The forecast for Saturday’s Prairie Spirit Trail ultramarathon is 40 degrees with a 20 percent chance of rain and snow — a fact that has only increased registrations.
We’re not talking about ordinary people here.
“We actually had a couple more people sign up after the forecast was released, and had a couple more decided to bump up to the longer distance,” said Eric Steele, race organizer.
This year is the inaugural event for the trail, and 138 people had signed up as of Wednesday afternoon. Steele said he expected only about half as many participants. There are 21 states represented by the runners.
“We are really excited about what we have going for a first-year event,” he said.
Steele said he and his organizers, who run Epic Ultras, have been pushing advertisement for the race for several months.
Normally a bad forecast would deter people from signing up for a race. But, Steele said the ultramarathoners are a different breed.
There are 50-mile and 100-mile distances for Saturday’s race. It begins in Ottawa, follows the trail down to Iola and then back to Ottawa.
He said the weather provides its own unique challenges for the race organizers, as well as the racers. The aid stations will have propane heaters and tarps for the racers to warm up, along with the normal supply of drinks and food for energy.
“There’s a greater magnitude of responsibilities for a race like this,” Steele said.
Regardless of any challenges, he said the runners will be ready. More than half of the people signed up are ultramarathon first-timers.
“The people that have climbed into the deep psychological aspect are getting pretty pumped about it,” Steele said with a laugh.
The race is set to start promptly at 6 a.m. on Saturday from Ottawa for the 100-milers, and 8 a.m. for the 50-milers. He said for those looking to cheer on the runners, they will be running through Garnett between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and then up to Iola between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. The runners have 30 hours to complete the 100-mile portion and 28 hours to complete the 50-mile portion.
Rain or shine, it is going to be a long day for the runners. But, he hopes the race will go as smoothly as possible — to reflect the hard work of the organizers.
“We are really passionate and driven to put on the best event we can,” Steele said. “We have been working our butts off for the past couple of weeks.”
Ultramarathoners ready, rain or shine
