Last summer, I raced "The Fred", a 200-mile relay race up and down the Fred Meijer White Pine bike trail. It was a great event; the teamwork and logistical planning added a layer of enjoyment in addition to the typical joy of running.
The race was a relatively small affair, with roughly thirty teams competing, and the start was staggered so that teams would finish at approximately the same time. This meant that for the first hundred miles or so, your team was essentially on its own. It wasn't until about the halfway point that eams that were beating their seed times started to catch up to teams that were falling behind their seed times.
It's also an overnight race, down a six-foot-wide bike trail, so the legs that were run in the dark were eerily, surreally lonely. It was just you, the sound of your footsteps, that little circle of headlamp light, and the occasional raccoon or obstinate skunk.
However, just as you came into Cadillac, Michigan, a couple miles from the turnaround, there was a huge exchange zone that caught teams heading up and teams heading down; just about every team had to be there at just about the exact same time. I was running for our squad, gliding along in the dead of the night, just about finished with a tough ten-mile leg, when I came around a turn and saw a hundred people wearing reflective vests and headlamps, with two dozen cars shining their headlights onto the trail. Race officials, runners who had just finished, runners who were waiting for their team, and crew members -- all of them glowing and reflecting like some sort haphazardly-lit UFO. What a sight!
It was all the more impressive because it was such a contrast from the solitude in which we had been running -- and because it was so unexpected.
Most of us enjoy all of these to some extent. There are dozens of spectra along which we exist as runners: how much do you enjoy testing your limits? How much do you enjoy getting into the great outdoors? The Fred was a great reminder to me of how many different ways there are to enjoy running.
At The Hungerford Games, we understand the different motivations that compel people to run.
We certainly place an emphasis on highlighting the quiet, natural side of running and racing. We spotlight the fact that running is a great way to see some incredible places and some amazing sights. We know it can help cultivate an appreciation for the natural world.
Because it's a race, you'll also get a chance to push yourself and test your limits, if you are so inclined. The courses are fair -- but they're also challenging. Race it hard, and you'll get a chance to see what you're made of.
We know that races are partly individual and partly communal experiences. You'll definitely get some time to think your own thoughts as you glide silently through the forest -- but with only a few spots where spectators can easily travel, you'll also run through some points where throngs of supporters line the way and cheer you on.
Many have said that there are as many reasons to run as there are runners. Whatever your reason, The Hungerford Games has something for you.
Many have said that there are as many reasons to run as there are runners. Whatever your reason, The Hungerford Games has something for you.
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