"Alone in the fog, after six days of running through the British mountains, Raf Willems began to speak with the grass and stones. About what, he doesn't know. The air was freezing, but he liked it that way; summer heat made for awful running weather. To be in naturethe thickening precipitation above, the undulating terrain belowpushing his physical limits was a thrilling adventure. Until he saw dead people lying in the snow, calling to him: Help, help, help me!"
"The start of the ultramarathon had been lively. More than one hundred deliriously excited long-distance runnerstheir faces flushed from the drizzly 35 degree morning, colorful waterproof jackets zipped to the chin with hoods upall huddled in mass anticipation of the Montane Winter Spine Race. It was January 15, 2023. Some wanted to win. Most, like Willems, simply wanted to finish. But completing the 268-mile course in the allotted time of 168 hours would be no simple feat."
Raf Willems ran the Montane Winter Spine Race, a 268-mile trail ultramarathon beginning in Edale and following the Pennine Way toward the Scottish border. The route climbs jagged peaks, including nearly 3,000-foot Cross Fell, and typically requires nearly a week to complete. The race began January 15, 2023, with over one hundred entrants facing probable wind, snow, and definite cold and a 168-hour cutoff to finish. Willems carried a tech pack of more than fifteen pounds and used hiking poles. After six days he began speaking to grass and stones and experienced hallucinations of people in the snow calling for help.
Read at www.esquire.com
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