BALLWIN, MO. – After more than 200 runners joined us for the first race of the 2015 Spring Trail Run Series Presented by Columbia Sportswear, this Thursday, we welcome everyone back for the second run of the series. The distance has lengthened slightly up to approximately 3.5 miles and our max elevation will top out around 15 feet higher than the last week.
We’ll start out at the pavilion (as we always do), make a quick run around the meadow and head back west towards the Kiefer Creek Bridge. We’ll join the Grotpeter trail for a quick trip to the Office and then head – in reverse order from last week – up the Mountain Ridge Connector.
We’ll have a drink station at the top of the trail at Ries Rd (like we did last week), but instead of crossing the road, we’ll make a U-turn and rejoin the Grotpeter Trail across the northern edge of the trail. Grotpeter plateaus for a bit a this point, with a slight incline to our highest point on the trail before we begin our descent back down to the valley. The trail through this descent is fairly wide and should give racers a chance to pull out all the stops towards the finish line.
Individual advance registrations for this race are still available until midnight tonight, Monday, May 11, for $23. On-site registration ($27) will be available from 5 pm–6 pm on Thursday, May 14, prior to the race while spots last.
Approximate distance is 3.5 miles. (Please note that GPS units will vary widely at Castlewood State Park due to elevation changes and forested area.) Lowest elevation: 404 ft above sea level. Highest elevation: 650 ft.
