Endless Mile - 48 Hour
October 23, 2026
Alabaster, Alabama
140 miles, 98th hundred
Well that was a lot a of fun. Great weather helps to have fun. It has been a while since I have done a 48 hour race only. Lately, for several years now I have been completing a 48 hour race and a second hundred at a 5 or 6 day race. So to just do the 48 hour meant I wanted a big number and my goal was 140 miles. Well I got darn close.
Jess and I planned to go to this race as we wanted to travel together and have all the giggles. She was just recovering from ankle surgery so she didn’t really know what she might be able to do running wise. She signed up for the 24 hour and stuck to doctors orders and had fun walking super fast and running super happy. She also got to experience Birmingham and several sites to see.
The Endless Mile course is in Veterans park in Alabaster, Alabama which is about 30 minutes outside Birmingham. We decided to fly into Atlanta as Alaska Airlines flies direct to Atlanta and direct flights are the best. On Thursday we spent some time at the Atlanta botanical gardens and walked in the sun. It was pleasantly warm and this meant good weather for the race. We drove for 2.5 hours to Alabaster and I ate a bunch of food to get ready for 48 hours of fun.
The one mile loop is paved with asphalt and was recently paved so it was smooth. In the park they have frisbee golf, pickle ball courts and a playground. The loop had some rolling hills so it was not flat. More hills than I expected but actually it was a lovely loop which was lit at night. The aid station had decent food and so I set up my chair and drop bag right outside the aid station. There were many local runners with pop up tents and elaborate personal aid stations along the course.
The 72 hour race started on Thursday and the 48 hour started on Friday with a 24 hour, 12, 6 hour races happening all through the long weekend. So there were fresh legs joining us each day. We turned around every six hours and got to see everyone’s faces which was nice to be able to encourage people.
Early on during the 48 hour race there was a young gal out in front. She would run fast for a few loops and then take a break with her huge crew supporting her. I would catch up to her and then she would take off again. I have completed 19 or so 48 hour races and I knew nothing really happened until the second day so I stayed patient and ran my own race. Around 50 miles in I noticed that I was ahead of her by one lap. Again she would pass me on the course running fast and then take a break. We did this back and forth thing for a few laps. Well after about 12-13 hours she was gone. I thought she might have left and would come back the next day but her individual aid station disappeared. Something must have happened, I hope she is okay.
So into the first night I go. I was a bit sleepy so I had my sweet tea which has caffeine in it and it kept me awake. I also listened to a few books, first, the Midnight Library which I highly recommend. Then I finished a book I was halfway through, Yesteryear, keeping track of three different story lines kept my interest. Then on the second night I listened to Its Not Her, which was a bit scary for a nighttime listen. It was a murder mystery and a bit spooky during the dark wondering who done it and were they right behind me on the course. I would chat with a few people and listen to my books with music in between each book. All was good, running well with walk breaks, then switching to walking with run breaks.
Finished the hundred miles in 28:41 and I spied a lay back chair sitting all by its lonesome. So I took a wee break. Ended up falling asleep for 30 minutes, very nice. I am not good at sleeping during 48 hour races so a nap like this was especially good. By the way it was Walt’s chair and I was helping him stay of course as he had some miles to make up and needed to avoid taking so many breaks, so I was helping him out by being in his chair. Haha. Wink wink.
During the second night I had arranged with Jess to meet me about six pm. We were going to walk a bit and then I was hoping to take a nap break in the car while she walked some laps. I was feeling good and had got my hundred in earlier in the afternoon. So I wasn’t really sure I wanted to go all night long. But I had that goal of 140… She suggested we go back to hotel so I could shower and nap in a bed. Brilliant idea as her brain was working and mine wasn’t. Sometimes you have to embrace ideas from people who are thinking clearly. I was off course for about 3.5 hours. Which was okay. When I left the course I was in first place overall. When I returned, one of the guys had caught up and passed me which was good because I didn’t want the pressure of being in first. I like to run happy, easy and breezy.
After a shower and a nap I was easily awake for night two. At some point in the night I met a gal, LeeAnn, who I thought might be in second. She didn’t believe me. I told her to check with the timers and sure enough she was in second so she decided to do enough laps so that I didn’t have twice as many miles as her, which she did. I think she got 74 or 75 laps.
Also during the night I took three or four breaks at the heated aid station to put my feet up for ten minutes. I ended up chatting with the gal who was there giving us food each night. She was the grand daughter of the race director, ah now I see why this is such a great event, a family affair. Sweet people helping us loopy people reach our goals.
In the morning Jess came back to walk some more laps and the sun came out and it was blissful. I thought I didn’t quite get to 140, only 139, but the results say 140 which is what my watch said so I’ll take it. We tried to stay for the awards but needed to get going so we could shower before check out and drive to Atlanta for our flight home. So I grabbed the second place gal and we took some pictures with our awards, all was good. The buckle is quite impressive, aka BIG and will likely pull down your pants if you try to wear it. Number 98 completed, feeling good and looking forward to being able to train for 8 weeks before the final two hundreds at Across The Years, where it all started.
Thanks for reading, grateful for my friend Jess, enjoy a run for me, my feet hurt.