Sugarland Classic
Sunday, May 5th, 2024 2:45AM
After a night that involved the refrigerator in my home almost catching fire at midnight and not nearly enough sleep, at 2:45AM my alarm went off, informing me it was time to make my way to the Sugarland Classic race by TMBRA.
There was just one little problem — the entire route between my home in Fort Worth and the course in Sugarland was under a massive thunderstorm and torrential rain.
Not knowing whether the race would be canceled or not before I got there, I packed up my camera bag, grabbed a couple of energy drinks, and started making my way.
When I arrived, one of the first things I noticed was a sea of white tape crisscrossing an open field. The rain had flooded the majority of the trail that was planned to use for the event. But rather than scrapping the day or rescheduling, they buckled down and improvised a race course wherever they could put one
Over 400 racers were registered for the race in Sugarland and it seemed like every single one of them turned up to race, regardless of what the weather threw at them.
They absolutely refused to be stopped.
Looking at the improvised trail and the people who came to participate no matter what, I decided to embrace the situation for what it was — a unique experience. And I wanted to take pictures to show that.
These photos may not be as flashy as pictures of racers taking big drops or flying across a berm wall. But to me, they represent the adversity the race organizers and racers overcame to make the day happen.
Check out the gallery and let me know what you think on Facebook or Instagram!