The North Face Endurance Challenge Series - Wisconsin Recap Day 1
This post (well, these posts! I split it into 2) has been a long time coming! I know that this race was almost three weeks ago, but I was gathering my thoughts to make sure I shared everything I wanted to about this race weekend and then all my BRP friends were putting up their recaps, so I wanted to include those as well!
The North Face Endurance Challenge Series is a weekend long event that consists of several distances.
On Saturday, the distances were:
- 50 Miles
- 50K
- Marathon
- Marathon Relay
On Sunday, the distances were:
- Half Marathon
- 10K
- 5K
- Kid's Race
All distances take place in Kettle Moraine State Park. It is a trail race, so there is single track, double track, dirt, sand, and prairie to run on/through.
Friday night was packet pick-up at The North Face store at Brookfield Square (participants could also pick up their packets at the North Face stores in Chicago and Madison). The store also hosted a panel that included Nick Moore (race director), Tim Olson (ultra runner who is from Wisconsin!), Dylan, Bowman, Dean Karnazes, and Sarah, who is a member of the Challenged Athletes Foundation and is training for Rio 2016! The panel discussion was very cool and the gentleman moderating asked each athlete specific questions, creating an awesome dialogue that made the hour fly by! After the panel, there was time for pictures and autographs, if you so wished. Also, you could get 10% off anything in the store.
I got to meet up with Heather, Jeremy, Angie, and Kim at the store to chit chat. Afterwards, we grabbed dinner at Marty's Pizza. Angie and Jeremy were racing the next morning, so after dinner we all headed back to our respective sleeping places.
I was going on Saturday to spectate and cheer the BRPs on, so I didn't get to the park until after Angie's 50K had started.
Check out what the racing Pros thought!
Angie - 50K
Jeremy - Marathon Relay
The North Face Endurance Challenge Series is a weekend long event that consists of several distances.
On Saturday, the distances were:
- 50 Miles
- 50K
- Marathon
- Marathon Relay
On Sunday, the distances were:
- Half Marathon
- 10K
- 5K
- Kid's Race
All distances take place in Kettle Moraine State Park. It is a trail race, so there is single track, double track, dirt, sand, and prairie to run on/through.
Friday night was packet pick-up at The North Face store at Brookfield Square (participants could also pick up their packets at the North Face stores in Chicago and Madison). The store also hosted a panel that included Nick Moore (race director), Tim Olson (ultra runner who is from Wisconsin!), Dylan, Bowman, Dean Karnazes, and Sarah, who is a member of the Challenged Athletes Foundation and is training for Rio 2016! The panel discussion was very cool and the gentleman moderating asked each athlete specific questions, creating an awesome dialogue that made the hour fly by! After the panel, there was time for pictures and autographs, if you so wished. Also, you could get 10% off anything in the store.
I got to meet up with Heather, Jeremy, Angie, and Kim at the store to chit chat. Afterwards, we grabbed dinner at Marty's Pizza. Angie and Jeremy were racing the next morning, so after dinner we all headed back to our respective sleeping places.
I was going on Saturday to spectate and cheer the BRPs on, so I didn't get to the park until after Angie's 50K had started.
Arthur the BibRave Pup sporting my Buff USA Full Buff.
Jeremy did the first and last leg of the marathon relay. Each leg was basically the 10K course out and back.
Can you spot Jeremy in the crowd?!
And the marathon relay begins!
Julia, our wrangler, did the second leg of the marathon relay. She's trying to stay warm as Jeremy comes in to switch the timing chip!
Jeremy took a little spill just before he hit the transition area and had to hit up the med tent for a rolled ankle. However, his fall was incredibly graceful and he even caught his water bottles!
Dylan Bowman finished the 50 Miler in 2nd place. He got lost for 45 minutes and STILL came in 2nd. Mad skills right there.
Dylan (Julia's manfriend and Ironman Finisher) did the third leg of the marathon relay. Both of them are super speedy and were back in no time at all!
Photo cred: Heather
Heather and I were running on Sunday so we kept our toes warm by a fire pit. TNF had set up fire pits all over the Finish Line party area to keep people warm.
Jeremy is trying to keep his AZ blood warm under those blankets!
I had a wedding reception in Watertown to attend that evening so B, Arthur, and I headed home around 12:30-1:00. We didn't get to see Ang finish, but she crushed it!
Part 2 coming up tomorrow!
(I split the posts because otherwise this would have been an extremely long, picture-heavy post and I'm not about that life.)
Angie - 50K
Jeremy - Marathon Relay