Run for the Rocks...On Course

Have I mentioned how THRILLED I am to say that a great half-marathon course in Hutchinson (that avoids all railroad crossings while being fast, flat, scenic and interesting) does exist and we have found it!  The course begins in Carey Park meandering past the golf course, the Hutchinson Zoo and the famous fountain where the course connects with the Jim P. Martinez Trail.  The inviting (and paved) Martinez Trail follows the Arkansas River and Cow Creek offering fantastic views and beautiful Kansas scenery.  Upon exiting the Martinez Trail the halfway point will approach at Rice Park.  Rice Park is family friendly park with more than a mile of meandering paths that will offer great spectator views.  After leaving Rice Park the course runs through the charming Old Farm Estates and Hyde Park neighborhoods before entering the Kansas State Fair Grounds.  The course tour of the State Fair Grounds will take runners by Lake Talbot and other nostalgic spots like Ye Old Mill and the Grandstands.  As runners traverse the last miles the course loops around past the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center and the Hutchison Community College Campus to finish at Gowan Stadium amongst cheering crowds!

I’m already envisioning what it will be like to watch runners cross the finish line of this course.  Will the runners be as excited about the course and crossing the finish line at the inaugural Run for the Rocks as we will be to watch them?  The Run for the Rocks planning committee certainly hopes so and is hard at work to making this race one to remember, one to love and one to come back to.

We Have a Logo!

Don't you just love this logo?! It's a combination of talents, but major props go to Ruth and her crew at Advertising Specialties in Hutchinson.

We hope you're starting to get excited for the first-ever half-marathon in Hutchinson. We just launched our Facebook fan page, so check it out - it's under Run for the Rocks (simple, huh?!).

Let us know your thoughts - I'm always one to hear input on how we can market better!

Stay tuned for our Website....that's our next item to launch.

Go out for a run today - it's the perfect weather, plus you won't have to face the 40 mph wind gusts they're anticipating for Friday.

Happy Thursday!

- Amy, AKA Mama on the Run

Finding a Course

Recently one of my “running dreams” has become a reality… I’m helping plan a race!  And it isn’t just any race; it is my favorite distance benefiting two of my favorite causes.   To my intense delight, The Salt City “Run for the Rocks” half-marathon came about as a joint benefit for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hutchinson and the Hutchinson Recreation Commission.  Being a part of the planning process is everything I hoped it would be and much much more… 

As I exuberantly set out to test run (pun intended!) different course possibilities, the prevalence of railroad crossings in Hutchinson slowly began to mar my joy...  If you live in or around Hutchinson, KS, if you have even been late to an appointment in Hutchinson, if you have ever waited on one train and then three blocks later waited on another - then you understand why the “Run for the Rocks” was almost called the “Railroad Crossing Avoidance Run.”  Well, not really; that title was never a serious contender outside of my own musings.  However, I certainly had thoughts of that title each time I encountered an unanticipated crossing after thinking to myself “Ah-ha! This is the perfect course….” 

Despite the many crestfallen expressions I had at unanticipated railroad crossings, I still had an “Ah-ha,”… I can run through, in (or around!) almost anything.  Never before has running had such an interesting purpose for me.  Finding the perfect course that is fast and flat, safe without railroad crossings, while still being scenic and interesting… really tough, time consuming and definitely worth the wait.  With much help from RFR committee members and quite a few test runs…  MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!  Run for the Rocks boasts a great course that suits Salt City, and runners, perfectly.

Welcome!

Hello, fellow runners!

Can we first say how EXCITED we are that a half-marathon is coming to Hutchinson?! It's about time!

The Boys and Girls Club of Hutchinson and Hutchinson Recreation Commission have teamed up to put on the Run for the Rocks Half-Marathon on Sept. 25 in Hutchinson. Mark your calendars....our new Website (www.runfortherocks.com) will be up and running soon. Our Website will have all of the race details, plus some fun info along the way.

Join fellow runner and RFR race organizer, Little Runner on the Prairie, and myself as we blog about all things running - plus info on the upcoming race. We'd love to follow you, too. Comment and let us know if you have a blog you'd like to share. You can also check us out on Facebook under Run for the Rocks Half Marathon. Become a friend...you'll be glad you did!

Until then, keep Sept. 25 open and plan on joining us for the first-ever half-marathon in Hutchinson!

-Amy