The Endless Mile 12-Hour Race 2023

This race was on 10/26/2023 in Alabaster, AL

This was my first time attending a 12-hour event like this, or really any time-based ultramarathon event.

My goal for the race was to hit an all-time distance PR (previous PR was 37.5 miles) and to finish WITHOUT being miserable. Check, check!

Pre-Race Preparation

I think I was pretty prepared for this event, all things considered. I had been dealing with a knee issue through the Summer that I resolved going into the Fall. I was probably a little undertrained, but didn’t suffer for it.

Race Day

Morning/Pre-Race

Beautiful day, a little warm – sunny.

Start Line

Very casual starting line which was also a little strange because there were already runners running that started in the days/hours before for the 72-hour race.

The Race Itself

So the weirdest thing about this event was the course itself. It was designed to be a 1 mile loop, which is already very short, but ended up being like .8x miles because of some construction in the park. I ended up likely the short loop a lot for logistics reasons, but it was pretty boring after a while.

Going into the race, I thought that I might end up having problems with my knees again, muscle cramps, or blisters on my feet. As it turns out, really none of those things happened.

But, I did experience some chafing issues in new and interesting places.

Post-Race

The race finishes at night and with so few entrants overall, it ends without a lot of fanfare. Still, everyone there was supportive and I left feeling great about my performance!

Immediate Aftermath

I had a sitdown in the car for a few minutes, changed my clothes, and headed home.

Recovery

Surprisingly, no big issues after this one. I was about 80% the next day, and nearly 100% the day after.

Results

Definitely a solid result for me, all things considered, with a 40 mile distance and new PR

Analysis and Reflection

After this race, I will definitely be back for this format!

Conclusion

Great event, I recommend that you run this race if you have the option!