Saturday, April 23, 2011

Monument Peak 15k

Distance: 15k
http://www.runwildadventures.com/index.php?p=1_22_Monument-Peak-15K-Trail-Run
The course was on some fantastic trails east of Salem that seemed to be little used by runners, but are probably well-known to horsemen in the area. The race was staged out of a campground that hasn't yet opened for the year so racers had the place to themselves. It was mostly single track with some short stretches of dirt road. Theoretically, I think a spectator could drive around to see runners on one of the dirt roads, but the roads may still be closed for the season and I never saw anyone cheering. Hills on this course were different in that the climbs and descents weren't terribly consistent; for example, the 4 miles of climb in the middle of the race didn't have a very consistent grade but instead was a mix of flat, gentle runnable climbs, and steeper switchbacks. In general you're faced with a mile or so of downhill, a flat-ish mile, 4 miles of climbing, and then downhill mostly to the finish. There's one aid station slightly before the top of the climb, but I was surprised not to top out on a summit, or even a ridge, rather the grade levels off more and more until you realize you've been headed downhill for a while now. Race directors opted for cheaper entry and no t-shirts, which appealed to me as a veteran racer with a few to many t-shirts. I also liked that winners got small prizes (pizza & coffee gift certs.) while the big prizes (free shoes) were given away in a random drawing. I do think, however, the race director should tone down the Max King love fest. (Max King kicks ass, it was great to see him at a little race like this, but winning this was hardly a challenge for him.) It would make this a much more competitive race by changing the '$100 to Max King if he wins, or anyone who beats him' to a more standard '$50 each to men's and women's winners.'

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