44 Miles of Grace at the Mulberry Mile

Melissa Thigpen(MM11161, DA1293, HF9945) – Saturday Miles….Ultra Marathon #5 (Marathon or higher #12) (March 28, 2026)
Saturday I ran the Mulberry Mile 12 Hour Endurance Race! I didn’t hit my goal 🥺💔 and I crashed 3x 😭🙄 but…..I did it! 😉💪🏽😁
It was a cool start and very windy. We started with the Star Spangled Banner then I said the prayer for all of us then it was go time. 🏃🏽‍♀️
It started off really good, even starting in the dark which I do NOT care for. After the sun rose and it was light out…..I fell at 3.60 miles 🥺 , harder at 5.65 miles 👀 and even harder at 12.69 miles. 👀😭 I was bloody, scraped up on my knees, thighs, left hand and all up and down my right arm. My arm and shoulder were THROBBING. Not good that the arm that has the most damage with my torn rotator cuff is my dominant arm and the one I kept falling on. 🙄🥺 But God! Thankful, grateful and blessed to be able to get up and CONTINUE MOVING. 🙌🏽 Thank you Father God! 🙏🏽💜🙌🏽
Into mile 19 I had slowed down and lost my pace too much to meet the goal I had set in my heart. I cried almost the entire mile because I was SO UPSET. I was crying so hard I was hyperventilating. But then I pulled it together and focused on what I COULD do and that was FINISH running the 12 hour race TO THE END. I told myself, you don’t stop when you’re “done”. You stop when the race is finished. THAT’S when your shift is over! So I kept going! 🏃🏽‍♀️
At 21.6 miles in a gentleman walked next to me and was talking to me about the Lord, he shared his testimony and before he moved on he said he would pray for me and my healing. As he ran off, I could hear him praying. By the time I hit 42 miles, he was struggling and I told his wife to let him know I was praying for him as he did me earlier. She thanked me. He was trying hard to run the miles of his upcoming birthday next month.
I placed 3rd overall and I won 2nd place for females yesterday. First place female wasn’t that far ahead. Y’all know me….i like to take pictures. I stopped to take a picture of a rooster. 🤣 My husband said they all saw me from the finish line bend down and they got worried like I was going to pass out. The race director asked him was I okay and my husband looked down towards me and focused then said, oh nawl, she’s taking a picture of that chicken.” 🤣😂🤣 I can’t even be mad because, that is SO ME. I am ALWAYS up for a picture during a race. BUT, had I of KNOWN it was THAT CLOSE, I would have booked it into the finish line. 🤣 I got the Best Spirit Award too! 😁🙌🏽
Anyway, 44 Miles run yesterday. My husband ran yesterday also and he did amazing! He signed up last minute (at packet pickup) and he did 14 miles. It was awesome to run our own races yet get to run and walk side by side at times throughout the races since it was a 1 mile repetitive route. Our grandson called my phone at one point during the race and I told him we were running a race and that I was at mile 11. We talked to him for a bit then sent him a picture then parted ways again.
Anyway, the Mulberry Mile 12 Hour Endurance Race was AWESOME! The trail was great! Nice route, beautiful scenery, fun and challenging. The race director and his family were amazing. The race director even did a whole mile WITH me. Like WHO does that. He does! I would definitely go back and do this again and recommend it to anyone looking to challenge themselves. Even though I didn’t meet the “goal distance” for what was in my heart, I think I still did great especially considering I have been battling the flu for the past 2 weeks, I have a badly torn rotator cuff and I haven’t done anything over 13.50 miles since 2021. Thank you Father God for YOUR strength and endurance withIN me! 🙏🏽💪🏽🔥🦵🏽🙏🏽🙌🏽 To God be the glory!
I can’t believe that I ran 93.25 Miles last week! 👀 Like WOW! Oh and yesterday I hit and passed 600 Miles run/walked for the year.
The miles I ran today built the finish line moment I’ll never forget. 🏃‍♀️
I kept showing up.
I kept logging the Miles.
I met them at the starting line and kept going until I saw them at the finish line. 🙏🏽💪🏽🔥🦵🏽🙏🏽😁🙌🏽
#ThankYouJesusForYOURstrengthWithINme
Have a great night and a blessed week ahead.

Photo and post credit Melissa Thigpen