This race is famous for a number of things. Certainly, the post race party at Shannon Sullivan’s is at the top of the list. It also involves the most complicated strategy of any race you will ever run. This year the Marching Chiefs were there to provide music. And then there is the Devil. If you don’t run fast enough the Devil will certainly get you! Of course this year that wasn’t so bad.
The race is run on the track and there is a trick that only the Devil could have dreamed up. The leader can not cross the starting line on any lap until the last runner in the race reaches the 300 meter mark. Some of our more creative last place runners walked, crawled and sometimes just stopped. That means you just have to stop and wait at the front.
Whenever the last place runner reached the start line again the Devil took a pitch fork to their backside letting them know their race was over. The idea is to be the last one standing at the end. You can imagine some of the mad dash sprints. The role of the Devil is a very special one anointed by race director Shannon Sullivan. This year the bewitching powers fell on Mary Jean Yon. And with spiked horns, pointed tail and red stockings, she ended the night for runner after runner until only Jody Spangler was left.