In what was the most race-like start of all my experiences at the Peak Races Death Race, we were off in an instant. What remained the same is not knowing when it starts (officially, it’s seriously complicated), and you don’t know when it will end. Andy and Joe had just finished telling us the race … Read More
Death Race
Legend of the Death Race Year 3: Part 1 – Here We Go Again
As the end of June approached it became ever apparent that my favorite kind of painful pleasure was coming into focus, The Peak Death Race. It loomed over my head like a dark cloud following a cartoon character around, just waiting to blast them with lightning. In the weeks leading up to the race I … Read More
Legend of the Death Race Year 2: Part 10 – Swim to Death
There I was just standing there, at the water’s edge, second guessing whether or not I could complete the swim challenge when a fellow racer entered the water behind me. It was Death Race veteran, Keith Glass. He walked up next to me and said, “Come on, Tony you can do this.” I looked to … Read More
Legend of the Death Race Year 2: Part 9 – Down with the Sickness
There I was in the middle of the forest on the other side of Bloodroot Mountain, sweating, nauseous, exhausted, hadn’t slept in over 48 hours and I had just spent 15-20 minutes vomiting up every last bit of nutrients I had left in me. What’s happening to me? I need to rehydrate and refuel to … Read More
Legend of the Death Race Year 2: Part 8 – Surviving the Delusions
There I was, feeling a little lost back at the entrance to Bloodroot Mountain Trail. I thought, how did everyone disappear so fast? I tried to keep my cool. There were two people in front of me just a minute ago, they couldn’t have gone far, I thought, reassuring myself. I decided to investigate the … Read More
Legend of the Death Race Year 2: Part 7 – Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Bloodroot
Now that the race had officially started, we were informed that the next leg of the race would take place on the notorious Blood Root Mountain Trail. At last it was finally upon us, one of the most demanding segments of last year’s race took place here, but even when my team was forced to … Read More
Legend of the Death Race Year 2: Part 6 – The Unexpected
After finishing the barbed wire challenge I had the opportunity to gather my gear before proceeding to the next challenge; or lack thereof. My mission required that I head back to the Riverside Farm and wait. That’s right, myself and the other four racers who finished were so far ahead that we had to wait … Read More
Legend of the Death Race Year 2: Part 5 – A Dance with Barbed Wire
Making my way up to the top of Tweed River Drive, I was surprised not to see anyone ahead of me and looking back, no one behind me. I was all alone. The solitude felt strange. The sun beat down hard as I charged up the same path I remembered taking the year before, when … Read More
Legend of the Death Race Year 2: Part 4 – Ready, Get Set…..
Running down the staircase, yes, the one we just built not even a few hours earlier was absolutely exhilarating. Seeing the variety of boulders we’d placed and dug into the mountainside to create this new pathway leading us from the bottom to the top was a thing of beauty. In my head, I could already … Read More
Legend of the Death Race Year 2: Part 3 – Mile High Staircase
The first night we were on Joe’s mountain we didn’t finish working on the staircase until something like 3AM. The entire time, we worked tirelessly building those stairs. It was evident that some teams were clearly expending more energy and putting forth more effort in making a respectable staircase compared to other teams. My team, Team … Read More