The Barkley Wasn't Kind To Penn State

I am back home, just about at the same time 3-time Barkley finisher Jared Campbell is struggling to finish a Fun Run at the 2021 Barkley Marathons.

Our Official Physicist Ron Moore had taps played for him more than 12 hours after the 3:04am start. He had navigated the beginning of the race well and had gathered the first nine books. He was descending one of the mountains and went to take the "safe" route between rock pillars, when catastrophe struck. He slipped on the muddy rocks, and fell directly on one of them.

Remember, there is no help coming on the course. There are no aid stations, meat wagons, or medical help of any kind. Just hours of navigation through dense woods, often dense fog (and don't forget the feral hogs) until you can get help.

Ron knew immediately, he had broken a rib. Still, he moved forward along the course that is completely unmarked using a compass and a topographical map of the course you need to make yourself.

He needed to climb two mountain peaks and the descent between them to reach the Tower. This is the only place people are allowed to see the racers, although they cannot help in any way.

That's how Spouse the Better, I and Ron's wife Patty found out about his dilemma. I was already back at the park from the hospital when we found out.

Even as Ron was returning to the yellow gate starting/finishing line via the tower road, it was still several hours until we would see him.

He came in, looking really fine and more oblivious to his rib fracture than I was to the pain of my wrist fracture sustained 1/2 hour prior to the start!

Race Director Lazarus Lake greeted him at the gate to record his "quitting" of the race, not even taking the nine book pages Ron had collected before the calamity.

Taps was played, as it is for every non-finisher of the race. Eventually, all 37 starters would be tapped out this year. No finishers this year.

Penn State Alumni associated with this year's race:

• David Hughes - 1968 Engineering alum was a starter for the 18th time. He was the Sweeper of the course and gathered one book, helped one runner who was hopelessly lost, and was tapped out second overall after 10 hours. 
• Patty Moore - was recruited to help crew for husband Ron after loop one. A duty that  never came. And this was after I had texted her about my wrist fracture at 4:00am! (Sorry, I am pleading insanity because of the pain from my ribs and wrist) 
• Spouse the Better - co-Covid Czar of the 2021 Barkley Marathons. Came to the event only because of the ineptitude of her husband, and to see wildflowers. Still enjoyed the whole debacle. 
• Skwilli - Head Covid Czar of the 2021 Barkley Marathons. Became the first victim of the event when he stumbled into the culvert next to the bathroom at 2:30am. Result was a non-displaced radial fracture of my right wrist and a bruise of my left ribs, (now ruled an 8th rib fracture). Could have been much worse. Still had the time of my life and talked to Laz for hours and hours on just about everything. Still need 3 weeks off work... 
• Ron Moore - The third known PSU affiliated starter, and the first PSU Track Alumni Golfer. Ron broke a rib and collected nine of the thirteen book pages. He made it back to the gate on his own two feet without any help. He was interviewed by HBO for an upcoming documentary.