If it had been a "normal" race, such as 50K, 50-miler or even a 100-miler, David Pharr said he would have dropped out before his shin felt it had been stabbed with a knife.
Lying on a truck bed in Lewisburg, Tenn., in the middle of the night earlier this week, Pharr caught a few minutes of sleep around mile 200 before waking up to continue the Last Annual Vol State Road Race.
But after one running stride, the pain was so intense he elected to get a hotel room - and some sleep - as he wrestled with the fear that he might have a stress fracture in his leg.
It would have been a crushing blow to the local pastor's quest to conquer this 314-mile race after weighing 314 pounds in 2009. A stress fracture would mean weeks of down time and quitting the race more than 100 miles from the finish line in Dade County, Ga.
A few hours of sleep helped Pharr recharge, however, and he continued his trek, winding along the country roads of Southeast Tennessee with an aching body and reaching the finish line early Wednesday morning. Time: just under six days.
"I knew it was going to be hard," said Pharr, who finished 18th overall out of 85 runners who started the treacherous journey. "I didn't think it was going to be that hard."
Pharr said the race tested his limits, gave him an immense appreciation for the crew of family and friends that helped him along the way and taught him lessons he plans to carry into his relationships with others and his congregation at St. Elmo Church of Christ.
"There were three times where he said that if it was any other race he would have dropped," said Nick Horvath, Pharr's training partner, who worked on his crew for several days. "But knowing what was at stake, what he had invested, the accountability of everybody knowing what he was doing, there was a lot of pride and he pushed through."
The race is directed by Gary Cantrell, a Wartrace, Tenn., resident who presides over several famed ultrarunning events in the area, including the internationally renowned Barkley Marathons event held each year near Wartburg, Tenn.
Cantrell, who is also known as "Lazarus Lake," said Pharr came in strong as he reached the finish at Castle Rock Farms just before sunrise.
"Coming into Castle Rock, I had seen pictures, but like with any race, you visualize the finish line in your head," Pharr said. "I didn't know what it was going to be like when I got there. You think of a finish line for a race as having a party-type atmosphere with music and lots of people. So you would expect a city to show up at the end of a 314-mile race.
"But it was just Laz there in the dark, and the only light was my headlamp and his cigarette glowing."
Pharr is also a streak runner. Since he began his quest to get healthy through running in 2009, he has run at least two miles every day. But he has never had to keep his streak alive the day after completing a 314 mile race.
On Wednesday he lounged at home, nursing his exhausted body and tattered feet, awaiting a house visit from his doctor and hoping he could muster the fortitude to keep the streak alive today.
"We'll see what happens," Pharr said. "I ran on pretty bad feet the last four days, so I'm going to go just two miles. And they can be as slow as I want."
Other local runners attempt to finish
Pharr was not the only Chattanooga resident in this year's field. Sergio Bianchini, 76, is vying to tie the record for oldest finisher in Vol State history. He had traversed 252 miles as of Wednesday morning, despite a run-in with an automobile.
"He apparently got clipped by somebody's mirror," Cantrell said.
"The guy did stop and gave his information and I think was completely freaked out that he had hit somebody. But Sergio didn't want to press charges or create a fuss. He just kept on going. His arm is bruised and a little bloody, but it didn't turn bad. He didn't end up breaking anything as best he can tell."
Cleveland resident Patrick Sweatt had traveled 233 miles as of Wednesday morning. Racers have until Sunday morning to finish.
Contact staff writer David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.