Along the route of a bicycle race, $7$ water stations are evenly spaced between the start and finish lines, as shown in the figure below. There are also $2$ repair stations evenly spaced between the start and finish lines. The $3rd$ water station is located $2\text{miles}$ after the $1st$ repair station. How long is the race in miles?

A. 8

B. 16

C. 24

D. 48

E. 96