The ultramarathon finisher’s medal looked and felt menacingly pointed and sharp. But for the 327 ultra finishers of this 50-kilometer test of physical stamina and will power under the searing heat of the Texas sun, including 121 (37%) lithe and determined women, it had better be. For you had to be pointed and sharp to survive this long, long run in the Wild, Wild West!The road to Cowtown had to go through Latin America. After running a marathon in Florida, I spent a week recovering in the beautiful city of Cali, Colombia where, as before, I was tempted to indulge in the pleasures of Colombian cuisine, leaving me pretty much protein- and carbo-loaded by the time I set foot for the 4th time in 4 years in the Lone Star State of Texas.After spending a night in Detroit, where my flight was delayed due to a snowstorm that required the wings of our airplane to be de-iced, I arrived at the Dallas/Fort Worth airport 2 days before the race. Some 29 years ago, I nearly got stranded in this airport on my way to Atlanta in what was my first-ever trip to the United States. Recalling that trip felt like passing thru a time tunnel.Like runners from 45 states and 6 countries, I had come to run the 34th edition of the Cowtown. This signature Fort Worth running event has a comprehensive menu of 12 race types- from individual events for the full marathon, half marathon, 10K, Adults 5K, and Kids 5K, to team-based versions for the same race categories. I was running the 50-kilometer ultramarathon.After checking in at my hotel, I rushed to get my race kit at the Health and Fitness Expo in the Amon G. Carter Jr. Exhibits Hall within the Will Rogers Memorial Center’s vast compound. Months before, I had registered for the race online, at a discounted price for members of the craziest running club in the world- The Marathon Maniacs. I wish other races offered similar discounts.First organized in 1979, I was to learn at the expo that the Cowtown races were being sponsored by many of Fort Worth’s leading companies and had strong support from the city government. So strong indeed that Fort Worth’s mayor Betsy Price was registered to run the very next day! Arriving late at the expo had its downside though- I couldn’t get my correct race t-shirt size.There were lots of running goodies for sale at the expo - from official race merchandise to discounted paraphernalia from Dallas/Fort Worth’s running specialty stores. There were also booths for the region’s civic societies, registration areas for volunteers, cheer groups, and pace setters, even a massage clinic for tense running muscles already expectant of a long next day ahead.And there was a series of briefings about the marathon’s history, the race route, and the preparations needed to be able to run a safe and enjoyable race. The race director Jim Newsome did a good job in prepping the runners while noting that the year’s event was using a newly redesigned course that would offer runners more of the city to see in a safer and more comfortable way.I walked and jogged the 2 miles or so from my hotel to the race start area very early on race Sunday. Start time was at 0700 and the temperature when I arrived an hour before the race, with the wind chill, was in the upper 30s and low 40s. I delayed to the last minute depositing my jacket in the gear check area thinking, just seven days before, I was running in hot and humid Florida!As dawn was breaking at about a quarter of an hour before race start, I huddled with the other runners in my designated corral that was assigned based on my expected finish time. The ultra, full, and half marathon runners were to start en masse in each corral. The time limit was set at 7 1/2 hours for the ultra runners, easily achievable with a relaxed pace of about 14:30 per mile.The Cowtown offered a solemn setting for those who wanted to start their runs on the right path and in high spirits. Held indoors beginning at 0530, right next to the race start and finish lines, was a Sunrise Worship Celebration where runners of all faiths were welcome. At the race start itself, simple ceremonies were held before the runners sped off as the sun began to appear on the horizon.All races started and finished in the Will Rogers Memorial Center, in the heart of the cultural district of Fort Worth, which hosts at least five museums buildings erected along tree-lined boulevards with delicately trimmed greenery. Attractions in the area include the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens, So7 urban neighborhood, Trinity Park, and the UNT Health Science campus.The 50-kilometer ultramarathon route took the runners from the Will Rogers to Trinity Park, to the Historic Stockyards, to the Fort Worth Convention Center, to the Texas Christian University campus, to Foster Park Trail, and to the Colonial Golf Club, before heading back to Trinity Park where the ultra runners did an the extra 8K loop on a riverbank trail to complete the distance.The route had much to offer that reflected the beauty and character of historic Fort Worth and, among other sights, runners had a chance to see the city’s cultural district,some historic landmarks,the downtown,the middle class neighborhoods,the upscale residential areas,the side streets,the main thoroughfares,a trail park

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