80-Year-Old Washington Woman Steals Show At Lake Lurleen During Phoenix Trail Fest

NORTHPORT, AL — Terry Hayes barely seemed to break a sweat or even breathe heavily as she crossed the bridge over Lake Lurleen and passed under the inflatable arch at the finish line for Phoenix Trail Fest on Saturday. This was just the first of four stages of the journey.

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The native of Mount Vernon, Washington, was working to finish the 50-mile race on her 80th birthday Saturday — which came 40 years to the day that she completed her first ultramarathon or "Ultra," as they are known. She crossed the finish line just after noon, but said the feat was just the latest in a life full of races.

Indeed, Hayes competed in marathons and 100-mile races early in her career, along with a long list of challenging marathons to add to her already impressive resume.

"Normally I never let anybody know how old I am," she told Patch as she finished the last leg of the event for the inaugural Phoenix Trail Fest. "When I meet most of the people, some of them say 'you can't be that old.'"

Originally from Inverness, Florida, Hayes was married for a time and had four children, but a divorce in 1975 appears to have motivated her to commit to her passion for running.

"I kind of let running run my life," she explained. "So, relationships went by the wayside other than my kids. I can remember dragging them along to ultras and making them hang out and wait for me. Consequently, none of them run."

While living in Santa Maria, California, her first 50-miler left out from Sacramento. She remembers the experience vividly to this day and contrasted it with the changes she has experienced over the years.

"My goal had been for the last fews years to do at least one 50K," she said. "As I got older and it took me a lot longer, a 50-miler puts me out in the dark. I used to do 50-milers during daylight hours and finish, but when I found myself running in the dark a lot it wasn't as much fun."

When asked what she particularly values in the ultramarathon format, Hayes said it was the overall attitude of competitors and the atmosphere.

"Somehow, I found that it's totally different than a marathon," she said. "A marathon is a race and nobody is going to take care of you. I found out at an Ultra, when I was suffering and had no water, and quite a distance between aid stations, another runner shared their water with me. The whole atmosphere is just so different. I was hooked."

Proceeds from the inaugural Phoenix Trail Fest will benefit The Phoenix House — a Tuscaloosa-based nonprofit that operates as a live-in facility geared toward helping residents recover from addiction.

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