The M Hill 24 hour ultra is run on a hilly and rocky 3.8 mile loop that goes around the south side of the M Hill in Rapid City and … MORE
The M Hill 24 hour ultra is run on a hilly and rocky 3.8 mile loop that goes around the south side of the M Hill in Rapid City and climbs steadily along both sides of a long switchback up to the “M” near the summit. The “M” is a giant letter denoting that Rapid City is the home to the South Dakota School of Mines, the main engineering college in the state.
From the top of the ridge, the single track trail heads north and then goes downhill on a series of rocky switchbacks back to the start/finish area across Rapid Creek from Founder’s Park. Each loop has a total of about 525 feet of elevation gain, which makes for a challenging course. Laps were counted manually, but I didn’t hear of any accuracy problems. There was one aid station complete with volunteers, and finishers were given a wooden finisher’s award, along with a nicely designed t shirt with complementary rust brown and turquoise colors.
The 24 hour race started at 6:00 p.m. on Friday which made for a toasty first couple of loops, but the temperatures dropped down to a tolerable level at night. The next morning a cold front moved through which cooled temperatures by about 13 degrees.
The race was well run by the two race directors, and I would sign up for another one of their races if they offered any in the future. I’d have to think seriously about signing up for this again, as it was a very difficult and challenging course, In hindsight, I’m glad I did it once though,
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What the hill!
The M Hill 24 hour ultra is run on a hilly and rocky 3.8 mile loop that goes around the south side of the M Hill in Rapid City and … MORE
The M Hill 24 hour ultra is run on a hilly and rocky 3.8 mile loop that goes around the south side of the M Hill in Rapid City and climbs steadily along both sides of a long switchback up to the “M” near the summit. The “M” is a giant letter denoting that Rapid City is the home to the South Dakota School of Mines, the main engineering college in the state.
From the top of the ridge, the single track trail heads north and then goes downhill on a series of rocky switchbacks back to the start/finish area across Rapid Creek from Founder’s Park. Each loop has a total of about 525 feet of elevation gain, which makes for a challenging course. Laps were counted manually, but I didn’t hear of any accuracy problems. There was one aid station complete with volunteers, and finishers were given a wooden finisher’s award, along with a nicely designed t shirt with complementary rust brown and turquoise colors.
The 24 hour race started at 6:00 p.m. on Friday which made for a toasty first couple of loops, but the temperatures dropped down to a tolerable level at night. The next morning a cold front moved through which cooled temperatures by about 13 degrees.
The race was well run by the two race directors, and I would sign up for another one of their races if they offered any in the future. I’d have to think seriously about signing up for this again, as it was a very difficult and challenging course, In hindsight, I’m glad I did it once though,