BY: MADDIE GINSBERG | Lake Voice Staff
Over one thousand football fields make up the distance of a 100k race. Could you run that?
On October 17, people from all over the country will be coming to the Duluth area to participate in the Wild Duluth Races. When they registered, runners chose from three distances 100k, 50k or the Harder than Hell half marathon.
The 100k course will start and finish at Bayfront Festival Park. Runners will be making their way west through the Superior Hiking Trail and turning back around at Oldenburg Point.
50k runners will be starting at the Grand Portage trailhead and will follow the Superior Hiking Trail down to Bayfront.
Similar to the 100k and 50k racers, half marathon runners will finish their race at Bayfront, but will start at Spirit Mountain on the Superior Hiking Trail.
The Wild Duluth Races was started by Andy and Kim Holak. The couple came up with the idea to bring an ultra marathon to Duluth back when Superior Hiking Trail was being built.
Being avid ultra marathon runners, their dream came true in 2009 when the first Wild Duluth Races were held, containing 100k and 50k courses. About 100 runners competed in the first year of races.
“This year we have a total of 400 runners,” Andy Holak said. ”People always remark how beautiful it is to run through the city, running pass waterfalls, creeks, and the beautiful scenery. And that’s what we wanted.”
In 2010, after receiving requests for a half marathon from friends and family, the Holaks’ added the Harder than Hell half marathon.
“We wanted to share the trail with people in the state and across the country," Holak said. "This year we have runners from Texas, Colorado, Arizona and Nebraska."
As for runners safety, it’s mostly up to the runners to make sure they stay alert. The Holaks put up signs to warn oncoming traffic that runners will be crossing the road; they also let the participants know that they must yield to cars. As for major road crossings, they make sure to have volunteers to assist racers.
Runners can be watched at the Bayfront finish line, 24th Avenue West trail head, Enger Park and Highland street and Skyline Parkway, where the new parking lot is.
There will be multiple aid stations along the course, Duluth Running Co. will be the last one.
“We provide an aid station on the course at 24th Avenue West," the General Manager at Duluth Running Co, Tony Stensland said. “The 100k runners will hit our station twice because they go out and back, so we are their first and last station."
These aid stations are packed with items to help the runners complete their goal.
“At our aid station we will be providing runners with a lot of food that runners like to eat,” Stensland said. "There will be gels, pretzels, things like m&m's, cookies, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, water, sports drinks and soda."
Stensland is an experienced runner and has run the Harder than Hell half marathon.
“All those races are tough because the terrain is so hard. In fact I would consider the 50k and the 100k probably the toughest in the midwest for those distances," Stensland said.
Clear your calendars for Saturday, grab a thermos of hot chocolate and find a spot to watch people run wild on the Superior Hiking Trail.