Race Report: Summer Camp Series, Day 5

Today was the last day of the Mainly Marathons Summer Camp Series.  It was my sixth marathon in six days.  Up to this point, I had kept all my times under six hours, but yesterday I really had to work at it.  I didn’t know how today would go.

For the second straight day, we were running through Quarry Park and Nature Preserve.  Today, we ran a different route.

Before every race, there are pre-race announcements.  At the end of the announcements, they recognize people who have reached significant milestones.

Today was my 50th Minnesota marathon with Mainly Marathons since the two Minnesota brothers took over the business.  I think I was the eighth person to do that.

The man of the hour was Robert Manon, who achieved Loony Legend status today.  To be a Loony Legend, you need to run at least 100 marathons or half marathons with Mainly Marathons.  You also need to complete all 13 of their series.  When someone becomes a Loony Legend, a friend or family member tells everyone their story.  That honor went to Karen “Evil Twin” Vollan.

After that, there were three group pictures.  Throughout the year, there were three instances of two series being held back-to-back.  If you run them both, it’s called a Running Ragged series, and you get a special belt buckle.  This is a picture of everyone who completed the Triple Crown by doing all three Running Ragged series this year.

This is a picture of the AAA group.  These runners did all 75 Mainly Marathons races in the same year.  Yes, these runners are completely loony.

The last group was every Loony Legend who was here today.  I wasn’t quick enough to get a picture of that group.

The last day of a series is hot dog day.  They had hot dogs and brats at the aid station.  They also had emotional support hot dogs that you could carry with you on one of your laps.  A few runners wore special outfits for the occasion.

With all the pre-race hoopla, I didn’t have time to make a bathroom stop before the race.  I also forgot to put my watch in run mode.  While everyone else started running, I was still getting my watch ready.

Today’s weather was much cooler.  It was only 52 degrees at the start, and it didn’t get up to 70 until noon.  I actually started the race wearing gloves and a light jacket.  I was stopping to take pictures during my first lap, so it took me a while to get warmed up.

Today’s route took us past the main park pavilion and through the woods.  We crossed over a small berm that I call the “speed bump.”  Then we continued through the woods until we reached a clearing.

We crossed a floating bridge over a marsh.  Then we continued on the gravel trails until we reached quarry #2.  This is one of the quarries that has been converted into a swimming area.

On the opposite side of the trail, we ran past another quarry that’s been made into a fishing hole.

Then we continued to the eastern edge of the park, turned and kept going until we reached the turnaround cone.  Then we ran back the way we came.  We ran this route 14 times for a marathon or 7 times for a half marathon.

On the way back, the approach to the “speed bump” is steeper.  I always walked up the speed bump in this direction.

After my first lap, I had to make a bathroom stop.  Then I headed out again.  I felt better today than I did yesterday.  Partly that’s because it was a cooler day, but I also wasn’t noticing my Achilles tendon as much.

I made three more stops in the next three laps.  After my second lap, I took off my jacket and put it in my drop bag.  After my third lap, I made another bathroom stop.  After my fourth lap, I took the time to eat part of a brat.  They were cut into pieces, so you didn’t need to eat a whole one at once.  Despite all those stops, I was on roughly the same pace as yesterday.

For the first half of the race, I was walking up one side of the speed bump, but I was running everywhere else.  With the cool conditions, I needed to run to stay warm.

When I finished my seventh lap, I was half done.  So far, I was one minute faster than yesterday.  Before heading out for my eighth lap, I ate part of a hot dog.  That was the last time that I ate any solid food.

By now, it was finally warm enough that I could do extra walking without my hands getting cold.  I picked out another small hill that I always found to be tiring.  For the rest of the race, I walked this hill in addition to the “speed bump.”

The extra energy I had earlier faded as the race progressed.  With about five laps to go, I was feeling the cumulative fatigue of running six marathons in six days.

With three laps to go, I needed to make another bathroom stop.  Even after stopping, I was still a minute ahead of yesterday’s pace.  I knew I could afford to do more walking, but I wanted to wait until my last lap.

Yesterday, I had someone to run with in the late laps.  Today, I was on my own.  At this point, most people were walking.  Those who were still running were too fast for me.  That made it tougher to stay on pace.  In retrospect, I probably should have run a lap with an emotional support hot dog.

With two laps to go, I could no longer focus on a whole lap.  I needed to break it up into shorter segments.  First, I focused on running to the bridge.  Then I ran to the swimming hole.  Then I ran to the corner near the eastern edge of the park.  Finally, I ran the rest of the way to the turnaround.  These segments were different lengths, but none of them was much more than a quarter mile.

Coming back, I had to do the same four segments in reverse.  When I was running from the bridge back to the aid station, I passed two groups of college-age kids who were on their way to go swimming.  I didn’t think it was warm enough to go swimming, but I don’t have the metabolism of a 20-year-old.

My goal was to keep my time under six hours.  With one lap to go, I could afford to take 35 minutes.  I had time to walk most of the lap.  I walked a few more of the uphill segments, but I was mostly running.

With about half a mile left, I caught up to Sally.  She was doing a run/walk mix at a pace I found comfortable.  I ran the rest of that lap with her, finishing in 5:51:01.

I got two more pieces to add to my chain of medals.  The medal for today’s race was a loon with a hot dog, because it’s hot dog day.  I also got an extra piece that goes to anyone who did every race of the series.

This is what the whole chain looks like.  It’s too long for me to actually wear this.

As I was leaving, I almost forgot to retrieve my drop bag.  After getting back to the hotel, I realized I had left my bottle at the aid station.  Apparently, today was my day to forget things.  After washing up and changing into clean clothes, I drove back to Quarry Park to retrieve my bottle.  While I was there, I got to see a couple runners finish their marathons.

The Rueckert brothers both live in the St. Cloud area, and after the Summer Camp Series they host an annual banquet called The Loonies.  A few people had to begin their journeys home, but most of us will be partying tonight.

Race statistics:

Distance:  26.2 miles

Time:  5:51:01

Average Pace:  13:23 per mile

First Half:  2:52:25

Second Half:  2:58:36

Marathons/Ultras in 2026:  27

Lifetime Marathons/Ultras:  599

Minnesota Marathons/Ultras:  122

Race Report: 2026 Summer Camp Series, Day 4

Today was day four of the Mainly Marathons Summer Camp Series.  Today, we were running at Quarry Park and Nature Preserve in Waite Park.

This park contains 22 old granite quarries that are no longer in use.  Some of them are quite deep, and over the years they’ve filled in with rain water.  A few have been converted into swimming holes, making this park a popular summer destination.

The park has a network of gravel trails.  Over the years, Mainly Marathons has held races on at least six different routes through the park.  Today’s race was held on my favorite route.

This route goes through the middle of the park, past a swimming hole with a beach.  Then it continues past the observation deck before we turn around and come back to the aid station in the parking area.  Along the way, we passed a few other quarries.  For a marathon, we ran this route 14 times.

The weather was cooler today.  The temperature was in the mid-60s at the start and never got out of the 70s.  We also had a cool breeze, so I was never in danger of getting hot.

During my first lap, I ran the whole way, stopping only to take pictures.  During my second lap, I saw a couple of deer in the woods.

On the hotter days, I did little or no walking in the first half, so I could afford to take walking breaks as it got hotter.  Today, that wasn’t a concern.  I just needed to make sure I was staying on pace to finish in six hours.  In my third lap, I did some walking so I could talk to my friend, Karen.

This course doesn’t have any big hills, but it’s also not flat.  There are sections that are slightly uphill and sections that are slightly downhill.  After a few laps, I became more aware that some part of the course were more tiring and others were easier.  One of the tiring sections came just before the turnaround.  I continued to run everywhere else, but I started walking that section.

In lap seven, I ran about half of the lap with Ken.  His pace was a little tiring for me.  Shortly after that, I started to notice that my legs were getting sore.  On other days, I got hot and tired, but this was the first time I had sore muscles during the race.

At the halfway point, I was slower than I had been on any of the other days.  I had some room to slow down, but not much.  Instead of doing extra walking, I felt like I had to keep mostly running.

It was a big contrast with yesterday, when I felt strong in the second half.  As I thought about that, I realized I was probably sore today because I didn’t hold back enough yesterday.

I was checking my watch every three and a half laps to make sure I was on pace for a six-hour finish.  The first time I checked, I was three minutes ahead of schedule.  Halfway through the race, I had a six-minute cushion.  When I checked again with three and a half laps to go, it was still a six-minute cushion.  I was no longer adding to my cushion, even though I wasn’t doing any extra walking.

One lap later, another friend named Karen caught up to me.  I ran with her for the rest of that lap and all of the next one.  Running with Karen helped me to stay on pace.  As I started my last lap, I had a little more than 35 minutes to break 6:00.  The previous lap only took 25 minutes, so I knew I could now afford to do more walking.

I could’ve walked more, but I didn’t.  Having only one lap to go made it easier for me to coax myself to keep running.  In the first half of that lap, I did a little more walking but not much.  I reached the turnaround in 12 minutes.

As I thought about where the tiring uphill sections were, I realized most of them were in the first half of the lap.  Coming back, it was mostly downhill.  With that in mind, I ran the rest of the lap, finishing in 5:49:30.  I really struggled today, but it wasn’t my slowest race of the series.

Today’s addition to the chain of medals was a Viking.

During the race, I enjoyed the cooler temperatures.  After the race, however, I was a bit disappointed.  By doing the race, we all got free admission into the park.  On a scorching hot day, like the last four days, I would’ve enjoyed going for a swim after the race.  When it’s only in the 70s, it’s not warm enough to go swimming.  Those quarries are so deep that the water is always ice cold, even in the summer.  I saw a few people swimming, but I decided to pass on that.

There’s just one more race in this series.  Tomorrow, we’ll be coming back to Quarry Park, but we’ll be running a different route.

Race statistics:

Distance:  26.2 miles

Time:  5:49:30

Average Pace:  13:20 per mile

First Half:  2:53:24

Second Half:  2:56:06

Marathons/Ultras in 2026:  26

Lifetime Marathons/Ultras:  598

Minnesota Marathons/Ultras:  121

Race Report: 2026 Summer Camp Series, Day 1

Today was the first day of the Mainly Marathons Summer Camp Series, which is a series of five marathons in the St. Cloud area.  For me, it was the second day of six, because I also did the last day of the Heartland Series yesterday.

Today’s race venue was Bend in the River Regional Park.  Our course was a gravel trail that took us around a historic farmstead and out to three viewpoints overlooking the Minnesota River.

There was one aid station, which was set up under the park pavilion.  We came back to it after every lap.  To complete a marathon, I had to run 14 laps.

It wasn’t quite as hot as yesterday.  The temperature ranged from low 60s to low 80s.  The air quality was also better, although it was still in the “poor” range.

Before the race, I noticed a chocolate cake on one of the aid station tables.  At first, I wondered whose birthday it was.  Then I saw the writing on the cake.  It was for Monte finishing 50 states yesterday.

When I started running, I immediately noticed two things.  First, my left Achilles tendon was so tight that I was running with a slight limp.  Within a minute or two, my stride smoothed out, but the discomfort was there for the whole race.

The second thing I noticed is that I was really sluggish.  I was running slower than yesterday, but it was more tiring.

The temperature at the start was about 10 degrees cooler than yesterday.  I knew it would be hot in the second half of the race, so I committed to running the first half of the race with no walking breaks.

I ran my first lap in 24 minutes.  At that pace, it would take me 5:36 to finish.  My goal was to finish in six hours, so I had room to slow down, but I needed to hold that pace for the first half of the race, if I could.

I usually only drink Gatorade at the aid stations.  Today, I drank Coke for the first four laps.  That seemed to energize me.  I wasn’t running any faster, but after a couple laps, it was easier to force myself to keep running.

When I finished my fourth lap, I saw the aid station volunteers cutting Monte’s cake.  Before heading out, I had a small slice of cake, drank the last of my Coke, and filled my bottle with Gatorade.

I stuck to only running for three more laps.  At the halfway mark, I was still on pace for 5:36.

Another treat at the aid station was “Minnesota fluff,” which is made with Jell-O and marshmallows.  The volunteers were filling Styrofoam cups with it.  Before I headed out for my next lap, I had a cup of Minnesota fluff.

It was hotter now, so I needed to start taking walking breaks.  I was disciplined about it, limiting myself to two one-minute walking breaks per lap.  The walking breaks didn’t add that much to my lap times, but they gave me a chance to cool down.

It didn’t get as hot as it did yesterday, but there wasn’t as much shade on today’s course, and it was a bright sunny day.  About half of the course was shady, but the other half was exposed to the sun.  When I was in the sun, it felt intense, and I got hotter with each lap.  I stuck to only two minutes of walking per lap, but my running pace was getting slower as I got hotter.

With three laps to go, I did a time check.  I was still focused on finishing in six hours.  At this point, I just needed to average 30 minutes per lap in my last three laps.  My recent laps had been 25 or 26 minutes, so I could afford to do a lot more walking.

I wanted to have a big cushion going into my last two laps, so I stuck to only two minutes of walking for another lap.  Then I did another time check.

Now, I could afford to average almost 33 minutes per lap.  I was tempted to take longer walking breaks, but I stuck to my plan for one more lap.  I did a little more walking in that lap, but not much.

As I started my last lap, I realized that I could probably walk the entire lap and still finish in six hours.  Instead, I decided to run until I caught up to someone I knew who was walking.  Then I’d walk with them.

This park is sometimes used for weddings.  As I ran through the farmstead, I saw a wedding party taking pictures.

After running for about half a mile, I caught up with Karen and Lisa.  I walked with them for the rest of the lap.  Despite walking for most of that lap, I still finished in 5:53:00.

Because this series is all in Minnesota, the medals are various Minnesota icons.  The starter piece for the Summer Camp chain of medals features Paul Bunyan and Babe, the blue ox.  The piece for today’s race depicts a loon (the state bird) paddling a canoe.  Over the next four days, I'll add to this chain.

Before leaving the finish area, I took the time to start rehydrating.  When I got back to the hotel, I had more to eat and drink.

Tomorrow’s race will have similar temperatures, but that course has more shade.  I expect my Achilles tendon to be an issue all week, but hopefully I won’t get as hot tomorrow.

Last year, I did the same six races, and my goal was to keep all my times under six hours.  At the time, that seemed like a really easy goal.  I was able to do all kinds of walking.  This year, it’s a more challenging goal.  With four days to go, it may get increasingly difficult.

Race statistics:

Distance:  26.2 miles

Time:  5:53:00

Average Pace:  13:28 per mile

First Half:  2:47:31

Second Half:  3:05:29

Marathons/Ultras in 2026:  23

Lifetime Marathons/Ultras:  595

Minnesota Marathons/Ultras:  118

Race Report: 2026 Native Jackal Trail Marathon

On June 17, I ran the Native Jackal Trail Marathon.  This was the last of the Jackal Marathons.  The first four marathons in this series all have the potential to be difficult, depending on the weather.  This one is much tougher.  This race can make you cry.

The course was 10 laps of a loop through Chickasaw State Park.  The loop is about 40 percent road and 60 percent trail.  The road portion includes a long gradual hill that most people have to walk.  The trail portion includes four steep climbs.

The loop is advertised as 2.65 miles.  I suspect it’s longer.  Maybe it doesn’t matter.  The difficulty can’t really be measured in miles.  All I knew for sure is this race has much more elevation change than the other ones.

My previous impression of this race was definitely influenced by the fact that the heat index got up to 109 degrees last year.  Also, I was constantly tormented by deer flies.  Last year, I had multiple bites on each lap.  This year, I had a better experience.

This race venue was the farthest from my hotel in Jackson.  It was a 40-minute drive.  This race also had the latest start time.  It didn’t start until 8:30 AM.

Fifteen runners signed up to do all five races.  All 15 finished the first four and were at the start for day five.  All 15 of us finished.

People have wondered why this race starts so much later than the others.  The park opens at 7:00, so we’re not waiting for the park to open.  Personally, I think it’s so we all have time to reflect on whatever poor life choices led us to be here.

I was pleased to see that it didn’t rain overnight.  We didn’t have to contend with muddy trails.  That was a relief.

When I arrived at the race venue, the temperature was 67 degrees.  By the time the race started, it had cooled off to 66.  That’s much cooler than I was expecting.  There was also a nice cool breeze.  That gave me hope that I could keep up a good pace in the early laps.

The forecast high was 91, with a heat index of 98.  Because of the later start, I knew I would still have a few laps to go when we reached the hottest temperature of the day.  It wasn’t as hot as last year, but it still got pretty hot.

The time limit was 8:30.  Last year, it took me 8:17.  So far, I had been slower this year in every race of this series.  I didn’t want to be slower in this one.  I knew the time limit was just a guideline, but I really didn’t want to be on the course after 5 PM.  I also didn’t want people to be waiting for me to finish.

The start/finish area was at one end of a parking lot.  As we left the parking lot, we ran up a short hill.  I always had to walk that.  After coming back downhill, we had about a quarter-mile of mixed terrain.  I usually made good progress there.

Next, we got onto another road.  We ran by one end of a lake and then started a long gradual climb.  I could run some of it, but I always had to walk most of it.

After reaching the top, we turned left and started running downhill, but only briefly.  Then we left the road to get onto the trail.  The rest of the loop was on a narrow trail with several steep climbs.

Each steep climb was eventually followed by a long gradual descent.  Those were the easiest places to run.

After the second steep climb, we descended all the way to lake level and came out next to the lake.

There were a few bridges, as well as two stream crossings without bridges.

The four steepest climbs were tiring, even though I was walking.  The last climb had logs built into it to form steps.  Last year, I tripped on one of the logs and tweaked my lower back.  This year, I was more careful about that.

The last part of the loop was a descent that finished with a set of steps, leading back down to the parking lot.

Each time I came into the parking lot, I had to do three things.  First, I needed to make sure my lap was recorded.  Next, I needed to reapply bug spray.  I did that every single lap, in hope that the deer flies would leave me alone.  Finally, I needed to refill my bottle.

The first time I entered the forest, I no longer felt the breeze.  Instead, I immediately felt the humidity.  It felt much warmer on the trails than it did out on the road.

It was much easier to avoid roots on this course.  On the climbs, the roots formed natural steps.  Most of the descents and flat sections had very few roots.  There were a few gnarly sections, but those roots were easy to see.

Having run on this course before, it only took one lap to reacquaint myself with the course.  On my first lap, I recognized all the major landmarks as I reached them.  By my second lap, I could remember what was coming.  Familiarity made the trail feel easier this year.

There were a few new features this year.  Recent storms had taken down some trees.  In a few places, we had to step over trees that were across the trail.

For the first few laps, I was on pace to finish in 7:30.  As it got warmer, my pace slowed, but not dramatically.

In my fourth lap, I tripped on a root and fell.  That was the first time I’ve fallen on this course.  I landed on a bed of pine needles.  I wasn’t hurt, but I scraped my elbow.

As it got hotter, I needed to do one more thing before starting each lap.  I had to put crushed ice in my hat.  I started doing that at the beginning of lap 5.  I also used some of the ice to clean the scrape on my elbow.

During my fifth lap, I had an awkward step with my left foot, and I turned my left ankle.  That caused me to go off the side of the trail.  I had to grab a tree to keep my balance.

I also turned that same ankle on day one.  I didn’t injure it, but after that, the uneven footing often made my ankle sore.

When I finished my fifth lap, I was half done with the race.  At this point, I was on pace for a time in the 7:30s, but subsequent laps were a little slower.

I was never bitten by any flies.  Maybe my bug spray was working.  Maybe the flies just weren’t as bad this year.  I talked to other runners who also weren’t getting bit.  I took no chances.  I continued to reapply bug spray every lap.

For a couple laps, I was the last runner on the course.  Then I caught up to Mike, who was running his 500th marathon.  I ran the last three laps with Mike, which made them seem easier.

With three laps to go, it was obvious I would beat my time from last year.  After thinking about it some more, I realized it was also obvious I would finish in less than eight hours.  That took the pressure off.

Running with Mike in the last few laps, I relaxed a little.  I didn’t work as hard to run everywhere I could.  We still ran the easy descents, but we walked some sections that we probably could have run.

Before we finished, it had warmed up about 25 degrees.  Somehow, it didn’t bother me too much.  I had still one other thing I could do to try to cool myself.  I had a cooling bandana that was soaking in ice water.  It’s effective in cooling me down, but only until my body heat warms it up.  Since its effect is only temporary, I waited until the last lap before putting it on.  I did the same thing in Tuesday’s race.

The bandana felt good when the wind was hitting it.  By the time we reached the trail section of the course, the bandana was already warming up.  After that, it was just extra weight.

On our last lap, I was counting down the remaining steep hills.  When we were on the last hill, Mike said he was going to hang back.  I continued at my own pace.  When I finished, I told everyone Mike was coming.  They were all waiting to congratulate him on finishing his 500th marathon.

I finished in 7:50:01.  I was 27 minutes faster than last year.  In addition to my medal, I received a belt buckle for running all five Jackal marathons.  I’ve done that twice now.

There was still one other runner on the course, but he finished a few minutes after Mike.  Later, several of us went to dinner together in Jackson.

Would I do this series again?  Only if my fitness improves.  I need to be confident that I won’t be bumping up against time limits.  If I do return, I would probably wait until the last minute to sign up.  I would want to know what the weather was going to be like. 

Race statistics:

Distance:  26.2 miles

Time:  7:50:01

Average Pace:  17:56 per mile

First Half:  3:48:01

Second Half:  4:02:00

Marathons/Ultras in 2026:  20

Lifetime Marathons/Ultras:  592

Jackal Marathons:  10

Race Report: Backass Jackal Trail Marathon

Today was day two of the Jackal Marathons.  Today’s race was the Backass Jackal Trail Marathon.  We ran the same trail loop as yesterday, but today we ran it in the opposite direction.

When I got up, my left Achilles tendon was so tight that I could only take small steps.  By the time I left the hotel, I was walking better, but I still had a slight limp as I was carrying things to the car.  I remember feeling the same way each morning at Across the Years, and I always managed to loosen up by the time I started running.

Those races all had a nice smooth surface.  If I was running on roads today, I knew I would manage OK.  On trails, I’m constantly turning my ankles in unusual ways, so this was a big concern.

I wore a different pair of shoes today.  My plan is to alternate between two pairs of shoes, so they have enough time to dry out before I wear them again.

There was a thunderstorm last night, and when I arrived at the race, the trails had some muddy spots.  If it didn’t rain again, it wouldn’t be too bad.  Spoiler alert:  It did.

The temperature was a little warmer at the start.  It was 76 degrees, with the usual high humidity.  According to the forecast, it was going to warm up about 10 degrees by mid-afternoon.  I don’t think it actually got that hot.

The big wildcard was the possibility of a passing thunderstorm.  About 15 minutes before the race, I checked my weather app and saw that a thunderstorm was moving in.  We had a dry start, but I was expecting a period of heavy rain in the next hour.  I made a quick trip to my car to put my phone in the glove compartment.  I didn’t want to have it on me if we were going to have heavy rain.

Running in this direction, we started with a slightly downhill section that’s fairy runnable.  I did my best to run most of it, but it was obvious that my running pace was slower than yesterday.  Running at any pace was tiring.  I didn’t have sore or stiff muscles.  I just felt fatigued.

When I ran this race last year, I felt like I was relearning the course as I ran the first lap.  Everything looks different when you’re approaching it from the opposite direction.  This year, I had the benefit of having run it in this direction a year ago.  It was different from yesterday, but it still seemed familiar.

The trail has two distinct sections.  After running one section, you come out into a clearing and run across the grass, just across the street from where we all parked.  Then you re-enter the wood to run the second section.  It was in the second section that I saw something new.  A tree had fallen across the trail during last night’s storm.

I stepped over the trunk, but my left foot got tangled in some smaller branches.  I pulled it free, but that didn’t make my ankle feel any better.

I was almost done with my first lap when I heard the rain.  Because of the dense tree cover, I heard it before I could feel it.  Within a few minutes, the rain made its way down to ground level.

My time for the first lap was about 56 minutes.  That’s slower than I started yesterday, but it was acceptable.

Early in each lap, there was a section of trail with several small hills that we had to go up and over.  They’re small, but steep.  Now that it was raining, these hills were slick with mud going up and down.  To get up the hill without sliding backward, I had to find a tree I could grab onto.  Going down one of these hills, you would slide down with no control over your momentum.  Going down the steepest hill, I slid into a tree.  By grabbing the tree, I managed to stay upright.  The runner behind me wasn’t as lucky.  He slid sideways before reaching the tree and ended up on the ground.

During my second lap, the rain was coming down hard, and it didn’t take long before there was standing water on the trail.  Many parts of the trail were cow paths worn into the ground by repeated running.  The trail was lower than the surrounding grass, so that’s where the water settled.  To keep from splashing through the water, I had to try to run on the edge of the trail.  That slowed me down.

Halfway through that lap, I entertained thoughts of quitting.  I talked myself into continuing as long as I was on pace to beat the seven and a half hour time limit.

By the end of that lap, the rain had stopped, but the damage to the trails was done.  I still had five laps to go.

Because of the mud and standing water, my second lap was slower than my first lap.  It took an hour and three minutes.  That’s slower than any of my laps yesterday, but at that pace I would still beat the time limit.

As I started by third lap, the trails were in worse condition then they had been during the previous lap.  Standing water was at its deepest.  I expected the trails to gradually dry out now that the rain had stopped.  That thought kept my spirits from sinking too much.

The section with muddy hills was more difficult now.  To get up one hill, I had to pull myself up by grabbing roots.  Coming down another hill, I slipped in the mud and fell on my butt.

Later in that lap, one of the faster runners passed me.  He said, “I didn’t crap my pants.  I swear.”  I didn’t notice, but I assume he also fell and got his shorts all muddy.

Near the end of that lap, there was a deep puddle.  I saw the runner ahead of me going through it, so I saw how deep it was.  There was a hollowed-out tree trunk going right through the middle.  The water in the tree trunk wasn’t as deep.  I tried to walk through the tree trunk, but it wasn’t wide enough.  I couldn’t avoid putting one foot into the puddle.  The water came up to my knee.

My time for that lap was an hour and five minutes.  If I ran the whole race at that pace, I would take longer than the time limit.  I was still on pace, but only because my first two laps were faster.

In my fourth lap, it became obvious that trail conditions were not getting better.  There was less standing water, but the mud was getting worse.  As more runners ran through the muddy patches, they got wider and deeper.  I wish I could show you pictures of what the trails looked like, but my phone was in the car.

Halfway through that lap, I caught up to another runner.  I assumed we were both on the same lap.  Then I found out she was still on her third lap.  She had already decided she was going to drop out when she got back to the start/finish area.  Other than her, I knew of only one other runner who was behind me.

My time for lap four was the same as lap three.  As I started my fifth lap, I worked hard to keep up my pace.

The section of muddy hills kept getting worse.  I wiped out three times in one lap.  It was discouraging to know I would still need to run through this section two more times.  Going up these hills seemed almost impossible, and the downhill sides were downright scary.

Later in that lap, I was frustrated with how much more mud there was.  Sections that should have been runnable were too muddy for me to get any traction.  I had to walk when I should’ve been able to run.

When I finished that lap, my time was the same as the previous two laps.  I was expecting to be slower.  That helped lift my spirits going into my sixth lap.

I continued to be frustrated with the amount of mud.  I did my best to run where I could, but it seemed like less and less of the trail was runnable.

I was near the end of that lap, when I saw something new.  Another small tree was down across the course.  That wasn’t there on my previous five laps.  It didn’t fall during the storm, so it must have uprooted later because the ground was so soft.

I was almost done with that lap when I started to catch up to another runner.  He was walking the last part of the loop.  I assumed he was on his last lap and no longer felt the need to hurry.  When I got to the start/finish area, I found out we each had one more lap.

Lap six took one minute long than the previous few laps.  That was OK.  If I could run the last lap in 1:09, I would beat the time limit.  So, far, my slowest lap was 1:06.

It’s worth noting that the time limit wasn’t really a hard limit.  It was more of a guideline.  The RD wanted everyone to have a chance to finish.  He wouldn’t disqualify you for being a few minutes too late.  He just didn’t want to wait for someone who was going to be out on the trails all day.

As I started my last lap, there were two runners behind me.  That made me feel less urgency.  Even if I was over the time limit, I wouldn’t be the last person to finish.  Still, I felt it was an important goal.

For most of the day, it was cloudy, but now the sun was out.  In places, it was shining through the trees.  For the first time in the race, I was conscious of how hot it was.  That made the last lap more tiring, but I was motivated to keep up a fast enough pace.

I worked harder and harder to find places with good footing.  I ran on the edges of the trail or through the grass, to avoid the mud.  On the hills, I worked to find approaches that were less muddy, even if they were steeper or had other obstacles.  I went out of my way to find trees I could grab onto.

When I got to the last part of the loop, I was frustrated with how many previously runnable sections were now too muddy.  Anything even slightly downhill was now treacherous.  At any time, my feet could come out from under me.

Ironically, today was the first time I got through a race on these trails without tripping on a root and falling.  I lost count of how many times I fell after slipping on mud.

I finished the race in 7:27:19.  It’s one of my slowest finishes ever, but conditions were more difficult than I could’ve imagined.

I got through the first two Jackal marathons on trails.  The next two are on pavement.  I’m looking forward to easier conditions the next two days.

After a race, I usually take a bath to loosen up my muscles so I can stretch.  Today, I had to take a shower first to rinse off all the mud.  Rinse isn’t a strong enough word.  I needed to do some scrubbing.  My lower legs were caked with mud.

Race statistics:

Distance:  26.2 miles

Time:  7:27:19

Average Pace:  17:04 per mile

Marathons/Ultras in 2026:  17

Lifetime Marathons/Ultras:  589

Jackal Marathons:  7

Race Report: 2026 Jackal Trail Marathon

On June 13, I ran the Jackal Trail Marathon in Jackson, TN.  This was the first race of the five-day Jackal Marathons series.  Today’s course was seven laps of a 3.75-mile trail loop through a wooded area near Union University.

I ran this series last year, so I knew what to expect.  The trails weren’t overly technical, but there were roots, so I had to watch my footing and pick up my feet.

When I picked up my race bib yesterday, I forgot to look at the back.  The back of each race bib listed everyone who has ever finished all five races of this series.  Having finished the series last year, I’m now immortalized on the race bibs.  The race bibs also listed the course record holders.

The biggest challenge today was the weather.  When I arrived at the race venue, the temperature was in the low 70s, but there was enough humidity to make it feel 10 degrees warmer.  By the time I finished, it would get into the upper 80s.  Basically, it was two degrees warmer after each lap.

It rained heavily on Friday, so I was expecting the trails to be muddy.  There were a couple muddy spots, but most of the course was in surprisingly good condition.

I brought a cooler filled with ice cubes, so I could put ice in my hat as it started getting hotter.  I had just finished lugging my cooler to the start area when I realized I had forgotten my fuel belt and bottle.  With just 19 minutes until the start, I had to rush back to my car, so I could drive back to the hotel and get it.  Fortunately, my hotel was close.

I would’ve made it back in time, but I also had to make a bathroom stop.  That took extra time, but it was time well spent.  There aren’t any bathrooms on the course, so I was glad I had the opportunity to use the bathroom in my hotel room.

We had to park on the other side of the street at Union University.  As I was parking my park, I saw another runner who was also going to be late to the start.  His name was Billy, and this was his first time doing these races.

When I reached the start area, the race had already started.  The clock read 1:17.  I still needed to fill my bottle, so it was probably more like 1:30 when I started.  This race doesn’t have chip timing.  Official times are “gun times,” so the extra time it took me to get started was time lost.

Billy needed more time to set up his gear, so I started by myself.  I didn’t like having to run the trails with nobody to follow, but as soon as I reached the first junction, I was reminded how well these trails are marked.  I wasn’t going to make a wrong turn on this course.

This trail snakes back and forth a lot.  I had only been running for a few minutes when I saw several runners going in the opposite direction on another segment of the trail that was only about 30 feet away.  I would need to make several turns before I reached the same segment, so it was hard to tell how far ahead they really were.

I was expecting to be one of the slowest runners on the course.  I only needed to make up a couple minutes, but I wasn’t optimistic that I would catch up.  If anything, I would fall farther behind.  I might catch one or two runners eventually, but it wouldn’t happen right away.

The time limit for this race was seven and a half hours.  Last year, I ran it in 6:27:53.  I expected to be slower this year.  I’m not in the same shape, and I didn’t have as much recovery time after FANS.  I knew I could finish within the time limit, and I was reasonably confident I could keep my time under seven hours.  Other than finishing, my only important goal was to stay upright.  Last year, I tripped on a root and fell.

I ran at a cautious pace, and I frequently slowed to a walk.  I walked on hills and any time I saw a lot of roots.  Even on the most runnable sections, I sometimes slowed to a walk for a few steps to manage my effort.  Besides not wanting to trip, I also didn’t want to tire myself out on a day that would gradually get hotter.

Last year, I used a 22-ounce bottle.  This year, I decided to go with a 16-ounce bottle, so I wouldn’t be carrying as much weight.  I refilled it at the start of each lap.  If I needed more, there was a self-service aid station about halfway through the loop.  I could always refill there.  As it turns out, I never did.

The first time my watch gave me a split, it was a reminder to drink.  After that, I got in the habit of drinking after every mile.

According to my watch, my time for the first mile was just over 14 minutes.  At first, I thought that was slow.  After thinking about it, I realized that was faster than my average pace last year.

I eventually realized I needed to take any information from my watch with a grain of salt. Almost all of the course was under dense tree cover, and we were constantly making sharp turns and doubling back.  In conditions like these, your watch isn’t always in contact with enough satellites to track your position.  With so many turns, you end up running farther than what your watch says.  My actual pace was actually a bit faster than what my watch said.

My pace in the second mile was about the same.  By the third mile, I was slowing down a little.  About halfway through that mile, Billy caught up to me.  After he passed me, I was the last runner on the course.

Having run this race last year, I recognized some parts of the loop.  I couldn’t possibly remember every turn or hill, but there were certain features that were memorable.  Late in the loop, there was a long hill that stuck in my memory.  I recognized it as the one hill that I always needed to walk last year.  This year, I was walking all the hills.

Shortly after that, there was a place where I had to run over a few small hills in quick succession.  The last one was the steepest, but we didn’t actually need to go over that hill.  We were supposed to go around it.  Last year, I didn’t figure that out until late in the race.  This year, I remembered, and I immediately spotted the gentler trail that went around the side.

I was almost done with that lap when I saw another runner a short distance ahead of me.  When I finished the lap, I saw him and another runner in the start/finish area.  I refilled my bottle and quickly headed out.  The other two runners were still getting ready to head out again.  For the first time, I wasn’t in last place.

I checked my watch as I headed out again.  My first lap took almost 52 minutes, not counting my late start.  If I ran every lap at that pace, I would finish in 6:04.  I fully expected to get a little slower with each lap, as the temperature gradually rose.  I wasn’t wrong.

I was a little more than halfway through my second lap when the two fastest runners passed me.  They were already on their third lap.  Over the next few laps, several other runners would gain a lap on me.  The fastest runners would pass me more than once.  I didn’t worry about that too much.  I just wanted to finish and stay upright.

A few times per lap, I caught one of my feet on a root.  Each time, I was briefly thrown off balance, but I managed to keep me feet under me and avoid falling.  Most of the time, I was going at a cautious enough pace that it was easy to regain my balance.  As the race progressed, there were a couple times that I would have fallen, but I was able to reach out and use a tree to steady myself.

My second lap was two minutes slower than my first lap.  That wasn’t surprising.  As long as my lap times were under an hour, I was easily on pace to break seven hours.

About halfway through each lap, we came out of the forest and ran through a clearing within sight of where we parked.  This one the only part of the course where we were exposed to the sun for any length of time.  By my third lap, I started to get hot on this section.  There was a hill that I needed to walk, but as soon as I reached the top, I always forced myself to run until I re-entered the woods.

My third lap took about 56 minutes.  That was two minutes slower than my second lap.  I was still happy with that.

By now, I was getting hot enough that I started putting ice in my hat.  The ice helped cool me off, but it was all melted by the time I was halfway through the lap.

During this lap, I had an awkward step when my foot slid sideways off a root.  I turned my ankle slightly, and I had to do a little more walking until I was sure it wasn’t injured.  I didn’t do any damage, but for the rest of the race, that ankle felt a little sore anytime I took an awkward step.  With so many roots, that was a frequent occurrence.

As I ran through the clearing again, I told myself that I was halfway through the race.  When I checked my watch, I realized that it must be short of halfway.  My time was too low for me to already be at the halfway point of the race.

Lap four took 58 minutes.  I was consistently getting two minutes slower with each lap.  That’s mostly because I was needing to do a little more walking in each lap, as it got hotter.

After my previous lap, I put one handful of ice on my hat.  This time, I put two handfuls in my hat.  As I started running my fifth lap, the ice on the top of my head was so intensely cold that it was painful.  The first few minutes of that lap were uncomfortable.  After a few minutes, the ice no longer hurt, but it was still helping to cool me off as it melted on my head.  Sadly, it was completely melted after only a mile.  It helped while it lasted, but as the temperature kept climbing, the ice melted quickly.

Through the first four laps, I had some near misses, but I never fell.  In lap five, I accidentally stepped in a hole in the middle of the trail.  The sides were muddy, and my foot slid farther into the hole.  I couldn’t lift that foot out fast enough to keep from getting off balance and falling to one side.  I had to put both hands on the trail to catch myself.  No other part of my body touched the trail, but I could no longer say I stayed upright.

I expected that lap to take more than an hour.  I was pleasantly surprised to run it in 59 minutes.  I was still getting slower with each lap, but I would easily finish in less than seven hours.

I once again put two handfuls of ice in my hat.  This time it didn’t hurt.  I think it makes a big difference where the ice was sitting on my head.  Ice near the front of my head was painful.  Ice near the back felt good.

In lap six, I finally tripped and fell.  I caught my left foot on a root, and it got stuck on that root just long enough that I couldn’t get it under me again in time to keep from falling.

I took the impact with my right arm.  I didn’t hit anything hard, and the ground was soft enough that the fall was no big deal.  The only thing injured was my pride.  This was my third race on these trails, and I’ve yet to get through seven laps without a fall.

That lap was the first one to take more than an hour, but I only had one lap to go, and I was easily on pace to break seven hours.

I didn’t have as much incentive to push the pace on that lap.  I allowed myself to take longer and more frequent walking breaks.  My biggest concern now, other than not wanting to fall again, was to make sure I didn’t overexert myself in the heat.  I needed to be able to bounce back and run on these trails again tomorrow.

That lap was a couple minutes slower, but I got it done.  I finished with an official time of 6:45:35.  That’s slower than last year, but I always expected that.  The important thing is I finished.  I earned the first of five jackal medals.

As soon as I finished, I borrowed a chair so I could sit down and ice my ankle.  My cooler was still about one third filled with ice.  I plunged my ankle in the ice and kept it there for as long as I could stand the cold.  After that, my ankle felt much better.

When I finished, there were still two other runners on the course.  While I was icing my ankle, I saw both of them finish.

The heat index was 103 degrees when I finished.  I wasn’t expecting it to get that hot.  The good news is that the next few days should be cooler.

I brought my gear back to the car and drove back to the hotel.  When I got there, my first order of business was refueling.  I drank two glasses of chocolate milk and a large pastry that I got at Wal-Mart the day before.  Then I took a hot bath, stretched my Achilles tendons, and worked on a few muscles with a massage stick.

I’m disappointed that I still have never run a race on these trails without falling.  I can try again tomorrow.  Tomorrow’s race is on the same trail loop, but we’ll be running it in the opposite direction.

Race statistics:

Distance:  26.2 miles

Time:  6:45:35

Average Pace:  15:28 per mile

Marathons/Ultras in 2026:  16

Lifetime Marathons/Ultras:  588

Jackal Marathons:  6