Ultra Buckle

This story popped up on Reddit about some mysterious “Endurance Running Belt Buckles” that were in an estate sale and going to be thrown out. As someone who has collected a few of these, and helped others collect them, they have a special place in my heart, but those buckles are hard won. One of the buckles was a 10X Western States! It’s amazingly difficult to get into that race, let alone do it 10 times. Then I read who the buckle might have belonged to, Terry Rhodes.

In the comments on Reddit, someone said Terry Rhodes had the finishes for WS100 and Sierra Nevada Endurance Run, another buckle at the estate sale. She was an ultra runner who had completed both of the races from that area. Her story was both inspiring and sad, as a freak accident changed everything in her life. While on vacation at a resort, the top of a sauna cover flew off and hit her in the back of the neck. She was paralyzed and never fully returned to running like in her previous life. You’d think her family, or someone who knew her and what that race meant to her, would have known the importance of that buckle. Like it carried more weight in her life because of what that race meant to her. Then it made me realize it could have not been about the buckle for her. It’s just a matter of the importance we put on it, and that focus can go anywhere, to anything. Maybe she gave them away because it was her old life? Maybe she didn’t care because they are just hunks of metal? They are glorified finisher’s medals. It’s hard not to get attached because of the amount of work that goes into finishing not just that race, but that race 10 times. The belt buckle is a way some are pulled into the sport, addicted to collecting them as a memento to remember these big events. I equate it to the candy or lollipop they give out after a toddler soccer practice, or any post-game sugary delight for kids, to remind them there’s reward in doing difficult things.

The buckle is a symbol, it’s a story, it’s NEVER about the buckle. It’s what had to be done to get to that finish line, but people always ask about the race swag. What do you get for completing 100 miles? You get a buckle, yes, but you get much more than that. It’s not wrong to do a race for the buckle. I am fascinated as to what draws people in, what keeps their heart going, and what keeps people running through the night. There’s no way that a person’s full commitment is the buckle alone. It takes far too many training runs, early mornings, and long runs. It’s a hunk of metal, and we don’t take it with us when we go. We take nothing. Maybe the stories, the laughs, and the times shared together. That’s what the buckle represents more than anything: that they had 10 finishes, at 10 100s, and 10 times they laughed, cried, and got it done. I reached my 10th buckle and I only ever gave one away. It was to my father for all the help and effort he put in to get me there. This is not a solo sport, as many might think. It takes a lot of people to get you to all those finish lines. The buckle is nice, but the story you are left with after fighting for it is worth more. Thanks for reading. I run far did a profile on Terry you can read here:

The auction is still live for the belt buckle: https://ebay.us/m/3LRnh1

Original reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/trailrunning/comments/1s9id2t/mysterious_endurance_running_belt_buckles/

Patrick Durante

Patrick is an ultrarunner and coach from Philadelphia who loves documenting his running career. His mission is to provide useful tips and tricks to assist others along their ultra journey.  You can find his coaching services at https://ultraruncoach.com.