hour 26.

.

the backyard is without mercy.

the clock stops for no one.

.

the number of perfect teams is down to 6.

denmark lost 2 after the 25th yard.

.

here in tennessee

under rainy skies

we have one in trouble.

he finished 25 just seconds before the final whistle

and went straight back in the starting corral,

standing there bent over with his hands on his knees.

.

his crew asked what he wanted

he answered;

“i dont think there is enough time.”

.

then his team-mates were there.

in a scene that has been repeated many times

in many countries around the world

one came with an extra water bottle

one got food from his crew

they gathered round him

encouraging him

asking what he needed

taking the stuff he would have had during his break

to carry for him out on the trail.

.

they told him to hold on until the bad time passed

that it would get better.

.

“just one more loop”

.

he had no quit.

he was in it until the last.

but the support of his team-mates

physical

and for his soul

that means everything.

all the time they have invested to get to know each other

to grow from 15 individuals

to 15 components of a single unit…

.

today it paid off.

.

will it keep him on the trail for another 24 yards,

or just one?

does it matter?

who would trade that moment of brotherhood for anything?

(and sisterhood)

.

things keep happening in the small division.

iceland is down to 7.

but finland is down to 10,

and norway 11.

iceland’s lead over finland is now 11

and over norway 14….

.

austria crashed

losing 5 runners at once.

.

right now it looks like iceland, finland, and norway

in a battle of pure attrition.

with the margin growing tighter every hour.

.

3 teams

fighting with everything they have left.

.

i wonder what stories the next update will tell?

.

oh yes, and i should mention the live broadcast

the link is on backyardultra.com

(not the spammer link that tries to steal your money)

there have been a lot of interviews at all the venues

many with runners telling their own firsthand stories.

.

sometimes it is at the mercy of the internet

(we are out in the woods, after all)

but usually only briefly

but there has been a lot of good stuff on there.