Damascus Marathon (Day 40) – The Trek

The Damascus Marathon is a challenge to walk 26 miles in a single day to Damascus, Virginia. It is usually done from the Iron Mountain shelter, our starting point for the day. Technically I will do 27 miles, as we need to cross Damascus to reach our destination, The Broken Fiddle Hostel.

Our plan of attack

Ferdinand and I are going to try the marathon today, but we are not going to walk side by side. I wanted to leave around 6 am, he wanted to sleep a little more.

My dad is not going to do the challenge, which I wouldn’t encourage with his knee situation either. Today he will cover 16 miles and tomorrow 10, with a well-deserved zero day thereafter. Ferdinand and I will attempt the 27 miles today and do a double zero day.

My biggest day so far has been 18.5 miles, so 27 miles is a big jump!

Getting started!

It’s 5am, time to go out and make breakfast!

At 6:15 am I started walking. The sun came out enough that I didn’t need my headlamp to walk around. Fernando was also already out of his hammock.

Early in the morning I saw a black bear, but it ran away when it saw me. I like that.

This stretch is perfect for a marathon. The terrain is the flattest it has been so far and there are no notable views or interesting things to see. So, you won’t miss anything while doing the challenge.

Meanwhile I’ve been thinking about some silly things, like what my ideal hostel would be like, or what I’m going to write in the log books to annoy Ferdinand a little.

Especially that last part took up most of my brain during this endeavor. I had a lot of fun with that.

An interesting block

After about 6 miles, I walked toward some pasture land with a very cool shed marked “AT.”

The test goes directly into a field with cows. Nice! Only when I got closer did I realize that the cows were sitting right on the road, right in front of the small pass I have to cross. There is no way around it.

Even when I got closer, the cows just wouldn’t move. I stayed there for a second, while some cows looked at me confused or angry, I don’t know. There are also small calves. The last thing I want right now is to get head-butted by an angry mother.

It was then that a small calf stood up and moved out of the way (badum, tss), creating a path towards the pass. This is my chance! Get out of my way cows! I have a marathon to complete!

It’s starting to be challenging

At 12:45 I entered the shelter where my dad is staying tonight. That’s 16 miles in 6 hours, excluding breaks. Over 2.5 miles per hour on average. Not bad!

I stayed here for quite a while. I needed some rest and some water for the last 10 miles into town. I thought of a Russian proverb that Ferdinand told me, which boils down to “If you have made the decision, stop thinking.” I’m just going to finish this marathon.

Easier said than done, because seven miles away, one of my trekking poles broke. One of the pieces keeps falling. Also with a pole it is.

Walking with a trekking pole and a pair of tired feet, knees and all; My walk looked more like that of an old man with a cane trying to sneak past the neighborhood kids than that of a fit 28-year-old hiker.

Hello Virginia!

I reached the Virginia border! That’s 3 states less, 11 more to go! But it will be the last border crossing for a while. A quarter of the AT passes through Virginia.

After the border I had my second wind, fueled by the guitar solo of the song “Free bird” by Lynard Skynard. I was flying again! Although only for a few minutes.

Trail City USA!

I did it! I arrived in Damascus. It was just before 6 pm when I arrived at the hostel. I did the usual thing at the hostel and went out for a burger. I returned to the hostel, relaxed, but there was still no Ferdinand.

My dad had a reception at the shelter, so I asked him if Ferdinand was there too or if he had committed to the marathon. It’s on its way!

Around 10 p.m. he finally entered the shelter. I wasn’t in the best shape possible, but that crazy bastard did it! I think we deserved some time off.

This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any products or services you purchase using links in articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price they would otherwise pay, and their purchase helps support The Trek’s ongoing goal of bringing you quality backpacking information and advice. Thank you for your support!

For more information, visit the About page of this site.