I would walk 381 miles…
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Race participants trek through Coosa on way to Georgia
Joey Lichter of Florida, left, and Greg Wolodkin of Massachusetts are two participants in this year’s Last Annual Heart of the South Race who stopped in Rockford for supplies, food and time to cool down before continuing on their way to Georgia. Photo by Christa Jennings
Joey Lichter, left, and Greg Wolodkin continue north through Rockford as they make their way across Coosa County, Sylacauga and onward to finish the race in Georgia near the Tennessee line. Photo by Christa Jennings
By Christa Jennings
Senior Staff Writer
Coosa County residents and many others may have noticed something out of the usual recently with runners and walkers making their way north.
Communities in Coosa County along U.S. Highway 231 saw numerous walkers and joggers passing through from the beginning to middle of the week. It was all part of a 10-day, 381-mile trek from Destin, Florida, to Castle Rock, Georgia, for The Last Annual Heart of the South Road Race.
The race began with 54 participants, and as of press time there were 17 still in the race with 38 having dropped out.
Participants assembled on the morning of June 12, parked their vehicles in a hayfield atop Sand Mountain in north Georgia and boarded tour buses. The only thing they knew about their destination was that it would be 300-400 miles away.
Once arriving at their destination – which this year was Destin, Florida – they received a map of the course they would take to get them back to their vehicles. After an overnight hotel stay, they were bused to the start the next morning, and from there they set out with only the supplies they could carry or obtain along the way.
Participants have 10 and a half days to get back, with the race running from June 13-23 this year. The Heart of the South, or HOTS, Race maintains twice daily tracking, and runners wishing to drop out are transported back to their vehicles.
Those who finish the race are shuttled with their vehicles to motels near the finish line for a safe sleep before getting behind the wheel.
The race was created by Lazarus Lake, who is best known for devising the Barkley marathons. The HOTS Race is modeled after Lake’s world renowned Last Annual Volunteer State Road Race, which has been held on various courses across Tennessee since 1981.
As HOTS race participants passed through Coosa County this week, many took the opportunity to cool off and get supplies at Rockford’s Dollar General and eat at one of the local restaurants before continuing their journey. They expressed their appreciation for the hospitality, encouragement and support shown to them as they passed through.
Greg Wolodkin; 57 years old of Sutton, Massachusetts; and Joey Lichter; 43 years old of Miami, Florida; are two of this year’s participants who enjoyed taking a break in Rockford before continuing on their way.
Lichter has participated in both the HOTS and Vol State races previously, while Wolodkin has participated in the Vol State races previously.
While there is no real prize involved for finishing the race first aside from recognition, everyone who finishes the race receives a mile sticker commemorating the number of miles traversed for this year’s race.
Wolodkin said that he started the ultramarathon races after meeting a woman who got him into marathons and then longer races.
Lichter said the races are how he spends his vacation time. He added that the HOTS and Vol State races are for all different types and ages of people, with the youngest participant this year being 25 years old.
In discussing the race and experiences, Wolodkin said, “It’s not about the miles; it’s about the people you meet.”
In the five years the event has been held, it has started in West Memphis, Ark.; Gaffney, S.C.; Frankfort, Ky.; Fig, N.C.; and now Destin, Fla. The finish is always at Castle Rock, Georgia, with participants racing across the Southeastern United States.
On the morning of June 13, each runner filled a small vial with sea water from the Gulf of Mexico and began their journey, crossing the Florida panhandle and then 12 Alabama counties, followed by a mile in a Georgia bean field to a bluff above the Tennessee River. Upon arriving, runners have to dump some of the ocean water they began with on the bluff to officially finish the race.
With 10 and a half days to reach Castle Rock, participants had to maintain an average pace of 37 miles per day or risk being pulled from the race.
Alabama cities and towns along this year’s course have included Niceville, Florala, Kinston, Elba, Brantley, Luverne, Highland Home, Montgomery, Wetumpka, Rockford, Sylacauga, Talladega, Lincoln, Rainbow City, Gadsden, Collinsville, Fort Payne, Valley Head, Flat Rock, and Bryant.
This year’s youngest participant, 25-year-old Addison Hendricks of Pensacola, Fla., finished the race in first place, making it in 6 days, 6 hours, 25 minutes, and 29 seconds. The HOTS winner is crowned the Queen of the South, after the inaugural winner in 2020, Beverly Anderson-Abbs, chose that for the champion’s title.
Hendricks was followed by 58-year-old John Clarke of Colorado in second place, 41-year-old Jim Winn of Kentucky in third place and 56-year-old Matt Barker of Indiana in fourth place. Clarke was recognized as being the first runner to complete all five HOTS Race courses from 2020-2024.
As of press time, others were still making their way north to the finish, with 10 males and two females left in the race. At press time, Wolodkin was in seventh place and Lichter was in thirteenth place along the course.
Based on current numbers, it seems this year’s finishing rate will be about 33% with only 17 of the initial 54 remaining on the road. The primary challenges noted for this year’s participants have been heat indexes in the 100s, blisters, chafing, and large distances between resupply options.
However, those who organize and oversee the HOTS Race note, “There is no greater freedom than being totally alone on the open road, relying only on your wits, your skill and your physical ability to cover ground in order to reach the finish line. Come experience it for yourself.”
Those interested can follow along with the race and competitors on Facebook in the Last Annual Heart of the South group or online at vacationwithoutacar.com.
