[DonDavis]

Just heard from my buddy.

Minimal support crews were allowed this year. His girlfriend could not arrive till after the start to assist between loops. She'd stay till the end after that.

Rain was heavy, he was sleeping in a rented van, alone, and missed the 1 hour warning to the start. This happened to many runners.
One said "If you want a quiet ride, get a Jeep Compass, if you want to miss the conch blow, don't get a Jeep Compass".

Runners pounded on his windows and he had MAYBE 20 minutes to throw on his gear. Made it the gate just as Laz lit the cig.
Off he went, frazzled, but on the go. About a 1.5 miles into climbing, he realized his bib was not in his pack and couldn't remember if it was 15 or 13.
This matters because the runners tear out a page that corresponds to their bib number that proves they made each checkpoint. Wrong page and they're DQ'd.
Made the hard decision to go back and get it. No question, he had to.

Descending on the way back, one of his hiking poles caught a fallen tree and the handle snapped off. One more problem.
Made it back, got his bib, back on trail, but fog was causing nearly whiteout with the headlamp. On the first ridgeline, made the wrong choice and proceeded the wrong way. No one else was around since he went back. After a few hours of back and forth he arrived at a church. He knew he was effed.
Popped out of brush near the entrance to the park.
Devastated he went back the start and faced the bugler.
Through tears and pain he explained what happened to Laz and Keith.

They said no one has ever covered that much ground and to the church and back in that little time. They said it's an awesome story that'll be told forever.

He was crushed. Trained for 2 solid years for this and it was over in an instant.
Maybe next year.