Ultramarathoners from 20 states converge on Alabaster to run a one-mile loop—hundreds of times.
By Nausicaa Chu
Most days, Alabaster’s Veterans Park is a shady, mile-long loop where residents jog past woods, spacious lawns, and a parking lot. But every October, it transforms.
Those lawns? Covered with cheering spectators and rows of tents.
Those joggers? Some go around the loop over 200 times.
That parking lot? Packed with cars with license plates from over 20 states, including California, Washington, and Michigan.
This spectacle is the aptly titled Endless Mile Race, an annual ultramarathon where runners can race six, 12, 24, 48, or 72 hours around a one-mile loop. Thanks to its unique course, the race draws a community of runners from across the country—and down the block.
Daniel Cheek, an Alabaster resident, was at the park with his children when he saw a mysterious phenomenon: people running in circles, over and over again. “What is this?” he wondered. After meeting David Tosch, the race director, he joined the next year. “I was like, I want to do this race. I’m right down the road,” says Cheek.
Cheek has now run the race seven times. Three of those times, he received the 100-mile buckle, awarded to those who run 100 miles or more. Last year, 62 people received the buckle—nearly a quarter of the 157 total participants.
“The most inspiring things are some of the people that reach 100 miles,” says Tosch. “We’ve had some people I could never imagine going 100 miles. And it takes them 48 hours. Sometimes it takes them 72 hours, but they keep going and get there.”
Because the course is a one-mile loop, not a path from start to finish, racers take walk breaks together and encourage one another as they pass by. “You get to interact with people who I wouldn’t see during a race. That’s what makes Endless Mile special,” says Cheek.
The racers hail from all walks of life, brought together by a shared love for running. Some are ultramarathon legends, like Ed Ettinghausen, known as the “Jester” for his signature bright, pointy hat and wacky outfits. Ettinghausen has completed the most 100-mile ultramarathons in the world and has run Badwater, a notorious summer race through Death Valley, 10 times. Some are stalwarts of the Endless Mile, like the Callahan family, who bring their kids— and friends of their kids—each year.
Others are inspirational, like Jameelah Abdul-Rahim Mujaahid, a single mother who juggles parenting and multiple jobs with racing ultramarathons around the country, or Jim Barnes, a record-setter who ran 122 miles last year at age 86. “There’s just a lot of amazing people that come in, and they really do come from all over,” says Tosch.
The runners collectively log over 10,000 miles, over 40 percent of the circumference of the globe. In the 24- and 48-hour races, they might sleep for a couple hours— or not at all. Naturally, ultramarathons take a physical and mental toll.
Cheek says that he hallucinates due to sleep deprivation. “A lot of times, that tree that I keep passing that looks like it’s got branches that are arms— well, now it has a face. It looks like it’s coming after me every time I go by it,” he laughs.
But the primary challenge is battling mental demons: the ones that want to give up in the face of physical exhaustion. “You can’t really prepare to run 100 miles, right? It’s not physical. It’s mental,” says Cheek.
Cheek is motivated by his children. “I have three kids, and I want to show them that you can do hard things. You can do what you put your mind to. You can do it even if it’s ridiculous,” he says.
His wife also takes away the car keys. “It’s like, you’re out here for 24 hours, might as well get your 100-mile buckle instead of sitting there complaining,” he laughs. “First things first, don’t have a way to leave.”
This year will mark the 10th Endless Mile since Tosch and his wife, Marye Jo, founded the event in 2016. After Barnes suggested that their company, Southeastern Trail Runs, put on a timed race, they searched for a location and found Veterans Park.
“We started looking for a decent, nice place to have it,” says Tosch. “I went out to Veterans Park in Alabaster, and we could get almost exactly a one-mile loop without having to cross any curbs.”
Three years ago, they added the 72-hour race, which quickly became the event’s most popular time. “More people run the 72- than the 48-hour,” says Tosch.
And this summer, the path in Veterans Park was repaved and a new set of bathrooms added. “This year is even more improved over the previous year,” says Cheek.
To those thinking about joining, Tosch has a simple message: “Just come out!” Cheek, for one, does not regret it. “Just seeing people overcoming things to be out there and doing amazing, amazing things—it teaches you resilience. It teaches you that whatever you’re going through, you can overcome it,” he says.
This time, Cheek will have company: his children— ages 9, 13, and 15—will run with him.
Nine years since his first race, the Endless Mile has come full circle.
For more information, visit southeasterntrailruns.com. To register for the Endless Mile, visit UltraSignup.
