A prison break...an escaped convict lost in the backwoods of Tennessee. But who is that pursuing him? And who is his sidekick? Could this be the very "first" Barkley Marathons? The fugitive experiences the death-hold of the sawbriers of the infamous RatJaw, climbs the gut-sucking Little Hell, gets maddeningly lost in the fog, and has a face-off with his pursuer at the river. Along the way he meets strange characters and evil phantoms of the night. The quirky traditions and sayings from the toughest ultra-marathon in the world come to life in this three day race for freedom.