2025 Crater 50k Race Report

The 2025 Crater 50k trail race was held Saturday June 7th in Decorah, IA. Started and finished at Van Peenen Memorial Park. It was my first race in Iowa, and I drove down from St. Paul, MN the night before as it started at 6am and was a 2:45 drive.

My training wasn't too bad for this, not as good as for the Black Hills race last year, but I felt good going into it. The first 3 weeks of February was spent on the rowing machine as we had constant lows around, and below, zero. Felt good once I did get back outside and quickly/carefully ramped up to 20+ miles per week in just about a week. I got in 6 good runs at Afton State Park, but only 2 with the extra campground loop. Had a rare uneventful taper (timed well with Canadian wildfire smoke)!

Pre-race photo

Course/Elevation

Race morning - got there ~5:10, so plenty of time to get my bib, have my pre-race bagel and get ready. The temp was 60°, and stayed in the 60's -  but the humidity (and a very light rain initially) was going to be around all day. I did not have a good sense of the course even though I had looked at it plenty. Knew it was a double loop, and we'd hit some aid stations multiple times. I really should have asked more questions when I went to leave my drop bag at the start so I could hit it at the halfway mark. When they answered that a vehicle would take it the short distance, I didn't question it. I really should have! (There was nowhere obvious at the trail entrance or the check-in)

Sign-in area

Entry road and near race start (in woods)

Start line!

So we started just in the tree line and I had just a handheld with water and a few chocolate GU's in my pockets. I lined up at 6am in a pretty accurate spot as I didn't really pass or get passed much. In the initial slow climb, I was able to alternate a fast hike with some faster shuffling on the single track. Seemed a little slow overall as I went past the first aid station (Death Valley, ~0.9mi) without stopping in 12mins. The steeper climb immediately following it though...that was going to be more/less fun the next time! There were some very technical spots, but also a good mix of less-technical trails.

After running along the River Trail, came into the next aid station (Palisades Park) after 3.1 total miles and 36 mins. Topped off my water and got right back on the trail, again, right uphill! The next 3 miles  were in the Palisades Park area and alternated with short straight sections and sharp turns. Could often see/hear others heading opposite me on a different level of the hills. With ~5500+ feet of climbing, the course was often up or down. Just before 10k, I had been running a little behind a group of three for a while, and caught them once we hit the long flat stretch on Ice Cave Road. We chatted as we headed to the aid station and it turned out 3 of us had birthdays on three consecutive days (one was that day!)! Talked races/training, refilled again and had my 3rd GU just after the aid station (again at Palisades Park ~7.4 miles in, in 1:32). 

Ica Cave Rd

Continued down that road (that section closed to traffic) and had a nice climb that I kept up my normal/fast pace hike. You come off that road with a sharp right straight up - with use of a rope to help get up the rocks. That was a first for me, and not an issue even with a handheld! I was already looking forward to the halfway and my drop bag, as my vest was filled with iced gatorade and I could refill my GU. The humidity was draining. Glasses would get too sweaty to see, and even fog up at times...

Can see the rope to the right of the red-flagged tree

The 2nd quarter of the course had more hills than the first, and got into the aid station at mile ~11.3 (Death Valley again) in 2:20 needing something....If I remember correctly (now that I write this 7 weeks later - I am not sure this station had anything yet?...), they had a pancake station there, so I downed some syrup, stuffed my mouth with a pancake, grabbed some chips and headed out. That was something, but not enough...by mile 13 or so, I started getting threats of cramping in my legs - calves, shin, thighs/quads. Every time I kicked a root, a stabbing pain would shoot through my legs. Slowed down, tried to be more careful, but it was not avoidable in my situation. I was just counting down to my drop bag. 

Made it to the halfway, call it 15.5 miles, in 3:14 (those ~4.2 miles took me almost 54 mins), but there was no drop bag, and no aid I had any interest in. It seems my drop bag was driven to the Palisades Park one (down the road/hill). That did not put me in a good space and I practically walked to the next aid station (Death Valley, 3:30 and ~16.4 mi), with another 2.2 miles to my drop bag. I wasn't worried about finishing, even with being on the constant verge leg cramps. I had slowed down and was walking a lot, even the flats. Had another syrup-shot and pancake and trudged back up the steep hill. 

Finally - at Mile ~18.6 in 4 hrs (almost 30min for those 2.2 miles), came to the Palisades Park aid station that I had gone through twice before, and there was my vest. Sat and took 3 minutes to get situated before the next steep hill. If only I had realized at Mile 7.4 that my vest was in reach...may have changed things up quite a bit (by that, I only mean I'd have gone faster with less cramping issues, not like negative split or anything!) . Oh well.

The next 4.3 miles was at a slog of a 17 min/mi pace. Got back to the Aid Station in another 1:13 (total 5:16 for 22.9 miles) - 4min/mi slower than on the first lap. Walked much of the Ice Cave road this time and made the rope climb unscathed. I did run much of the middle 20-25 miles basically solo. Never an issue for me, and somewhat typical for my events. There was one new thing this year though. When I packed up the previous night, I forgot to pack my compression shorts. Can't recall the last time I ran anything 'long' without them under my running shorts. Wasn't much I could do at 10pm the night before when I realized it. Now I know I start to chafe in a very 'sensitive' area. I noticed around mile 20, and all I could really do was stuff my buff down my shorts to help alleviate the rubbing. Much later realized I could have pulled my shorts up higher, but again, I wasn't thinking well then. 

What also messed with my head was my phone health app... at around mile 21 (per the map, course, etc), my phone said I was at mile 24.5. The time between the aid stations seemed much longer than I expected, I didn't think I had slowed that much - and I really thought I had run some extra miles...which was disheartening. 

So the last aid station was at ~26.8 (at Death Valley again) - 59min for that 3.8mi section (6:16 overall), and 4.3 mi left (even though my mileage showed 31 miles at that point)! Continued moving, met up with another runner for some of the last mile, and finished in 7:11. 

That wasn't quite the end though...my drop bag, that had my car keys. Wasn't where I thought it was at the start/finish, so started walking down the hill/road the mile or so to the aid station. Thankfully - got a ride down there from some runners I had met, and once we got there and realized they had taken them back up - drove me back up the hill to get it. So thankful!! 

Then the drive back home, clean up and then head back out to drive another hour north for a Heart concert (front row). Was a good day overall!

Photo dump!

Decorah, IA

Ice Cave!

Post-race!

 

2018 Afton 50k Trail Race (25th Annual!)

25^th Afton 50k

Went in to this event feeling ok about my training, if not a little lacking some longer runs. I was worried about a knee issue that had popped up, but I wasn’t sure if it was due to running or not. Turned out – didn’t crop up at all. Must be another case of phantom issues during taper.

Race morning was sunny, not as cool as I’d hoped, and bug-free (for me at least; everyone seemed to be applying enough bug spray to ward them off, so maybe they were around?). Start temp was ~65°, but got up to about 78°, with 80% humidity.

Race started right at 7:30 and we started on a downhill, a flat, then the first uphill that most people walk. Me included! 

I’ve run this course so much, I knew what to expect. I went out comfortably, maybe pushing just a bit. I knew my training times for one loop, as well as my 2015 race splits (training times were a good minute per mile slower this year compared to 2015), and was hoping for about a 6hr finish. First miles are never good, but I didn’t feel ‘weak’ at least. 2^nd hour is usually when I start feeling decent, and that’s about when I settled in, although I did tweak my ankle ~1hr into the race.


Skipped the first 2 aid stations as I wore my UD vest (and water/Gatorade mixture), but did stop at the 3rd AS by the river. So much was going on, that I didn't really see what all they had there. After less than a minute - I was back out on course after 1:02 (and 6.4mi)

I ran the rest of the first loop pretty well...staying just under 10min miles. Ran well thru the campground and down by the river and up the meat grinder. Slowed some that last section after AS5. Made it halfway in 2:47 (still consistently 1min/mi slower than my 2015 race, where I ran the first half in 2:32) and took a few minutes to get my stuff together for loop 2.
The 2nd half started with my inner/lower thighs trying to cramp up. It was on and off for awhile, but I trudged on.
2nd loop is always slower, and I alternated walking and running as the terrain dictated.
Made it to the 3rd AS on the 2nd loop in 1:22 (4:10 total).

(I'm writing this part WAY after the actual race, so have very few details other than my splits...)

I did share a few miles with another guy. He was certainly stronger than me and soon pulled away.

After fighting cramps towards the end, I did finish in 6:15:53!

On the following day, my hips, thighs, and shins were all slightly sore, but was able to do my typical day-after walk. 2 days later I was fine except for the upper part of my left ankle being sore (and there was some bruising there after the race).
2 weeks later I was back to running 14 miles and feeling fine - back to training for the Twin Cities Marathon in early October

2015 Afton 50k Race Report

My entire running life, up until this point, had been based in South Carolina. After living there for almost 28yrs, I picked up and moved with my family to St. Paul, MN in April. I had scouted races enough to know I wanted to do this race, so I registered for it before I even moved. My training for the first 4 months of 2015 was decent, even with my back and forth up north for work. Even got some cold-weather running in with a -12° temp! On my first trip up in Aug 2014, I met a group for much of the 25k loop, and I ventured out solo one other time (stopping at every map!) just prior to the move and went ahead and bought a State Park pass.
So - leading up to the race, I was at Afton doing some, all, or more of, the 25k loop as best I could figure out 10 weekends in a row, from 7-21 miles. I thought I had figured out the course after a few tries (I actually did, except for the one short section by the yurts).

Race day came (Thanks to Pa Der for the ride!) with 65° temps to start, some haze (mostly missed the incoming smoke from western/Canadian fires), with no wind and pretty dry. Trails (snowshoes section) had been cleared too and we started at 6:30am.

Down the first hill and already running solo

Started off at my own pace down the hill and after a flat section, headed up the first climb. No point running uphill this early! I was able to do the first section about the same compared to my usual times (even with a quick, early pit-stop!) and bypassed the first aid station completely. I was pretty much alone, but there were people around. If I did stay near someone, it wasn't for too long; Aid stations were never too far apart and that always provides some separation. Nothing to special the first half - just felt fine.
Aid Station 3 (at the river and same as AS4) was lively! That was nice. Standard AS fare and I, as usual, subsisted on potatoes, chips, and M&M's. Did have 1 Gu, 1 Gatorade and some (5) S!Caps.
After AS4, I ran the whole way along the St Croix. I did pass a snake (not sure what kind) on the first section, and later, saw some really huge birds! (buzzards). Move well up meat grinder and ran much of the snowshoes section directly behind another guy.
My goal for the first half was to not get passed by the 25k winner (who started an hour after us!) last year's winning time was about 1:36.  I made it (with a few other runners nearby) in 2:32. That was just about my best lap there in training. I ended up making one mistake in all my training runs when I thought I was running the true course. I kept missing the right turn after the meat grinder that heads by the yurts. Oops!
Anyway - I had to take off a shoe as I had a tiny rock in it (that only began bothering me about a mile earlier). Picked up my Gatorade (in my handheld) from my drop bag and put it in my vest pocket. That ended up not working well. Should've just held it.
Lap two started off with the same downhill...glad to be running that direction. It would have been less fun finishing having to go UP that hill! I knew I'd slow down the second loop, but I was hoping to minimize it. Lost 2 minutes on the first section in lap 2, and only a minute on the next section (the back 40). It's a very runnable section.
At mile 19.7 (AS 8) at the end of the back 40 - I was at 3:13.
After the next part of the Africa loop, ending with the technical downhill and the gentle road to the said station at the river - I was at 22.1mi and 3:41.
The next section was the longest between aid (at 3.8mi), and it felt like it. Legs were getting tired. I still moved all right thru here, but still lost time walking up the hill on the gravel road as well as some of the flat river trail. The trail back up to the campground was tough. I then had the fun downhill back to the river from the campground. I loved that and felt like I was flying! Got some snacks at the AS (Mile 25.9, 4:29).
The next flat river trail was hard to motivate to run, but I broke it up by trees, or benches, or whatever else I could to keep moving at some kind of decent pace. Meat Grinder wasn't too bad and got to the next Aid at 4:56 (mile 28.1). 3 more miles!
Found a little motivation here following people and trying not to get passed, but at some point, it just doesn't matter - it's all about finishing. My right achilles got a little tender for a bit, and behind my right knee turned weak with the last 1/4 mile - but I knew my wife/daughter would be there at the finish and that always keeps me going. As I came thru the grassy trails by the road, I saw them. My daughter came onto the trail and finished the race with me - there's nothing like it!!
I ended up with a time of 5:34:46, which I was thrilled with. Over 9,000 ft of elevation change - more than Harbison but a faster time by 13 minutes.
No issues afterwards either other than some typical soreness in my quads/hamstrings. Went to a get-together that afternoon, took in a baseball game the following day, and on Monday ended up in El Paso after my flight there via Phoenix got canceled and I drove the 6+ hours. Right back to training that Wednesday!
Photos

Courtesy of Kevin Langston (Lap 1)

Lap 1

courtesy of Jason Husveth! (Lap 1)

Courtesy of Kelcey Scott! (2nd lap)

2nd lap (campgrounds)

2nd lap (campgrounds)