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.