Indeed, the undisputed king of long-distance adventure racing dropped out of the Eco-Challenge Sabah 2000 last night, citing unbearable foot pain. "My feet just got too bad to walk," said Howard, resting in the on-course medical center at PC23.

Ellen Miller Ellen Miller, of Team Vail doctors her feet at PC 14 before continuing on

"He has some pretty serious stuff happening to the point that he has some infections starting to develop," said Mike Lear, of the Eco-Challenge medical staff.

But Howard wasn't the only competitor who's race was adversely affected – or effectively ended – by some combination of trenchfoot, jungle rot, blisters, burns, cuts, boils, scrapes, gashes, lesions, welts and bruises.

Members of several other top teams, including Team Nokia [go to Team Bio], Team EarthLink [go to Team Bio] and Team Argentina [go to Team Bio], pushed their feet past the walking point today.

As a result, the medical staff at PC23, the end of the jungle leg and the start of the second Perahu leg, was busy all day. "I don't think anybody really broke emotionally to the point where it forced them out of the race," said Lear. "What's really taken people out of the race is their feet."

Dominick Arduin, 39, of Finland's Team Nokia was among the non-walkers. Her feet had been reduced to a pulpy white mess; her fingers, hands, legs and ankles covered in cuts and bruises. Just getting into the rescue truck looked like torture for Arduin, who held her head in her hands as she waited to be transported to the hospital.

Trenchfoot, jungle rot, blisters, burns, cuts, boils, scrapes, gashes, lesions, welts and bruises. "It's like when you stay in the bath for a couple of hours – only it's six days."

The husband and wife pair on Team Earthlink – Brian and Dianette Strange of Malibu, Calif. – were also virtually feet-less by the end of their race. They were forced to retire soon after the end of the Sampan canoeing leg. "They have blisters that are this big, full of dirt and full of dirt" said Dr. Netti Riggs, making a generous circle with her thumb and forefinger. "They can't even walk."

"Everyone here suffers from either trench foot or immersion foot," explained another member of the medical staff. "It's like when you stay in the bath for a couple of hours – only it's six days."

Team Vail [go to Team Bio], who walked into PC 23 in 16th place, also had their share of foot problems, but not enough to keep them from continuing. "I'm just hoping I don't pick up any weird stuff in that cave," said Andreas Boesel, glancing at his severely sunburned and blistered right foot.

Boesel, a 49-year-old restaurant manager and previous Eco-Challenge winner, was referring to the Madai Caves, part of the course near PC26. The caves are filled with disease-ridden pools of bat guano.

Meanwhile, Howard constructed a pair of sandals out of cardboard and duct tape, shuffling about the mid-course camp for the afternoon. By early evening, he was back on the table in the medical center.

"I'm never going to race in the tropics again," he said.


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