Featured Running Event of the Week - Spooky Sprint South

Heading into our final Featured Running Event prior to Halloween (I will not be posting on Halloween, rather I'll be enjoying my favorite holiday of the year) - it seems only fitting that the Spooky Sprint South be the featured event.

The Spooky Sprint South is leg 1 of the 2-race-in-one-week Spooky Sprint Series.  One Trail 5k on Sunday - and one 6 days later on Saturday.

The "South" event took place at Konow's Corn Maze, which much more than a corn maze.  This place has a ginormous jumpy (like HUGE), giant bins of corn for kids to jump and play in, some small farm animals, a pumpkin patch, a kiddie train ride, and awesome Apple Cider - just to name a few things.  Race participants with kids could make an entire day out of this event.

The race itself is a timed 5k, with walkers welcome (even encouraged).  It is a trail race, and the terrain can be rough, so strollers are allowed, but it could get quite bumpy.  Participants are also encouraged to arrive in costume, as there is also a post-race costume contest.

The course starts with runners heading down a 5-wide tractor path and making a hairpin turn in less than a block and running down an adjacent tractor path back towards the finish line - but the race is far from finished.  Runners then turn into the corn maze (or maize maze), with stalks taller than the tallest runner.  The first quarter mile of the race is held inside the maze - at this point it's all straight line and 90 degree turns, in the maze, but not being maze like. 

Runners then exit the maize maze to the second portion of the course which involves several small rolling hills along another extremely wide tractor path, which is a combination of hard dirt, compact mud, sloppy mud, and grass.  This portion makes a giant rectangle around the property, but outside of the maze and very open.  The path is extremely wide allowing for easy passing - and also making it easy to get around some of the more muddy areas.  Runners find themselves searching for the right grove, much like car races looking for the best racing grove, but in this case runners are choosing between hard dirt, compact soft mud, wet grass, sloppy mud, and bumpy tractor tracks.  As mentioned prior, the path is VERY wide, so searching and finding a preferred groove is easy.  Although this is all open and wide, this section provides the entire gamut of trail running footing (even a touch of crushed gravel).

The final 3/4th of a mile is back in the corn maze, but this time it's a long and winding path, with 90 degree turns, 180 degree switchbacks, 110 degree sharp cuts, quick jogs of less than 2 steps before the next turn, and a constant changing of direction.  A few times runners can hear the sounds of the finish line - only to be turned back away - it's almost like teasing.  Zigging and zagging on dirt, sloppy mud, compact mud - while avoiding broken stalk stems, fallen corn, and fallen stalks.  Again - this is what trail runners dream about!!!  (and some have nightmares about).  Eventually the end is in sight, and runners exit the maize maze for a 20 yard deep gravel sprint to the finish line.

About 1 mile of the course is in the maize maze, as an estimate.

The course is lined with zombies a well, but polite zombies, pointing the way.  Seriously, all the course volunteers were in full zombie makeup and, acting as zombies, pointed the way at turns and even provided water.....such polite undead. 

This is a course that suits every aspect of trail running (except for stream crossings and steep inclines).  And, it's fun.  It's impossible to run this race without smiling and having fun, while still putting forth a best possible effort.  Definitely a test for the sure-footed!!!

The Spooky Sprint West takes place in a park, not a corn maze, and unfortunately this year, I will not be able to report on it, because I will be participating in the annual Thriller 5k Trail Race instead - dressed as Superman, with my race bib proudly displaying "Kent, Clark".

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!