The Finale is upon us!
Join us at 6:15 pm this Thursday, August 31, 2023 for the final race of the 2023 Alpine Shop Trail Run Series!
We’ll be crowning Series Champions at the end of the race and as the leaderboard stands right now, it’s the Masters Women’s division that has the closest point totals. Susan Richmond, Race 1 winner, has 35 points and Jen Ullery, who has won the past two races has 30 points. A third victory in a row would put Ullery at 45 points. Richmond would need to finish in second to take the title outright with 47 points, or finish third and the two would tie for the series win.
In both Open divisions, the leader is 11 points clear of the next closest competitor making it difficult (but not impossible) for a new champion to emerge. Of course, that’s assuming everyone returns for the finale! So, on to the race we go!
(Race HQ is at Queeny Park’s Smith Shelter in central St. Louis County at 550 Weidman Road. Enter the park nearest to the Weidman entrance (the West side of the Park). Head up the hill and take the first left after entering the park. Follow the road until it ends at the large parking lot. Race HQ will be at almost the exact opposite side of the parking lot, in the Northeast corner.)
We will have On Running demo shoes to wear on the course if you’d like to try out one of the hottest brands in running at Alpine Shop!
Race start and finish will be in the same spot, just to the southeast of Race HQ on the paved trail next to the shelter. We’ll head Southwest to the end of the parking lot, cross the road leading into the parking lot and then head straight north on the Hawk Ridge Trail. At the major interchange that includes parts of Owl Creek, White Oak and Hawk Ridge, stay to the left and you’ll exit the forest into the meadow.
We’ll make an almost immediate right hand turn into the meadow in the reverse of the trail we ran in Week 3, cutting downhill this time and then making a left into the trees around the ponds. Follow the north edge of the northernmost pond and then make a right onto the Dogwood Trail. You’ll take Dogwood until it ends at White Oak and make another right. Follow White Oak back up the hill until we meet the Owl Creek Trail and hang a left back downhill. And we mean all the way downhill.
What goes down must come back up and we’ll head up the serpentine trail back to Hawk Ridge. Make a right and you’ll enjoy a nice stretch of downhill past the old Museum of the Dog and down to the Corporate Picnic Shelter. Stay on Hawk Ridge trail to the right and then take the second bridge you come across to the left.
You’ll then face the last uphill of the series back to the Smith Shelter enjoy up to two cans of Schlafly Beer following your adventure. We’ll have plenty of hot dogs and other refreshments at Race HQ as well. And make sure you stick around for the giveaways!
Approximate total distance of the race is 3.73 miles. Lowest elevation: 502 ft above sea level. Highest elevation: 678 ft. Total elevation gain over the entire course: 271 ft.
Want to register? Register by Wednesday at this link!
*Forecasted temps are currently around 78 degrees with humidity of around 54% for the start time (feels-like temp of 78 degrees with a dew point of 53°). This maybe the nicest weather we’ve ever had for a race, especially with what we were dealing with last week. We will announce the location of the water station before the race.