NOW for a more accurate update…
106 runners total started the race. 85 of those are screwed, without any support. 21 are crewed. Currently, 28 competitors have quit. Per this check-in, 168 hours, or 7 days Richard Westbrook is past Wartrace with 236 miles. Again, since we are only looking at the screwed division, out of the 85 that began the race, 23 have dropped out. With 62 unsupported runners remaining, Westbrook is in 55th place. He remains ahead of Tortoise and further ahead of Oprah. To better explain the references of Tortoise and Oprah, Michael Nicolaides does a good job on the facebook race page: “This is pretty much it. So while Oprah is a mechanical imaginary robot that never slows down, tortoise is an imaginary human who starts faster and slows down each day, but still gets to the rock just under the cutoff.” Tortoise makes it just under the cutoff, while Oprah is the slowest and finishes in exactly 10 days time.
Yesterday afternoon, with 99 miles remaining (WOO-HOO, LESS THAN 100 MILES TO GO!!!), Westbrook called home and reported he was forced to take a 2 hour break in a cafe from the race managers. Jan, one who drives the course and checks on the runners was filming him staggering into the road and sending the video to the manager to determine his condition. She told Westbrook if he didn’t rest for 2 hours and continued as he was, she would pull him from the race. Sounding “a little bummed” he complied and went to the cafe.
Another story from the long, dark road somewhere in Tennessee: Richard sent a photo to Mom of his newly acquired wound. Westbrook was trudging along the roadside at night and trying to walk straight, while leaning on an old mop stick he was given from a store, for support. “A car slowed down, and he was thinking people [were]encouraging, which happens a lot. But he saw a teenager about to throw something. He ducked, but it hit him on the edge of his left eye. He got to the next aid station, and they were “OMG”. Cleaned it up for him; was pretty bloody. Well, I’ll keep you posted. Whisper a prayer.”
In the large scheme of things, I understand this is not a bad wound, however the head bleeds profusely. Any closer though, it could have been in his eye and then who knows the outcome. NO ONE needs to throw anything out of their car window, especially aimed at someone, even more so, a 74 year old man walking with a cane alone on the roadside at night. People did drive along the course searching for the vehicle he described. Local support people and race volunteers were angry and said if they discover who it was, punishment will ensue. I would have him arrested, personally. May sound harsh to some, but people like that should not be allowed in cars if they are going to trash the area or try to injure someone. Teach him a valuable lesson!
Not much further to travel and hopefully it will remain injury free! Send him and all the others still out there your well wishes and prayers. Stay with us until the end!!
~ Season
Westbrook Running 