7:45 p.m., Sunday. They just finished another 9-mile loop, bringing them to a total of 87 miles.
Tad is concerned about BT. I’d love to be a tick on BT’s shoulder so I could assess for myself how he and Tad are actually doing. I’m sure there’s a lot of censorship going on when I ask how they’re doing.
They are now headed into their final 4 mile loop, bringing them to a total of 91 miles. They estimate they will complete their current loop by 10:30 p.m. They will then start their final 9 mile loop, which they must complete before 6 a.m. Monday morning or they will be disqualified. Their previous 9-mile loop took them 4 1/2, so it’s definitely within the realm of possibility that they will successfully complete the race.
Tad is more confident than BT that they will, and I personally think they will, too. Bryan is the most stubborn individual on the planet. When he puts his mind to something, there’s no stopping him.
While in the planning stages, BT estimated they would cross the finish line by 5:30 p.m. Sunday evening. Clearly that did not happen, and they’ll be lucky to finish by 5:30 a.m. Monday morning. I can’t imagine how physically and emotionally difficult the extra 12 hours must be for Bryan.
In the video below, BT’s assessment of how he feels perfectly captures his personality. His stubbornness is surpassed only by his optimism. Only someone like BT could remain pleasant and mildly optimistic in the middle of an ordeal like this. I’m 99.9% sure I’d be as saucy as a sailor and as foul-tempered as a rabid dog if I were in his shoes.
You’ve got this, BT and Tad. You are SO CLOSE!
I hope to be able to make it back to town to give another update tonight after they finish their current 4-mile loop and begin hiking through the cold and dark toward the finish line, just 9 miles away.