Glenn Sutton is something of a freak. I'm pretty sure he'll like that description. How else could you describe someone who thinks a "wee training run" is a non-stop run from Dunedin to Middlemarch?
That's what Glenn did in the early hours of Saturday morning. He was determined to arrive in time for lunch at Richard Emerson's Tap and Dough pizza restaurant so decided to leave from the city at 2am. But even that wasn't enough. He woke an hour or so earlier, climbed out of his bed in Waverley and took a 20km warm-up run to Larnach Castle before heading into town.
Glenn wasn't alone. Pub runners are unusual people. Kind of normal, but certainly far from it. When they get a crazy idea that involves running somewhere stupid they emerge out of the woodwork like moths to a flame. More than nine of them joined Glenn for at least part of his journey on Saturday, providing great morale, entertainment and validating the whole crazy idea even further.
Most of the run to Middlemarch happened in the dark. He made it to Clarks Junction just after sunrise, leaving an easy stroll into Middlemarch where he arrived just before noon. Richard and a gathering of locals and supporters had erected a finishline banner. Moments later Glenn and his entourage of pub runners cracked the first pour of a special Emerson's beer brewed in Glenn's honour: Into The Valley. It's almost like an electrolyte – a gose brew laced with pomegranate with a refreshingly low alcohol content of around 2.17. The perfect tonic after an 11-hour training run.
The 2.17 isn't any coincidence. That's how many kilometres, 217km, Glenn will be running in July when he heads to Death Valley, California, to take part in the Badwater 135. It's dubbed the world's toughest footrace and last year the temperatures in the desert soared through 57°C.
It's a huge undertaking. Glenn will push his body and mind into some very dark places and way further than you might ever think possible. From the outside it's frightening and inspiring at the same time. And if you ask Glenn about it you'd probably not get much more than, "oh, yeah, a little run through the desert there". That's what makes his journey such a privilege to be a part of.
See you at the beach ... Derek
PS We'll be covering Glenn's race in July, but in the meantime you can follow his build up and get involved by visiting the Glenn Sutton Athlete Facebook page.
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