A surprisingly decent sleep was had at the Walmart car park near the airport in St Louis.
The dreaded 0515 alarm sounded and it was time for porridge and then the 20 minute drive to the start line in the city centre. Due to the mileage deficit the route is now out of sync with my plan. That means Alan has to find some suitable overnight stops each day. My pre planned suggestions are just not in the place where I’m finishing each day.
I set off from Forest Park at 06:31 which is half an hour later than most days. There wasn’t a soul about as I made my way through the Washington University in St Louis campus.
The place was absolutely immaculate with a nice path as far as the eye could see. There were all manner of creatures and birds along the way. Squirrels and rabbits were enjoying the lack of human activity. Until I went past that is!
There were a few clues and nods to the 1904 Olympic Games that were held at the Washington University in St Louis. One of which was a sign saying that I was on the marathon route.
I made it to the Clayton area of St Louis. Again it was immaculate. There was the nearby Shaw park which looked very nice indeed. It was yet another place that I would like to come back and visit one day.
As I left Clayton, I joined Ladue Road. It was the most magnificent place that I’ve seen so far on this tour. The road was lined with huge properties and gated estates. “There’s some money here” I thought to myself. The road ahead was up and down and up and down. It didn’t really impact my pace which I was very pleased with.
I met the RV at the 6 mile point. Much to my surprise Alan had cooked 2 bacon and hash brown sandwiches. They went down a treat. Delicious!
The next meeting point was 8.5 miles away so I took my backpack and off I went up Ladue Road again. The properties seemed to get bigger and better the further I went.
Just after Hunter Farms, I got talking to a man called Lee. He was out for a run. I thought it was Lance Armstrong at first.
I told him about my mission and he asked how he could donate. I mentioned my website and spelled out G-E-O-R-D-I-E. “Like the band” he said! That led us on to a conversation about Brian Johnson and subsequently our love of AC/DC. It was brilliant to chat to him for a brief time. What a great guy.
As I neared the end of Ladue Road the properties became no less impressive. It was the quality of the paths that was the real highlight for me. In 13.5 miles I hadn’t needed to run on a single road. Bliss.
As I reached mile 14, I got a notification on my watch to say a donation had been made to my Justgiving page. I checked it out and to my amazement Lee had made a very generous donation. He was a man of his word when he said he would “throw something in the bucket” (or words to that effect). His kindness will stay with me for a very long time.
The paths continued as I made my way through Chesterfield.
I eventually made to the RV at the 18 mile point. I was exhausted and had been battered by the sun.
I had some pasta (no crisps) followed by a 30 minute tactical snooze in the roasting hot RV. I didn’t feel well at all afterwards. The remedy was to order an iced coffee in a nearby Starbucks and sit in the air conditioned premises for 15 minutes.
I set off again knowing that the next meeting point would be the finish line at 29.25 miles. There were limited opportunities for the RV to park as I would be on trails for the rest of the day. Again, this is a consequence of the route being out of sync with my original plan.
I joined the Monarch-Chesterfield Levee Trail. The surface was perfect. There were a good amount of cyclists enjoying the Sunday afternoon sun.
The nearby Chesterfield Valley Athletic complex was busy with numerous junior baseball games.
I crossed the Missouri River at the 23 mile point and wound my way down to the Katy trail.
The trail was made up of stones which played havoc with my feet. The iced coffee had well and truly kicked in and I powered across the trail.
I left the trail after 5 miles and made my way up to the main road (the 94). Alan joined me for the final half a mile.
The finish line was the conveniently placed Lost Valley Trailhead after 29.5 miles.
I’d finished in good time today despite starting slightly later than usual and having a long mid afternoon break. I think it was the second quickest day of the tour so far (after day 1).
It was certainly the most enjoyable day so far. There was a nice path for most of the day, the air appeared really clean and the surroundings from start to finish were a real joy.
It’s been a solid first week from Alan on the support team. He’s continued the excellent work from his predecessors. He has another 19 days on the tour.
The aim over the next 7 days is to make it to Drexel which is very close to the Kansas/Missouri state line. It’s 233 miles away. We’ve managed just shy of 200 miles in this weather interrupted week.
Continued thanks for the donations and messages of support. The fund is well on the way to reaching the next milestone of £20,000.
If you’re enjoying following the journey, please donate via: https://www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun2025
