The Hillbilly Hike Half Marathon and 10K are a fundraiser for the Thrive Church Mission Team. Between the three races we anticipate 800 finishers. Three start lines, one finish line, all three races start at 8am. We offer chip timing, super soft ring spun shirts, custom die cast medals to …
MORE
The Hillbilly Hike Half Marathon and 10K are a fundraiser for the Thrive Church Mission Team. Between the three races we anticipate 800 finishers. Three start lines, one finish line, all three races start at 8am. We offer chip timing, super soft ring spun shirts, custom die cast medals to all, trophies to top finishers, plus age division awards. The half marathon and 10K are point to point races and we provide the bus transportation. We added a Greubel Memorial 5K in 2017 to fundraise for three kids in our church and community who tragically lost their parents. The 5K is an out and back. Funds from the 5K will go towards college savings plans.
Folks love our courses because they are flat and fast, the Half is downhill, then flat. When you reach the finish line in Carlisle, Iowa you will be greeted with festive music, delicious pie, biscuits & gravy, chocolate milk, and other great grub served up by friendly volunteers. You can have your custom die cast medal engraved, then ring the PR Bell near our free and fun photo booth.
The Hillbilly Hike Half Marathon course is primarily on the beautiful Summerset Trail. Iowa is famous for its beautiful and picturesque cornfields, but for a taste of all things Iowa, the Summerset Trail in south-central Iowa is your ticket. The course will start in front of the Indianola High School using the full width of 1st Street before funneling onto the paved Summerset trail. The trail is flat and all downhill. It goes through woodlands, farmlands, wetlands and the prairie showcases a rainbow of the state’s natural heritage.
There will be portable restrooms at the start line, 1 mile, 9 mile and at the finish line. Both neighboring towns of Indianola and Carlisle (just southeast of Des Moines, the state capital) are friendly and have plenty of amenities. The start is in the larger city of Indianola, where the trail begins and winds through the city itself for about a mile and a half before striking out into a wilderness of red and white oak trees, owls, fox and wild turkeys.
LESS
Hassle free-low key.
Disclaimer that it was freezing cold, windy and pouring rain for almost the entire race this year . .put a real damper on finish line festivities and I couldn't feel … MORE
Disclaimer that it was freezing cold, windy and pouring rain for almost the entire race this year . .put a real damper on finish line festivities and I couldn’t feel my hands-but other than that . . it may have been good? I picked this one for the date and I liked the name- seemed fitting for Iowa. The medals are nice- the t-shirts okay. Packet pick was easy, no frills. Bus ride to the start was smooth. The scenery is meh- it’s the middle of winter and you run along the paved trail so it doesn’t change much . .but it was slightly downhill or flat so potential to run a great time. Can’t speak on the finish line as I just wanted to get in a hot shower and defrost. . .but the race volunteers were all out there doing job and all deserve medals for sticking it out in brutal conditions! Looking for a small race in Iowa? This one will do.
Underrated racing gem
This year (2022) was my second time running the Hillbilly Hike. This race runs almost entirely on the Summerset Trail that connects Indianola, IA and nearby Carlisle, IA. It’s a … MORE
This year (2022) was my second time running the Hillbilly Hike. This race runs almost entirely on the Summerset Trail that connects Indianola, IA and nearby Carlisle, IA. It’s a nice, flat trail with nice scenery, perfect for a smaller race, which this is. Most of the race actually feels like a nice stroll with friends.
This year we ran in a steady rain and cold conditions, but I still had almost as much fun as the first time I did it. The volunteers out on the course were troopers, braving the cold and rain to hand out water or staff the areas where the trail crosses a road. This year’s medal was pretty cool. Those that run in 2021, 2022 and 2023 will get three separate medals that, when pieced together, will form the state of Iowa. Very inventive idea for the medals! The post race is great too, with a photo area and a gazebo with volunteers serving water, chocolate milk, biscuits and gravy and, most importantly, pie!
My one criticism is that it seems the course came up just a little short. I had it as .02 miles short, and I heard that others had run beyond the finish line so their tracking apps could log it to 13.1. But overall, this is a great race. I appreciate the effort that’s put into it, and would recommend to anyone looking for a November race in Iowa.
HillBilly Hike Half Marathon
This was a great small town feel Race outside of Des Moines. I was hoping to really enjoy it and take advantage of the flat course but the paved trail … MORE
This was a great small town feel Race outside of Des Moines. I was hoping to really enjoy it and take advantage of the flat course but the paved trail was very icy unfortunately. But it was still fun and a beautiful area. The T-shirt is soft and a cute design, which matches the fun medal of a Hillbilly caricature. The Biscuits and Gravy or vegetarian soup was much welcomed at the finish line after a very chilly race and the Pie was the best! A lot of choices of pie! I might do this race again and hope for better conditions but I’m trying to do all states so it might have to wait.
Great First 10k
Easy trail to run overall. A great fall race to select as a 10k. Beautiful scenery. It can be very icy depending on the weather. I would suggest parking at … MORE
Easy trail to run overall. A great fall race to select as a 10k. Beautiful scenery. It can be very icy depending on the weather. I would suggest parking at the finish line and not up at the high school.
Great Small Half Marathon!
I did this race for the first time last year and am doing it again in a few weeks! I love the feel of small races like this one. It's … MORE
I did this race for the first time last year and am doing it again in a few weeks! I love the feel of small races like this one. It’s a point to point half so you get bused from the finish to the start – a great time to meet your fellow runners! My one comment is that there didn’t seem to be enough porta potties at the start of the half marathon – several people were still waiting in line when the gun went off. The course itself is on a trail and was very pretty – lots of pretty sunset views while you’re running! It was well supported with more people out cheering than I expected. It’s the perfect time of year with cooler weather and the net downhill course is a great opportunity to try for a PR! Post race food had many options and a hilarious photo booth with hillbilly themed items was set up!
On a whim - loved it!
Great weather + flat course = perfect fall race. I signed up the day of the race. It was well organized with mile markers close to on. Good support throughout … MORE
Great weather + flat course = perfect fall race. I signed up the day of the race. It was well organized with mile markers close to on. Good support throughout – I would do it again!
Great course and awesome volunteers!
Great scenery, wonderful volunteers! Excellent race! This is much second year running this race- I'll be back next year! The course is beautiful, and on a downhill grade. The best … MORE
Great scenery, wonderful volunteers! Excellent race! This is much second year running this race- I’ll be back next year! The course is beautiful, and on a downhill grade. The best 1/2 marathon course by far!