I ran my fourth Hillbilly Hike in 2024, and it was another fantastic year by Ryan and his team organizing this race. The half marathon route is really amazing - … MORE
I ran my fourth Hillbilly Hike in 2024, and it was another fantastic year by Ryan and his team organizing this race. The half marathon route is really amazing – it’s a perfect morning hike (pun intended!) through the Iowa countryside, on a flat, fast course. The route was altered slightly this year to include a full lap of the lake area, which was a nice detour from past years. Everything else was the same, including a very simple and efficient bag drop, wonderful volunteers at aid stations and road crossings, and the amazing finish line atmosphere!
My only criticism this year is the latter stages of the half marathon could use one more aid station with Gatorade or sports drink. I don’t think there was any in the last 2-3, but it’s possible I missed it. Otherwise, no notes! Just a really fun, small race that features the perfect blend of intimacy and enthusiasm. Also, I will ALWAYS be a fan of pie at the finish line. And this year’s medal was great — I loved the windmill design and spinner feature!
I’d highly recommend this race to anyone looking to close their year with a fun, chill race in Iowa. I will continue to run this race every year that I can!
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A Yearly Staple
I ran my fourth Hillbilly Hike in 2024, and it was another fantastic year by Ryan and his team organizing this race. The half marathon route is really amazing - … MORE
I ran my fourth Hillbilly Hike in 2024, and it was another fantastic year by Ryan and his team organizing this race. The half marathon route is really amazing – it’s a perfect morning hike (pun intended!) through the Iowa countryside, on a flat, fast course. The route was altered slightly this year to include a full lap of the lake area, which was a nice detour from past years. Everything else was the same, including a very simple and efficient bag drop, wonderful volunteers at aid stations and road crossings, and the amazing finish line atmosphere!
My only criticism this year is the latter stages of the half marathon could use one more aid station with Gatorade or sports drink. I don’t think there was any in the last 2-3, but it’s possible I missed it. Otherwise, no notes! Just a really fun, small race that features the perfect blend of intimacy and enthusiasm. Also, I will ALWAYS be a fan of pie at the finish line. And this year’s medal was great — I loved the windmill design and spinner feature!
I’d highly recommend this race to anyone looking to close their year with a fun, chill race in Iowa. I will continue to run this race every year that I can!
Well put-on race
This was the second time I have run the hillbilly hike half, and I will be back again next year! The course is flat, marked well, and volunteers were plenty. … MORE
This was the second time I have run the hillbilly hike half, and I will be back again next year! The course is flat, marked well, and volunteers were plenty. They did great blocking off intersections and had multiple hydration stations with gatorade at a couple of them. The scenery is beautiful and the people are so nice. Best part is finishing and getting the warm biscuits and gravy, a piece of pie, and AE chocolate milk!
LOVE LOVE LOVE🍂
This race was phenomenal! The course was set on a beautiful fall trail, weaving through bridges, lakes, and country roads. The water stations are well run and full of energy … MORE
This race was phenomenal! The course was set on a beautiful fall trail, weaving through bridges, lakes, and country roads. The water stations are well run and full of energy giving you that boost just when you need it, and they were stationed throughout the race. Not to mention the incredible treats at the end of the race including pie, biscuits and gravy, and chocolate milk. I felt like i was transported into a fall postcard and the overall decline of the elevation made it a fast course!! Highly recommend!
Hillbilly Hike = Perfect Final Fall Race
All around this is a great race. It's large enough to be competitive (250ish for the Half Marathon) but small enough so that everything dealing with logistics is crazy easy … MORE
All around this is a great race. It’s large enough to be competitive (250ish for the Half Marathon) but small enough so that everything dealing with logistics is crazy easy (ex: packet pickup the night before took me 2 minutes from car to door to packet to car…or very easy packet pick up the morning of the race that will take the same amount of time). There is busing involved to the starting line, but the whole process is always very smooth, effortless, and painless.
The course is as flat as a pancake and connects Carlisle to Indianola via a bike trail. It’s great for attempting a PR. The scenery consists of a wooded bike trail through mostly fields and pasture and over several creeks and rivers. This year’s route added a full loop around a small lake which was a nice change of scenery with 5 miles to go. There’s definitely a fall feel to the whole thing.
The TShirts always have great designs and are a good ol fashion cotton T you can wear anywhere. The medals are well done, unique, and of high quality (in my experience this isn’t always the case with local races that are raising money for local charities and scholarships) and the food at the end of the race is awesome (homemade hot biscuits and gravy, chocolate milk, homemade pie) and just what you need after a cold run.
A cool plus: Finish in the top 3 of your age/gender category and your prize is $15 off next year’s race. Perfect for repeat runners.
It’s entirely volunteer run and that’s proven to be a great thing. Those involved do it for the right reasons and they do it very, very well. This is my third straight year running the race and I intend to run it every year if I can. It’s a great final race of the year. It doesn’t have the bells and whistles of a larger, fancier, more expensive race, but if you’re looking for an affordable fall race to wrap up the year that’s well run and well run by good people, this is it.
Another Great Year!
I believe that this is the most underrated half marathon in Iowa, and each year that I run it, my belief only increases. It's a small race - only 272 … MORE
I believe that this is the most underrated half marathon in Iowa, and each year that I run it, my belief only increases. It’s a small race – only 272 half marathon finishers this year – but it’s got everything you could want: a flat and fast course, beautiful scenery, helpful volunteers, good swag and a lively post-race atmosphere.
The race itself is great. Again, fast and flat, with plenty to look at. It’s a point-to-point race on a trail that runs through the countryside. As such, crowd support is thin, but that’s to be expected. The aid stations are few, but had the essentials – water and Gatorade.
The race production team has race day down to a science, from the shuttle that runs from Carlisle to the start line in Indianola, to the bag check, to the post-race setup. It all runs smoothly. This race knows what it is and doesn’t try to do too much. Highly recommend if you miss out on the Des Moines Marathon!
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!