Below are some of the Thank You’s, Comments, and Race Reports from the 2009 Heartland Spirit of the Prairie Race held October 10^th held in Cassoday Kansas.

I would like to begin by saying thank you.  What an awesome race.  It was my first 100-miler and will not soon be forgotten.  I was so impressed with everything, especially the aide stations and volunteers.  They were all so helpful and attentive.  We had a crew with us, but can only imagine how important these volunteers are for people without a crew!  They were AWESEOME!  Please pass that on to them!  Also, I wanted to purchase a few extra shirts for our crew members.  Can I send you a check and get them mailed to me?  Thanks!

Christy Scott
Fitness on the Move

Randy and Jim:

Thank you for putting on a fantastic run.  Heartland was my first successful 100, and I will always remember it.  Through the blistering cold and strong winds, your volunteers helped me make my way to the finish line.  Muchas gracias, amigos!

Take care,

Ryan Valdez

Hello,

I just wanted to thank you for such a wonderful race!  This was my first 50 miler and everything was perfect.  The weather could have been warmer.  The course was so beautiful.  I can't wait to do this race again next year.  Maybe even the 100!

Thank you again to everyone who worked to put this race on.  I pasted on my race report.  Thank you again.

Happy Running,

Laura Range

     I headed to Cassoday Friday for the Heartland 50 race.  This would be my first 50 miler and was excited and nervous.  The RD reminded us that whatever the weather brings to Kansas we would feel it.  He was right.  The prerace dinner is reason enough to do the race.  It’s as good as or better than grandma’s Thanksgiving dinner.  The race started on a dark, 33 degree, cold morning.  All the races were talking and the stars lit up the night sky.  The 50 milers started right before the 100 milers.  We followed down a paved road for about 250 yards then turned onto dirt/gravel roads for the rest of the race.  The course was dry except for a few frozen mud puddles.  The air was cold and the wind gusts blew right through you.  I was thankful to have gloves on.  The course was a never ending roller coaster of gradual ups and downs.  The sky soon started to turn lighter shades of blue at the horizon as night gave way to day.  As the first beams of orange and yellow filled the sky you could see the hills around you.  We were running into the sunrise. The fields of grass were everywhere.  Think amber waves of grain.   It was beautiful.  As soon as the sun rose into the sky the clouds quickly moved in.  The temperature seemed to drop and the wind gusted fiercely.   The runners I met up with offered good conversation and words of encouragement.  Ultrarunners are the friendliest group of people I have ever met.  About mile 20 the cold was becoming an issue for me.  My hands were completely numb and swollen and I was being to shiver.  The last hill up to Teterville, mile 25 was a wind tunnel.  It was horribly cold.  Arriving at the aid station I was met with the most wonderful volunteers.  My hands were so cold I could not take off my pack or get my warm clothes on from my drop bag.  So volunteers filled my pack, put it on and dressed me in my warm fleece jacket.  I went into the tent to warm up for a minute.  I couldn’t hold my PB&J because my frozen hands refused to grip so I just set it in the palm of my hand and ate it from the top down.  Then walks in a volunteer and pulls the hand warmers out of her white mittens and gives them to me.  She just smiled and told me I was doing great.  Wow!  I thought isn’t enough that these volunteers are out here longer that most runners, freezing, offering food and first aid and then to give me her hand warmers!………I can’t thank her enough.  She made the difference in my race right then.  The hills rolled up and down and the wind continued to gust.   Kansas or at least Cassoday is not flat, anywhere.  On the top of one of the hills was a herd of wild mustangs watching as the runners went by, there must have been at least twenty horses.  The course was marked perfectly, which was such a relief, as I tend to get lost.  At mile 38, or so, I started to get nauseous.  I was hoping it would pass or I would just throw up and be done with it.   The eight mile to the last manned aid station was hard.  I was so cold and sick.  I couldn’t imagine how hard this coming night was going to be for the 100 milers.  As I got to the last aid station I told the ladies I was sick and needed something, but not sure what.  They offered up some Pepto-Bismol.  Nooooooo thanks.  Then they offered up some soup broth and some peppermints.  The soup helped tremendously.  I was happy with my time so far and figured if I ran more than walked I would reach the finish at about 11:15, if I walked more, I would reach it in about 12:00 hours.  I met up with another runner and we finished together at about 11:49.  I was pleased with that, as my goal was to make 12 hours.  Except for being very, very cold and having some nausea my body did well for my first 50 miler.  No blisters and kept all toe nails.  Yeah!  This was a great race to do, especially as a first timer. 

Hi Randy,
thank you for everything. you and all of your crew/volunteers did an amazing job. it was a great race crewed by wonderful people and because of all of them we set a new world record and became the first female amputee to run 100 miles. great things happen with the support of those around you.
see you next year.
amy

Randy,
Kathy and I would like to once again thank you and all the wonderful volunteers that made the 2009 Heartland events possible.  As assistant race directors and race volunteers ourselves we have some idea of the enormity the effort that is involved.  I won't hesitate to highly recommend the Heartland 50 or 100 to any of my friends.

Thanks!
Rob + Kathy Youngren

munisano Link to Rob’s blog with his full Heartland Report

Hi Randy,

Thanks to you, Jim, Nancy and all the crew for another fantastic race -- this one under much less than ideal conditions. I did much of this one without crew, but Dave, Steve, Marilyn and Roger, Theresa and the GPRC crew all took care of me like I was their own.

Would've gone to my head, except I've seen them treat every runner that way. You put on a race I'm proud to bring my friends to.

Anyway, I'm working on the race report... Any chance you could e-mail me the race results? At least the top 5 men and women in each race? If they're going up on the site soon, then don't worry about it.

Kind of interesting -- some of the worst conditions ever, yet some of the fastest top 4 times ever, in the hundred. What do you think that's about?

Karen loved her Heartland 100 jacket btw.

Best,

gary

Hi Randy, great race on Saturday.  I finished it! 

Just loved running through the Flint Hills and it was nice that we didn't have a lot of traffic to worry about.
There were a few times when I thought I wasn't going to make it. 

Besides the fact that I'll always be able to say that I ran 50 miles, the thing that is going to make that run so memorable is the ‘manned’ aid stations.  All the people that volunteered at the aid stations helped in ways that I couldn't even begin to describe. 

Please send along to them my appreciation, I couldn't thank them enough.   

Thank you…

Michael Ladd

Hey guys,

Thank you very much for putting on a great race!  I had an awesome time and thoroughly enjoyed the support from all the volunteers.  The food was the best I’ve had at any race.  With the weather being what it was, I think I burned twice the calories as normal and was VERY thankful to have such an incredible selection of home made food.  The volunteers were incredible.  In spite of the harsh weather, they were all so cheerful and giving.

Sorry I could not stick around for the awards… we headed back to Denver (and milder weather) immediately after the race.  I’ll never underestimate the prairie wind in the future.

Sincerely,

Dan Schmidt

Terry & I just want to thank EVERYONE that helped put on the Heartland 100. Conditions could have been better but most likely could have been worse, knowing Kansas!! A lot of work went into a smooth running race. Terry & Adam had a great time..they're still saying that after sleep.

I told people at work the hours the volunteers put in & lack of sleep on everyone's part. The non ultra's are in awe.

Thanks again. Adam said it would be "epic" & I think it was. Glad we didn't get the snow flurries. Congrats to Phil for his phenomenal 50 mile.

Terry & Sherri Rider