Yippee-Ki-Yay 50K, Half Marathon & 10K

This race took place on October 22, 2022 on the Historic Wabash Trace Nature Trail. The trail is a part of the Rails-to-Trails conservancy Hall of Fame, and is a gorgeous race venue that was hand-selected by our fearless race directors, who are themselves avid trail runners, Graig and Katie Skartvedt. I had the pleasure of meeting Graig and Katie at packet pick-up, and they were as excited to greet each runner as they were inviting and friendly, making us feel like we were part of their family, especially those of us who had traveled from out of town for the race.

Each of the three Yippee-Ki-Yay events — organized by Happy Trailz Running and Run Nebraska —were an out and back route on the Wabash Trace Nature Trail. Although this race was only in its third year, it was spectacularly well organized, from pre-race communication to race day execution, and it was obvious to me that this event is something that has been bringing the local running community in the Omaha area together and will continue to grow and become even better with each year.

According to my weather app, it was 48° F at the start of the race, with an expected high of 70° F, and 6 MPH wind, absolutely ideal race conditions. The 2022 Participant Guide emailed to each of us from Race Co-Director Katie outlined the course and race day expectations, explaining that the course began with a “gentle uphill” for approximately the first 6 miles of the half marathon, and finished with a gradual downhill for the remainder of the course, which was expected to set runners up for a very “enjoyable downhill finish” for the last half of the race. Some of us joked that the course was actually “uphill both ways” because the downhill was so imperceptible, while the uphill felt obvious. Nonetheless, it was a beautiful race through an endless canopy of fall foliage, beloved by every runner, and touted the past three years as Iowa’s number one fastest average 50K finisher course.

The course started at the Iowa West Foundation Trail Head in Council Bluffs, stretched just beyond the town of Silver City, Iowa, and then doubled back to the start/finish line in Council Bluffs. Most of the walnuts that had fallen on the ground prior to race day had been collected by volunteers as they prepared the course — however, that did not preclude walnuts from falling from the trees during the race, and I narrowly avoided being pelted by a sudden deluge of walnuts falling from the canopy of trees while I was completing mile 9. Because the field of runners was fairly small — 180 runners for all three events — it was a very uncrowded course, and there were periods during the race where I was alone on the trail without another runner in sight for miles. This made for a very laid-back, almost meditative atmosphere.

There was a generous 9 hour time limit for all of the races, with all events concluding at 5 P.M. The course surface consisted of a very fine crushed limestone, and knowing this in advance, I opted to wear my road shoes, which were recommended. The turn-around point was at the 6.58 mile mark, where a photographer and course monitors waited for us.

After taking a look at the Athlete Guide, I had asked the race organizers for a bit of clarification on the aid stations, so I could determine what hydration system and how much additional fluid I would need to bring. I ended up bringing my Camelbak hydration system, filled with 0.5 liters of water on race morning, and that seemed to be just enough coupled with the fluid I got at the aid stations.

When we crossed the finish line, a generous array of snacks, food, and beverages were waiting for us at the shelter across the street, including delicious homemade chicken soup that many runners enjoyed. My stomach was still doing somersaults which began somewhere between mile 10 and 11, so although I opted to forego the chicken soup, everyone who partook in it said it was delicious and just the right thing for a chilly October morning. I snacked on potato chips and began rehydrating with water and Gatorade while admiring my unique wooden finisher medal, which was very “Iowa.”

In the months leading up to the race, Yippee-Ki-Yay Races announced that they would be entering military veteran participants into a special drawing for an awesome race kit bundle if registrants selected that they were a military veteran during registration. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I was drawn as the Military Veteran Bundle Winner. Included in my special bundle was a free pair of OOFOS recovery sandals from Fleet Feet, BOCO Gear hat with the race logo, large BOCO Gear bag, Keiser Farms tumbler, BOCO Gear headband, a pair of athletic socks, and a large fleece with the race logo. All in all, a successful race weekend.