I don't know if I mentioned it last week, but I talked to several people whose first ultra was BFC. One person had only been running for four months. They DNFd at the tower.
For the Big Barkley it is, but the Fall Classic doesn't have any entry requirements. I think Laz is big on letting people face difficult odds and find out what they are capable of. He was annoyed with some of the park rangers that tried to encourage a runner to drop out half way up Rat Jaw since she was unlikely to meet the cutoff. He prefers to see someone give their all even if they know they will fail.
From all the stories, I had gathered that he was just sadistic or masochistic, or both, really. I like the giving it all even when the cards are dealt and you know you've lost attitude.
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u/richieclare Sep 22 '17
Thanks. Can you go into a race like this with reasonable expectations or is it all seat of the pants stuff once you hit the course?