Overall great day out on the Batona Trail! More precipitation than expected (rain that turned to sleet for a few hours in the morning), but that subsided and it was a beautiful, crisp February day!
Unsupported effort. Used my Salomon 12L pack to carry everything I’d need for the day (water, fuel, supplies, etc). Filtered water at the lake at appx mile 38 using my Katadyn BeFree filter bottle. Of note, few public taps and bathrooms along the route, so do be prepared. If going unsupported, definitely have a water filtration system.
Trail is very runnable and extremely easy to navigate. Some sandy sections, but nothing terrible, and all water crossings have some sort of wooden bridge/plank to allow you to pass without getting your feet wet. If you haven’t seen a pink blaze in 30-60 seconds, you’re off route! It’s incredibly well marked. Though I could do without the mile markers every half mile on a run like this!
With the right planning and start/end times this is a very doable unsupported route, of importance, I felt safe the entire time as well. I encourage others to check it out!