The lure of Hyannis Aid Station

“But first I had to negotiate through something quite different, although very difficult. The Hyannis Drive Aid Station. An aid station, you say? Yes, but this is no ordinary aid station. Running through it is easy. It’s the mental torture that challenges even the most steely ultra runner. Situated at mile 24 where the route crosses Hyannis Drive, a crew of aid station volunteers awaits the tired runners with the most tantalizing array of food and drinks complete with leg rubdowns with cold sponges. These volunteers have totally mastered their craft of enticing you over and once succumbed to their spell, you are captured in a time warp that seems to last forever. The attention they lavish upon you and the intense feeling of pleasure you experience, brainwashes you into a lingering that is counterproductive to your goal; finishing. Yes I have become a victim here in the past, but this year I’m ready for them. Approaching the aid station, I delve deep within the reaches of my psyche and prepare myself for battle. Out of the trail and onto the road, at once I became aware of the volunteers drawing me in with their powers, like angels offering their arms outstretched to cradle your weary body within their bosom.”   ….Keith Wakelin, 2001 Mens Winner, 23 times Knee Knacker finisher.

Keith’s 2011 race report can be found here.