The Rockin K
Trail Runs are held at the Kanopolis State Park in the heart of the Smoky
Hills, in central Kansas. Hills you say? Kansas is flat. Well, not all of
Kansas, the Rockin K is run on a series of interconnected loop trails, mostly
horse and mountain bike trails, all single track, that follow the canyons and
watersheds, then out across the prairie to the bluffs of the Smoky Hill River.
The race starts with the Horsethief Canyon trail, wanders across the prairie to
the tops of box canyons, where legend has it the Native Indians stashed the
horses they stole, across several water crossings fed by underground springs,
and across beaver dams over the creeks feeding the lake. The Prairie trails
take you past the Red Rock Canyon, of red sandstone across the prairie on
cattle trails, through cattle gates to the Alum Creek trail. The Alum Creek
loop is primitive as no hikers make it that far and most of the horse riders
don’t use it as it is closed six months of the year for hunting seasons. It
follows game trails and cattle paths to the Aid Station at cattle Gate 6. From
Gate 6 the runners go out on the Big Bluff loop, an unimproved game trail bush
whacked out in the week before the race, crossing barb wire fences with
blankets laid on top, to the bluffs above the Smoky Hill River. The trail is
rough and rocky, going from the top of the bluff down to the bottom and back
several times on the way back to Gate 6 aid station. After finishing the Big Bluff loop the runners head back in on
the southern part of the Prairie trail, past the Eagle Hack tower, built for
eagles to nest in, and onto the southern part of the Horsethief trail. The race
finishes at the Corral Shelter house, on top of a hill, at the Rockin K
campgrounds.
The marathon
race is one loop of the course, with an unmanned water station at about 7.5
miles and a fully stocked manned aid station at Gate 6, which the runners pass
twice at about 13 and 18 miles. The 50-mile race is a second loop of the same
course, except for a shortcut section on the Alum creek trail, passing all the
same aid stations.
Since this was
the first year we have had access to an all trail course, Phil GPS’d the course
a couple of times to check the distances in the weeks before the race. The
marathon loop came out a little longer than the standard marathon and the
50-mile course about three quarters of a mile over.
The temperatures
the week before the race were very warm and we hoping for a break in the
weather, then the five day forecast was looking great, with overcast skies and
highs in the mid-fifties. Then again this is Kansas, in the spring, two days
out we were back to a forecast of mid-sixties and breezy. Breezy in Kansas
means WIND, which I have heard some runners describe as “Kansas’ mountains”.
Thankfully, we had beautiful weather, sunny, little wind and mild temperatures.
Paul Schoenlaub led the 50 Mile race coming
in to the turnaround at Corral Shelter at 3.59.20, spending just over a minute
in the aid station, going on to win setting a new course record of 8.36.08, on
this more challenging, all trail course. Art Long took second in 10.17.55,
making up more than 23 minutes in the last 13 miles, over the third place tie
of Kyle Amos and Stuart Johnson, who finished in 10.19.42. The first three
women, Tammy Stone, Cheryl Miller Balster and Theresa Wheeler, ran within 20 minutes
of each other until the turnaround. Cheryl made up 12 minutes on the lead
runner, Tammy going into the Big Bluff loop and had cut the lead to just 8
minutes leaving Gate 6. Cheryl passed Tammy in the last 8 miles to take the win
and women’s course record in 10.56.09. Tammy held onto second place with a time
of 11.03.19 and Theresa finished her first 50-mile race in 11.07.47 for third
place. Alexander Kovalev won the most miles award in the 50 mile race, running
the full second loop instead of taking the second loop shortcut, running 52.87
miles in 11.40.19.
Dann Fisher led
the marathon pack by almost 6 minutes going into Gate 6 at 13.24 miles and had
widened that lead by 13 minutes coming in from the Big Bluff loop. Dann took
the win and course record in 4.04.43. Christopher Ernst took second 4.30.07 and
Mark Lisak to third place in 4.42.50. Leslee Hampel widened her lead of 10
minutes going into the Big Bluff loop to 18 minutes coming back into Gate 6 and
finished 24 minutes ahead of second place, for the course record and overall
women’s win in a time of 5.23.45. Second place was a tie with Kristen Harms and
Deborah Webster finishing in 5.47.12. Kay Mathias took third in 5.49.04.
All finishers at
the Rockin K receive a horseshoe award and the overall winners in each race
receive a t-shirt with the winning time, and free entry into the next year’s
race. The 50 mile turnaround point is also the marathon finish, which was a
little too tempting with the dinner and beer, we had 10 fifty milers decide to
call it a day and take the marathon finish.
Phil and Stacy Sheridan, RD’s