North Face Endurance Challenge Wisconsin Half Marathon

Ran the North Face Endurance Challenge Half Marathon on October 24, 2009. It was a COLD morning! Luckily for the half marathon runners, we did not start until 10 a.m. The 50 mile runners had started in the dark at 6 and the marathoners at 8 a.m. The half marathon course looped through the Kettle Morraine State Park, Southern Unit starting and finishing at Ottawa Lake. The course undulated quite a bit, but there were not many really big hills, just lots of up and down. The fall colors were close to peak, though the wind and rain over the previous few days had stripped some of the trees (and made for a few muddy patches). My favorite parts of the course were the sections of pine forests...very little of that on my runs at Des Plaines River Trail or Bong Recreation Area. The race was well organized and the route well marked. My only complaint is that the finish line are was too small. I crossed the finish line and had to come to an abrupt halt because the crowd was so thick I could not move. I liked the course for the Rock Cut Rendezvous 25km much more, and think I'll try the 50km race there next year. Finish time-2:12