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Some finishes are like the unalloyed joy of a five-year-old’s birthday party filled with balloons and cake. Others are more like that famous Spirit of ’76 painting of wounded soldiers playing the fife and drum after a tough campaign. Virtually all of them feature the unleashing of deep emotions fueled by the tremendous emotional and physical investment required to achieve a great endurance performance. And to be sure, the time frame for those moments at the finish is not limited to the instant of crossing the line. The realization of what it all meant can come at the instant the timing chip registers on the computer. But as often it comes not at the absolute finish of the race, but at the end of a tough stage, in the medical tent, on the podium, or even at a post-race party a day later.

All photographs © Timothy Carlson