Groundhog Run
Kansas City, MO
- 15K Challenge (5K + 10K), 10K, 5K
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
The Groundhog Run benefits children with disabilities receiving services at Ability KC. This unique event gives athletes the opportunity to participate in the 5K, 10K and Tunnel-to-Tunnel experiences. With a consistent temperature of 65 to 68 degrees and paved underground streets, Hunt Midwest’s SubTropolis, is a USATF Certified 5K and … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Feb 01):
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
| H (°F) | 37 | 46 | 65 | 39 | 56 |
| L (°F) | 16 | 30 | 48 | 13 | 29 |
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Warm winter race with a bang
It is not often people in the Midwest advise wearing shorts and a tank top on a sub-10 degree day, but that is definitely what you'll need for the GroundHog … MORE
It is not often people in the Midwest advise wearing shorts and a tank top on a sub-10 degree day, but that is definitely what you’ll need for the GroundHog 5k/10k challenge. You’ll also need an early arrival, extra oxygen, bag drop and resignation to shotty cell and GPS signal. And if you do it all right, heck, even if you didn’t, you’ll want to sign up again because the GroundHog Run is that kind of vibe and race.
Unless you pay for the limited VIP parking, runners park at the local casino and shiver in the cold waiting for one of 5 or so school buses for transport to the start. This is where an early arrival is necessary. Last year, I only did the 10k and hardly had to wait. I made the mistake to think I would have such luck for the 5k arrival. The 5k by far attracts more people than the 10k. We arrived shortly after 7am and had to wait a good 15-20 minutes. The lines got longer as we waited, and there is no waiting in your car until it starts. I saw a few runners run to the start, but I’m just not that fast to do it. Organizers do have the process down to a science though. Volunteers hurried runners into the buses and kept the line moving. However, you’ve heard it here first: next year I will arrive EARLY.
Once at the caves, there is another wait for bag drop-off and/or packet pickup. I normally do packet pickup on race day, but I’m glad I did it beforehand this year. We are in a cave, so tighter corners and this isn’t an event to wait in line. You can either feed off everyone’s energy or find a corner to sit and contemplate why you are getting up early on a cold Sunday morning. The benefit of moving around, of course, is that you can warm and “stretch”. Next year, because, of course, there is going to be a next year, I will arrive early, take advantage of the bag drop-off and try to avoid standing in line.
The back-to-back challenge takes runners through the Subtroplis caves in North Kansas City. With a humid, 60+ degree temperature, wearing one too many layers will have runners wishing they dressed in less clothes or removing a layer during the race. Yes, I regretted my warm leggings and yearned for shorts during the 5k. Time waves don’t seem to be strictly enforced, but I may be wrong. The music is pumping, people are moving and spirits are high. I had a downloaded playlist on my phone, because I knew cell signal would be non-existent. While my Garmin did not have signal, it did track a fairly accurate mileage count based on my movement.
The races have a two-hour gap between them. It was plenty of time for recovery, aid stops and any wardrobe changes deemed necessary. The kids’ dash is held at 10am, but I missed a friend’s kid because they also did it in waves and I didn’t realize it.
Typically, a 5k course will have one aid station, but due to the humidity, there were at least two. Volunteers handed out small plastic water bottles, because I can only imagine the mess paper cups would leave. The 10k course has runners take two laps, on a well-marked course. Since we are in a cave, there are lots of turns, but all gentle ones with an occasion incline.
As much as I am not a fan of warm or humid races, GH is a nice contrast to the cold weather and serves as a reminder that spring and summer will come faster than you think. Finish line amenities include water, bananas, oranges and some other sort of treat. I skipped out because we had a crew of about 12 or so heading to brunch afterwards.
With 44 years under their belts, GH puts on a great race. The swag includes cute medals, a soft-shirt and a goofy connector for the 5k and 10k, if you do the challenge. The bibs are colorful and people, overall, are in good spirits. The training miles continue to pay-off as I shed nearly 6 minutes for my time from last year. Arrive early, dress for warm weather and have fun, because there is a good chance that you’ll meet a new friend on the bus and invite them to brunch. Yes, GroundHog 5k/10K makes even the most under-the-bed cat come out to play.
Old friend, warts and all
This race has a special place in my heart for being the first race I was allowed to do after my heart attack. See my prior entries here for more … MORE
This race has a special place in my heart for being the first race I was allowed to do after my heart attack. See my prior entries here for more on that, not going to bore people with a repeat.
The race is completely underground in Subtropolis (underground business center). Honestly it can be quite beautiful if you can get past that “this looks like a parking garage” and appreciate the depth and scale of the caves you are in for the entirety of the race. That said, GPS data is garbage down there, so if you expect an accurate Strava you’re going to be disappointed. The shirt is always a nice cotton and the opportunity to do a 5k and a 10k in the same day is always welcomed. There’s two hours between the start of each race, so you’ll have plenty of time to walk the 5k if you wanted to and still make it to the 10k. The caves are warm, can feel hot even once you’re towards the back and all the runners and activity in the caves warms things up. I wore medium pants, a tshirt and a loose, light longsleeve and I had to downgrade before the 10k started because I was so warm. The line to get in can be long so plan to get here much earlier than normal if you’re doing the 5k. More than one person didn’t get in early enough to catch the busses and had to either walk the mile-ish route to the cave entrance, which would have been miserably cold if you were properly attired for inside, or just gave up and went home. The latter is always super sad. The last mile of the drive can take a half hour right there if you’re one of the last people in, so this is not a race to hit snooze on.
The medals are cute, and they link together if you do the challenge, but my complaint from prior years persists, the linkage mechanism is garbage and if you aren’t taping/gluing it down, it’ll detach when you gaze at it judgingly.
There are oranges, bananas, hot chocolate and coffee, the latter of which is amazing before the race if you’re trying to warm up from the short wait for the shuttle from the parking lot.
The crowd always turns up here with energy, happy for a warm race, especially those who do not stay with us year round. The chute at the end will cheer in runners of all speeds and abilities. Do take note that the oxygen levels in the back of the tunnels can get thinner than “ground level”, so times may be less optimistic than expected if you’re not bringing your own with you. It’s a great race with mild variances in elevation, but practically what anyone from here would consider flat.
Challenge a rival or run with a buddy and reconnect, there’s a legitimate reason for anyone to be here, and I hope to see you there next year.
Do it for the Underground
This is a really cool race, being that it's entirely underground! That alone is super neat, plus supporting Ability KC is great and it's the only place you can run … MORE
This is a really cool race, being that it’s entirely underground! That alone is super neat, plus supporting Ability KC is great and it’s the only place you can run in a tank top in February in KC. But you kind of have to want to do it for those reasons alone. I’d heard great things about this race, plus it was cool it was underground. Getting into the cave, it felt like you had to have done it before to know where you were going. There were volunteers scattered trying to point the way, it was just hard for it to feel organized when there’s a crowd in a confined area like that. The route made for no spectators along it, just endless turns through tunnels. The miles weren’t well marked and you don’t get signal in the Underground, so I had no idea how far I had run. Maybe it was because it was rainy outside, but several long stretches smelled like trash and sewage. It was probably 80 degrees with little air circulation. I was one of several people who had to stand and wait for 20-30 minutes because our times didn’t process into the system when we crossed the finish line. The shirts are okay, and the age group prizes were hats which are neat but not running quality. They bus you to the tunnels and back to the parking lot, which is great except that I waited for an hour after the race for a bus. It was freezing outside, so standing at the mouth of the Underground for an hour with no signal was definitely not enjoyable. It’s cool to say I did a race underground and I’d do it again just for that, just don’t expect it to be super nice down there.
I really wanted to give this a 5...
So love it or hate it, the scenery inside the cave can be niched as far as if you enjoy it or not. I actually think it's pretty in its … MORE
So love it or hate it, the scenery inside the cave can be niched as far as if you enjoy it or not. I actually think it’s pretty in its own way. It’s relatively flat, and while O2 can get thin in the back if the HVAC is underperforming, it isn’t the fastest course I do. Isn’t the slowest by far, but this time of year it is absolutely the warmest. Large community turnout for this nearly 50 year old race means a great place to reconnect with some people you haven’t raced with in a while.
The swag is a cotton T and the medals are always nicely designed. The 10k medal is larger than a lot of 10ks that I’ve done. My only gripe is that now the second year of the challenge and the medal connector is still the flimsy one they used last year where the medals will fall off if you look at them weird. Volunteers at all the aid stations bring their a-game with motivation though, which occur 3 times on the track. While normally I’m not a fan of double loop 10k, this one seems to work. The 5k for the challenge starts 2 hours earlier so plenty of time for everyone to finish. This race holds a special place in my heart as the first one I did after my heart attack, so I’ll be here year after year. I hope they fix that challenge connector though.
Run a 5K entirely underground
The real appeal of the race is the chance to run underground in the middle of a midwestern winter. The course is flat and and the weather is always a … MORE
The real appeal of the race is the chance to run underground in the middle of a midwestern winter. The course is flat and and the weather is always a comfortable 65 degrees F. The course is in the SubTropolis of Kansas City, which is a former limestone mine which has been converted to warehouse and office space. The race is well organized and fun.
Nice running in warm temps in winter!!
Unique and entertaining run, completely underground. The buses to the start line were great and so timely that our time outside in the cold was limited. 5K was one loop, … MORE
Unique and entertaining run, completely underground. The buses to the start line were great and so timely that our time outside in the cold was limited. 5K was one loop, and the 10K was the same loop twice. Good volunteer support and the medals were nice. The only disappointment was for doing the 5K+10K Challenge, all we got was a little connector piece to connect the two medals. Thought it should be a little more substantial, even a third medal would be awesome. Don’t think I’d do this run again because it kind of gets stuffy inside the cave, but it was fun to do at least once!
Unique race, no matter the weather
Looking for unique races, this is definitely that. The buses to the start line were great and very timely. The temperatures outside made me want to get back in the … MORE
Looking for unique races, this is definitely that. The buses to the start line were great and very timely. The temperatures outside made me want to get back in the caves as much as possible, nice warm 65-70 inside. %k was basically one loop, and 10K two loops. Great photos to be had all around with mascots and caves. The medals are nice, but kind of disappointed the only thing the combo runners get is a blue connector of medal, nothing special at all IMHO. Might run it again, but most likely a one and done for me.
Great cave run.
I've done the 5k a few times, but this is the first year I did the 5k followed by the 10k (2 more "laps") There are so many twists and … MORE
I’ve done the 5k a few times, but this is the first year I did the 5k followed by the 10k (2 more “laps”)
There are so many twists and turns in the course, and an out-and-back or two that it doesn’t have the incessant boring nature of multi-lap races, which normally I hate. I was on the injured list today so my performance was expectedly slow, but I was okay with that because I had to complete the 5k as part of a series and then since I was there, might as well do the 10k afterwards, right? Right. And now I have two medals that link together, which pleases the raccoon in me.
For those who have not been to these races, I’m sorry. They are a great opportunity to have a decent sized race and not have to care what the weather is. If anything you’ll find you likely overdressed for the caves and start peeling off layers. There were two turns where people seemed prone to do that, because every lap I witnessed it at that turn and saw other parts of the pack doing the same as we entered some of the see-through areas from one part of the course to another. Even the area near the entrances are not COLD, per se, but you will feel it cool off in those areas. Those I preferred.
One thing of note, the air in the back of the cave can be thinner, so while the altitude change is negligible (18-wheelers are able to drive through there, so nothing really hilly) as far as your legs are concerned, if you’re sensitive to oxygen level changes prepare to be affected. My pulse oximeter went from 100 at start to 93 on the third lap towards the back. If that doesn’t slow you down, more power to you, but I wasn’t going to drop lower than that.
Prior years it’s actually been a really fast course for me, and since nothing has changed about the course I suspect it still is. Part of that is the mental joy of being inside with a thousand or so of your buddies doing this thing we do for 5, 10 or 15k and not being even remotely concerned about frostbite or frozen lung, knowing that the spring series is just around the corner and all the great races that brings. Part of it is this is one of the few larger, longer races that happen in the late NOV-JAN time frame when everything seems to migrate towards 5k-Only Land (though it seemed better this past year).
I gave 4 shoes on the scenery. I actually think the former limestone quarry cave is attractive. Some people call it an unfinished parking garage. I think the “scenery” also includes for me the peaks you get of other parts of the pack that you see between pillars as everyone spreads out and the course loops and twists around inside, and when you’re recognizing people from different pace groups doing their thing and then all of a sudden you’re slapping high fives to each other again.
Special shout out to some water station volunteers who knew how to bring the full-throttle cheer-and-support routine into the mix as well. I wish I’d caught her name to let the RD know how great it was to see everybody treated like they’re carrying the Olympic torch into the stadium or something. How she did that for so long I’ve no clue, but she deserved recognition.
Great return to warmer temperature runs
My heart will always have a soft spot for this race because it was the first one my medical team let me do after my heart attack. The logistics of … MORE
My heart will always have a soft spot for this race because it was the first one my medical team let me do after my heart attack.
The logistics of this race are beautiful. Parking is a short distance away but busses are a plenty so the wait isn’t long. That works out well because you do NOT want to overdress for this race but it’s typically quite cold outside. The entire race is weaving around in a massive cave complex. Now personally I find the cave quite beautiful, but I can see how that may not appeal to everyone. The running course is wide, clearly marked and has only minor elevation changes, but there are turns of varying degrees and a switchback to keep you from getting bored. It’s so warm inside the caves that it feels like a spring run and you forget about the snow and ice which may be waiting for you upon exit. There’s a VIP room that I haven’t experienced with food and private bathrooms, but honestly I’ve never had much of a wait for the portapotties and with everyone so anxious to get out and race again the energy has always been great out in the crowd before the start. I race 12 months out of the year, but the Groundhog race seems to really be the turning point where the “real” race season starts again and due to the relative ease of the course, it would be a great race to ease back in if you’ve taken some time off for winter. I’ll be here every year for sure and while I’m a perpetual back-of-the-packer, I’m the guy in body armor…feel free to say hi when you pass me.
Groundhog Run
This was an awesome event. I’d never been to Subtropolis so when I heard there was a race there, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to visit. My first impression … MORE
This was an awesome event. I’d never been to Subtropolis so when I heard there was a race there, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to visit.
My first impression was at packet pick up. Everything was super organized and flowed smoothly. The shirt is probably the best I’ve gotten so far… I’ll definitely be wearing it.
I was nervous about parking, because a shuttle was needed. My nervousness was unfounded. There were plenty of buses and not really any wait.
I’ll be honest, the scenery is kinda bland… You’re in an underground warehouse facility. Still it was kind of interesting to see the space. And a perk for a January race… the temperature inside the caves was comfortably in the 60’s.
The course is very flat and paved which is nice and made the course easier to navigate.
The medal was beautiful, but also ginormous. I know there is a trend toward bigger, blingier medals, but I’m not as much into that. I prefer a nice, standard sized, medal… but maybe I’m in the minority.
To my mind, the best part of the race was the cheerleaders. This event benefits AbilityKC and the kids were awesome. They stayed to the very end making sure everyone was cheered and applauded… not just those in the front. It brought more than one smile to my face.