Monday's Featured 5k of the Week - The "Run Dirty" Trail Race

The "Run Dirty" Trail Race lives up it's name - you can not complete the course without getting dirty.  You simply can not.

The event takes place at Lemon Lake County Park in Cedar Lake, IN in early August.  The primary beneficiaries are the Cedar Lake Boys & Girls Clubs.

They offer the most unique medals of all the races I have personally attended.  And even more cool, the awards are handmade by the Boys & Girls Clubs members!!  The overall winners receive gold-painted "mud-covered" running shoes on a plaque of real baked mud.  You can see a picture at the bottom of this story.  The age group runners receive very unique baked mud medallions on rope.    I happen to have been lucky enough to have won 2 age-group awards, and they are my favorite medals to date!

The event offers a 5k and a 10k.  The 10k is NOT the 5k twice - they run the bulk of the 5k, then near the very end split off to do a unique additional 5k of their own, to circle back to the same finish line. The event features crushed gravel paths, tall grass/small grass paths, dirt/mud paths (some only 2 wide), a few hills, some protruding roots, shaded areas, and open to the sun-filled prairies.  Part of the course even runs along the frisbee-golf course - yep frisbee-golf!  In addition there is one creek crossing - and the bridge is CLOSED - you MUST go through the creek.  The sides are steep - you can try to jump it, but I've never seen anybody succeed.  You can probably do it getting just one foot muddy, if you're lucky - but it will probably be both feet.  In reality - it is the BEST part of the course by far - everybody crossing it is smiling and joking and laughing.  I'm sure shoes have come off in the creek bed a few times.  I do know a couple of years ago, an athletic young lady lost her shoe in a mud puddle in the first mile - did not stop to get it - and still beat me (by a lot).  Now THAT'S a runner.

This event is perfect for beginner trail runners and experienced trail runners - it's perfect for kids and adults.  It's perfect for fast runners and walkers and everybody in between.  It's scenic, it's diverse, but the best description is IT'S FUN!  It's very well organized and the finish line is at the end of a grassy area - so all of your friends can see your dramatic finish!

This is what trail racing is about - dirt and fun!  Who doesn't like dirt?  Time to be a kid again!

(photo courtesy Fleet Feet Schererville - race directors)