NASHVILLE, Ind. – Amy and Chris Compston’s first marathon together on the Amy For Africa “Do Something Tour” may be one of the toughest of all.
The Dances With Dirt Gnaw Bone trail marathon in Nashville, Ind., on Saturday has been known to push the best of marathon runners to the limit.
The trail course is made to be difficult, including plenty of mud and water, over the 26.2 miles. It is said to be a running experience like no other with 600-foot ridges, breathtaking natural beauty and some wicked trails. At the end of the run you have the opportunity of jumping into the river for a final splashdown.
As if 26.2 miles isn’t enough!
Amy and Chris do love a challenge and they are putting their faith in God to get them through the trail marathon’s grueling test of endurance and strength. The rest of Team AFA will be along the trails with gospel tracts in hand with a lofty goal of handing out 1,400.
But Amy and Chris will have it the toughest on a course that starts with a climb to the top of a ridge where deep, dark shoe-sucking mud awaits them on the trail. It becomes more of a forced walk getting through the muck and mud in the early portion of the race.
Once over the ridge, the runners move to more runnable single tracks with the expected ups and downs of a trail run. You run through heavy tree cover and brush (watch out for the poison ivy) alongside some scenic views. But there is never anything easy on the Gnaw Bone trail.
The second half of the race is even more brutal with runners trying to follow the markers off trail while climbing over downed trees, crossing streams and even climbing up a muddy vertical surface on all fours. Just when you think you’ve had enough there is a flight of 20 wooden stairs to climb toward the end.
Brutal is the best description for this trail marathon.
This will be the first marathon for Chris since September 2013 when he finished the Dayton Air Force Marathon. He has been training hard and battling through injuries in preparation for Gnaw Bone.
Amy, of course, ran in the Boston Marathon on April 21 making it a mere 19 days between marathons. She has avoided major injuries while preparing for Gnaw Bone, too.
The Team AFA running duo will be running five more marathons together before Amy finishes the season off while competing in her first New York City Marathon on Nov. 2.
Pray for Chris and Amy and the rest of Team AFA on the next journey of the “Do Something Tour.” Better yet, come join us!