Snake Run is done and fun

It's Monday night, and I am recuperated from last Saturdays 6 Hour Long Snake Run. 

I had so much fun putting this race on. Other than a couple of errors in the total mileage totals (which have been corrected) I think the event went well. Hats off to my sister-in-law Sharon Childress for the superb artwork for our
t-shirts!!


I started my morning waking to Brian calling at 5:15 am. I dressed quickly and warmly and beat everyone to the top of Turkey Mountain.

Bill Ford had driven down early from Ponca City Friday morning and helped in marking the course. (Thank you Spud!) Then Bill belted out 3 laps on Friday, using his own supplies for aid. Brian, Kathy, and I had set up the aid stations the night before, but early Saturday before the race supplies needed to be dropped off and the course needed a few last minute markings. With 30 minutes before start time, I was home boiling water for hot chocolate, which to my surprise, was hardly touched. Nice hot chicken soup at the turn-around was mostly ignored, except by me.

55 runners signed up for this race, and 50 toed the line. To the 5 who slept in, ya better be here next year!! 

Michael Adams from Manhattan, Kansas took off like a shot and never slowed down until 5 hours and 45 minutes had passed. In 345 minutes, Mr. Adams had ran 40 miles, and spent the last 15 minutes walking 4 quarter mile finishing loops as a cool-down for a total of 41 miles. Amazing!

Runners were treated to home-made brownies and bites of cheesecake thanks to my lovely wife Dana, who also worked all night baking and then all day at the start/finish and took pictures. Talk about multi-tasking!

Special thanks goes to Michael Talbert, who drove from OKC to volunteer. Michael is going to Western States this June, and need 8 hours of volunteer service in an ultra event. He worked like a machine at the start/finish area keeping track of the runners. I doubt I could have managed without him.Tom Dorothy ran a good race and loaned us his family who worked all day long helping out at the start/finish, and then at the turn-around. We needed volunteers and they were awesome. Thank you Julie, Will, Shannon, and Wyatt.Also, thank you to Caroline Glenn and David Woods who manned the turnaround station for most of the day, and to Joe Hartl who helped us pack up the aid stations after the race. No doubt I have forgotten someone who helped out, and I owe ya!!