The Last Annual Third Circle of Hell: 371 miles

In January 2023 we were out on a road trip to scout the course for a race that Laz calls the “Third Circle of Hell”: the triple crown of journey runs. To be eligible, you must have completed Vol State and HOTS, at some point in time.

The elevation profile looks like an EEG. This would be the ultimate journey run. Laz would reveal the course at some point, and I couldn’t wait for the summer to run this epic race. Yes, I was qualified, and I fully intended to run it. It was going to be one helluva summer!

Before the race

The last few days of training before the big race, the 600 km LATCH, were hot and humid. With less than a week to go, I was in the last few days of heat acclimatization for the Third Circle of Hell.

The Last Annual Third Circle of Hell is a challenging course over mainly back roads. It has numerous turns, so you have to be good at finding the route; long stretches through remote parts of Tennessee without services, so you have to carry enough supplies; and 23 major climbs. It takes in the long Pressure Ridges of upper East Tennessee, the Crab Orchard Mountains, and the Cumberland Plateau and Sequatchie Valley. It’s the third jewel in the triple crown of the last annual Tennessee journey runs.

The race

Day 1: the race started at 6:30 am Central in pouring rain.

I logged 166 miles by the end of day 3. Did some foot surgery and got back on the road. Day 4, here we go!

With less than 100 miles to go, just about 84 to the finish, I took an hour’s nap on the porch of a church fellowship hall.

And then a storm, moving east. The next 20-some miles were going to be very interesting.

That night’s thunderstorm was merciless and brought me to my knees. The heavy lightning and sideways rain were brutal. I took shelter on the porch of a church but still got soaked. Temps dropped to the lower 50s. The rain continued till 8 the next morning. I’d been on the road since 6. Just about 50 miles to go.

Less than a marathon to go! Maggie, my wife, told me there was a storm predicted between Jasper and Kimball, TN. It looked like a wet start and a wet finish.

I finished in pouring rain at 5:01 am, at Pat’s Summit.

Well, that was one of the toughest adventure races ever. It had everything: heat, hills, rain, thunder, lightning, tornadoes and more.

Looking back

That was a crazy hot day. It was so hot that I took refuge at every church I found along the course. A quick 10-minute break.

Not very many blisters, but I lost some toenails from all that insane downhill running.

It’s been over a week, but it still feels unreal. I completed the Last Annual Third Circle of Hell 371-mile foot race. Heat, hills, torrential downpours, thunderstorms, lightning, tornadoes: this race had it all and more.

As Lazarus says, “If you’re going to face a real challenge it has to be a real challenge. You can’t accomplish anything without the possibility of failure.” This race was a REAL challenge, and I am so glad to have finished, in 7 days, 22 hrs, 31 min and 59 sec.

Thanks, Laz, for giving us a REAL challenge, one that made us all dig deep to find that something we never thought existed. Thanks for all your support and help on the course, Steve. You are the best. Sandra, Carl Laniak: it was great to see you on the course.

Unlike the time I ran Vol State, I didn’t unfriend my family members this time. They got used to my craziness over the years.

Thanks, Maggie, for your support, and for finding out and letting me know the business hours of stores, keeping an eye on the radar and sharing the weather reports.

The Third Circle of Hell has been one helluva journey, and I’m so glad to have completed the Triple Crown of Tennessee Journey Runs.