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Thursday, June 18, 2009
Secker almost done with 2,800-mile foot race
He’s passed herds of reindeer, slept on the floors of gyms for two months straight, and worn out six pairs of shoes. He’s run through heat, cold, rain and snow.
And now, the finish line is in sight for Russell Secker, who set out on April 19 to finish the Trans Europe Footrace. (The photo here shows him crossing into the Arctic Circle.)
The race, a 2,800-mile jaunt from Bari, Italy to North Cape, Norway, drew 68 qualifiers from 12 countries. Secker was the only American. On Sunday, barring disaster, he will cross the finish line.
We hope he will then rest, long and hard.
He’s been running an average of 45 miles a day since he started. He has three days left in the 64-stage race.
From reading his blog, it sounds like he is tired and ready to finish. And who wouldn’t be?
Every day, he wakes up at 4 a.m. He packs and eats breakfast, then starts running about 6 a.m.
He runs anywhere from 7 to 14 hours a day, pausing for food and water every 10K. When he’s done, he eats, gets medical treatment and massage and sleeps. It’s tough to get enough calories into his system, and Secker didn’t have any body fat when he left Austin.
He’s run through hip pain and upset stomachs, boredom and fatigue. He is amazing.
Ultra running is nothing new for Secker. In 2005 he completed the Transe Gaule, running 750 miles in 18 days. Two years later he did the Deutschlandauf, running 800 miles in 17 days.
But the Trans Europe Footrace is the granddaddy of ultra running races.
I ran 11 miles with Secker one morning a few days before he left. I was pooped. He was just warming up.
The race is not over for Secker, and the field was shocked last week when the woman who had led the women’s race from the start suddenly dropped out. Dozens of others have been forced to quit as well.
But Secker is still running.
Want to follow his last few days on the road? Check out his blog at http://secker.blogspot.com/ and look for my article about him in the newspaper when he gets back. He expects to return to Austin next week.
Let’s wish him well!
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