2026 O'Brien Trail Races 50k Race Report

 The O'Brien Trail Races 50k was held Saturday September 26, 2026, starting and finishing at William O'Brien State Park in Marine on St Croix, MN. The two-loop course goes throughout the park and around Jackson Meadows, an interesting conservation development. 2 aid stations you each hit twice per loop.

I signed up for this just 2 weeks prior as my long run in training for the Surf the Murph 50miler in mid-October (3 weeks away). It had been on my radar for a number of years and it all finally aligned. My training has been fantastic, mileage-wise, I think the best (most) ever, with averaging a hair under 40mi/wk over 9 weeks. Still a decent bit slower than previous years, but that's to be expected. Last Sunday's 23 miles was going to make this interesting as there was not really a taper involved. Prepped my UD vest with a Houdini light rain jacket, some GU and a granola bar, S!Caps, my buff, and 2 bladders, so I could easily swap out water for my grape Gatorade at the halfway (start/finish) aid station while using the same mouthpiece/tube. Oh - plus a laminated cheat sheet with a map and mileage/AS info. 

Worries for this event: Am still doing PT, since May, for my right hamstring/glute (ongoing weakness/soreness). Bought some Hoka Challenger 8's earlier this month since they finally seemed to not bother my left ankle rubbing the shoe. Have worn them three times before this event (7, 20, 23 miles) and the issue is still there, even with a 2nd ASICS insole added. After testing out a few options the night before the race, went with some gel heel inserts in addition to the added insole. 

Race day - the 35 minute drive was easy and I got there just before the 6:58am sunrise. The 8am start had temps of 58° and 95% humidity. Wouldn't have minded some cooler weather! Got my bib #20 and my shirt and some instructions on the pink-flagged course markings.

Smallish event with 44 actual starters in the 50k, but with 25k, 10k, and 5k events starting about an hour later, it didn't feel that small. 

Got into my pace pretty quickly and the runners spread out almost immediately. Course was mostly wide grassy tracks, rolling hills (only one or two that were significant). There was some good single track leading into/out of Jackson Meadows, just a little bit of pavement on the community walking path and even less on a road, and a bit of crushed gravel. Few roots and rocks, but nothing considered technical. As it was overcast, the few open areas weren't bad with sun/heat.

I generally walked most of the hills, but was able to open up my stride on the downhills which was nice, and although my legs weren't fresh, they weren't heavy either. Had a couple people near enough in front of me to help pace myself, but ran solo for the duration of the race. One guy I leapfrogged back and forth with a couple of times, and one other female I saw 2-3 times - but that was it. I always run alone so this was just fine with me. :-)

Ran thru a small tunnel about mile 1 where there was a photographer. At the 1st Aid Station, mile 4.9 were 2 (quiet) girls from probably a HS cross country team. Time was 50 min. Said my thanks as I kept moving and crossed the road and immediately went uphill. I had taken a vanilla Gu earlier, so didn't feel the need to stop. Enjoyed this 1.4 mi section as I got the 2nd AS at mile 6.3 in 1:08 overall. Kept right on moving past this without stopping, but did scope out the snacks and their orange Gatorade. Realized after seeing Oreos and Chips Ahoy that I wouldn't need my M&M's and other snacks I had brought for the 2nd half of the race.

The course had a lot of turns, but the pink flags had them all well marked. Jackson Meadows was interesting as we ran through the community with all white houses, and a few people even cheered us on as we went by. 

Mostly followed the one male runner during this section before he pulled away some and we headed back. There were a couple of spots where there was two-way traffic, and I saw the leader I guess way  too soon - he was moving! 

I did grab two Oreos as I got to the 11.9mi AS in 2:03...that section was quite runnable and was my fastest pace of the day. It's fairly short coming back as the last AS is only 1 mile further, and then only 2.6 to the start/finish. Skipped that AS again and got to the halfway in 2:46, which I was pretty pleased with for the paces I've been running this year. I did take almost 5 minutes here which is super rare for me. Swapped my bladders and was looking forward to my Gatorade. With the high humidity, I was sweating a lot, wiping my brow off repeatedly with my Afton buff, cleaning the condensation off my glasses. I did take 2 S!Caps on the first loop to replace some salt. I cleared a rock out of one shoe, adjusted both my socks, and grabbed more cookies and some coke as I walked out onto loop 2 feeling fine and confident I'd get another ultra finish.

2nd loop was more solo running, with some more walking as my pace dropped 1-2 min per mile. Also as expected. I did check my trusty Timex to see my earlier splits, so I could monitor my slowdowns. 

Skipped the first AS again (3:51 overall at mile 20.4), was the first into the Chips Ahoy and had some good joking by the 2nd AS volunteers on that (21.8mi in 4:11). That 1.4mi section had my slowest pace both laps.

As I went thru Jackson Meadow for the last time, I started doing some math on the possibility of breaking 6hrs. I knew it would be close...I also had a sense of being off course somehow. I saw the female who was way ahead at this point running on a nearby trail, and looking at the course map and Google Maps, seemed like they weren't matching. I trusted the flags though and kept going. All was good, but it did mess with me for a bit. 

At the next aid station (mile 27.4 after 5:17), I had passed my previously planned training run of 25miles and originally considered taking the last 6 miles really easy. But - if I pushed, and ran the last 2 sections in the same time as the first loop (42mins), under 6 was possible. So - I pushed. I did get an encouraging text from my wife in this time too - which helped my pace.

Finally utilized that one aid station for coke and cookies with 29 minutes to go for my new goal. Knowing I ran it in 32 earlier had me realizing it wasn't really going to happen, but I tried anyway. I felt good. I had a little twinge on the inside of my left knee that came and went. No significant hamstring/glute issues. Had a little soreness on my left foot. My left ankle seemed to have been resolved by the extra insert (under my Asics insole). I felt I was moving pretty well. 

I hadn't really had anyone around me in hours, but I knew there were people ahead of me. Once I did get within a minute or so, we had the finish in sight, it was just over 6hrs, and I was fine cruising in. 

(my 2nd loop pace did not drop nearly as much those last sections as the first few ones!)

6:04:47. 

Very happy. Continues my streak of 17 straight years completing an ultramarathon, and 19 years completing an Ultra or marathon. The rest of the year is extra. Slight chance I miss Surf the Murph (travel?), but Icebox480 is always an option.

 Had some initial discomfort sitting on the ride home with my glute/hamstring, but that went away quickly. My muscles felt well-used, but not too bad. Once I got cleaned up - realized I had a very large blister on my middle toe of my right foot, on the side - not where it even rubs the next toe. Just odd. My middle toe of the other foot - I will likely lose a nail. Again - I don't know why, I don't recall kicking anything (I lost the 2nd nail on my left foot 2 weeks ago after kicking a rock/root a few weeks earlier)

I certainly felt good enough to go out and celebrate Oktoberfest at a friend's house that night! 

Great event and volunteers. Same group that puts on the Chippewa 50k I ran a back in 2017, and got another finisher's poster for my fridge! Would definitely recommend any of their races.

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!

 

2024 Fire Tower 50k Race Report

 Saturday October 5, 2024, 7am start

This was the 4th running of the Fire Tower Trail Races (11k, 35k, 50k, and 100k) and my 3rd event, including my solo self-supported run here back in 2020 during COVID. I came back last year and returned again!

My training after the Black Hills 50k was initially not terribly satisfying as it took me 7 weeks to get back to Afton with longer training runs. The 3 long runs (18-20 miles) were fine and I had an absolutely great final taper week with no phantom (or otherwise) pains.

One additional 'challenge' for this year was that I was taking my daughter to a general admission ( = standing) concert in Minneapolis the night before the race (got to bed just after midnight) with a 4:15am alarm race morning. And then After the race, was taking her and another friend to another general admission concert (more standing) that evening in Minneapolis!

So I go up to St. Croix State Park at 6:20, got my swag (another beanie, sticker, buff and patch, and my bib) and after a toilet stop, waited for the start. I didn't have many expectations, just hoping to maybe break 6:30 and improve on my 6:47 from last year (my 2020 6:07 wasn't even in my head) and my laminated 'cheat sheet' with my 2023 splits was helpful. Temps were somewhere between 42° and 47° to start, but not chilly enough for gloves or a jacket. It was going to warm up and have some wind eventually.

Instructions

Pre-Race

After a few words from the RDs (including a warning not to leave your keys in the drop bags as there was no timeline for them to return), we started off and I quickly got into my pace, just chugging along. Even with a larger field (~116 vs 75 last year), it thinned out well enough with a few people nearby. The first 2 miles are sandy with ruts as it is also a horse trail (didn't see one horse today) and I found some quietness as I ran. We hit the road, turned and then onto a wide grassy trail. 

Aid Stations are generally pretty frequent, and I hit the first one at Gate 31 (Mile 3.5) in 33 minutes - already almost 4 minutes under last years time). Didn't stop, so I passed a good number, and began again a day of flip-flopping with faster runners who spent more time at the aid stations. Took a vanilla Gu and stayed on cruise-control. I did talk with one guy for a mile or two leading up to the fire tower, which was nice. 

Got to the Fire Tower (mile 9 in 1:31) and went right up - had to wait here and there both directions as others made their way but it wasn't taxing at all. It was a nice clear view as I grabbed 2 quick photos and headed right back down. Grabbed a bag of chips and a Milky Way and was out of the aid station after less than 5 minutes total. 

zero clouds!

headed back down

Settled back into my groove and plodded on. This section was ~5.5 miles to the halfway, Overlook/Gate 25 aid station. Never had company to speak of, but was generally in eyesight of runners. I did have to yell at one guy who went right past the orange flags and turn-arrow...he heard me and turned around. We've all done that - I know I have. So we made our way down the road, some trail and onto some rooty/rocky singletrack by the Kettle River. 

bridge view

Would see this runner many times as we passed each other over and over

Bald eagle through here avoided the camera

I was surprised when my legs started to feel the miles before the halfway, but I pressed on and made it after 2:39. Took under 5 minutes to sit and fill my bladder with 1.5 bottles of Gatorade, grabbed some grilled cheese and chips, and headed back onto the singletrack trail along the river, headed where it meets up with the St. Croix River. I knew last year I lost some time through here as the grassy trail becomes uneven, and I did again this year, but I was still able to run more this time around. My right IT Band flared up for the first time in a Long time, so I tried to ignore it as much as possible. (Walking felt fine though)

   

Swans!

This 5.1 mile section always takes longer than I'd like, but hitting the road and turning at Gate 25 means you're close, and I made it back to the Overlook aid station in 1hr (3:30 total). 

This time, I was there only 2 minutes as I drank some of my leftover Gatorade and grabbed more grilled cheese. Back down the road and turned for the long 7.5mi section to the last aid station. This is when I started to think I could break 6 hours. I was always ahead of last year, and by this point, 26 minutes ahead of last year, and I walked pretty much the whole rest of the way. 

This section has a variety of terrain, but it is mostly grass - uneven, with longish grass, but I was determined to run as much as possible. My IT band wasn't too bad, just tired legs. 

I kept pushing and still was ~near other runners on and off, which kept me motivated to move, even on the dirt section.

Last stretch to the final Aid Station at Gate 31

After 1:33 for that section, and 5:12 overall, I now had less than 48 minutes to go the last 3.4 miles. (didn't stop at the Aid Station this time either). Seemed pretty safe as I was still doing a run-walk, and I still can walk pretty quickly. It was about 70° at this point with the sun overhead - but I kept moving.

I did keep checking the Avenza app to check my location in relation to the road crossing, as I knew it was about 5 minutes from there to the finish. It'd be close, but I was still confident. 

Hit the last dirt section, safely crossed the road, one last photo from an on-course photographer, and I made the turn to the finish. Finish running it out and crossed the line in 5:55! My fastest 50k since Afton in 2015.

Great post-race food of cheese burger, chips, and coke (and hostess cupcake for dessert) that I ate under the shade of a tree while I cheered on other finishers (and 100kers making their turn around).

5:55 finish!

Dining/Resting spot

(Start) Finish area

Post event - didn't feel too bad for the evening concert (and stayed awake), walked some on Sunday, and after a run/walk on Wednesday, decided to let my IT Band heal and only walk (and use the rowing machine) for another week or two. Practically zero muscle soreness to speak of after 36 hours. :-)

This makes ultra #37, and 51 marathons or longer. 

Some images captured during the event from Cary Johnson, Mike Wheeler, and Jason Linn - Thank you!

(And also thanks to the RDs and all the volunteers - we couldn't / wouldn't want to do this without you!)

Last stretch

Before the Fire Tower