Does this year's CTR have a higher percentage of scratches than previous editions?  Seems like it, but I haven't done the math (numbers are not my friends).

Way to go, Dominic!  A reminder that the CTR isn't just about speed, but about good judgement as well.  Hope your knee settles down and gets you all the way to the finish.  It has been a brutal race this year, but so exciting!

Can't believe how good Neil looked and sounded at the finish. I was expecting him to be haggard and delirious, but no, big grin, great energy.  Amazing.  I'm also really enjoying Richie's call-ins.  He sounds so happy to be out there and so appreciative of the magic that's come his way---the trail angel breakfast, the smelly hotel rooms.  Nothing seems to get him down and he's riding his race, at his pace.  I'll be cheering for him all the way to the finish.  Go, Minnesota Man!

I've never been so happy to see a bouncing dot!

I hope there's a crowd to salute Neil as he comes in, with beer and burgers (and maybe an orthopedic surgeon). 

Yeah, "never give up" sounds good, but sometimes giving up is a better option than permanent damage and a lifetime of pain.  No one who has witnessed Neil's titanic effort will have anything but the greatest respect for him, whether he finishes or not. I hope he knows that.

Thanks so much for the update.  My admiration for Neil's run has just gone up another notch, and it was pretty high to begin with.  After pedaling so hard and so far, to walk in.  What a mensch.

I thought "only 45 miles?" as you do when you're watching the CTR.  (In my other life, 45 miles seems like a long way.)  Hope I'm still up when he finishes!  I'd hate to miss the end of such an incredible, hopefully record-setting, run.  Go, Neil, go!  But be safe!

PS.  Go, Neil!

Excellent question.  No idea what the answer is, but I look forward to finding out.   

Looks as though Neil is going to give Karlos a wake-up call.

If Neil keeps on with the sleep deprivation, he should have some good tales to tell about the Irish Amish woman haunting Sergents.  Maybe he'll meet her family!  Go, Neil!

Jason also beat the 40 million other people who'll never even try.  Way to go, Jason!

What an important tale to tell.  I hope other riders learn from your experience, so no one else has to go through it again.  It occurs to me that someone dazed enough to consider starting a fire in order to survive could put a whole lot more than themselves in danger. The next time we consider pushing ourselves too far, maybe we should think about the Hayman burn scar.

Thanks for taking the time, Jefe.  Amazing to hear the race-induced grogginess in your (written) voice.  Makes it all more real somehow. You and everyone out there make me glad to be alive.  Go, Wendy!