My first trail race. And gosh was it hard!! Even though North Face lists the race in Madison, WI, the actual location is much closer to Milwaukee than Madison. Good to know if you want to book a hotel in the area. Be prepared to drive a bit, 'cause Eagle is tinee-tiny and accommodation is rare in the immediate surroundings of the park. Anyhow. The Endurance Challenge is specialized in ultra distances, 50K and 50-milers. Yup, some people do that. I didn't. I signed up with a couple of my friends for a mere half-marathon which was supposed to be challenging enough since it was a trail race. When you are used to running on pavement in the city, it's an interesting change of pace. With a degree of difficulty and elevation change of 2 out of 5, we all thought we could tackle it. We did, but not without hurting quite a bit. Change of terrain - from pavement to rock, sand and grass - and hill climbs of 300 feet (with a total change of elevation through the race of 1,200 feet) definitely kicked my ass. Running in the woods, surrounded by pine trees and nature, is a huge draw. I enjoyed it tremendously, and caught myself a few times just inhaling fresh air, trying to make out the different smells that were delightfully assailing my nose. The course was clearly indicated, and even in my most lonely moments, I never thought that I would get lost and forgotten at the bottom of a ravine. Kuddos for that. The festival was also quite nice, and was offering ample amounts of food - both pre- and post-race - as well as water, coffee, iced baths, massages and a few sponsor tents. The atmosphere was nice and friendly, packet pickup was easy, parking was easy and overall I am really glad to have participated in such an event. 3 stars though (well, 3.5 rounded down) because of two major things: - the first aid/water station (out of 2 but I get it, it's more difficult to set out stations on a trail than on the road) handed out water and coke. COKE. I don't care what "Born to Run" says, Coke is not for everyone. It is an excellent sugar kick maybe but it's full of gas. I had incredible stomach problems for most of the second half of the race, and was in terrible discomfort afterwards. Awful experience. - I understand that a half-marathon is not much of an effort compared to a 50-miler but still. It deserves some recognition. It may sound silly but we runners love our medals. Not getting one was a huge disappointment, and something I really don't understand. Please change your ways for next year races, it would make SUCH a difference. In any case, trail running is the sh$t, and will humble you. Give it a try. Miscellanea: - registration fee for the half between $65 and $100 (depending on how early you register), and capped at 750. - parking at the Ottawa Lake Welcome Center is $5 but participants receive a free pass on race day. - no medals but a customized tee-shirt and arm warmers. Still...I want my medal! - no porter potties on the course so... plan accordingly? read more

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