All runs will take place on the Switchgrass Mountain Bike Trail at Wilson State Park. The trail is easy-to-follow, rugged (yet 100% runnable), single-track with very few trees/wooded areas. Beautiful views of Wilson State Park and Wilson Lake are abundant. This is a BEAUTIFUL course and the only EPIC rated mountain bike trail between the Rockies and the Ozarks.
Elevation Statistics
The 50k will has about 3000 ft of elevation gain/loss, while the ½ marathon will has around 1300 ft gain/loss.
Description
The ½ marathon will be one 13(ish) mile loop with an initial 1/3 mile on pavement. The 50k will consist of a 19-mile loop, followed by another loop on the ½ marathon course. The 50k will be closer to 32 miles.
The course will be heavily marked with ribbons, flags, and wrong-way signs. This is an extremely easy course to follow.
Aid Stations
There will be two aid stations – the start/finish and “Hell Hill.”
Both aid stations will be well stocked and include your typical aid station items – A variety of typical ultra food, water, soda, and Proxima C Endurance Fuel. There will be an unmanned water/Proxima C station at mile 5. And another around mile 13 on the Hell Creek Loop (only applies to 50k runners).
The half marathoners will reach Hell Hill at around mile 10 and will take the cutoff to the finish line at that point.
From Hell Hill, the 50k runners will continue further on the “Hell Creek Loop” before circling back around to Hell Hill again, and then heading inbound to the finish. After finishing their first 19-mile loop the 50k runners will head to run the ½ marathon course to complete their 50k.
If it sounds confusing, it’s not! The course flows very easily, will be very well marked, and we will have volunteers at Hell Hill to help you.
Note – The 50k course is the exact 20-mile loop that is run at the Hell Creek 100 race series in September MINUS 1-mile. The mile you lose is between the water station at mile 5 and Hell Hill and is cut out by taking a simple cutoff. The ½ marathon course is the Hell Creek 100 course MINUS the previously mentioned cutoff between the water station at mile 5 and Hell Hill, AND minus the Hell Creek Loop.
Both races are GREAT training runs for our September series that offers 20-mile, 100k, 100-mile, and 140-mile options. The aid stations are in the same places and the courses are very similar!
The Hell Creek Half & 50K are both an optional distance in the Ultraverse Kansas Slam!
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