Eight Days of Madness
The 2025 Last Annual Vol State 500K
Part 1 - Dorena Landing, Missouri to Columbia, TN
Mile -1 to Mile 177 (They didn’t count the mile across the river as in previous years)
My Vol State 500K Adventure:
314 Miles of Madness
On July 18, 2025, I finished what was likely the most ridiculous thing I have ever done. I ran (well, walked and ran) the Last Annual Vol State 500K. This year was the 22nd running of the "Last Annual" event, or as it's known, LAVS. It took me 8 days, 2 hours, 42 minutes and 48 seconds to finish 314 miles. I was a rookie, and the learning curve isn't really a curve—it's more like running into a concrete wall! I made several serious mistakes that made the run harder than it otherwise would have been.
But First, what is LAVS?
Some of you reading this will have no idea what LAVS is. Let me tell you about this "race." It's organized by Lazarus Lake, affectionately known as ‘Laz” whose most infamous race is the Barkley Marathons—five 20-mile loops for a total of 100 miles. Barkley is so difficult that in the 40 years since its inception in 1986, exactly 20 runners have finished the race. No one finished in 2025.
The Start
With that context of what a "Laz" race is about, here's how the event begins. Tuesday night, July 8th, those riding the bus to the start, about 90, meet at the "China Buffet" near the race headquarters hotel in Kimberley, TN, for dinner and instructions. We must drive to Castle Rock Farms and park in the middle of a huge corn field by 6:30 AM Wednesday morning. The gate to the property sits on the Alabama/Georgia line.
Arriving at Castle Rock Farm to catch the bus to the race start.
The finish and parking area is in Georgia. After parking, we walk about 400 yards back to the gate, enter Alabama, and board a charter bus for the 300-mile ride to Union City, Tennessee. The bus drives the course backward, so everyone is following our location on navigation devices to get some idea of what we're going to encounter. We stop about halfway through the bus ride at a city park for BBQ, then continue to Union City.
We check into our hotels in Union City and get back on the bus to ride to the pre-race dinner at another Chinese Buffet! After the pre-race briefing, we return to our hotels and are told to be on the bus at 6:30 AM.
Race Morning - On the way to the busses.
Now is when it really gets weird. The buses take us to the Mississippi riverbank in Hickman, Kentucky. We board a ferry and cross the Mississippi to Dorena Landing in Missouri, where we receive final instructions. Then, Laz starts the race as he does at Barkley—by lighting a cigarette (I'm not kidding). We get back on the ferry and cross back over the river to Hickman, where the running (well, mostly walking) begins.
We were dumped out on the Mississippi riverbank in Hickman Kentucky.
Loaded on a ferry for the ride over to Dorena Landing in Missouri
Off the bus, onto the ferry.
Laz is about to ”Light the Cigarette” to start the 2025 Vol State 500K.
Back to the ferry, to go back across the river, to go back to Hickman
chart of the insanity of the start!
LAVS Begins: Day 1 – Thursday, July 10th
When the ramp goes down in Kentucky, the run begins. Mile 0 to Mile 28
And we are off!
After less than one mile, we encounter the first obstacle in Hickman, KY. Runners climb about 150 steps up the bluff. The steps are called "Pig Alley Steps." How does Laz find things like this?
Pig Alley Steps - Seriously? Mile 1
Our first town, Union City, TN. Where we spent Wednesday night. – Mile 15.5. I had completed 2.03% of the race
Mile 4.5 - along County Rd 125 in Kentucky Then it became County Rd 5 in Tennessee – Mile 13
The first 8.5 miles of VOLS were in Kentucky. I never even saw the sign when we entered Tennessee. I hoped to cover 46 miles that first day and reach the fire station in Gleason, where "Road Angels" set up a sleep aid station. If that proved too much, I at least wanted to reach Dresden at mile 38, where a pavilion at a farmers' market is converted into a Road Angel station with sleeping pads.
On that first day, I only managed to cover exactly 28 miles, reaching the Days Inn in Martin, TN. I had trained in the Alabama heat on roads for weeks, doing 7-to-9-hour runs from morning to late afternoon. I thought I was ready. I was not prepared for this heat.
Note: What I refer to as "hotels/motels/inns": Any place that calls itself a "motel" or "inn" and when you enter the front door you find yourself in a tiny, stiflingly hot, un-air-conditioned cubicle with only a slit in a window to communicate with the proprietor—RUN! However, at three such places, I was too desperate to care, including the Days Inn in Martin. Two were so bad I did run! I would have preferred to sleep on a park bench.
By the time I reached Martin and the Days Inn, I was totally wiped out from the heat. Someone said the high that day was in the upper nineties—I'm sure it was. Before going to the motel, I stopped at a Burger King for a Whopper and large chocolate shake. By the time I left the BK, I was chilled and actually shivering. It was only three blocks to the hotel, but by the time I got to my room, I was again "cooked." The first thing I did was take my shoes and socks off and sit with my feet on top of the AC. I did this all seven times I stayed in a motel.
I went to bed a little after dark and had difficulty going to sleep. I woke about 2 or 2:30 AM and spent over an hour getting everything organized, taped, and packed. I left the room before 4 AM and went across the highway to a Circle-K for breakfast. They have some good breakfast sandwiches and very good coffee. By the time I finished eating while walking, I felt great.
Note: Over the course of the run, I became a true connoisseur of gas station food. I give Circle-K four stars.
Day 2 – Friday, July 11th
MILE 28 TO MILE 66
As I left Martin, I was sure I was at the tail end of runners since I had stopped for the night after so few miles. Amazingly, within a couple of miles, I had passed 7 or 8 other runners out on the road at this ridiculous hour. Most were walking. I felt so good I ran almost all of the downhills and some of the flats—nothing uphill! There was a full moon overhead and crystal-clear skies. I only used my headlamp when cars approached.
The moon at 5:06 AM – mile 34.5 Sunrise at 5:30 AM – mile 36
When it got hot, I walked almost everything. I always felt great until about 10 to 10:30 AM, when I began to "wilt." This was a cycle I followed every day of the race.
Serious Mistake #1: At McKenzie, I stopped at a Sonic at mile 55 and bought a huge chocolate shake. The BK shake the day before had helped revive me, and I thought another shake would do the same. I tried to drink it all—big mistake. By mile 61, I felt awful. I found a big oak tree on the side of the highway and sprawled out in the grass. I was not only cooked, I felt really bad thanks to the shake. I lay on the side of the hill under the tree so long a guy mowing his lawn across a 4-lane divided highway finally got in his car and drove over to where I was to make sure I was OK. He brought cold water and a Gatorade. The ice-cold water worked wonders.
I finally made it to Huntingdon at mile 65 and to the Heritage Inn at mile 66. By the time I reached the place, I actually felt worse than at the end of the previous day.
Serious Mistake #2: I thought this mistake was going to end my run. I arrived at the "motel" to find there was nothing there but the motel—no stores, no gas stations, nothing—and the hotel had no food of any kind. They didn't even have coffee. I hadn't stopped at a store going through Huntingdon even though I was out of everything except water. I don't think I even saw a store.
My total food inventory was:
• One protein bar (I ate the bar for dinner!)
• One tuna pack (leftover from Cruel Jewel 100 the month before)
• Two small baggies of “Sour Patch Kids”
A WORK ABOUT ROAD ANGELS:
This was a new concept to me. They are much like volunteers at 100 or 200 mile races. Road Angles are people with absolutes no connection to the race that provide aid stops all along the 314 miles of the course. Many have been doing this for years. In some cases, like the two Road Angle stations shown immediately below, they are cooperative efforts with groups or maybe towns in some cases. Most were set up by one or two people, usually in someone’s front yard. Some of the private Road Angle stops were amazing, under tents with sleeping bags, blankets and air mattresses, fans, lights and all types of food, snacks and drinks. Sometimes had hot food. Almost all had lawn chairs. Some were no more than a cooler or two. But they are more appreciated than they can ever imagine. The one thing they ALL had was Ice Cold Water and often other drinks. Everything was done at the expense of the Road Angles. They are “ANGLES!”
THANK YOU
Road Angle Stations Along the Course, Day 2
This is the “Farmers Market Pavilion in Dresden that was to be my backup sleep-stop if I couldn’t make it to Gleason on the first night. I reached here at 6:20 AM, mile 38.
The Fire Station and Road Angle stop in Gleason. This was where I hoped to stop for the first night. I missed! Mile 46.5. I reached this stop at 9:05 AM, Friday
Day 3 - Saturday, july 12th
Mile 66 to 105
The tuna pack was breakfast. A tuna pack is hard to eat at 1:30 AM! It was after dark when I got in bed. I was up about 1 AM and on the road before 2 AM. I was sure this would be my last day—I had nothing to eat and, worse, no coffee. After the tuna breakfast, I ate Sour Patch Kids for the next 5 hours as "survival food." The amazing thing was, despite almost no food I felt great again that morning and ran all the downhills and some flats.
Almost full moon and crystal clear skies leaving Huntingdon - mile 68 Another beautiful sunrise – 6:30 AM, Mile 80
At about 6:35 AM, I reached a McDonald's in a gas station at Parkers Crossroads at I-40. It is truly amazing how wonderful a McDonald's can be! I sat down for my second sit-down meal since the China Buffet. I had a Big Breakfast (pancakes, bacon, hash browns, and coffee) plus an Egg McMuffin to go.
By the time I left, there were 6 other Vol State runners in the McDonald's. This intersection of I-40 and Highway 22 was where I had intended to spend the second night of the run. There were several nice hotels there. Instead, I was here in the middle of my third day. (By Vol State standards, 6:30 AM is the middle of the day.)
By late afternoon on day 3, I was in Parsons at mile 105. There was only one hotel in town, and fortunately it wasn't full. This time I was asleep before dark and up about Midnight. I had learned from my mistakes! I purchased three protein drinks and several protein bars the night before. I had one protein drink for dinner that night
The Day 3 Road Angle Stations
These are not all the Road Angle Stations. I didn’t take pictures at all and didn’t stop at some.
Angle Station at mile 86 - at 8:07 AM, Saturday Angle Station at mile 99 at 2:00 PM, Saturday
I reached this amazing two family Angle Station at 3:30 PM, Saturday, at mile 102.5.
a MAJOR MILESTONE - (ACTUALLY, 100 MILESTONE)
At 2:21 PM on Saturday, I reached the 100 mile mark in Vol State. This was the point I realized I would actually finish this “thing.” Ever since the first afternoon, I had been dealing with a question. Is getting to the end worth the level of misery and suffering it will require? By mid-afternoon on both the first and second days, the answer was “NO IT IS NOT!” Every morning when I started out totally refreshed, somehow the previous day’s misery was forgotten and I ready for another day. Standing there at 100 miles, almost 1/3 of the way to the end, in “broiling sun” the question was settled. Yeah, It’s worth it. However, that didn’t make the afternoons any less miserable!
There was something a bit OMINOUS about the 100 mile point being exactly at the entrance to the Darden Cemetery.
Day 4 - Sunday, JULY 13th
Mile 105 to Mile 142
At Parsons, I had stocked up for the early start. I had the second protein drink for breakfast along with two cups of coffee (yes, this hotel had coffee!). By 1 AM I was on the road. Five miles out of Parsons, the course crosses over the Tennessee River. The full moon was brilliant—I had to stop and take pictures when I reached the river at 3 AM.
The Tennessee River Bridge - Mile 111 - 3:04 AM
Along the course - 4:17 AM - mile 115
After 4 hours on the road, I drank the third protein drink for a 5 AM snack. I reached Linden at mile 123 about 7 AM. This little town has a nice hotel with a restaurant. However, at that early hour on Sunday morning, nothing in town was open, so I pushed on. I still felt great and ran virtually all downhills and some flats. I actually began to push a bit harder, trying to make up some lost time. That was not a good idea. That afternoon I felt as bad as any of the previous days—maybe worse.
Small Mistake #1: I reached Hohenwald at mile 142 by mid-afternoon. This is where a small comedy played itself out. LAVS runners are required to follow the course exactly. If you miss a turn, you must go back to where you went wrong. As I was coming into town, I looked at my phone to make sure I was following the correct route using my GAIA app. I had accidentally switched the map to "Global Imagery," making it impossible to identify specific streets. Entering town, I looked at my phone at it appeared I was on the route. I continued straight down the highway to where I thought we turned right. When I looked at the GAIA map again, I could see I was one block over from where I was supposed to be. I had to go back half a mile, then down the correct street for half a mile to turn right, crossing within 10 feet of where I realized my mistake.
(1 extra mile—my first extra mile)
The only motel in Hohenwald was full. As I was leaving the hotel, I ran into one of the guys making a movie about the 2025 VOLS. He walked with me down to a Burger King where I had, you guessed it, another Whopper and chocolate shake! I think I added fries this time. We sat and talked with his camera running the whole time. I have no idea what I said. I hope nothing embarrassing!
I was told there was a church a couple of miles out of town with an awesome Road Angel stop. After I walked what seemed more like 10 miles, I found a big aid station on the front lawn of the Christian Fellowship Church. They had converted the entire front of the church's fellowship hall into a "hostel" with air mattresses, sleeping bags, blankets, and pillows. There was even a shower and hotel-like toiletries including toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, razors, towels, and washcloths.
By the time I got out of the shower, every bed or air mattress was occupied, so I got out a small sleeping pad I carried in my pack and tried to sleep on it, without much luck. About 9 PM someone got up and left. I moved over to that air mattress and slept quite well for about 3 hours.
Two Awesome Aid Stations along the course
This Angle Station was in the middle of nowhere. This takes dedication. Mile 134 - 10:56 AM, Sunday
This couple has provided an Angle Station in their carport almost every year of Vol State. Mile 135 – 11:30 AM
Day 5: Monday, July 14th
The MOST FEARED 30 Miles IN THE RACE
Mile 141 to Mile 177
About midnight I woke up, gathered supplies, and quietly crept out of the church. There were probably 15 people sleeping in the church when I left. I was about to start across the "feared" almost 30-mile stretch (mile 141 to 170) with no stores, no gas stations, no cafe’s, no vending machines, nothing! I had stocked up on supplies and filled a couple of extra water bottles along with the 70-oz bladder I carried in my pack. That wouldn't be enough water for 30 miles, but I knew—well, hoped—there would be a few Road Angels along the way. There were.
Some Road Angel stations were "basic," but the ice-cold water was wonderful! Mile 164 – 7:30 AM
After this water stop, I was only about 6 miles from where I knew there was a gas station on the outskirts of Columbia. I had to stop and take pictures of some of the farms along the way—I had never seen a "manicured" corn field before. Just some of the interesting scenery along the 300 mile course.
These two photos were taken Monday, July 14th at 8:07 AM on the way into Columbia, about mile 166. This particular farm had hundreds of acres of corn. The edges of the fields had perfectly smooth, cut grass borders around all the fields. The manicured grass was along the road, drives into the farm, and all the fence rows. I haven't seen many yards that looked so nice.
By 10:00 AM I reached the store at mile 170.4. I had survived the 30 miles! I ate fried chicken fingers and drank coffee. There was no coffee at the church when I left. I still had 7 miles to go to the hotel I hoped to stay in. Passing through downtown Columbia about noon I passed some great looking restaurants. I decided I looked too bad to go in any. By 2 PM I was settled into the Richland Inn and had dinner from the Legends Steak House across the parking lot. This was my first "real meal" in days. I took it to my room to eat since I hadn't yet showered. This was a decent hotel. Not fancy but clean and well maintained.
I didn’t eat in the Legacy Steak House. I just looked too bad and probably smelled worse than I looked. It had been another very hot day and I was soaking wet from perspiration. If I took a shower before going to eat, I might have smelled “less bad” but I would have been dripping wet. I had not dry clothes to change into.
The shrimp was good as was the broccoli. I would have preferred Fried Shrimp and French Fries, but!! I did have dessert.
Note on running clothes and gear during LAVS: Because we must carry everything we need for 8 to 10 days, in my case, we "minimize!" I carried with me the following items: two pairs of running socks, one long-sleeve running shirt, one short-sleeve running shirt, two pairs of underwear, one pair of running shorts, and one pair of running shoes. I also had my hat, a poncho, and my sun umbrella. NO OTHER CLOTHING! That's it! At night, I washed what I wore that day and hung it up to dry. Of course, in 4 or 5 hours, nothing dried—it just became "less wet." So I started every day wearing very damp clothes. The wet clothes I wasn't wearing, I hung on the back of my pack to dry. LAVS runners were an interesting sight running down the road with their laundry hanging on their packs!