The 61 year old potato farmer that stunned the world.

Ladies and gentlemen, sit back and hear the story of Cliff Young. He has seemed to enter the realm of half myth, half truth that surrounds all greats but his story is remarkable. Full disclosure: I got this story from a guest pastor at church Sunday. Here we go. 

In 1983, people were gathered for the Australia ultra marathon. A 543 mile race from Sydney to Melbourne. Most competitors were in their twenties or thirties and had extensive training and corporate sponserships. Into this group walked a 61 year old man wearing faded overalls and rubber work boots. His name was Cliff Young. He was a sheep and potato farmer from just outside Melbourne. Most considered him a joke at best, delusional at worst. Several journalists questioned if he would survive. This is where the myth/truth comes into play. Some accounts have him running in overalls. Others say he wore windbreakers with holes cut by hand for ventilation. One account claims he wore 10 pairs of running shoes throughout the race. Whatever he was wearing, when the race started Cliff removed his fake teeth, (he said they rattled when her ran) and took off in an awkward shuffle. He was quickly outdistanced by the other runners. People scoffed. 5 days, 14 hours, and 4 minutes later Cliff crossed the finish line a full 10 hours ahead of second place. The 61 year old farmer had beaten a field full of runners 30 plus years his juniors. When asked how he accomplished such a feat, he said he didn't know you were supposed to stop and sleep. He explained, that growing up, he had chased 2000 head of sheep for two or three days at a time and figured five days was only two more. Accounts vary, with Cliff sleeping as little as zero hours or as much as 12 over the course of his run. Cliff was also surprised that the race had a $10,000 dollar purse. He declared that the prize was too much money for him and distributed the money amongst his support team and competitors. What. A. Legend. Cliff wasn't done either. The second time he ran the Sydney to Melbourne race in 1984, he came in 8th out of 9 finishers while running with a dislocated hip. He had a dislocated hip and still didn't finish last. He also was on pace to break the record for running the Australian border (8,316 miles) when the only member of his support staff became ill and unable to continue 4,050 miles in. Legen......(wait for it)......... dary. 

Just a little randomness to break up the horrible reporting and terrible news that is 2020. Your welcome.