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Title:Paleozoic Trail Runs - Silurian Spring
Date:Saturday March 26th, 2016
Author:Bill & Michelle (RDs)
Report:
Paleozoic Trail Runs
Silurian Spring

[Logo: Paleozoic Trail Runs]
4th Annual Spring-Season Paleozoic 50-Km and 25-Km
Trail Runs!

Our spring celebration of "going long" made use of the Palos trails of Willow Springs. We've charted this specific racecourse three times now... the others being Permian Fall in 2015, and Devonian Fall in 2014. This was the seventh running of our biannual race, which has always offered the event distances of 50 kilometers and 25 kilometers.

Saturday March 26, race-day conditions: low temperature of 35° F, high temperature of 55° F, SSW winds, with speeds that ranged from 4 mph to 15 mph, with maximum gust speeds of 19 mph, sunrise 6:43 am, sunset 7:10 pm. Historically, March 26th has averages: high temperature of 51° F, low temperature of 34° F.

Weather-wise, this was the one of the best ever days in our four-year history. The racecourse was in decent shape, but quite saturated in spots due to recent rain storms. Many stretches, especially the narrow and more rugged trails were wet and muddy. The grassy areas had frequent wet spots too.

Volunteers Celia Corral, Honggang Ye, Stephen Wrought, Ian Stevens, Tom Kohler, and "Uncle" Ray reported early-morning at Pioneer Woods, Grove #2 for aid station set up and to greet runners at the 7:30 am check-in / packet pick up.

Our 50-Km event was underway at 8:30 am, followed by the 25-Km, exactly one hour later at 9:30 am. A three-quarter mile grassy parade loop circled runners past cheering spectators, then off they raced the varying Palos Trail system of unpaved paths.

A midpoint, unmanned aid station was set trailside at approximately 3.6-miles outbound. Full-service amenities awaited, staffed by Tom and Ray at Wolf Road Woods, Grove #2, which served as our turnaround aid station. Paleo-Silur 50-Km runners completed two full laps of our out-n-back racecourse, while Paleo-Silur 25-Km runners enjoyed a one-lap tour.

At the finish, awaiting all runners... customized finisher-medals, vegetarian chili & white chicken chili, along with a sun-drenched grove for relaxing and replenishing. Top overall and masters runners earned very special awards. Top-three age division runners collected special pint-glass awards. First-time ultramarathon finishers earned "My First Ultra" pint-glass awards.

Congratulations to our swift runners of Paleozoic Trail Runs - Silurian Spring!
  • Paleo-Silur 50-Km...
    Top Male Open: James Roche, 28 of Montrose, CO - 3:35:27.6 * New course record!
    Top Female Open: Rachel Ingle, 36 of Chicago - 5:19:10.3
    Top Male Masters: Manuel Arias, 50 of Oak Forest - 4:15:48.5
    Top Female Masters: Justine Helminiak, 43 of Munster, IN - 5:34:05.8
  • Paleo-Silur 25-Km...
    Top Male Open: John Stuligross, 25 of Madison, WI - 1:49:02.0
    Top Female Open: Annabelle Winters, 34 of Chicago - 2:02:05.9 * Two-time champion!
    Top Male Masters: Alejandro Sandoval, 41 of Chicago - 1:55:48.9 * Two-time masters champion!
    Top Female Masters: Tiffany Cruickshank, 45 of Burr Ridge - 2:03:35.0
Timing, webcasting, and finish-line scoring... all managed by us, through our RunRace website at RunRace. Check out Results and our Webcast through the links...
Results: Results on RunRace
Webcast: Webcast with Checkpoint Splits

Let's give a rousing "shout out" to our race volunteers, many of which are accomplished runners, all of whom performed "beyond the call!"
  • Pioneer Woods Aid Station: Celia Corral, Ian Stevens, Honggang Ye, Stephen Wrought.
  • Wolf Road Woods Aid Station: Tom Kohler, Uncle Ray.
  • Course Marking / Course Cleanup: Bill Thom.
Check out our gallery of photos below, captured mostly at our primary aid station, Pioneer Woods. These photos have been optimized for display on the internet... if you'd like a "high-resolution" original contact me and I will reply with an email attachment... be sure to specify which photo(s) you'd like.

Congratulations to all runners of Paleozoic Trail Runs... summoned by the primordial instinct to go-long, who toed-the-line and answered-the-call, in our spring version - Silurian Spring!

Links & Recaps as Generously Provided by Participants of
Paleozoic Trail Runs - Silurian Spring!

Honggang Ye, Aid Station Volunteer...
Check out Hong's album on Flickr: Paleozoic Trail Runs

Lisa Barbrick, Crewing her fiancé, while out on the trails for a 15 mile run...
Check out Lisa's album on Dropbox, with over 400 images(!): Paleozoic Run
Website:
RunRace.net/paleozoic/  Go there or Go there in new browser
Additional website reference address.
Click a thumbnail for its larger image.
Start of Silurian Spring 25-Km
Start of Silurian Spring 25-Km
Starting Parade Loop of Silurian Spring 25-Km
Starting Parade Loop of Silurian Spring 25-Km
Starting Parade Loop of Silurian Spring 25-Km
Starting Parade Loop of Silurian Spring 25-Km
Starting Parade Loop of Silurian Spring 25-Km
Starting Parade Loop of Silurian Spring 25-Km
Starting Parade Loop of Silurian Spring 25-Km
Starting Parade Loop of Silurian Spring 25-Km
Starting Parade Loop of Silurian Spring 25-Km
Starting Parade Loop of Silurian Spring 25-Km
Starting Parade Loop of Silurian Spring 25-Km
Starting Parade Loop of Silurian Spring 25-Km
Starting Parade Loop of Silurian Spring 25-Km
Starting Parade Loop of Silurian Spring 25-Km
Starting Parade Loop of Silurian Spring 25-Km
Starting Parade Loop of Silurian Spring 25-Km
Starting Parade Loop of Silurian Spring 25-Km
Starting Parade Loop of Silurian Spring 25-Km
Starting Parade Loop of Silurian Spring 25-Km
Starting Parade Loop of Silurian Spring 25-Km
Starting Parade Loop of Silurian Spring 25-Km
Starting Parade Loop of Silurian Spring 25-Km
Starting Parade Loop of Silurian Spring 25-Km
Starting Parade Loop of Silurian Spring 25-Km
Starting Parade Loop of Silurian Spring 25-Km
Starting Parade Loop of Silurian Spring 25-Km
Starting Parade Loop of Silurian Spring 25-Km
Starting Parade Loop of Silurian Spring 25-Km
Starting Parade Loop of Silurian Spring 25-Km
Starting Parade Loop of Silurian Spring 25-Km
James Roche is first back, after completing his first of two laps in the 50-Km
Pioneer Woods... Start/Finish area of Silurian Spring
Manuel Arias completes his first of two laps in the 50-Km
John Stuligross of Madison, Wisconsin finishes First in the Silurian Spring 25-Km!
John Stuligross of Madison, Wisconsin finishes First in the Silurian Spring 25-Km!
Dave Caldwell finishes in second place among Silurian Spring 25-Km runners!
Alejandro Sandoval finishes in third place among Silurian Spring 25-Km runners!
Alejandro Sandoval finishes in third place among Silurian Spring 25-Km runners!
Pioneer Woods... Start/Finish area of Silurian Spring
Pioneer Woods... Start/Finish area of Silurian Spring
Pioneer Woods... Start/Finish area of Silurian Spring
Pioneer Woods... Start/Finish area of Silurian Spring
Pioneer Woods... Start/Finish area of Silurian Spring
James Roche of Montrose, Colorado Finishes First in the 50-Km Setting a New Course Record!
Pioneer Woods... Start/Finish area of Silurian Spring
Pioneer Woods... Start/Finish area of Silurian Spring
Pioneer Woods... Start/Finish area of Silurian Spring
Pioneer Woods... Start/Finish area of Silurian Spring
Rachel Ingle of Chicago finishes the 50-Km as Top Female!
Rachel Ingle of Chicago finishes the 50-Km as Top Female!
Pioneer Woods... Start/Finish area of Silurian Spring
Pioneer Woods... Start/Finish area of Silurian Spring
Pioneer Woods... Start/Finish area of Silurian Spring
Kimmie Brown, veteran of two past Paleozoic Trail Runs, crosses the finish line of Silurian Spring!
Kimmie Brown, veteran of two past Paleozoic Trail Runs, crosses the finish line of Silurian Spring!
Pioneer Woods... Start/Finish area of Silurian Spring
Action from Pioneer Woods through the lens of Celia Corral
Action from Pioneer Woods through the lens of Celia Corral
Action from Pioneer Woods through the lens of Celia Corral
Action from Pioneer Woods through the lens of Celia Corral
Action from Pioneer Woods through the lens of Celia Corral
Action from Pioneer Woods through the lens of Celia Corral
Action from Pioneer Woods through the lens of Celia Corral
Action from Pioneer Woods through the lens of Celia Corral
Action from Pioneer Woods through the lens of Celia Corral
Action from Pioneer Woods through the lens of Celia Corral
Action from Pioneer Woods through the lens of Celia Corral

Visitor Feedback & Commentary:
CommentsVisitor
Posted
Last Update
What a great race! Well run and awesome aid for all runners! Bill couldn't have been any nicer or accommodating! I will definitely be back!
Brad Gorski
Apr 2, 2016
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Posted:March 29th, 2016 2:50 pm
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