Tisha Money with her friends before the Cades Cove Loop Lope.
Tisha Money was excited before the start of Sunday’s Cade Coves Loop Lope 10-Miler and once she reached the finish line of the scenic, challenging course inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park she was all smiles.
“Four years ago I weighed almost 300 pounds. I lost a lot of weight and now I can do all kinds of races,” she said. “I have maintained eating healthy and working out at the gym so I can do something like this.”
Money lives in St. Augustine, Fla., but was in Townsend, Tenn., with friends to visit her mother who lives in the area and compete in his event for the first time. She finished in 2 hours, 12 minutes — about a 13-minute mile pace.
She got some unexpected inspiration from her son, Mason Money, age 24, in the second half of the race. Cell service is spotty at best and non-existent most of the time but he got a message through to his mother.
“A text came through on my watch from my son and I was wondering why he would be texting me,” she said. “His message basically said, ‘Go Mom. Love you.’ It came in when I was on miles six to eight, the toughest part of the course. It was just what I needed because this course has some really steep inclines that are a little different than what we have in Florida.
“I absolutely loved the run. I have been coming up here since I was about 10 years old. I have always driven around the park. I have seen people walk or bike the loop but I never realized I would be that person one day to run it. I wanted to actually do it last year but it didn’t work out. This was my goal this year to be here and we definitely want to do this again. We all loved it.”
Money and friends did the Dollywood Light the Way 5K (3.1 miles) on Friday night before the Cades Cove Loop Lope 10-miler on Sunday. They had festive outfits for the Dollywood 5K and had tank top shirts made for the Cades Cove Loop Lope that said: “You Can’t Outrun a Bear. Always Bring a Slow Friend.”
“We like to dress alike when we run races. My sister Michelle found the shirts and since Lisa (Eaton) was scared a bear would chase and eat her, we thought it was the perfect shirt. We were just lucky the weather was warm,” Money said.
Eaton actually said one bear during her run (1:57:04) — the group also saw a bear in downtown Pigeon Forge.
“I just ran faster and did not want to scream,” Eaton said. “The girl behind me was looking and taking pictures (of the bear). But not me. I was getting out of there.”
Money’s mother did the 5K and shared information that impressed the St. Augustine runner even more about the event.
“On the 5K there is a stream that you have to go through. Volunteers passed out grocery bags to put over your sneakers as runners/walkers went through the creek. They even helped you put the bags on and take them off,” Money said.
“The race organizers just did a fantastic job with the race from start to finish. The volunteers, the motivational signs on the court and the placement of the signs was perfect, too. The entire race was very, very organized to make sure everyone had a great experience.”
