“From a really young age, all Red wanted to do was race. We were always ready to race them, but they very quickly got way too good for us.”

It was an early January morning in 2019 as Blue Number 2 took a moment to sip their cinnamon coffee in the quaint Sauce Boss sports bar, far from the vintage city center of Numerun. I sat across from them and set down my blue-and-white-striped notepad. We made a toast to the bartender for letting us start interviews for the “Not a Marble” controversy at 4 am, who smiled as our mugs clinked, echoing beyond the billiards table and into the quiet.

“It was just so nice seeing them compete in the big leagues,” Blue continued. “We weren’t necessarily expecting great things; it was just great that they got to compete. But then they started winning. It was like they were born to race, and we never would have realized it when we were growing up.”

Blue Number 2 reached into their satchel and pulled out a thick manila envelope, dumping the contents onto the table between us. Wads of Rollaroids piled high, depicting Blue, their sibling Red Number 3, and other family members as they grew up in Bifornya.

“I was more into photography than racing from a young age,” Blue recalled, smirking. “My family did everything they could to make ends meet. It was a risk for us to pursue something else. But Red had a dream, and they made it happen.”

As I learned from Blue, that dream was not to become a legend in marble racing, although a career in sports was always in the cards — Red hoped to become an athletic trainer as they pursued a master’s degree in sports medicine. But Red was inspired to start racing after a trip to La Colina Umerun.

Blue passed me a Rollaroid of Red Number 3 and Rojo Cinco celebrating commencement. “Red’s friends in the Rojo Rollers were participating in the Surculo and had just earned a wild card spot in the Elite League. I went with Red and Cinco to see them compete at a sand rally in the shadow of Pico del Manantial.”

Blue sorted through the Rollaroids, depicting the mountain’s peak in the background of two densely packed stands, facing a narrow course sculpted from the sand. As we looked from one photo to the next, we saw athletes coming down from the top of the course in stop-motion, with the series ending with two marbles at the finish line – Rojo Tres and Mercurial from the Quicksilvers.

“They couldn’t declare a winner due to the lack of video footage. But if you look here, I caught Tres crossing the line a few milliseconds ahead of Mercurial. Red brought proof to the race officials, who confirmed the Rojo Rollers as the winners.”

As thanks, race officials let Red Number 3 onto the course to race: for the first time in their life. Bystanders were astounded to see Red clock in at the finish line with a better time than a few of the athletes who had just raced.

“Cinco pleaded with Red to stay in Numerun and train with them. As much as I wanted Red to come home, I knew they would be happier doing what they love,” admitted Blue Number 2. “And from there, everything happened so fast.”

The Leadup

Behind the billiards table, framed newspaper articles painted the walls with headlines of Red Number 3’s rise to local stardom. Their debut in the individual league of the Surculo and subsequent success as a rookie headlined the announcement of the individual Surculo Elite League, where they won race after race. In mid-2015, when marble sports tournaments worldwide were booming in popularity, Red received a special invitation to compete in an exhibition race in the city of Knikkegen: the Sand Marble Rally 750-Foot Race.

“We didn’t have the money to get Red there,” admitted Blue, “but the city of Numerun graciously covered costs. I had just started university and couldn’t be there, but media networks were going to broadcast the marble race internationally for the first time in history.”

This would also be the first race broadcast with live commentary by Greg Woods, the organizer of the informal Fruit Circuit tournaments. Numerun’s mayor organized a series of viewings around the city for the broadcast, which thousands of fans signed up for. Blue Number 2 told me as they finished their coffee that they attended their viewing here at this bar.

For the first two minutes of the race, Blue recalled a mellow yet tense atmosphere. “Everyone was excited, but seeing Red towards the middle of the pack was rough. A few fans were frustrated that Blazing Fireball was being called Red. Then towards the middle of the race, we saw Red racing ahead of everyone else to the right, cutting into White’s lead. Everyone cheered for the rest of the race.”

At the three-minute mark, Red Number 3 took the bottom line in the helices, then the lead. From there, Red barely allowed White within a length of them, even in the final sector of the race. They handled sweeping turns with near-mastery and sprinted down the last straightaway to finish almost three seconds ahead of White.

“The city had to shut down the streets outside of Antigua, a rarity for any other occasion than the Milenaria. But we were all celebrating before Red finally came home — we had to.” Blue Number 2 pulled out a Rollaroid of their sibling and the mayor, giving Red an honorary key to the city of Numerun. “Things couldn’t have looked better, but Red decided they needed some time away from the spotlight.”

Blue Number 2 exhaled deeply. “I’m happy they were home for a year. They used funds from sponsors to give back to our family. It got me through school. It got us steady electricity. Everything we could have ever dreamed of, and more.” Blue paused, wiping a tear away.

We were both silent until we heard a faint siren outside. The city was beginning to wake up. 

“We all knew Red had to return to racing after that, but they wouldn’t do it willingly without a little help. You should ask Quicksilver how they convinced Red to fly back to Knikkegen with them for the Giant Funnel Race.”

I shrugged. “Quicksilver hasn’t RSVPed for this round of interviews. But I’ll ask next time I see them.”

“Sounds good. I’m glad to hear you’re doing this controversy justice,” replied Blue. “Red’s a different material, but I’ve known them a very long time, just obviously my whole life, and just, I don’t think they’ve meant to be dishonest. Red has always been self-conscious, so I think Red’s just worried about marbles treating them differently. Red has always wanted to win or lose just based on who they were.”

Blue thanked me again as they left for work. Between their interview and the next, the bartender of Sauce Boss, Sauce, invited me to rewatch Marble Rally 2017 with them.

The Foundations

“Finishing 29th in some giant funnel means nothing compared to the rest of their legacy,” quipped Sauce. “We’ve always known Red is the best racer in the sand.”

Starting at the 2017 Qualifiers, we watched Red Number 3 bound from the pack of the racing order to claim the lead from two-time Ramen Bowl champion Dragon’s Egg. Quicksilver surged ahead to trade the lead with Red before the final stretch, where Red lurched to finish at the top of their qualifying group.

“It’s Red Number 3, showing why they deserve to be in the Sand Marble Rally. They did that in the very first race of their career and made a name for themselves.”

~Greg Woods, 2017

From there, the All Events compilation video took us into Race 1, where we watched Red finish ninth, unable to capitalize off their starting position in the front row. The following two races demonstrated a mixed bag of results, with fourth in Race 2 and fourteenth in Race 3. As they headed into Race 4, Red Number 3 was eleventh in the overall standings. Yet, out of the gate, Red Number 3 took their first-row starting position and a strong wind of momentum through the Plinko obstacle and into the top three of the race order, in the same company as Lollipop and Dragon’s Egg.

Once again, Red Number 3 used the barriers not as barriers but as opportunities to gain speed, rushing through them to steal the lead. When challenged by Lollipop in the final section of the race, Red passed through a side of the rotating chevron, slowing Lollipop down on the other side, and sprinted to the finish line, winning their first Marble Rally race of the season. 

With a gold and 41 points, Red Number 3 led the standings in a three-way tiebreaker. A poor finish in Race 5 sent them down to fourth overall, while Quicksilver earned their second gold medal. Race 6 fared much better, with Red holding second despite getting caught by a twig in the final stretch. Although Quicksilver earned a bronze and kept the lead, Red Number 3 took silver and rose to second overall.

The second half of the season went similarly for Red as they earned medals among less favorable finishes. They earned their second gold in Race 8, disappearing off-screen with the lead and winning their second race by a three-second margin.

After securing their final medal in Race 12, a bronze, Red Number 3 stood second overall, one of seven marbles able to win, and the only rookie of those seven. Finishing fifth in the final race added 22 points to their total due to a new and controversial double-point rule. Red Number 3 cleared Quicksilver in the standings but finished second overall with 134 points. Dragon’s Egg, who won a silver in the final race, passed Red by just one point to win the tournament.

“I didn’t think marbles could get more hyped up about the sports scene than they already were, but once Red finished second two years ago, the excitement reached a fever pitch,” recalled Sauce. “Business boomed — that’s why I rebranded to a sports bar. The Rojo Rollers and Red Number 3 partnered up and started building professional facilities. The press became insufferable. But everyone was in good spirits when they were talking about Red. They brought the city hope.”

Following our watch party, it was time for my next interview: 2017 champion Dragon’s Egg.

The Interviews

“I was competing with Red Number 3 for pretty much the whole 2017 Rally. That marb was just pure talent. None of us had ever heard of them before [the 750 Foot Race], but it became obvious that they were a really good racer,” Dragon’s Egg remarked. “Red Number 3 in 2018 was just the pinnacle of marble sports. In a group of 20 marbles—the best sand racers in the world, no less—they came in the top three…five times. In just eight races! They’re without a doubt the most pure sand racer ever.

I raced a lot with Red Number 3, and I can definitely say that they were just a fantastic competitor. Sure, they may be a different material, but I don’t think it matters. They won in 2018 because they trained hard and outcompeted us.”

Thanking Dragon’s Egg for their interview, my next participant was Superball, the 2018 bronze medalist.

“[Red was] just incredible. You felt like as soon as you entered the starting gate, you were playing for second. Nobody could beat them—I actually won a race in 2018 where Red Number 3 came second. It was an amazing feeling, but at the same time, there was that feeling of, did I really just beat the best marble of all time? Even in defeat, they exuded victory.”

Superball and I looked through Rollaroids from Marble Rally 2018. The first picture, arranged facedown, was of Red Number 3 nestled in a bank of sand off the course of Race 1, having DNFed. Subsequent photos were facing up and more illustrative of the champion’s success that year.

“Sure, it would have been upsetting for me personally if Marble Rally 2018 had stayed canceled. But I think it would have also been upsetting for everyone else not to see Red get another chance to compete,” asserted Superball. “Red deserved it.”

Superball recalled Races 3 and 4 as we found pictures from those events. “I led for part of the third race, but I was too focused on what was behind me not to notice the wall in front of me. Red deserved that silver more than I did. In the end race, I got lucky being in the front early on, and I was more focused on what was ahead. So was Red, and finishing a little more than half a second ahead of them for the win was the most difficult race of my career yet.”

I reminded Superball that they had held the lead in the standings for two consecutive events after their win, but Superball only laughed.

“Maybe I don’t give myself enough credit. But I could never give Red Number 3 too much credit. They’re the real deal.”

That night, Sauce queued up the final three races of Marble Rally 2018 for their customers to watch after the evening news. A line to enter queued within an hour of the Sauce Boss’s opening.

“Party of three? Sorry — we’re usually not packed like this during the offseason. Mind waiting 20 minutes?” asked Sauce to a group of fans. The bartender turned aside to me. “This hasn’t happened since Red won. Does the public know about the marblementary yet?” they wondered.

“They do,” I replied, clearing my plate of nachos, “but they shouldn’t know we’re filming here. We all had to sign NDAs, so it would be bad if they were broken…”

“Yeah.” Sauce took my plate, washing it behind the counter. Above us, the sixth race of Marble Rally 2018 ended with Red Number 3 crossing the finish line in dominance, winning five seconds ahead of Black Knight. Red Number 3 led the standings with 74 points and three medals.

Race 7 played afterward, featuring a three-way battle between Black Knight, Red Number 3, and Superball. Although Red never led the race, they remained in the top three, finishing just behind Superball for bronze and retaining their lead heading into the final race. 

Starting in the back row, Red Number 3 seemed out of sight and out of mind as the camera focused on the top three at the start: Phoenix, Quicksilver, and Ghost Plasma. As Black Knight crashed out, Red Number 3 suddenly appeared in second place.

“And look at THIS! Red Number 3 out of nowhere has taken second place! We were too busy looking at that crash-out, that spin, and now Red Number 3 is up into second. If they finish there, that will be enough to solidify the 2018 Sand Marble Rally championship.”

~Greg Woods, 2018

“If they’re REALLY a marble!” exclaimed a customer across the bar.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” another customer yelled. “Get out of here, you heckler.”

“I’m not heckling, it’s a fact,” the first customer claimed. On the screen above, the leaderboard shuffled between Phoenix and Red Number 3 in a dead heat as the two athletes navigated different lanes of a double helix. “I don’t care that they won. They still cheated.”

“Just because they’re made of a different material? Get out of here,” a third customer said. Behind them, a fourth customer approached, brandishing their plastic spoon as a sword.

Sauce fumbled for the phone, hastily calling security to de-escalate the encounter. The bouncers from outside calmly entered and swarmed the bar, breaking up the commotion and escorting the parties involved out of the facility.

Above us, the podium ceremony for the final was airing, showing that Red Number 3 had finished second, clinching their first Marble Rally championship with 107 points and five medals overall. I remembered that the Rojo Rollers had celebrated Red’s accomplishment in an official statement: 

“Excellence, Champion, Victory. Congratulations to our hero, Red Number 3, for cementing their legacy as a Marble Rally legend.”

After the bar closed, Sauce and I were cleaning up the bar when we received a late-night visitor: Blue Number 2, bringing one last Rollaroid as a gift.

“I found this at home. Red came home a day early from their victory tour to get a break from the paparazzi. I brought a tripod and everything so I could be in a picture with my sibling for once.” Blue passed us the Rollaroid, pointing out their relatives, Stripe Numbers 9 and 13. “Red winning in 2018 was pretty much the best thing ever. They’d been training so hard for so long, and coming just short in 2017 was really hard for them. But they bounced back, and they kept working. We were so proud of them, not just the victory, but just all of their work and dedication, too.”

“This controversy must be hard on all of you,” I noted. “Especially losing your partnership with the Rojo Rollers. I know Red was close with them, especially Cinco.”

Blue sighed. “Business is business, but that didn’t stop Red from taking it personally. Nonetheless, it’s been reassuring that all of the Marble Rally athletes have supported Red through this. Red couldn’t do it without them and the fans on our side.”

The next day, things got worse in a way that I could have never imagined.

The Ridicule

“I said this in another presser — the marb was impressive, I’ll grant them that. But a few times in 2018, they seemed almost too impressive. You started to get the feeling that something was off. Nobody can be that good all the time. Something wasn’t right.”

I was sitting across from a marble who introduced themself as Quicksilver, the Marble Rally athlete known as one of Red’s greatest adversaries and best friends. As similar as they looked, this marble was filled with a rage unseen in previous press appearances. Nor did it seem like they were interested in maintaining their friendship with Red Number 3.

“I mean, I’m not particularly surprised [about the controversy]. It always seemed clear to me that something fishy was going on. I’m very interested to see what happens next. Personally, I think Red Number 3 should be banned from sand racing. It’s only fair.”

Another marble, introducing themself as Phoenix, echoed their sentiments. “When this story broke, I was stunned! To think that all these years, I was competing against somebody who I thought was in good faith, and it turns out they’ve been cheating like this? Unbelievable!”

The two debated without prompt about the effects of different materials in sand before their interviews concluded. My final interviewee, Comet, sensed something was off.

“This is so stupid. Red is the same way as the rest of us. This is just grumbling from marbles who are bitter they lost to Red,” refuted Comet. “As long as Red’s the same weight it shouldn’t matter, but there should be guidelines, at least.”

MSPN correspondent ExcitingPresentation agreed, presiding over the phone. “Well, I think it needs to be addressed what kind of marbles are allowed. I mean, marbles are made of different materials, like clay for example. Are those marbles technically allowed, or is it strictly glass marbles? Yeah, I’m not sure if other types of marbles should be allowed. I think this needs to have been clarified beforehand.”

As I hung up with ExcitingPresentation and began gathering my belongings for a flight later that day, Comet rolled over to me with a look of worry on their face. “That footage you showed me of Quicksilver and Phoenix…I’m sorry, that just doesn’t sound like them at all.”

I looked blankly at the blue-and-yellow marble. “I…don’t understand. What do you know?”

“Fans have been spreading rumors about this online since the marblementary announcement,” replied Comet. “Sourcing sound bites of athletes. Sharing drafts of scripts. Comparing uniforms. I didn’t think they’d get away with it — and I would fully expect your interviews to get leaked to the press.”

My sense of dread snowballed in the coming hours as a protest grew outside of the Sauce Boss sports bar, the result of an Reddit campaign by an organized group of “not a marble” hecklers. That night, Sauce turned on the news to the not entirely unexpected stinging tone of the marble who had introduced themself as Quicksilver.

“It’s just ridiculous!” they provoked. “You wouldn’t let a marble made out of rubber join, because it’d be way more bouncy even if it weighed the same! It’s exactly the same with Red. They weigh the same, but they’re more slippery! How is that fair?”

“Tonight, for the first time, Red Number 3 breaks their silence,” said Rick O’Shea, appearing live on air amid a growing protest outside of the sports bar. “Stay tuned for a special edition of 1-on-1.”

No matter what I said to senior writers at MSPN to try to convince them otherwise, they insisted that the 1-on-1 interview, and the release of the marblementary in its entirety, go on. I boarded my airplane in tears and flew home, catching the final segment of the interview as I scourged my fridge for leftovers.

“Look, I just want to thank all of the fans who are still supporting me,” said Red Number 3. “I’ll fight against this smear job for as long as it takes, and I will race again.”

The live premiere of Not a Marble would receive the best ratings of any sports documentary in history and a rare response from Jelle themself, which confirmed that despite the controversy, Red Number 3 would remain eligible to participate in the Sand Marble Rally.

Fans panned the performance of “Quicksilver,” whose final monologue within the video wasn’t sourced from my interview with them: “I’ve raced against Red. They’re more slippery than anyone else. I thought it was just training at first, but now I know it’s their material. That’s unfair, plain and simple. They’re a cheater, and they shouldn’t be allowed back.” 

One week later, Quicksilver released an official response to the controversy. Unlike the interview they had given, it was not accusatory — at least towards Red.

“I was not present at the interview that aired from the Marble Sports Performance Network, and am suing on behalf of my identity being used to discredit the career of my friend, Red Number 3.”

News coverage did not pick up the statement, but Blue Number 2 did, forwarding it to me and letting me know that Quicksilver had provided an alibi to their family.

“Quicksilver’s single parent had passed, and their funeral was that weekend. They didn’t tell us until then, but we understood. We know how that feels.”

Phoenix, too, had an explanation: “All we could do was to hurry and release a statement. We couldn’t travel to Bifornya to meet with Red, but, fortunately, [Phoenix’s talent scout] Meteor was there at the time to watch a youth tournament and offered to contact Red to relay our supportive message to them.” Communication from Blue Number 2 indicated that Red was made aware of both alibis but had decided to cut contact with their fellow racers until the start of the season.

In the coming days, officials used body, face, and voice recognition software to confirm that the two marbles interviewed as “Quicksilver” and “Phoenix” were not the Marble Rally athletes but impersonators. The two hecklers, who had previous warnings for causing disruptions at the bar, were arrested once identified. 

In response to these developments, news broke that Jelle’s Marble Runs was disassociating with MSPN, which previously served as the channel’s media arm. Earlier that day, I had resigned from my position with MSPN and would join the JMRC in the coming days, volunteering to help prepare for Marble League 2019. Much of my work over the coming years would ensure fair and accurate reporting of marble sports stories.

But no matter what I did, I could not restore the reputations of Phoenix, Quicksilver, and Red Number 3.

The Repeat

After months of tension from the Not a Marble fallout, Marble Rally 2019 was finally near when September rolled around. This time, I was present in Knikkegen to officiate the tournament, not to report. I knew I needed a break from that, and as I watched Quicksilver DNF in their practice race, I got a feeling that the athletes did as well.

Waving away press officials after Qualifiers, Quicksilver seemed to enter Race 1 with a renewed mindset, earning a bronze ahead of Red Number 3 in fifth. Phoenix, who remarked in a later interview that they were still “carrying the blame for something they didn’t do”, struggled and DNFed.

As for Red Number 3, they advanced from their fifth place in Race 1 with momentum, bolting out of the starting gate to pass Marbly McMarbleface and Phoenix for the lead. Red secured their race win after navigating through the top split with little contest. Others who took the same route got punished as those in the bottom split surged through, and Phoenix finished eleventh in the race after a great start.

Aside from a DNF in Race 3, the rest of the season was par for the course. Red Number 3 did not finish lower than eighth throughout the rest of the season, and no one could match their success. 

“Red has built a legacy like few other athletes in marble sports,” noted Cool Moody, a newcomer to the 2019 season. “I mean, look at Race 5! Red finished eight seconds ahead of everyone and set a record. To be the athlete who earned silver in such a historic win for Red is an absolute honor. To roll among giants such as them is a dream come true.”

Red Number 3 became the first repeat champion in JMR history, earning 90 points and two golds in eight races.

Ghost Plasma remarked, “I’m a little disappointed, of course, but I’m still thrilled to be back where I was three years ago. I’m at the top of my game again, I’m back on the final podium, and it feels good to be home. And I’m proud of Red, too. Like Dragon’s Egg said: they’re the purest sand racer ever. Truly unparalleled.”

“I haven’t heard from Red in a year…I understand why. This season, I tried my hardest to work on myself as an athlete and set boundaries for myself,” reflected Quicksilver, giving their first public statement since the controversy. “My results were alright, and getting fourth in the last race certainly felt good. But I miss Red. And even if they never want to talk to me again, I want them to know I’m very proud of them.”

The Aftermath

Despite Marble Rally 2019 receiving the highest ratings of any edition of the tournament to date, interest in JMR quickly shifted to the newly announced Marbula One. Marble Rally athletes didn’t seem to mind being out of the spotlight for once, with only local news headlines surfacing that Red Number 3 privately contacted fellow competitors for a get-together at Doornse Gat. Comet, Cool Moody, Dragon’s Egg, Ghost Plasma, Pollo Loco, Red, and Superball reunited the following spring for the first time since the season ended, where they were photographed by Blue Number 2 for upcoming promotional campaigns.

“It was one of the first photos I took of them coming down the hill. Betawolfs illustrated it spectacularly into something I am honored that JMR staff have recognized. It’s about time these athletes receive as much positive recognition as those in the Marble League,” noted Blue Number 2.

We overlooked Numerun Antigua from Red Number 3’s office space in Numerun Nueva. Our 360-degree view allowed us to see Colina Umerun alongside the Rojo Rollers’ Rollerdome and outside the city proper. Demolition crews worked on tearing down the Sauce Boss sports bar to put up a parking lot.

“Red felt guilty over the past year, even though they won. I almost wonder if winning made them feel even worse.” Blue motioned to the Rollerdome. “But they were happy to help the Rojo Rollers train for the Showdown this year.”

Remembering my interview with the Rollers leading up to the Showdown, I flipped to my notes for their exact quote: “‘No matter what we went through in the past, they bring a part of Numerun in the League, and with that, all of Numerun’s history with marble sports. I have so much respect for that, and I wish them the best.’”

“They’re truly selfless,” I remarked.

“Yeah. I’m lucky Red is my sibling.”

I gifted a copy of Betawolfs’ Marble Rally art to Blue as I bid them farewell, asking them to send my best regards to Red. The next day, the two-time champion underwent surgery that allowed them to use a traditional Marble Rally uniform for glass marbles.

“All I want to do is race. Not fend off rumors. Not get chased by the press. Not feel like I’m who I never wanted to be,” Red wrote in an official statement released before they arrived at the hospital. “I just want to make the right choice. And I believe that this is that.”

Red Number 3 recovered slowly but successfully in the coming months. They received well wishes from across Marblearth, from fans who’d newly discovered the Marble Rally to old friends and colleagues from the University of Numerun. Red permitted those closer to them to visit their home in Bifornya, including, to the press’s surprise, Phoenix and Quicksilver.

Meanwhile, the marble sports series sponsored by Jelle’s Marble Runs became more popular than ever. Two Grands Prix of their new circuit-style racing tournament, Marbula One, went viral within two months of a clip from one of JMR’s oldest exhibition races, the Sand Marble Rally 500-Foot Race, which became an overnight sensation when reposted on social media, captivating casual and hardcore fans alike.

All of this pent-up excitement surrounding the channel led many to wonder who would “tear up the sand” in the next Marble Rally season, especially following news of a private training camp attended by Red. Towards the end of Summer 2020, the marble sports world learned that twenty athletes would be invited to compete in Season 5 and face off in twelve races to determine the next champion.

I took it upon myself to seek out each competitor for a feature on the channel’s blog, which would be my first work on Marble Rally athletes since Not a Marble. To best safeguard against hecklers and impersonators, JMR required me to do a formal identification check before conducting each interview. 

As I arrived in the quaint village of Quixote for one of my final interviews, I immediately recognized the Marble Rally athlete in front of me — whose legacy I was directly responsible for tainting. I awkwardly introduced myself to Quicksilver, watching windmills in the distance unblock the sun and direct its rays squarely into my eyes.

They chuckled beside me. “Here,” Quicksilver said, passing me a pair of Cool Moody shades. “My home isn’t far.”

As we ascended flights of stairs to their home, perched on a cliffside, Quicksilver was candid in their remarks. “It’s frustrating that I can never seem that good, but I don’t hold any of it against Red. We’ve trained together for this season, and there’s no bad blood between us.”

Quicksilver opened their front door, motioning to a frame of a Rollaroid on a nearby table. There, Red Number 3 and Quicksilver were donning sunglasses and smirking, not unlike the uniform of Cool Moody.

“The stakes for Marble Rally Season 5 won’t be any lower than past seasons, and I’ll make sure Red knows that. But despite what the media might want marbles to believe about me, we patched things up. Yeah, our friendship isn’t the same, and it never will be. But it’s still ours, and I hope Red treasures it as much as I do.”

I noted that Red Number 3 had declined the interviews for Who’s Tearing Up the Sand, opting to send over a quote from an old interview with the Rojo Rollers instead. Quicksilver shrugged.

“Well, this year has been harder for Red than pretty much any other athlete. No champion’s accomplishments are as widely contested as theirs, or face as many double standards, or as much hate on the Internet,” Quicksilver sighed. “It’s something I regret saying early in my career — when I thought Red seemed almost ‘too’ impressive. It was unhealthy to pedestalize Red for something all of us train really hard for, and it’s something I need to work on.”

The Restart

Similar to Marble Rally 2017, Red Number 3’s performances in Season 5 were a mixed bag until Race 5. Coming from 16th in the overall standings, Red took advantage of their top-right position in the starting gate to get into the top 5. After a series of overtakes towards the end of Sector 1, Red was in the top 3 and charged ahead in the top line of a Sector 2 split to take their first lead of the season.

Holding the lead going into the final stretch, Lollipop swerved ahead of Red Number 3 to win, blocking one of Red’s advances by bounding off the wall to their right. Red rolled away with a silver, capping off their most competitive race yet with considerable hardware.

“I wouldn’t have been able to win that race if I didn’t use one of Red’s best strategies,” Lollipop admitted. “It was an honor to pass them as I took gold.”

The next race saw Red Number 3 finish eleventh behind the ever-elusive Ghost Marble. That was a traditional sand race, but the next race held at SnowWorld was the Marble Rally’s first on different terrain. Following a series of meet-and-greets at the Marble League Winter Special tournament in the Himarblelayas, Red made their way to SnowWorld to compete.   

“With ice in their veins and ice underneath them, on the track…I can tell you, this place is pretty cool,” began Greg Woods as the athletes settled in the starting lineup. 

Red Number 3 recalled hearing Cool Moody chuckle to themself from the middle of the gate. Barely ten seconds into the race, they had crashed off the course. Under two seconds later, Red took the lead in a risky but stellar overtake against championship leader Ghost Plasma.

“I watched further up the course as Red perfected the overtake I tried to do…I would say they were showing me up if they were any other athlete,” Cool Moody mused. “But it’s Red. They’re just that cool.”

“Once Red got into the lead, I knew they’d win as long as they controlled the rest of their descent down the course,” said Blue Number 2, who attended the SnowWorld races. “I was worried when they were jostling with the slippery twists and turns in the rest of Sector 1, but Red’s slowdown in Sectors 2 and 3 was just what they needed to procure a safe victory.”

Giving just one brief interview after the podium ceremony, Red Number 3 remarked, “When I heard Greg Woods say that I “‘was gonna come across for an easy victory’…I knew that wasn’t true. That was the hardest race of my life.”

After gladly accepting a cup of Minty Hot Chocolate from a group of fans, Red Number 3 waited at the sideline as their friends re-ran the final stretch of the track. Red officially requested to switch the racing order for the eighth race, which was honored and accepted.

“It’s nice that you did that,” said Comet as they ascended the course.

“It’s nice that we’ve been able to race this season. I think everyone deserves enjoyment from that, no matter who wins,” Red Number 3 replied. “After all, it won’t be me this season.”

Comet rolled backward, nearly sliding down the stairs. “You really think that? You’re better than all of us here. In fact, you’re probably the reason we are here.”

Red laughed. “Everything I’ve accomplished does not make me better than all of you. And you know the reason we’re here. It’s you.”

Minutes later, the starting gate lifted, and Red Number 3 careened off the course not even three seconds into the race. Trailing just behind Red before they went out of bounds, Comet darted around Summer Sky to take the lead. With a silver medal draped around themself as Blizzard Blaster celebrated their race win, Comet was beaming with pride.

“Yeah. That felt about as good as I remember.”

As they left SnowWorld and traveled back to Doornse Gat for Race 9, Red Number 3 recalled feeling good about themself. And yet, they had a strange feeling that great emotions among race officials would result in significant changes behind the scenes.

“We received a schedule from the JMR Committee for recording two races at Doornse Gat and the final two at Klimduin Brechtdorp. That had never happened with JMR before. It almost felt as if the two entities were stratifying in the same way that MSPN did,” noted Red in an interview with post-race reporters. “In the Committee’s defense, the scheduling was very efficient. In JMR’s defense, we later learned the Committee had been on strike when they gave us the schedule. In the Committee’s defense, they had every right to go on strike and subsequently disband.”

A reporter scoffed. “We don’t care about what’s happening with the officials! We just want to see you all race. And it looks like you did a hell of a job with that—what a photo finish you just had!”

“I knew I wouldn’t win the race, not even after the speed boost. I was astounded to get as close as I did to Dragon’s Egg, but there was no chance I’d pass them,” ensured Red Number 3. “My best finishes were when I started at the front corners of the starting gate. Even if I finished lower at the end of this Marble Rally than any other season, I’m proud to take my 91 points, three medals, and seventh overall with pride.”

Regardless, something about the end of Marble Rally Season 5 felt akin to the end of an era. Maybe it was Superball, who secured their first Marble Rally championship and began challenging Red’s reputation as the “greatest of all time.” Maybe it was the emergence of Marbula One, which after two seasons, seemed like the more favored marble racing series offered by Jelle’s Marble Runs. Maybe it was the closing credits, which were the last to acknowledge members of the former JMR Committee for their efforts in assisting the channel. 

Looking back in hindsight, maybe it was because it would be a year and a half until the next season of the Marble Rally.

The Loss

From what I heard of Red’s life between Marble Rally Seasons 5 and 6, they didn’t have many reasons to feel bored. After helping Rojo Uno train for their silver-worthy results in the Marble League 2021 Practice Race, fans wondered if the Rojo Rollers’ Marble League 2021 qualification was the cause of a renewed partnership between the team and Red Number 3. I regrettably couldn’t attend the ensuing press conference as work on Project Marblearth Phase 1 ramped up, but I heard many entertaining stories about the rumors Red had to dispel.

Fan discussion about the next season of the Marble Rally emerged following Marble League 2021, when the future of JMR itself seemed unclear. That changed with the announcement of Marble ManiaX, an extreme marble sports invitational hosted by the Balls of Chaos in Hunluen. As fans debated whether the new series would replace the Marble Rally, each athlete received a free ticket from the Balls of Chaos to view the tournament. Not every athlete accepted, but Red chose to support their professional sports peers and attended alongside Blizzard Blaster, Lollipop, and Pollo Loco.

“It was nice to have a break from competing,” admitted Red in an interview. “We made a group chat, planned everything out, and stayed in Hunluen for a few months. I’d never done a trip like that, which made it all the more special.”

“And we weren’t worried about when we would compete next either!” added Pollo Loco. “That’s why we planned the Practice Race—although we understand why fans were worried.”

With Marble ManiaX coming to its conclusion, Marble Rally athletes privately began planning their own invitational, a practice round consisting of 2 races at Doornse Gat. Originally envisioned as a Season 5 reunion, neither Cobra nor Blazing Fireball could attend, and none of the remaining Marble Rally athletes felt comfortable volunteering themselves in place of the spot over someone else. The athletes approached Jelle, who randomly selected Grasshopper and Silver Bolt as the final two spots and asked if JMR could officiate and televise the tournament. Of course, the Marble Rally athletes accepted, and fans raved about the return of anything Marble Rally-related in the weeks leading up to the practice round.

“We just want to come together and race,” quipped Red. “If it’s entertaining, cool.”

Things were indeed “cool” in the first race, with Cool Moody piquing Summer Sky for the first race win in their career. Red trailed both athletes for a third-place finish. Combined with their result in the second round, Red finished with an overall bronze after both races.

Chuckles underscored the crowd as Red took to their post-press conference podium. “Yeah. That was pretty cool,” they remarked, beaming. “I’m glad we did that. As things change, we can’t take chances like this for granted.”

Things did change over the summer, as Red Number 3 traveled to Numerun to visit their former sports medicine professor, Rollus. Years ago, Red had served as a teaching assistant to Professor Rollus at the University of Numerun, and on one fateful day, came across Parole, a member of the Green Gang whom Rollus treated for a rare illness. Now, Rollus themself had been diagnosed with that same illness, and their prognosis had worsened. Thankfully, Red was able to visit Rollus before their unfortunate passing and, per Rollus’s will, served as the keynote speaker for the professor’s donation of their life savings to the Get Active Now Generation, Parole’s charity.

“This loss cuts deep,” admitted Red, “because I don’t know if I know another professor who’s given more of themselves to their life’s work and still could care so much for their patients and students. Thank you, Rollus. I’ll miss you.”

For the rest of 2022, the media focused on the results of Marbula One Season 3 and the Marble League, while an ardent group of fans persisted in petitioning for the next edition of the Marble Rally. Privately, JMR promised Marble Rally athletes that Season 6 would be the first tournament held in 2023 and would reintroduce Qualifiers to determine the 16 athletes who would compete in either the championship or Showdown leagues. In place of Rastafarian, who retired from the Marble Rally after a career-ending injury, JMR asked for existing athletes to nominate an individual to take their place. Red had met Amethyst, an up-and-coming individual athlete who hoped to compete in the next Marble Rally after giving their speech for GANG. They decided to campaign for Amethyst’s nomination to join the Marble Rally and succeeded.

Not only did Amethyst qualify, they won Race 1 of Marble Rally Season 6, becoming the first rookie to win their debut race since Pollo Loco. Red Number 3, also qualifying, trailed the Ghost Marble in their first tournament race since 2021, finishing 14th. It was Red’s worst start to a tournament since their DNF in 2018, but they had won their first championship that year. 

As I watched this season unfold, I found it hard to believe I was witnessing the worst performance by the legend in their career. It was shocking. 

“To see fans, channel officials, media moguls, and marbles around the world spread controversies and conspiracies from years ago is so saddening. It’s just ridiculous,” scoffed Quicksilver in an interview. “Red may have finished last, but they’re still the first athlete I think of when I consider how lucky I am to compete with fellow Marble Rally athletes. Nothing can change that.”

Publicly, Red Number 3 had to pretend like nothing was wrong. Privately, Red Number 3 agonized over what they perceived as something that might ruin their legacy.

“On behalf of Red, I’d like to thank every fan who’s shown their support for us,” noted Blue Number 2 in a public statement from Bifornya. “You don’t always win in sports. Some days you’re successful, and other days you aren’t. Sports aren’t about failure—and neither is Red’s life. Regardless of what happens next, their legend is among the greatest we’ll ever know.”

The Choice

“From a really young age, all I’ve wanted to do was race. As long as I can keep doing that, I’ll be happy.”

Red Number 3 took a sip of cinnamon coffee as I scribbled in my notebook. We were perched atop Colina Umerun, watching construction cranes circle the site of the former Sauce Boss sports bar. After outliving its use as a vacant parking lot, the site was getting redeveloped for an affordable housing complex and tram stop. If you squinted, you could see an upside-down billiards table along the curb, propped up by dedicated fans to mark the spot of the MSPN interviews five years earlier.

I took a deep breath. “I’m glad. I just wish I could say something — anything — to take back what happened to you.”

“You can’t. But we don’t have to dwell on that.”

The wind was surprisingly mild at such a high elevation. Years of studies through the University of Numerun had proved inconclusive in determining why the hill remained so perfect for racing—even with the city expanding throughout millennia. Red joked that they didn’t believe in magic but that “there’s always hope.”

We watched the sky lighten from darkness to a vivid, deep blue. Thin stripes of clouds lightened, reflecting over the glass-clad skyline of Numerun Nueva.

“It’s funny you mentioned that I’m the subject of your final interview. Aren’t there more Marble Rally athletes you have to cover? Who else is ‘tearing up the sand’ next season?”

I chuckled. “Other contributors will be interviewing those athletes. It’s time for them to tell their stories.”

“And what about you?”

I thought I’d be able to string a coherent sentence together after months of knowing this would be the last Project Marblearth feature I intended to work on. But I couldn’t. “You know, for all of the words I’ve written, it’s hard to —”

“You don’t have to,” replied Red. “There will be other words some other day.” 

Silence hung in the air. I exhaled deeply and put down my notepad, adjusting my hat to block the tears welling up in my eyes, and to shield the sun as it peeked over the horizon of a crisp, crimson sky.

“Wanna race?” asked Red. “The view from downhill when the sunrise breaks is…it’s like a phoenix rising from the ashes. A cycle anew. A legend reborn.”

I looked at Red, then at the big picture beyond us: a thin layer of mist clouding the peak of Pico de Manatial, the spire of a concert hall otherwise blocked by a concrete jungle, a jet plane casting its shadow on the adobe preserved below, the gaggle pouring into the streets, eager to start a new day.

“Thanks, but you can go on. I’ll catch up with you soon.”

Credits

• Writer: Stynth
• Additional Writing: Betawolfs, BobTheGreat, Hershy926
• Editors: Edu G.J., Fouc, GhostDM, Millim, Ramen Powder, Smacg13
• Artists: Betawolfs, Momoikkai
• Graphic Designers: Betawolfs, Hershy926, Piney (Marble Maker Picrew), Tim Ritz
• Photographer: Droid
• Photo Credits: Jelle’s Marble Runs
• Reference: Not a Marble | A Marblementary
• Release: 21/06/2024