Come run the first Mountain View Trail Half Marathon on October 17th, 2009.

Just a few updates on the half marathon:

First - The course has been set. If you go to this link you'll see the route. The race will actually start at White Rock Bay, not finish there. I had to start at the ranch to see where 13.1 miles ended up. So, it's a point-to-point course.

Second - We'll have a couple of shuttle vans to take you back to your cars after the race. If you have stuff that you want to change into after the race, make up a drop bag and we'll transport it to the ranch, or you can have your significant other just drive the car to the ranch, then we don't have to take you back to White Rock Bay.

Third - There will be four aid stations. The distances between will vary somewhat, but no more than 3-4 miles between each one. Take at least one water bottle with you.

Fourth - Don't drop any trash on the trails. This isn't a road race where dropping your stuff is acceptable. We aren't your mother either so clean up after yourselves. We'll have trash boxes outside of each aid station so you can put your stuff there. Otherwise, carry it to the next aid station. If you are observed intentionally dropping trash on the trail, you WILL be disqualified. Period.

Fifth - The finisher award will be a coffee (or hot chocolate) mug. We only ordered 100, so those go to the first 100 finishers. If we have more than 100, we'll think of something to give out.

Sixth - Long sleeve tech t's are the order of the day for entry shirts.

Now I'm sure you have all sorts of other questions. Do people actually run that far? How is that possible? Where's this Mountain View Trail? What's the course like? How do I train for this? How do I register? What if I want to wait until the last minute? Where do I check in? Hey, it costs nine bucks to get on the island, what about that? I'm scared of big animals and I've heard there's big animals on this trail. What's the weather going to be like? How much is this going to cost me? What do I get besides sore legs? What if my kids want to run it? What if I want to walk it? Can I take my dog? What about aid stations? How much time do I get to finish? What if I don't finish? What are you feeding me after the race? What if my family wants to eat? Ok, who's putting this thing on? Here they are, the answers to all of your burning questions.

Do people actually run that far?
Yes, believe it or not, people actually do run that far. There's even some hard core runners that will run twice that far and even crazier people that will run more than twice that far. They're nuttier than a fruitcake though and you shouldn't hang out with them, they're a bad influence and they smell funny.

How is that possible?
Some people do extraordinary things, you can to.

Where's this Mountain View Trail?
Ever heard of Antelope Island State Park? Nope, well, that's where this trail is. Antelope Island is a state park in Utah located in the middle of the Great Salt Lake. This trail goes along the east shore of the island from the north end of the island to the south end where the Fielding Garr Ranch is.

What's the course like?
It's dirt and rocks, duh, it's a trail. The trail is fairly flat single track. Those of you who have run the Antelope Island Buffalo Run 50 mile are very familiar with every inch of this trail. We'll start at the ranch, maybe run south on the dirt road for a half mile or so, just to spread out the field a little, then turn around and get on to the trail itself. The turnaround will be at the Lower Frary parking lot. The finish line will be at the ranch.

How do I train for this?
It's called training. Gradually, you train your body to be able to run that far. Don't worry, it can be done. We'll probably have a couple of training runs for you on the actual race course.

How do I register?
Well, you start by finding the entry form on this website or going to Striders Running Store in Layton and getting an entry form there. Next, fill the thing out, pretty simple really. Write so we can read the thing. Next write a check out to "Jim Skaggs" for the entry fee, or pay Striders. Then either mail in the entry form to the address on the form, or give it to Striders.

What if I want to wait until the last minute?
What a procrastinator! Ok, we'll let you wait until the day before the race, but here's the deal. If you want to mail it in, get it in the mail by October 10th. If you wait until after that, then take the form to Striders.

Where do I check in?
You can check in at Striders the day before the race. They're open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you want to check in on race day, we'll have check in set up in the big parking lot just before the main gate to the island starting at 7am until 8:30am. Just remember, it takes roughly 30 minutes to get from this parking lot to the ranch, so plan accordingly because the race will start on time whether you're there or not.

Hey, it costs nine bucks to get on the island, what about that?
Heavy sigh, don't worry, your entry includes a pass on to the island for the day, so don't sweat the nine bucks.

I'm scared of big animals and I've heard there're big animals on this trail.
Yep, there can be some mighty large animals on this trail. There are about 500 buffalo on the island and sometimes they like to park in the middle of a trail. Good luck getting them to move. Your best bet is to go around them. Other large animals you might encounter would be horses. They'll have people attached to them so they aren't as big a deal. There are many small furry mammals on the island as well, rabbits, porcupines, coyotes, mice, bobcats, big horn sheep.

What's the weather going to be like?
Who knows? In 2008 it snowed 4 inches on October 12. On the other hand, the average high for the 17th is 65, the average low is 38. So it could be perfect running weather. Plan for the worst, hope for the best.

How much is this going to cost me?
An arm and a leg as well as your first born male child. Actually, it'll be $45.00 for the entry until October 1st, then we'll bump it up to $55.00.

What do I get for my money besides sore legs?
Satisfaction. Good grief, what do you want? Ok, we'll give you a tech shirt for entering, some sort of medal thingy for finishing and a bar-b-que at the end of the race. Is that good enough? Oh, and don't forget the scenery is fantastic, much better than Salt Lake's cheesy half marathon in the streets, cheaper too (and we pay our bills on time). Oh, by the way, for you women, we'll have a women's style shirt, not the usual baggy men's shirt. Of course, if you want a baggy men's shirt, just let us know on the entry form.

What if my kids want to run it?
So pay their entry fee and sign them up. Just make sure they're trained properly and you've signed the entry form. You'd better run it too so they don't show you up.

What if I want to walk it?
So walk it, we're not going to stop you. Bring your camera so you can take pictures.

Can I take my dog?
Yeah, you can bring your dog. But the park rules say that the dog must be on a leash at all times and the leash is no longer than six feet. No letting them run loose, the Rangers frown on that sort of behavior.

What about aid stations?
What about them? They aren't going to be every mile like a road race. We'll have four of them. Since it's an out-and-back course, you get to say hi to the volunteers twice. We'll have water, some sort of sports drink like substance, maybe some gels of some sort, possibly some fruit. The usual stuff you find at a half marathon. What a deal.

How much time do I get to finish?
Officially, we'll give you three hours, unofficially, take as much time as you want until 5pm. That's when the park closes the ranch and kicks everyone out.

What if I don't finish?
Then I guess you don't finish. If you drop, make sure you drop at an aid station and let us know you dropping. Don't just get in your car and leave. But that's all sorts of negative thinking. You will finish and you will have a good time.

What are you feeding me after the race?
The ranch has a real nice picnic area. We're going to have us a bar-b-que after the race. Hamburgers, hotdogs, fixins. Sorry, we're not bringing steak, ribs or any fancy stuff.

What if my family wants to eat?
So let them eat. If you bring some family, just give us an extra couple of bucks per person. That should cover the cost.

Ok, who's putting this thing on?
It's a joint thing between Striders Running Store in Layton and Jim Skaggs, the guy who puts on the Antelope Island Buffalo Run every year.