The HUFF 50K Trail Notes

Click here to view sportswriter Phil Bloom's pre-race story that appeared in the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette.

The story features runner Kim Lefever of Columbia City, Indiana. Kim has participated every year of The HUFF 50K. He started out as a one-loop runner and then became a 50K regular.

Race results for the 2006 HUFF 50K Trail Run can be seen here:

HUFF 50K at Online Race Results.

Results were updated continuously throughout the day on Saturday from the HUFF pavilion via a remote datalink.

According to Intellicast, this is how Saturday's outlook is shaping up for The HUFF 50K Trail Run:

Saturday
12/30/2006 Sunrise: 8:05 am UV Index: 1, Low Sunset: 5:21 pm
Moonrise: 1:49 pm Phase: Waxing Gibbous Moonset: 4:03 am
Predicted High: 49 Predicted Low: 39

Partly cloudy. Highs in the upper 40s and lows in the upper 30s.

The HUFF 50K Course Map remains unchanged from last year.

Veterans of last year's run will remember that the course was changed on the south side as a result of the opening of the new shooting range and the DNR's experience with two major flooding episodes. The good news was that the change eliminated the chance to get your feet wet at a small stream crossing. And the new shooting range nearly eliminates noise from the gun enthusiasts. (Newbies: ask some veterans of the early HUFF years what the old shooting range could add to the flavor of the event.)

Unfortunately, there was a road section added to the course to bypass the shooting range.

Due to the requirements of some of the governmental funding sources, the shooting range was required to have a larger safety zone surrounding it. This meant that the then-existing trail was encroached by the new safety zone.

Once you bypass exit the road, however, you will reenter wooded trail that traverses some parts of the DNR property which were not part of the original HUFF course.

A particular thanks to Jerry Diehl and Bob Berger for laying out and measuring the course. Thanks also to Roush Lake Property Director Jeff Reed and his crew for trail maintenance and clearing. Several major downed trees have been cut up and removed from the trail in recent weeks. Ongoing trail maintenance kudos also need to go to the mountain bike crew of Huntington County who do ongoing trail clean-up throughout the year.

Jerry and Bob have placed small mile marker signs on the course for those who will be doing a training loop this weekend. Larger mile marker signs along with directional arrow signs, flourescent ribbons and other trail marking signs will be on the HUFF course for race day.

A fitting memorial has been established in the memory of Dr. Bob Edesess of Indianapolis who died earlier this year in an aircraft accident. Dr. Edesess was a veteran of the HUFF 50K who tackled ultramarathons with good humor as well as dedication.

The Indianapolis Star carried a story earlier this month about the efforts of Dr. Brent Barta and other friends of Bob in creating a memorial to fund construction and maintenance of a trail at Eagle Creek Park in Indianapolis.

Brent Barta will be at this year's HUFF as he has been at so many of the prior years' runnings of this race. I urge you to talk with him about the fund and thank him for what he has done in Bob's memory.

From the Indianapolis Star:

Dr. Brent Barta, Zionsville, has established the Edesess Trail Project at Eagle Creek Park and wants to raise at least $10,000 to build the Edesess Nature Trail. The trail would connect the indoor learning facilities at the new Earth Discovery Center, scheduled to open in the spring, to the outdoor learning area at the park's Echo Pond.

Edesess died when his small plane crashed shortly after take-off from Eagle Creek Airport in August. He lived on the west bank of Eagle Creek Reservoir and was a frequent visitor to the park, running along its scenic roads and trails.

About $6,200 has been raised so far. Individuals or organizations interested in contributing should make checks payable to Eagle Creek Park Foundation Inc. and mail them to the foundation at 7840 W. 56th St., Indianapolis, IN 46254.

You will know you have reached the right place for The HUFF 50K Trail Run when you see this entrance sign on US 224 (Markle Road):


It will be a little bit darker when you are trying to discover the large sign on the morning of the race. Once you turn in on the access road next to the sign you will come to the entry gate.

The DNR will be collecting an entrance fee of $4 for every vehicle entering the campground. This was first instituted in 2004 shortly before The HUFF. That made for long lines snaking out onto US 224 the first year.

Last year, the entry delay was much diminished by the fact that we sold entry passes before the race at the pasta dinner the night before and in Fort Wayne. We will have both one-day and annual passes available. Of course, if you already have a 2006 Indiana DNR state park pass or you have purchased a 2007 Indiana DNR state park pass, it will be honored at the gate.

Indeed we urge runners from Indiana to purchase a 2007 pass. These are available at most DNR sites in Indiana or are available online by clicking here. We will have some available for purchase at the pasta dinner.

Once you get past the gate and make the short distance to the campground you should see one of the members of the HUFF parking brigade who can help get you parked efficiently.

Each campsite shown below can accomodate 2 or 3 vehicles if the first vehicle pulls all the way into the space. 50K runners should try to pull in first. One-loopers should pull in after the 50 folks. Try to coordinate with other runners that you know to make parking as efficient as possible.

The map of the campground, which you can enlarge by clicking, show the approximate locations of the state, the main tent, the chute/relay transition area and path of the course through the campground.

The start will take place on the main road. The 50K and first relay runner of a team will start at 8:00 AM. NOTE: THE ONE LOOP RUNNERS WILL START 10 to 15 minutes after the 50K and relay runners start. This is in order to spread out the start, lessen the initial crowding on the trail and make for a more enjoyable - and faster - trail experience.

50K runners and subsequent relay runners will not run on the road on the 2nd and 3rd loops or legs. You will exit the transition area, hit the aid table if you need to, then run west through the short grassy area west of the main tent until you enter the trail.

This means the first loop or leg is slightly shorter than the 2nd and 3rd loops.

50K runners will pass through the campground as they finish each loop. This means that if you want to change shoes and socks, get drier clothing or pick up other supplies from your car, you can do so. This generally obviates the need for drop bags at one of the two other aid stations.

The other aid stations are located approximately 3.5 to 4 miles from each other and from the start/finish. Aid Station "A" is located at the entrance to the Little Turtle State Recreation Area just off Highway 5 (Warren Road) south of the dam. This is near the main office for the reservoir.

Aid Station "B" is located on Division Road where the trail crosses the road. This is past the shooting range. Note that Division Road ends in a cul-de-sac about a 1/4 mile past Aid Station "B." You can turn around there or you can greet your runner at that cul-de-sac as they emerge from the trail and then go down the trail east of the cul-de-sac as they head to Simpson Road and the bridge on the east side of the course.

Division Road is reached by exiting Aid Station "B" and turning left (south) on Highway 5. Go to the first county road south of the Little Turtle entrance and turn left (east) onto Division Road.
Since the opening of the shooting range in 2005, we have had to modify the course and divert runners onto part of Division Road in order to get them past the shooting range.

Please be careful as you drive on Division Road in order to provide the HUFF participants with the greatest measure of safety.

There will be a portable toilet at Aid Station "A" and at Aid Station "B'." There are additional pit toilets just beyond Aid Station "A" in the campground. (These are visible from the trail).

There are three sets of men's and women's modern and upgraded pit toilets at Kil-So-Campground. One set is at the east end where runners finishing the loop will be coming into the campground. Another set is on the west end near the access road. The main set is directly across (south) of the main tent and chute area. We have contracted to put another portable toilet in at that location to augment the two already there.

Aid Stations will have water, sport drink, defizzed cola and an array of solid foods such as fruit, pretzels, chips, cookies, M & M's, hard candy and the like. The aid stations will also have some things special to the aid station such as the traditional chocolate turtles at Aid Staion "A," or boiled potatos, chicken noodle soup and other goodies.

The main tent will, of course, have an amazing array of home-made soups and other goodies. More about that later. The HUFF is known for its food!

PACKET PICK-UP and PASTA DINNER

$8.00 for the pre-race pasta dinner. The dinner will be held from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. the evening before the race at St. Peter Lutheran Church School at 604 Polk Street (the Church is at 648 North LaFontaine Street) in Huntington. The pasta dinner is provided by the St. Peter Youth Group and proceeds of the pasta dinner benefit the youth activities.

Packet pick-up at the St. Peter Lutheran Church School at 604 Polk Street (the Church is at 648 North LaFontaine Street) in Huntington the night before the race,or by 7:40 AM at the race site on race day.

You can view a map of the race site here on Google Maps. The entrance to the Kil-So-Quah campground is to the left of the arrow. Note: Markle Road is US 224.

Another map of the Kil-S0-Quah campground entrance can be viewed here.

The 2006 HUFF participants are going to be the last HUFFers to be dispatched on their adventure by the cannon which began our tradition of a booming send-off.

Two weeks ago we learned that the cannon is decamping from Wabash, Indiana, to head to warmer, southern climes. The cannon blast has been provided by the Great Lakes Historical Re-enactors.

The Re-enactors will remain a fixture but their member with the cannon is moving. We already have a line on a few other cannons and howitzers for future years but the concussive wave that enters your sternum and exits your spine to start the race will not quite be the same.

The cannon blast always comes as a bit of a surprise to HUFF newbies. Even though they can see the size of the cannon and even though some veterans may have told them what to expect, the impact is just something that has to be experienced.

We've been receiving questions as to whether there will be snow at this year's HUFF 50K. Of course, we have no way of knowing that just yet. The year with the most snow at The HUFF was a year in which there was snow on the ground two weeks before the event. That's not the case this year - so, don't count on having excuses for not running your fastest time.

However, for those who might want to get in the mood for a snowy HUFF we are providing you with the animated image file below.

HUFF Snowglobe.swf

This requires a shockwave flash player.

If you don't have one the easiest to download is at:
http://www.globfx.com/products/swfplayer/

You will run the race on December 30th. When you finish, you will know that the medal you receive will have been hard won through the miles of effort that day, your mental toughness, and your hours and hours of training.

What will your 2006 medal look like? Here are the front and reverse of the 50K and Relay Finisher Medals:

This Sunday some area runners,led by Anthony Juliano, will take a one-loop HUFF training run around the lake.

The runners will meet at the parking lot of the Kil-So-Quah Campground at 9 AM. The campground entrance is located on US 224 about 4.5 miles west of the I-69/US 224 interchange at Markle.

Also, check out the new northeast Indiana website, Fort Wayne Born to Run. It is aiming to fill the gap in the regional running scene since RunIndiana.com has gone on sabbatical. It is a "social networking" site and it looks to have a lot of promise in linking the running community in HUFFland.