Some former Holy Toledo-ites are doing me one better, a semi-brutal Spring race on THE FARM. First event ever at Angola State Pen. The Green Mile.
I’m proud of them.
I may fly in from Costa Rica and grace them with my exceptional humility.
http://www.escapefromangola.com
-bobo
Thanks for the heads up! It is only a few hours drive from me. I’m in for it. Sorry I never got to do the Holy Toledo.
You didn’t miss much, just a lot of pain. And beer.
-bobo
long way from home but looks awesome
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Dammit! Is a 20 hour drive in my future? This looks great.
Cool concept. I love unique races like this. Hopefully I will be able to do it!
Thanks for sharing!
What kind of prison has a lake and a golf course?
This could be the race of a lifetime bucket lister for sure. I have ridden those roads and they are spectacular. That much of an inside look at the toughest old school prison in America is a wonder in itself. To sleep on the “mile” priceless. A true epic. Good call Bobo.
And JayZ don’t get it wrong with a golf course… They have thousands of acres to deal with and they work a lot of their prisoners growing food, tending the animals, and working in the barns. They used to grow their own tobacco and cotton chain gang style in addition to the other farm work. They dealt out (and still probably do) plenty of pain for the inmates in the old hardcore South prison system. From what I understand it is still not a very nice place to spend the rest of your life. The old prisoners I talked to in the State hospital system wanted nothing to do with that place. I used to do fitness stuff in the 70s with some of the COs and they are not guys you would want to meet in a barfight. I don’t think to this day a whole lot of inmates get out alive. I saw a program that they dump a lot of lifers in Angola to serve out their days. The grounds are beautiful on a big bend in Old Man River. With water on three sides in the old days it was sort of like Alcatraz, no one swims across that river. The paupers graveyard is huge and worth a stop if they would let you.
The Carville Hospital (leper colony) to the South has a pretty cool golf course too. I don’t think the Angola inmates get to play, but I bet the trustees groom the hell out of it for the staff. I got to play a few rounds of golf with the Hansen’s disease guys. Do not play those guys for money. They are probably all gone by now as they were old men in the 70s.
And seriously, you can stay on Death Row.
The prison converted the old Death Row into guest houses, there’s a few that can be reserved. BYOH&SOAR ( bring your own harmonica & soap on a rope).
-bobo
Looks awesome - will we be able to fly bikes in??
Too good to miss. I am registered.
This looks really cool. I’ve been to the Angola Prison Rodeo a few times. It’s… interesting.
I’m absolutely doing this race. My only slight concern is, what about the alligators?
I am sure you will be able to coordinate flying bikes in. The Bicycle Shop in Baton Rouge or Precision Bikes in Lafayette, La should be able to help. If anyone needs any specific info about shipping bikes in for this, feel free to send me a PM.
This race will sell out and will be like any other race you have ever done!
The bicycleshop in baton rouge, just maybe my favorite place. The entire staff rocks!
So, some weird distance between an Olympic and HIM with not much elevation gain during a relatively cool part of the year that happens to take place in and around a prison? Yawn.
So, some weird distance between an Olympic and HIM with not much elevation gain during a relatively cool part of the year that happens to take place in and around a prison? Yawn.
Then surely you should win easily. Yawn.
-bobo
Are there alligators in the water?
Yes. And snakes. Just like every body of fresh water in Louisiana and the gulf south. If you’ve swam in open water in the south, there has been plenty of wildlife in the water you swam in and there isn’t really anything to be done about that. Here is the good news. NO wild animal wants to be anywhere near a PA system blaring music, 30+ water craft and hundreds of thrashing elbows and feet. Being more scared of you than you are of them, they will be no where near our activities race morning
That’s some bullshit. I thought we were talking about the REAL Angola. That would be a race…