The Everlasting Race

by Robert Chauncey

 

 

The year was 1990 and that's when a new kind of race started.  This race was known as the "Everlasting Race."  The rules were simple:  You had to complete a 500 mile walk from Albany, Georgia to Atlanta, Georgia on country back roads; every 25 miles the teams would be given a chance to refresh themselves.

The teams had been specially picked out of thousands of possible contestants.  The day finally came and the teams were ready.

"Welcome ladies, gentlemen and teams, today we are starting the "Everlasting Race," sang the announcer with joyful pride.  "Without further ado let me announce the teams.  Robert Johnson and Bryan McCoy make up the Friends, Geremy Miller and Jody Vincent are the Tough Guys, Ben Stalvey and Mark Turnage make up the Clowns, Sharon Thompson and Diane Bryant make up the Number Ones, and finally Stewart and David Brown make up the Brothers team.

Now are the teams ready?  Good Luck!  On your mark, get set, go!

The runners were off with the Clowns taking the early lead.  When the Clowns reached the first rest point, they decided that they had a big enough lead to take a nap.  When they woke up, they wished they hadn't had the nap because the last place Tough Guys were passing them.  The Clowns eventually took control of fourth place.

When night came all the teams stayed at the Night's Inn.  All of them had a good nights sleep except for the Clowns.  They were up most of the night stealing the other teams shoes, but what they didn't know is that all the other teams had extra pairs of shoes.  Not only did they not know that the teams had extra shoes, but they didn't know that they accidently stole their own shoes.

In the morning all the teams left at the same time, except for the Tough Guys, they were looking for a pair of shoes in town.  When they finally got on the road, they were miles behind.

At the half-way point all the teams rested for a day at Hotel 86, they ate and slept.  During lunch the Clowns, while everyone else was eating, broke into each of the team's rooms and stole their socks.  They hid the socks in the laundry shoot, where the maid cleaned them and put them back in the teams rooms

When the teams finally got on the road again they were fully rested and had on clean socks.  When the teams reached the sign that told them that they only had 25 miles to go till the end of the race, there was another smaller sign waiting for them, it read:

Dear Teams,

I have urgent news!  You must complete the race in the next 24 hours or you will be caught in a disastrous storm heading towards Georgia.  Please hurry because this storm has caused immense downpours and a few tornadoes.

The first teams to read this was the Friends, the Number Ones, and the Brothers, who have been traveling together since the half-way point.  The Clowns were the next team to find it and thought of a way to make up for loss time or at least prevent other teams from passing them.  They painted a giant red arrow on a new sign and placed it so the Tough Guys would be taking a long trail that would lead them some 5 miles the wrong way.  The Clowns also tore down the Warning Sign and left.  When the Tough Guys reached the sign with the arrow they turned on to the fake trail unaware of the storm that was coming towards them.

Soon there was only a mile left and it looked like it was going to be a photo finish and a close call because it had already started to rain.  The teams of the Number Ones, the Brothers, and the Friends were racing neck and neck.  Now there was only 300 yards left, 200 yards, 100 yards, 50 yards, and finally down to just 10 yards left.  The crowd that had braved the rain sat breathless as the teams came closer and closer to the finish line.

The Brothers ran in front, then the Number Ones, but the final step was taken by the Friends, who edged out the other teams by a step.  The Brothers came in second and the Number Ones came in third.  After 15 minutes of waiting the Clowns finally came in fourth, but the Tough Guys were still no where to be seen.

Soon after the Clowns finished, it started to pour down rain.  The storm had come and the Tough Guys were still out some place on the road.  It was finally found out that the Clowns had tricked them and they were somewhere on a trail in the woods.

The Friends and the Brothers formed a rescue party to go looking for them.  They finally found them in a cave, Where the Tough Guys had been since the storm started.  They were not injured, but they were soaking wet.  Because of what the Clowns had done they were dropped to last place and the Tough Guys moved to fourth place.

The "Everlasting Race" came to an end.  The teams were all winners and none of the teams can wait until next year . . . . . except for the Clowns.