In agony after finally completing the demeaning 57-kilometer jungle trek, the rag-tag racers hobbled about, limping awkwardly on destroyed feet. Many had struggled through thick mud and relentless leeches for more than two days, sliding down sloppy mountainsides and slurping through stagnant muck. "I've got 13 blisters and cuts all over," said 31st-place Team Alogent/NoticeNow.com's [go to Team Bio] Chris Brown, pointing at his swollen feet. "They're sort of like blister patches."

"I knew there was going to be foot pain, but not like this," said 26-year-old John Simko of rookie Team BAX Global [go to Team Bio]. "I have rotting flesh."

Trapped by the dark zone (no paddling at night rule) on the Segama River, the determined second-tier teams relished the no-pressure day of mid-race re-grouping, re-sorting and re-fueling.

It had been a tough couple of days under triple canopy rainforest. "I'll never go back in the jungle again," said Ian Cummings, 19, of Ireland’s Team North/South [go to Team Bio], in 28th place. "It was terrible. It was just hell in there. I spent the whole night just trying to get the things off of me."

Cummings, this year's youngest competitor, resorted to smearing Tiger Balm all over his sinewy body to keep the feasting leeches at bay.

Some teams, including BAX Global, had considered quitting, citing near hypothermic nighttime conditions. "We debated calling for a chopper," said team captain Dennis Charney, an attorney. "If I didn't have the space blanket, I think it would've been over."

Tucked behind the defacto gear sorting and drying area, the PC 18 medical center resembled a bustling airport shoe-shine stand, complete with a two-tiered elevated chair. Only instead of shoe polish, the customers' soiled feet were buffed with layers of iodine, ointments, creams and bandages.

"It's all about podiatry," said Dr. Brian Buhlke, churning through an assembly line of battered patients.

Throughout the afternoon, sludge-soaked teams stumbled into the camp, changing clothes, setting up cots, cooking food, and readying themselves for the remainder of the race.

As teams milled about in the sea of drying gear, they greeted fellow competitors – familiar faces from the Malaysian battle. Most conversations went something like this:

"Hey! How you guys doing?"

"Hey! Not bad. Lotta leeches, eh?"

"Yeah, I had fifteen on my left elbow. How are your feet..."

But despite the physical decline, most competitors remained positive. "I'm really surprised by how well we're doing," said Cummings. "I wouldn't mind if we finished last, so long as we finish."