2026 Vol State 500K

“The Splendid and the Vile”

Oh, that title is taken! How about

“The vile and the less vile”

315 Miles – Misouri, Across Tennessee, to Georgia

Photo taken Approaching Lewisburg - Mile 199

Actually, this year's Vol State was much less "Vile" than the 2025 race. When running Vol State, you learn quickly! This year I ran/hiked when I felt good, rested when I was tired, and slept when I realized I was weaving down the road. I only stopped at a hotel when I arrived at the right time for a nap. I only stayed in 4 hotels over the 8 nights. It took me 7 days, 5 hours to finish — almost a day quicker than last year.

Yes, there were still "Vile" parts:

  1. Passing over "Stinky Creek" (Obion River) only 20.5 miles in. The almost unimaginable odor is the result of the rendering plant just off the road on our right.

  2. Each of 468 trucks (maybe a slight exaggeration) hauling chickens passed me during the entire race. Apparently, they never wash the trucks — they stunk as badly as Stinky Creek. I tried to hold my breath until each one was well past.

  3. Probably 150 miles of roads with no shoulders and lots of traffic.

  4. 3 AM the third night, when I decided this was the "stupidest" thing I have ever done and was going to call Carl to ask him to pick me up on his next DNF run.

  5. Failing to carry any extra calories or enough water for the final 15 miles.

  6. This should have been first: two pre-race meals at two China Buffets!!

But that's what the race is about.

Tuesday, July 7th - Wednesday, July 8th (Pre-race events)

So, we meet at the China Buffet in Kimball, TN Tuesday night to turn in liability waivers so we can park at Castle Rock Farms and get race shirts. Next morning we arrive at Castle Rock about 6:15 AM, park in a corn field (this year it was a soybean field, I think), and walk a third of a mile back to waiting buses just outside the gate. We ride the buses 300 miles, driving the course backward, to Union City. We stop about halfway in Columbia for lunch. We arrive at our hotel, unload, rest a few minutes, then get back on the buses to go eat at — you guessed it — another China Buffet. Following the meal, we have the pre-race briefing to be sure we remember to get up in time to catch the buses to the start, and don't pick fights with cars! (And a few other pertinent details!)

China BUffet - Kimbell

China Buffet - Kimball - Tuesday

Rest Stop 1 - Rush to the bathrooms!

Rest Stop 2 - Rush to the bathrooms!

Wednesday morning hike to the Buses Castle Rock Farms

LUNCH in Columbia - Halfway

“Last Supper” - China Buffet - Union City - Wednesday

Thursday, July 9th – The Race Starts!

We load the buses about 6:15 Thursday morning for the 15-mile ride to Hickman, KY, on the Mississippi River. We unload, pay the $10 pedestrian fare to ride across the river and back, and load onto the ferry. We arrive in Missouri and walk up to the start line at a tree in the middle of the road. Laz lights his cigarette and the race begins, sort of. We get back on the ferry, go back to Hickman. The ramp slides up on shore and everyone "sprints" off the ferry.

Crossing the Mississippi to Dorena Landing in Missouri - Photos by Theresabee Lever

The official Start in Missouri - Carl Laniak’s Photo Above

The actual “Run” Start in Kentucky by Theresabee Lever

The first mile is uphill, including a 75 ft climb up "Pig Alley Steps." The first 10 miles are in Kentucky, then we enter Tennessee for the next 295.5 miles.

My Start of the run photo.

Pig Alley Steps- Mile 1 - by Carl Laniak

Note on the day/night/distance thing: I used the distance recorded when we reported our location at 7:30 AM and 7:30 PM to distinguish days. Since I ran all night most nights, there's really no other way to mark daily progress.

Also: some days I recorded my 7:30 PM or AM reports early, when I stopped to sleep — I didn't want to sleep through any required report times. They might send the Marines out looking for me!

Another Also: I frequently give a time for specific events such as arriving at or leaving a place. In most cases, especially late in the race, I have no idea what time I got somewhere. If I say 3 PM, consider it to mean early afternoon, or just sometime in the afternoon!

Thursday, July 9th – Day 0, Night 1 – Mile 0 to 48

The first day went exactly as planned, except for the really bad gas station sandwich I had for lunch. Four miles past Stinky Creek (the Obion River), at mile 20, I stopped at "Last Flight Outdoor Center" (The two images below) to rest. I set up my little "campsite" with my green mini air mattress, put my solar panel in the sun, plugged in my phone, and stretched out. Last Flight is "AWESOME." They have fans set up, ice water in coolers, and let us use the store's bathrooms and air conditioning. It's a busy place!

My Campsite!

I arrived at Last Flight about 2:30 PM and left about 5:45. I mostly rested but think I slept about an hour. By the time I left it was beginning to cool down a bit. I continued on to the next town, Martin, and had a BK "Whopper" and shake for dinner, mile 29. While eating I could see lightning off to the north, but it didn't seem to be getting closer. After the meal, I crossed the highway to a gas station to stock up on supplies for the night. It was getting dark by now. My next stop was Gleason, 20 miles away, with no stores open overnight.

As I came out of the store, the wind picked up and it was beginning to rain. The lightning was close and the thunder was loud. I stopped at the McDonald's next to the store to dig out my poncho before heading out. Then the storm hit. Check out the radar image to the right to see the approaching storm. It was a full-blown "severe" thunderstorm. I realized my emergency poncho was worthless against this, so I ducked into the McDonald's to let the worst pass. There were 6 other runners sheltering there too. I had some coffee and waited. By about 10:15 PM the worst had passed — still pouring, but the wind had died down and the lightning had moved a safe distance away. The other runners were curled up asleep on the benches, so I packed up and headed out.

About 3 AM, through continuous rain, I finally reached Gleason and made my way to the Gleason Fire Department Aid Station. They remove all the trucks and set up cots and air mattresses on the floor, with an amazing aid station at the entrance. When I arrived, there were only 6 or 7 runners sprawled out on the floor. I figured we were probably the last of the pack. I always figure I'm at the tail end!

I removed my soaked shoes and socks and stretched out on an air mattress near the back wall. I covered up with a blanket, and that was the last thing I remembered until I realized it was getting light. About 6 AM I crawled out and started getting ready to go. I put on dry socks under wet shoes — they felt good, but it was still raining, so it really made no difference. When I left about 7:30 the place was packed! Guess I wasn’t last.

Heading out of the Gleason Fire Dept Angle Stop

What was about to hit us

Departing the Gleason FD Angle Stop about 7:15 AM. I took a cup of coffee and a sausage biscuit with me. Great way to start the day. However, eating a sausage biscuit in the rain does not work!

Friday, July 10th – Day 1, Night 2 – Mile 48 to 92

My basic plan was to sleep during the hot part of the day and run all night. For the most part, this worked well. I had managed to keep going most of the first night, but the last 4 or 5 miles before Gleason were brutal. Several times I considered lying down in the rain, on wet grass, and taking a nap.

My next goal was reaching the small motel on the outskirts of Huntingdon at mile 68. Although this “motel” was only 20 miles from Gleason, it would put me on the sleep cycle I wanted to follow. I stopped for lunch at “AJ's All-Star Cafe” about 1 PM and met Laz, Carl, and the rest of the Vol State team inside. AJ’s is an old friend of Vol State. They stay open long after their usual closing time to help runners. When I reached the Heritage Inn, about a mile out of town, I thought there was construction going on — it was just runners drying out soaked clothes on the curb. This hotel is old but totally remodeled. Great place to stop.

AJ’s All-Start Cafe

By about 7 PM I was on the road headed for the McDonald's at Interstate-40, mile 82. It was a lifesaver last year. Unfortunately, I arrived about 3:00 AM and it was closed. I had to settle for a gas station breakfast that tasted like it had been sitting out since the previous morning. I considered checking into the new Hampton Inn behind the McDonald's but decided to "trod on." This was my first "LOW POINT!" However, daylight perked up my spirits, and by the 7:30 AM check-in I was headed east out of Lexington at mile 92.

Below, I've posted photos of the Scott's Aid Station. I borrowed some pictures from FB — I didn't take any. I arrived sometime around 4 AM, found an empty reclining chair, and was instantly asleep. I had set my alarm for 1 hour. Someone woke me up — my alarm was going off and I never heard it. Unfortunately, everyone else in the tent was now awake too. Sorry!

This is an amazing aid station run by the Scott family. Thank you David Scott and family!!

I think this photo is from the Scott’s Aid Station

Photo by David Scott

Saturday, July 11th – Day 2, Night 3 – Mile 92 to 134

This day, my goal was only to reach Parsons and the small hotel at mile 107. I checked in early afternoon and slept until about 6 PM (I think — by day 3, everything is vague!). I was on the road by 7:00 PM, headed for Hohenwald, mile 144. About all I remember from this section was crossing the Tennessee River for the first time, about 10 PM, at mile 112.5. It was very foggy and I didn't take any pictures.

Several miles after the river, I hit absolute bottom. It was cold, wet, and miserable. I was so sleepy I was weaving down the road. It was very foggy, making it hard to see with a headlamp. The road was narrow with no shoulder. I spent hours, or so it seemed, counting the length of the rumble strips cut along the white stripes. There were few cars, but when you did encounter one, you had to get off the side of the road into knee-high wet grass. This is where I decided I'd had enough. This is stupid. I wanted to go home. Instead of checking in at 7:30 AM, I was going to call in and tell them, "I quit. Come pick me up."

About 4 AM, I came upon a 10x10 popup tent in the middle of nowhere. The only light was a couple of solar-powered lights outside that were almost out of power. It had water and a couple of reclining camp chairs. I lay down on one, set my timer for 1 hour, and covered up with my poncho. Next thing I knew, I woke up about one minute before the timer was set to go off. I got up, grabbed a water, and headed out. I felt good again. As the sun came up, I realized felt great. It is amazing what an hour nap can do! At 7:30 I made my morning report at mile 134. I didn’t quit.

I have no pictures from this section.

Sunday, July 12th – Day 3, Night 4 – Mile 134 to 173

At the morning check-in I was only 10 miles from my destination. I arrived in Hohenwald at noon and stopped at a Sonic for a burger and shake, then walked the mile to the Central Christian Fellowship Church. I arrived at the church about 2 PM, took a shower, and slept about 4 hours.

The Central Christian Fellowship provides what I think is the best of all the aid stations. They convert their fellowship hall and a side room into a sleeping area with cots and air mattresses. The bathroom and shower are stocked with clean towels, washcloths, shampoo, soap, etc. They provide individual packs containing toothbrushes, toothpaste, and razors. The aid station out front keeps freshly made sandwiches, cookies, cupcakes, and other food — and, of course, water, Gatorade, Coke, and more. There were 4 or 5 volunteers working continuously.

We sent a donation to the church after the race. I hope other runners did the same.

I got up about 7 and on the road by 8:00 PM. The next 30 miles are the longest “Desert” in the race. That is, there are NO stores for 30 miles. By 6:30 AM, the next morning, I had reached the outer loop of Columbia and stopped at a gas station at the outer loop for breakfast. I sat outside and relaxed a few minutes before heading on. At the morning check-in I was at mile 173.

Monday, July 13th – Day 4, Night 5 – Mile 173 to 214

I arrived in downtown Columbia's central square about 9:00 AM and stopped for coffee at Muletown Coffee Roasters on the square. Then I made my way south to Hwy 50 (mile 179, almost), where we turn left. There I stocked up for the day at a gas station and headed east. At mile 184. runners turn off Hwy 50 to the right and reach one of the most famous spots on the course, located at the Emerald Cake and Company — the famous "Bench of Despair." I was hoping to buy a slice of cake, but they had just closed when I arrived. It was about noon and hot, so I decided this was a good place for a short nap. I opened up my air mattress under a tree to the right of the store and slept an hour. (See the image below. This is a Google Maps photo and in July, the trees have leaves.)

My next stop was Lewisburg at mile 214. I don't remember much about this section, except reaching the gas station at I-65. I felt like I was almost home. (Interstate 65 runs through Birmingham and about 5 miles west of our house.) After a gas station dinner, I headed for town. A mile or so past I-65 a storm hit — strong but very small. In 15 minutes it was just rain; in 30 minutes the sky was amazing. I had to make my evening position report at mile 197 while it was still pouring.

I reached the Celebration Inn at mile 202 about 10:30 PM and stopped for a few hours’ sleep, waiting while they finished cleaning the room. I slept until 2:00 AM and was on the road by 2:45. I reached mile 214 by morning check-in.

Tuesday, July 14th – Day 5, Night 6 – Mile 214 to 252

I reached Shelbyville by noon and decided to have a real sit-down meal at “The Coffee Break” (just over 223 miles). I don't remember what I ate, but it was good. I also had a treat. For energy, of course.

After Shelbyville it's a very long stretch to the next hotel I intended to stop at. By midafternoon I had reached the town of Wartrace — a very small but interesting town, home of the Tennessee Walking Horse. After some ice cream from a store in town, I crossed back over the tracks, got out my green air mattress, and slept about 1.5 hours on a park bench. It was very pleasant, but I kept expecting someone to tell me to get out of the park.

The photo to the right shows almost the entire town.

The next 11-mile section is possibly the prettiest section of the race. It follows creeks and beautiful farm/ranch land. The road climbs 360 feet over a couple of miles, then levels out on a plateau that extends all the way to where the climb up the Cumberland begins. Once on top of the plateau, runners end up on "Sixteenth Model Road" — a very odd name for a road. It got dark while I was on this section. A man stopped his truck and told me his aid station was just ahead, and he'd be back in a minute. He was there by the time I got there. They had a nice aid stop, and I wished I had skipped the park bench in Wartrace and gone another 7 miles. I never saw this one last year.

It still had 12 very long miles to go to my planned stop in Manchester, my final stop before the end. I'm not sure what time I reached the Comfort Inn and Suites in Manchester — I think it was about 3:00 AM. I was amazed to see other people checking in at that time. Not runners. I slept until about 6:00 AM and was on my way by 6:45. I think I grabbed something for breakfast at the hotel, but I have no idea what. I had done my morning check-in at mile 252 before going to sleep, just in case.

Wednesday, July 15th – Day 6, Night 7 – Mile 252 to 303 – "The End is in Sight!"

I now intended to go all the way to the finish without stopping at another motel. That's 63 miles. I would have to go all day in the heat, but I was becoming acclimatized, I suppose. The heat wasn't bothering me too much. It was, however, cooler than last year. I stopped at the aid stop below at 2:30 PM in Pelham, TN — another amazing stop. They had a separate sleeping area set up behind the front section. Then I headed to and up the 900 ft, 3.5-mile climb to the top of the Cumberland Plateau.

I reached the top at Monteagle about 5:30 PM and went straight into Papa Ron's Pizza & Italian Seafood Restaurant. It was awesome! I had grilled shrimp with no sides, and close to a gallon of iced tea, including the full cup I took with me. It was hot. I had to stop next door at the CVS to stock up for the night — there would be no more stores open until morning.

Dinner in Monteagle

The next 6 miles were on a rail-trail. It ended in Tracy City at mile 280, about 9:30 PM. By then I was falling asleep on my feet again. I stopped at the First Baptist Church, about half a mile from the end of the trail. They had a nice protocol, so I spread out my air mattress and slept a while. About an hour later I got up and headed for the other side of the plateau. It is only 12 miles to where the road drops sharply downhill to Jasper, but it felt like 50. When I reached the almost 4-mile, 1,100 ft. descent I felt good and ran most of the downhill. At the bottom I stopped for a short rest then continued to town.

By the time I reached the courthouse in Jasper, mile 296.5, I was falling asleep again. I decided the courthouse looked like a great place to sleep a while. I went up the steps to the entrance, spread out my air mattress on a bench, and slept 1.5 hours. See the arrow in the photo to the left. No police showed up! I have no idea what time I lay down or woke up, but it was dark when I started for the hotel in Kimball to pick up my tracker. It didn't get light until I was almost at the hotel. (We have to carry a Spot tracker from the host hotel to the finish.)

I reached the hotel at just over 300 miles, got my tracker, and called Carl to let him know I was headed that way — "after a stop at Waffle House." It's only 15 miles to the end, but the runners have to climb Sand Mountain (elevation gain 1,030 ft over 3 miles). If you are rested, as I was in 2025, it’s relatively easy. In 2026 it was brutal!

Thursday, July 16th – Day 7 – Mile 303 to 315

At the 7:30 AM check-in I was at mile 303, on the bridge over the Tennessee River — the second crossing. The first crossing of the Tennessee was at mile 113, five miles past Parsons. At mile 305.5, runners cross into Alabama for the next 7.5 miles. This includes the "dreaded" three-mile climb up Sand Mountain.

The Tennessee - Mile 303

Entering Alabama - Mile 305.5

I made a fairly serious mistake on the final leg of our journey. Although I stopped to eat breakfast at the Waffle House before leaving Kimball, I didn't buy anything to carry with me — I didn't even get extra water. By the time I started up Sand Mountain, I had slowed to a crawl, probably going about 2 miles per hour or less. By the time I reached the top of the climb it was HOT and I was wiped out. I stopped at a store up on the mountain and got a Coke and an ice cream bar. I still didn't buy any water. Obviously, I was “dysfunctional” by this point.

“Rust in Peace” - 4 miles from the end.

The “Turn to the Finish 2 Miles from the end.

The End!

I finally got there. 7 Days, 5 Hours, 22 Minutes, 19 Seconds.

I will do better next year. I am Already signed up!

In Summation

I am trying to write a summation. I have no idea how to make this race sound the way it felt, and I'm not sure a short, concise summation is even possible.

This race is like nothing else I have ever done. Although I never reached the point of total exhaustion, as I have in some of the 100-mile races I've run, Vol State is, without a doubt, the hardest thing I have ever done. I think that's because the end is NEVER IN SIGHT — at least, not until the last few miles. It's all about getting to the next town, or the next rest stop, or that tree at the top of the next hill, or the next gas station, or Dollar Store. The end is some obscure "thing" far off, lost in the mist of time.

And then there's the frustratingly slow progress, especially during the day, that I suspect most of us experienced during the race. Early on, I was comfortable running most of the downhill sections at night, and a few in the day. By about the third day, I ran only a few downhills at night and nothing in the heat of the day. I know there were a few nights near the end when I ran nothing at all. Yet somehow, I got to the end — and so did 90 of the 136 who started. Despite such slow progress, I finished right in the middle of the pack, at 45th.

I suppose finishing this race boils down to primarily one thing: tenacity. Anyone starting this race had better have "one hell of a mindset," and a stubborn streak will help. Obviously, anyone attempting this race, or any similar race, must have a certain degree of physical conditioning. I'd guess that makes up 15–25% of what it takes to make it to the end. The rest is pure tenacity.

I learned one very valuable lesson this year. I was twice at the point of total frustration, ready to quit — both times in the middle of the night. I was as low as I have ever been in a race. Both times, I slept about an hour and felt better. By daylight, I felt great! ("Great" has to be taken in the context of being 90 and 120 miles into a race!)

This point is extremely important for anyone planning on running any race over 200 miles: no matter how bad you feel, you can recover and go on to finish. Before running Vol State this year, I was considering canceling my entry into the Cocodona 250 next May. I didn't think I could finish. Now I know I can finish.