Walter Evans Runs Alternate Course!

 I wanted to thank you for letting me run your race, yesterday.  Unfortunately, I spotted a 3rd yellow ribbon at MM 10.9 and believe it or not horse shoe imprints at this left fork that led me 14.38 miles on my 1st loop yesterday instead of 12.5 miles.  When I began the second loop, it really messed me up.  Being 760 miles away from home and stuck in a forest for close to 25 minutes can do that to you.  Anyway at the beginning of the 2nd loop, I consciencely decided to run just the second loop knowing that I had a marathon distance at the end of the loop.  I also remembered that you have had search parties out for participants in the past.  So, I knew that I saved you all the effort(I realized that I may have rendered some costs).

What I would like is for my effort to be recognized as a marathon run (though anything over 26.2 miles is an ultra run).  Part of my reasoning for not completing the 50K distance was that I knew that I had a 12 hour drive ahead of me.  So, I know it is far from my best effort, I would appreciate if you would acknowledge the distance that I ran on your results.  You can have all the fun at my expense (trust me which is pretty expensive making gas and lodging arrangements to come down there) on there.

Attached are some screen shots taken from my Garmin.  If you need more data, let me know.  I am a member of the 50 state club and would like recoginition that I have run a marathon in Mississippi. Trust me, I think I earned it.  It gets pretty lonely in that forester trail.

Respectfully,

Walter Evans

Entered alternate trail at MM 10.9

Exited at MM 12.5. Total Mileage with off course diversion = 26.88 miles

Three damn yellow ribbons! Which path do I take, I know the race director said, “Veer left, so I think I’ll go left”

“I better head back the other direction or Loretta may not get to see me for awhile!”

This is the point that I realize that I gained 1.6 miles to my adventure

Finally at the finish line.  Don’t think I go out for that final loop, I might never get to sing, “Back Home Again in Indiana”.
  It’s at this point that I meet Brian at the finish line and say, “Quick let’s get the car started, we might get home
before 3AM. First, we got to get our stories straight.  They bought us doing Huntsville in December but will they buy the story
 that we tried to run this race in the Pine Belt”.

At this point, I realize that I have a marathon under my belt.