That special vibe was amplified due to the huge numbers of TUFF Run Club runners and crew, other local running friends that would be running, crewing, and volunteering, and the fact that Umstead is a park that I live so close to and run in so often. Simply put—toeing the line at the Umstead 100 felt different.

I made my way to Wilmington, NC for my 3rd attempt at the Southern Tour Ultra: Last Man Standing race with the goal of reaching 120+ miles in the Backyard Ultra format. This would have been a PR distance for me, a new record on this course, and would likely have been enough miles to secure a win over the rest of the field. Spoiler alert—things didn’t quite work out that way.