So what does the crazy snail statue pictured below have to do with this weekend? Why, it's the annual McKay Hollow Madness! I can't even describe how much I love this race. Sure, the prizes are super silly and the shirts are pretty bizare, but I love this distance on the trails and love this time of year for a good trail run. Rick has always done the Rocket 10 Miler (held last weekend) since we had our daughter, so this race has been mine to run. I've done it three times in a row. Now, I should mention that I haven't actually run any trails since Mountain Mist. I'm sure not going to let that stop me from having fun out there on Saturday!
I actually don't know the whole story about why the huge snail is the official "mascot" of this race, but I can say that it's funny and very unique! When I was given the ceramic snail last year, I accepted it gladly! I used to be a science teacher who taught a unit on snails, and now I am a mom to two preschoolers. My kids swarmed the snail when I brought it home! And now it resides with our running trophies and other McKay Hollow Madness awards (which got me thinking to show you how we display our marathon medals--see below. How do you display your medals and things?).
The race has gradually gone from being a half marathon to a 25k, which is what it will be this Saturday. Oh, and if you are running, don't forget that this race has a 7:00 a.m. start and not the usual 8:00. I keep reminding myself of the same thing!
Here is a short description of the course from the website listed above:
The McKay Hollow Madness Trail Run is roughly 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) of mostly single track trail. The course is run on sections of the Sinks, Panther Knob, Stone Cut, Mountain Mist, Goat, Warpath Ridge, McKay Hollow, Arrowhead and Natural Well Trails. This is a technical race with some difficult climbs and descents. There will be TWO aid stations: the first at O'Shaughnessy Point (~5.1 miles) and the other at the South Monte Sano Trailhead off of Monte Sano Blvd (~9.8 miles).
 |
| McKay Hollow 2009 Finish |
 |
| Female Overall McKay Hollow Madness 2010 Prize |
 |
| Previous McKay Hollow Madness Awards from 2008 |
 |
| Our Marathon Medal Display Holder |
Those are the coolest awards!! You make me consider (emphasis on consider) wanting to run it someday. And I love your marathon display!!!
ReplyDeleteOh...this made me so sad to read! I'm so glad I decided to go ahead and run the course, but I'm looking forward to getting to RACE it next year.
ReplyDeleteI love your medal display. Currently I only have 4 and they are hanging in my closet on a knob. Hopefully I'll need a bigger display soon! :D