Sandhills Marathon (aka Marathon in the Middle of Nowhere)

The Nebraska Sandhills are just that-hills of sand-in Western Nebraska. The hills are covered in prairie grasses and the area is generally rather dry. There are some excellent small trout streams that meander through the area. Cherry County, NE is the largest county in Nebraska in size, but the smallest in population. It is big sky county. There are very few trees. I adore the sandhills and used to spend a fair amount of time there camping with my parents as a child (I grew up in Nebraska). About 5 years ago, two people from Lincoln, NE took a shortcut through the area on a remote single lane road and, after seeing that it was almost 26 miles long, decided to run a marathon there. They added an out and back piece into the unincorporated town of Brownlee (pop. 20 or so) to make it 26.2 miles. The first race was small and rather informal and then it grew every year, but it is still a small and easy going affair with a limit of 100 runners or so total for the full and half.

I ran the race on June 11 and my parents came up from Lincoln with their RV and volunteered at the mile 3 aid station. The race hosted a nice spaghetti feed the night before. To beat the heat, the point to point race starts at 6:30 am. My hotel, the closest one to the start, was about 40 miles away, so I got up at 4am. A school bus took the runners from the finish area to the start, and we almost hit a deer on the way. Before the race, we got emails warning us to watch for rattlesnakes on the road and to avoid earphones so we could hear vehicles coming behind us. I never saw a live rattle snake during the race, but I did see a dead one!

The race had a literal shot gun start with the director firing his gun into the air. Port a potties were truly portable. The race had two trucks pulling them on a flat bed trailer and they went up and down the course. If you needed one and it wasn't in the vicinity, you could flag a passing bike marshall and they would radio for it to be brought to you. Cyclists also had backpacks with bottles of water and gatorade. Aid stations gave out bottles and we were told if there was no person there to just open the cooler and take something. The directors drive the course twice after and pick up everything along with other random trash.

The race started out at about 50 degrees and very foggy with a head wind gusting to 20mph. I felt fine starting out, but the wind quickly made me realize that I could not hold my planned pace for the whole race. After two KILLER hills at about mile 3-4, I slowed down to what would still be a PR pace for me, but not the big 10-15 minute PR I was hoping for. By mile 12 I was feeling tired already, and I realized that I greatly underestimated just how hard it would be to run a race with nobody else around, so I just tossed the time goal out the window altogether and slowed down to enjoy the race. I ran almost the entire race alone and, at one point in time, I could not see another runner either ahead of me or behind me. There were no more serious hills and the sun came out, so I could really enjoy the beautiful area and solitude.

It got hot toward the end and I took a few walk breaks. Then, at mile 24.5 or so, I could see the cars crossing the highway past the finish area (it is amazing how far you can see out there). Looking at my watch, I realized that if I picked up the pace I wouldn't go over 5 hours, so that is what I did. My husband and my Dad joined me for the last .1 mile and Mom took pictures. My time was 4:58:56, not the 4:35 goal I was first hoping for, but I am happy with it. Also, I was 49th place (out of 60). So I can amuse myself by telling people that I was 49th in a marathon.

The finisher's prize for this is not a medal. Instead, they give you an engraved silver spur. Half marathoners get a horseshoe. The race holds a steak dinner cookout later that evening. There was a beer sponsor this year (Michelob Ultra). They came after people told them about this little non-commercial race at a large marathon expo. The representatives ran the race themselves and left a cooler of beer at the finish area.

You really get to know people during this race. People I met from it have friended me on Facebook or followed me on twitter. Many people were on a first name basis from talking on the bus, at the finish, or at the cookout. It really made the whole experience special. We flew in and out through Rapid City, SD and drove through the badlands, so we got a nice mini vacation out of it too. Running this one is hard given the small size, but very fun and unique. I highly recommend it!

You can learn more about the race and see photos form a past year here: Sandhills Marathon. I also highly recommend reading the history of the race.

Wow, this race is on my radar. I grew up in Nebraska and when I was in my late teens and early 20's I use to make it up to Valentine for an annual canoe trip on the Niobrara River. I wanted to go this year, but I had a conflict with another race. I know I will do it sometime in the future. Sounds like you had a great time, thanks for sharing!

Nice job Carleen! It sounds like a beautiful course.

Nice run, Carleen - congrats!

Glad to see you here.

Congrats Carleen on another find job! I love the fact that they give you a silver spur instead of a medal.

I love the Badlands!! Sounds like it was a great family trip.

Also if you are looking to do another race in S.D. you should look into the Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon. They have a 5k, 1/2 also. Lisa and I have had this one on our radar. It's the the Black Hills.

Schuey wrote:Congrats Carleen on another find job! I love the fact that they give you a silver spur instead of a medal.

I love the Badlands!! Sounds like it was a great family trip.

Also if you are looking to do another race in S.D. you should look into the Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon. They have a 5k, 1/2 also. Lisa and I have had this one on our radar. It's the the Black Hills.

The Mickelson Trail race is very high on my want to do list. I drove along that trail for quite a bit last summer and it was absolutely gorgeous!

Congrats, Carleen! I have a few friends who have this race on their list but Norfolk (NE) had a half marathon inaugural the same weekend so I am guessing that took their time. Anyway, good for you for running a sparsely populated race. It can be mentally difficult especially if you're used to crowd support and it can be fun just being able to think and enjoy the run, too...

Great run and enjoy the recovery. :-) Are you previously from Lincoln?

Congratulations Carleen! A spur? I think I would like a spur...

Awesome race report - my wife informs me that I WILL be doing this if they have it next year. She and all of her family is from North Platte and would make a good excuse to make a trip back home. That sounds like something that could only be pulled off in the Sandhills! Great race and sounds like a lot of fun!

Awesome Carleen! A former student of mine was probably the winner again this year, a tiny little thing named Kaci! It's really pretty in the sandhills, and I love how far you can see! It's a different kind of pretty! I grew up in Alliance, on the western edge of the sandhills and drove Highway 2 through there all the time. I want to do this race sometime too!

Congrats!

carleenp wrote:
The finisher's prize for this is not a medal. Instead, they give you an engraved silver spur. Half marathoners get a horseshoe. The race holds a steak dinner cookout later that evening. There was a beer sponsor this year (Michelob Ultra). They came after people told them about this little non-commercial race at a large marathon expo. The representatives ran the race themselves and left a cooler of beer at the finish area.

The beer sponsor leaving the cooler of beer at the finish area to run the race for get an engraved silver spur and steak dinner. I couldn't think of a better (or funnier) reason to run a race.

Sounds like a great time.

Congratulations on a race well run! Sounds like quite an interesting experience - a far cry from all the rock and roll mega races out there now!

Julie wrote:Great run and enjoy the recovery. :-) Are you previously from Lincoln?

Yes. I grew up in Lincoln and went to UNL for both undergrad and law school. I moved to Illinois about 5 years ago.

John Kilpatrick wrote:Awesome race report - my wife informs me that I WILL be doing this if they have it next year. She and all of her family is from North Platte and would make a good excuse to making a trip back home. That sounds like something that could only be pulled off in the Sandhills! Great race and sounds like a lot of fun!

They will be doing it again next year. If you go to their website you can get on the mailing list. They fill up pretty fast once registration opens!

Peg Coover wrote:Awesome Carleen! A former student of mine was probably the winner again this year, a tiny little thing named Kaci!

Yep! Kaci won it!

Well done! Thanks for sharing this experience...sounds like a neat race to do...spur and all!

Cool! My bro in law went to UNL for Law school as well. If you like smaller marathons, Eisenhower Marathon in Abilene, KS is one of my favorites in April. I think it was 3 or 4 hrs drive from Lincoln.

Congrats Carleen.

Great job Carleen! That sounds like a really interesting race with a lot of character. It sounds like you enjoyed it and had a great experience in the area. Despite growing up in Nebraska, I've never made it out to the sandhills. I'll have to put this on my radar for the future.

Wow, so many with Nebraska ties around here. Congrats on earning your silver spur. Sounds like a fun time.

jimd wrote:Wow, so many with Nebraska ties around here. Congrats on earning your silver spur. Sounds like a fun time.

it's a good state.

What a neat report! Sorry you didn't get your time goal - but what an experience! I have never had a race experience anything like that and, rattlesnakes included, it sounds quite serene. How cool!

Congratulations Carleen. This looks like a totally fun marathon! Great report!

Sounds like a cool race. It's definitely harder to race for time alone.

Congratulation Carleen!

Julie wrote:

jimd wrote:Wow, so many with Nebraska ties around here. Congrats on earning your silver spur. Sounds like a fun time.

it's a good state.

It is a good state. I love Illinois too, but I do miss Nebraska sometimes, especially the more rural areas like the sandhills.

Congrats Carleen,

I'm definitly going to get on the mailing list for 2012 or 2013, this sounds like my kind of race. Thanks for sharing and welcome to 365Runners.

Great job. Sounds like a lot of fun. Congrats.