vegetarian. It is not because of the location, because while the city of Manchester is nice, Conde Nast Traveler isn’t considering sending over a reporter to do a featured piece on the city.

Looking at it now it may be precisely because the course is so hot that it brings people together. We are all miserable together. We are all going through the same thing whether we are in the top ten or the bottom ten in the standings. There is a camaraderie that is built through this common misery.

The other thing is that your race hours are calculated by your age. You get as many hours as you are old. So, the older you are the longer you are out there. You see the same people over the course of three days if you include set up and registration. Because the route is snaky you see people more often across the parking lot. Even when you are resting, your camp is usually close to the course, so you see runners pass on by regularly.

The connection is not just with other runners but with their family or friends that are crewing them. The crews can be just as invested in the race as the runners. On this race I was coming around finishing a lap when the race director, Sandra, greeted me with an ice pop. It was like a gift from heaven. When I thanked her for the pop and that it was a great idea, she said “We didn’t do it. It was someone from North Carolina.”  I immediately said “Sarah!” They said, “How did you know?” She was camped across from me last year crewing her dad. She bought ice pops last year. She had so much fun and so admired everyone that she was following this year’s race, even though her father was not participating. That is the magic of ARFTA.

There were so many other people I met who were just fun to share a course with. Ruth and Paul, who are a dynamic team. Melissa, who thanked me profusely for lending her a hammer. Steve, who once again dominated the race with his amazing pace. However, Ann Trason was the most inspiring to me. She was once the premier female ultra runner in the country, having set 20 world records. She was a pioneer for women ultra-runners. Now, beset by rheumatoid arthritis as well as other health issues, she keeps going. At 66 she completed 100 miles with a walker. I had the privilege of walking with her for a couple of laps. I told her what she is doing now is more impressive than when she was dominating the women’s field.

Yes, I love the challenge of pushing myself to my limits but that is not what keeps me coming back. When Walt and I chatted before the race we agreed that we come back to races like this because of the people. In world that seems so hopelessly divided it is great to go to a place in which everyone is so supportive of each other, everyone is trying their best, and even when things go wrong like the heat, we share our misery together. Also, you always see runners like Ann Trason who inspire you.

When I got home, I collected my last race bling. I “friended” the runners I got to know on social media. I now can follow their running exploits. I ran/walked a total of 151 miles, but I always remember the conversations and the people just as much as the miles. Maybe more. That is why I will return.

New Jersey in the House