Race day finally arrived; Jon Sutherland stood at the starting line of the Angeles Crest 100 mile trail race. He was ready to finally run all 100 miles and cross the finish line, ready to finish what he started back in 2022 with his first attempt, ready to have a great day with the support of great friends, and ready to write the end of the AC100 story.

As we talked about in part 3 of this series, two days before the race, this is real life- not a work of fiction where we write the ending we want. Things rarely go as planned, and this was one of the those days.

On this episode, Jon breaks down the race, sharing stories of the highs and lows, and offers some reflections. With the race only having taken place a couple days before recording this episode, some of his reflections are developed in real time conversation, and some are probably yet to be discovered.

Ultramarathons seem to always teach a lesson. This is part of what keeps us coming back for more, even if the race breaks us down into pieces. The days after offer a chance for reflection, to rebuild ourselves, to discover new possibilities and understandings of our own lives and place in the world.

Take a listen to hear the final (for now) chapter of Jon’s Journey to the AC100 Finish Line…