Monday, September 25, 2017

Featured Running Event of the Week - Wild Wild Wildnerness


The Wild Wild Wilderness is a 7.45 mile single-loop trail race presented by the Kennekuk Road Runners, a central/southern Illinois running club. Or as some of their shirts say - "A drinking club with a running problem.".

However, don't let the silliness of the shirts fool you - these guys and gals run some very tough races.  8-Hour Endurance Events and Trail races with over 300 feet of elevation change.  The WWW is one of those races.  This is a 7.45 single loop 100% trail race, covering all sorts of terrain.

There are open fields, double-wide grass paths, double wide gravel paths, double wide rocky paths, single wide dirt paths, single wide root-filled paths, single wide root-and-rock paths, creek crossings, sudden surprise downhills, steep downhills, steep up hills, 1.5 feet wide paths, and steep ravines if leaving the path. 

Seriously, this is THE trail race for people who love trail racing.  It has sections where the runners have to watch their feet the entire time to avoid roots and rocks, stepping forward but also to the left and the right and half stride and extended stride and all sorts of stride variations.  There are 2 hills that are so steep, that the roots almost act as ladder rungs - in the dry one can climb with feet alone, but if muddy, no way, it's ladder climbing time using the roots and trees.  There is one spot with rolling hills and at the crest of the last hill is a surprise steep downhill that requires more effort and concentration than an uphill.  There is a creek crossing with banks of 80 degree inclines/declines.  Pretty much have to almost jump at some point to avoid climbing.  There is a sudden hairpin at the end of a long downhill - right at the lake, and if you don't make that hairpin, you'll be in the lake.  There are areas where the path is, at best, 1.5 feet wide, and one side of the path is a steep ravine.  This might sound intimidating or scary - but this is exactly what trail runners live for - this is the ultimate course.

Now, at the start it's wide open grass - like 30 people wide - and then a brief (like 25 yards) or asphalt, but that's it - there is nothing easy after that.  It narrows down to a 2-wide and then a 1-wide pretty quickly.  Runners must keep up the pace as there is no way to get out of the way for quite some time.  But there are places where it does open up and allow for passing.  This is a thinking-runners event too - time the passes, pace slow in bottlenecks, and race hard in other areas. There are areas of large flat open fields, which, if not hot and sunny are ideal places to pick up speed and make passes.  However, when hot and sunny, these feel like the desert scenes in old movies.

80% of this race is in the woods and there is no "sure footing" during that time.   Even some of the wide paths are riddled with fallen black walnuts.  But those climbs, they are literally climbs, it's almost like going up a ladder, literally.  And there is one final steep climb less than a 1/4 mile from the finish, just when you think you're done!

And all of this is what makes THE MOST AWESOME TRAIL COURSE!!!!  All of these things are not negatives - these are all positives.  This is like running through a trail in a horror film or Rambo film - this is what trail running is all about!!!

Now, in addition, there are water stations, and one of them even serves Apple Pie Shots - I kid you not!!

And the end, in true Kennekuk Road Runner style, there is a beer wagon, with kegs and kegs of at least 3 different beers on tap - and there is food, lots of food.  And there is the excellent camaraderie that exists at KRR events, where everybody is having fun and being funny.

A most excellent race and highly recommended for anybody who enjoys trail running.  THIS is what trail running is all about.  It's a tough course - and that's why it's a great course!


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