the drumbeat continues.
the miles slowly add up.
it is a funny thing in a backyard,
each hour seems to take so long
this lap will bring the field to 37.5 miles
finally a distance that most everyone can feel.
this is the second biggest relief after the start .
until a little soreness sets in
you cannot begin to settle in.
they have got their pace checkpoints worked out
and the runners with little or no trail experience are mostly learning to pick up their feet
and keep their eyes on the ground ahead.
a few have fallen,
but there have been no reports of injuries.
two more hours after this one will get them to the road.
from there it is a straight shot to reach 24.