Let me start by saying, I love this race. I run it every spring, in preparation for longer runs later in the year. The trails are amazing and there's a decent amount of elevation which I find it to be great for training. I originally had registered for the Saturday Half Marathon and the Sunday 50k which was scheduled for the end of April. Aaaaaand then we found ourselves in the midst of a global pandemic. Races were cancelled, postponed or moved to a virtual setting. This race was moved to October 24th and October 25. The downside was, my June race was rescheduled for the very next weekend. So, I had some choices to make. I opted to run just the half marathon on this Saturday and DNS my 50k tomorrow, in preparation for next weekend's longer race.
That brings us to today. Boy, was I ready to run a real race! Packet pickup was completely touch-less, with our gear and bibs bagged and laid out for easy pick up. We all kind of holed up in our cars in the darkness, keeping warm until it was time for the start. Masks were required at the start line, and everyone was really spaced out-no cramming in tightly into the corral, getting as close to the front as possible.
And then it was three, two, one, GO! There were a few of us running the half marathon, but the majority of the runners were here for a full marathon. It had more of an "ultra" feel to the start with no one in a big rush to get going. I fell in around mid-pack and we took off towards the trail with our headlamps glowing in the waning darkness.
After about a half mile, the trail crosses a road and then climbs up into the forest. At the top and around the corner, not even a mile into the race, a man had rolled his ankle. I stopped to ask if he was okay, and when he said no, I helped him move off the trail. As other runners passed, we assessed the situation. I asked if he could walk and he wasn't sure, but clearly after a couple steps, that wasn't happening. I noticed that his left ankle was at least twice as big as his right, and when I mentioned that, he looked down and groaned. He told me he had rolled his ankle on a root and heard a stick snap. I reluctantly told him that I didn't think it was a stick... I asked if maybe he could put his arm around my shoulder and I could help him back to the road, but that wasn't working either. Another girl stopped to help, and per race instructions in an emergency, I had her call 9-1-1. She explained the situation and they asked if someone could meet the emergency vehicle at the road to lead them up to the injured runner. I volunteered, and after she hung up I told her to continue on and thanked her. I headed back down to the road, passing the last of the runners in the race. After waiting oh-so-patiently at the road for a few minutes, I finally saw the Fire/Rescue truck. I waved them over and told them I'd take them in. They took two giant packs of gear along with a packable stretcher.
Back up the trail I went, with the two firemen following me. By the time we got back to the runner, his injured ankle was at least three times as big as his other one. I felt so heartbroken for this man. Less than a mile into a trail marathon he had clearly spent a lot of time training for and it was ending like this. He thanked me and asked my name, and I asked his before getting back to the race. Sergio, I wish you a speedy recovery!
That whole ordeal took 20 minutes or so, and by the time I got back on course, everyone else was long gone. So much for actually running WITH people at a race! Anyway, the morning was a beautiful one and the sun coming up put a golden glow over everything and it was quite breathtaking.
I was the only one at the aid station when I arrived and I quickly let them know about the man I had helped so they wouldn't be searching for him later. I was feeling good and no one was around, so I just rolled through the miles. After a bit, I came upon a couple marathoners, and as I passed, Scott Struck yelled out a hello! Hey, Scott! Nice to see you out there! Further down the trail, as I passed another runner, she asked if this was my second loop. Ha! I wasn't moving that fast. I I told her I had stopped to help another runner and was now playing catch up. She wished me well and I her, and off I went.
This park is filled with bridges, and nearly all of them were slightly ice-covered. As you may or may not know, I am really good at falling on bridges, so I made sure to safely walk across all of these at this race.
Being alone gave me time to just take in the day, reflect on my training this year, and to get my mind ready for next weekend's race. I think it turned out to be a really good thing that I had this race to myself.
After the second aid station, I passed another runner who recognized me. Jeff Bigrue called out my name and it was nice to see another familiar face out there! Nice to see you, Jeff! Good luck tomorrow!
It was kind of weird to be nearing the end of the race already, after having had so many all-day runs this year. It gave me extra reassurance that am ready for next weekend and I felt good the entire time. There were a couple more long bridges as I neared the finish line and I took them very slowly, not wanting to take any chances. And then the finish line was in sight! I was a little sad to not be running the marathon distance, and even sadder that I wouldn't be there tomorrow for the 50k, but I know it was a wise choice to just stick to the half marathon.
I crossed the finish line in 2:55:58, not bad for spending quite a bit of time helping Sergio in the beginning of the race!
As an added bonus, this race does race swag in a cool way: Runners get a mug and a medal, and in lieu of a t-shirt, we're given awesome hats to wear all winter. Hopefully this pandemic is less of an issue next year and I'll be back for the full Trail Weekend in April, 2021.
