Local man fulfills dream of running, directs Mt. Cheaha 50K run

Todd Henderson makes a Jan. 16 trial run of the Mount Cheaha 50K course. The ultra marathon, known as “A Race to the Top of Alabama,” covers 31.07 miles through the Talladega National Forest. It will be held Feb. 25. Courtesy photo

My desire to take up swimming, biking and running all started about 4-1/2 years ago when I realized I wanted to get in shape. I ran track in high school and have always dreamed of running a marathon, even though that seemed somewhat impossible.

Running 26.2 miles with just your feet at 210 lbs — which is about 50 lbs over my high school graduation weight — is a long, long way to run. I know quite a few people who don’t even like to drive that far!

My athletic odyssey began on a balmy late afternoon, when I decided to measure out a mile course in the subdivision where I was living in Albany, Ga.

After lacing up my 5-year-old Nike shoes, I took off and ran about half a mile before I eventually had to stop to keep from running the risk of suffering a heart attack.

I truly thought that I was going to pass out! Walking the other half mile seemed like the prudent thing to do.

I tried it again the next night, but I reduced my goal to just a half mile. I did this for several nights and then started increasing my mileage until I could run 3 miles nonstop.

One day, I saw an ad in the local newspaper advertising a 5K (3.1) road race. I immediately signed up for it and the morning of, I experienced all the pre-race rites, including having to battle a stomach full of swarming butterflies.

There were about 50 people participating that day, but I ran hard and placed second in my age group and received a trophy. Man, was I pumped after that!

Bitten by the running bug, I decided to join a local running club and start training to run a marathon. My first marathon was the Blue Angel Marathon in Pensacola, Fla. Competing in — and finishing — this race was truly an awesome experience.

It took me about 4 hours and 20 minutes to cross the finish line, but with dedicated training and perseverance, I was able to run a marathon in 3 hours and 20 minutes a year later.

With help from a friend, I went out and bought a road bike. Biking is a lot of fun, but I personally enjoy running more than anything, even though I’m really a better biker than runner. During the last Half Ironman Triathlon, I actually beat a couple of pros on the bike leg (a 56-mile course).

A triathlon consists of swimming, biking and running. The distance of each discipline varies depending on whether it is a sprint triathlon or an Ironman Triathlon. To make a long story short, I have completed many short-distance triathlons, four Half Ironman Triathlons and two Ironman Triathlons.

A full Ironman consists of a 2.4-mile swim, followed by a 112-mile bike ride, then last but not least, a 26.2-mile marathon. Just to complete one of these requires a lot of training and dedication.

I have been running trails for a couple of years now and enjoy the scenery that nature has to offer. I have been working on directing an ultra marathon since last spring and now the time is upon us. An ultra marathon is any race over the marathon distance of 26.2 miles and is usually a 50K, or 31.07 miles, (of which I have completed six so far) and can go up to 135 miles and sometimes even more.

The race I am directing is called Mount Cheaha 50K, “A Race to the Top of Alabama.”

This ultra marathon is a point-to-point trail run that starts off on Hwy 77 at the Porters Gap trailhead and finishes at the summit of Cheaha Mountain in Cheaha State Park. At 2,407 feet, this is the highest point in Alabama. Scenic overlooks, creek crossings, lakes, waterfalls, hardwood and pine forests, deer, turkey and beautiful single-track trails touring through the Talladega National Forest are what the runners will see along the way. There are over 7,600 feet of vertical climbing and 6,800 feet of descent.

The race will be held on Feb. 25.

As race director, I will not be running on race day, so I ventured out on Jan. 16 to complete the course, with my wife as my mobile aid station. She met me at predetermined locations along the course so I could fill my water bottles.

For more information about the course, please visit my Web site at www.mountcheaha50k.org. I should also mention Wayne Heckler, because he has been working with me to make this event happen. Wayne, who is an experienced and accomplished runner, handles all information for the Web site.

We will have experienced runners/volunteers at each aid station and all of the communications for the race will be handled by the Calhoun County Emergency Radio Club, led by Bob Maynard.

Please come out and spend a day at Cheaha State Park and cheer on the runners as they pass through the finish line. The fastest runners will cross the finish line around 11:30 a.m, with the rest to follow up to 4:30 p.m. Run On!

I’m also accepting monetary donations for Cheaha State Park. This is a Not-for-Profit Event. For any donations over $200, I will add your logo to my Web site and T-shirts.

Send any donations to:
Todd Henderson
Mount Cheaha 50K
1820 Pleasant Ridge Dr
Sylacauga, AL 35150