[Author’s Note: This is the final article in an 11-part series celebrating legendary aid stations. You can read about the series here.]
The Uwharrie 100 Mile is a merely unrelenting 100-mile race held every October within the Uwharrie Mountains of Central North Carolina. Directed by Ryan and Meghaan Hampton, the Uwharrie 100 Mile consists of 5 figure-eight loops, every 20.5 miles lengthy. The race is understood for the rocks and roots of the Dutchman’s Creek and Uwharrie Trails. On the heart of the determine eight is the Crossroads support station, which runners hit at mile 6 and mile 15 of every loop. Crossroads is captained by legendary North Carolina ultrarunner Vinny Swendsen, who was the unique course designer and has led the station because the race’s inception in 2014. He’s additionally completed 94 100-mile races himself.
Vinny Swendsen, captain of the legendary Crossroads support station within the Uwharrie 100 Mile. All pictures courtesy of Vinny Swendsen.
The Crossroads support station is understood for its meals, and for good purpose. In his personal phrases, right here is how Vinny describes the meals at his support station: “We’ve got the most effective meals of any support station you might have ever been by means of!”
For breakfast, they provide bacon, cheddar, and potato muffins, in addition to sausage. The muffins are served in a crockpot that Vinny says “has a small system within the backside fabricated from empty [small metal] cans and a metallic display to permit for water within the backside to maintain the muffins heat and moist for runners.” There are additionally waffles and bacon with maple syrup, treats they proceed to serve for the remainder of the race. For lunch, Vinny brings out his apricot-glazed meatballs, served heat in an electrical frying pan. Vinny says, “I additionally serve beer-marinated steak on skewers made with a easy marinade of stout beer, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and Dijon mustard.” Then there are the “Brat Bites,” which Vinny describes as “bratwurst rolled in crescent roll dough and reduce into bite-sized items.”
The well-known Crossroads support station is about up and prepared for runners of the Uwharrie 100 Mile.
Vinny takes nice satisfaction in his meals. “One merchandise I’m very choosy with is burgers. I fry them on an electrical grill, medium warmth, for 3 minutes utilizing a timer. At that time, they’ve a slight little bit of pink within the heart and shall be straightforward for runners to eat shortly.” Vinny refuses to accept something however wonderful. “I’ve had burgers at different races that had been so over-cooked and dried out I couldn’t get them down and threw them away. I can’t serve burgers like that to different runners. I additionally add salt and pepper to every burger for seasoning and higher taste.”
With evening comes soup. Vinny says, “This yr soups included home-made potato soup, rooster and rice soup with peas and peppers, and carrot soup.” By Sunday morning, with hours on the clock and miles within the legs, Vinny breaks out the shrimp and grits, sharing, “It’s straightforward to make utilizing grits, tiny shrimp, garlic, lemon juice, and butter. It has been successful yearly.”
Muffins galore!
The primary two loops of the race usually see quick occasions. Nevertheless, as the damage and tear of the course units in, runners begin to gradual, making the refuge of the Crossroads support station all of the extra necessary. Vinny remembers when he needed to intervene to assist a runner in want. “I bear in mind the lead runner coming into Crossroads on his final loop, struggling to remain awake and never realizing what to do. I managed to persuade him to lie on the cot close to the hearth for quarter-hour. He reluctantly agreed. I woke him up, and he took off working a lot stronger than he was when he got here in. When he got here again into Crossroads for the ultimate stretch to the end, he thanked me for convincing him to take a brief nap as he had been working robust ever since.”
Certainly, it’s interactions like that one, in addition to many others, that preserve Vinny and his loyal crew of volunteers coming again to Uwharrie yr after yr.
Bottoms up!
AJW’s Beer of the Week
This week’s Beer of the Week comes from Petty Thieves Brewing Firm in Charlotte, North Carolina. Electrical Mayhem is a cherry-flavored bitter that defies the everyday bitter style. Whereas it begins out candy, it finishes with a novel, tangy tartness, which makes it one of many extra uncommon and pleasurable beers I’ve ever loved.
Name for Feedback
Have you ever had the pleasure of visiting the Crossroads support station? What did you consider the meals?
What’s been your favourite support station meals in any race you’ve been to?
