| WHO AND WHAT IS THE "RUNNER FROM HELL"? One day Bill Peay of Matthews, NC was making his favorite micro-brew homemade beer and the flumes got so think that it started killing many of his brain cells. Bill was primarily a "chicken shit 5K runner and a very good one at that. But Bill was up for challenges and came up with the ideal of running the Uwharrie 40 miler and the Carolina Marathon the week after Uwharrie. Then during July there was a marathon in the Maggie Valley, NC area and Grandfather Mountain Marathon the next week. The year was 1993. If any runners were up to the challenge and could run all four events they could pay $25 and run them and earn the title, "Runner From Hell" and receive the "Runner From Hell" belt buckle. Bill ran Uwharrie, his first Ultra, and broke a rib or two and his wrist. In spite of his injuries he finished. During the week his father passed away and he took out just enough time to run and finish the Carolina Marathon. We later got information that the Marathon near Maggie valley had been cancelled and I came up with the ideal of putting on a marathon around the Cane Creek area in NC and the "Big Butt" was born. The next week many of us earned our Belt Buckles. Bill decided not to hold the "Runner From Hell" events again and Claude Sinclair took over and devised the point system and to create an Ultra Club. The "Runner From Hell" group started putting on Ultra Events and the membership grew to over 60 ultra runners. All members adapted Trail Names such as "Hellfire" , "Trail Dunn", "Heathen" "Trail Bunnie" and a host of other names. Two member even have the "RFH" logo tatoo with their "Hellname" on their bodies. Out of the group the following Ultra events were founded; Alex's Fat Ass 50, Moonlight Boogie 50 miler, May Madness, Landsford Canal, Aiken Ultra Distance Classic, Crowders Mtn., Big Butt, Frosty 50, Laurel Valley, and several others which were held one time. As for Bill Peay, our esteem founder, he has retired and moved to SC and lives on a lake and makes his own beer. The "RFH" group is scattered all over the world. We have a member in Canada and the U.K. Most are out of State (SC) but we sometimes run into each other at Ultra events. Membership is open to any ultra runner. |