Healing rain is
coming down
It's coming nearer to this old town
Rich and poor, weak and strong
It's bringing mercy, it won't be long I just got a call telling me that Phillip Parker, the owner of the overall Alabama state 50-mile record of 5:43:32 that has stood for over 26 years, passed away this morning after a sudden heart attack. From what I understand, Phillip ran his first ultra (the Mississippi 50) on a whim while on a fishing trip... and won it. He went on to blaze some pretty impressive times on the ultra scene well before it was the "cool" thing to do. I didn't know Phillip very well, but I was lucky enough to have met and talked with him a fair amount during and after the Delano Day a few weeks ago (he went 43 miles at age 72!), and he struck me as being a very down-to-earth, humble, and all around good guy who always had a smile on his face. The ultra world loses yet another of its legends, and a true champion of the sport by every definition of the word. If you are of the praying type, I know his family could use some.
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