T E X A R K A N A M A G A Z I N E
BY CAROL INE PURTLE LIVING ULTRA
The sun sinks behind a curtain of trees as your heart pounds along with your feet battling the rugged terrain. You know there’s someone behind you, so you’ve got to stay ahead. You can’t stop. Time seems exponential and your vision is muddled. “Will I make it?” For most people, this nightmare is a fleeting dream, but for local father of three, Brad Taylor, it’s his reality and hobby. Taylor is what’s known as a “trail ultra- runner,” running distances of over marathon length (26.2 miles) in a single outing. He began the sport three years ago to manage his physical and mental health. Now, at 41 years old, he has competed in over 20 ultra marathons and garnered several accolades. “I’ve run 22 ultra marathons since I started running, including the Arkansas Traveler 100 miler, Walnut Grove Last Person Standing [I went 104 miles and won], LOViT 100 miler, Running the Rose 108k [66 miles] and many others,” said Taylor. “I took a brief respite from the trail in early 2020 and took to road running. I ran the Houston Marathon in two hours and 58 minutes which qualified me for the Boston Marathon.”
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S P O R T S & E N T E R TA I N M E N T
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