Indiana Trail 100 Race Report (2024)

 After bumming around Little Rock for a few days post Arkansas Traveller, I mustered up the courage to drive 11 hours to my next spot of destruction and rebirth: Fort Wayne, IN. About an hour north from this large city laid Chain O' Lakes State Park in Albion, IN, home to the Indiana Trail 100. I added this race into my road trip after Hurricane Helene tragically wiped out the region of southern Virginia where Cloudsplitter 100 takes place.

It was a bit of a pivot to switch gears mentally and physically from a very mountainous and grueling trail 100 to one that was much more runnable on paper, but also had its challenges. I personally find trail races like the IT 100 sneaky difficult in that they lack serious elevation change and have hard-packed surfaces which encourage running early in the race. But pounding out those miles wears on your legs and specifically your joints signficantly more than a slow and mountainous trail race.

The course consists of four 25-mile loops of the park, each with about 1,500 feet of elevation gain. As typically happens with loop courses, the hills were nonexistent in the first couple of loops, but practically Mt. Everest by the end of the race. 

This being my first back-to-back 100 I was curious how my legs would fare. I tried to prioritize every second of sleep and recovery I could in the days leading up to the race. 

On race day, I had my drop bags prepped and made it out to Sand Lake at the park for packet pickup by 5:30pm, beating last week by 30 minutes! I took a requisite pre-race photo with the trail series back drop and headed out to town for some last-minute pizza.

I ate a family size Hawaiann pizza at a cute little joint in Albion and was driving back to the park proud of myself for finally being on schedule when I used up all the adrenaline for the weekend in one interaction. Luckily, the officer was super cool and impressed with the race I was running in and let me off with a warning.

'Hawaiian' Pizza

Did my race fee just jump by $200?!?!?

I managed to follow the speed limits all the way back to the park (wahoo!) and after making sure I had all my race gear laid out for the morning, I hopped in my sleeping bag, hoping to get 8 hours of sleep in before my wake-up time at 5AM.

It was a rough night of sleep to say the least. I distinctly remember readjusting sleeping positions in my corolla four times throughout the night and finally settled on laying in the back seat with my legs hanging out the rear passenger side door. The night before races is always a hit or miss on sleep, but this seemed to be one of my most dramatic misses yet.

I arose from a very light slumber at 5AM, remembered to tape my nipples after last week's fiasco, smashed a bagel with peanut butter, honey and a banana and headed to the start line.

In the mass of people awaiting last minute instructions from RD Nick Brandt, I ran into my buddy Glenn Richardson and his wife Abbi, probably better recognizable by his beard than name, whom I've run a number of races with. While we were chatting and catching up, we heard a faint 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... and we were off!

Pre-race mob

We jokingly commented that it was the most casual start to a 100 we've seen in a while. It just seemed the mob of people began lurching forward and that was our cue. 

The first three miles to South Park A/S were one big conga line despite it being a double-track trail. This is due to the 75milers and 50milers starting with the 100milers.

It was alright for Glenn and I as we both did not want to start too fast and this course was inherently a fast course. I, though I was unwilling to speak truth to it at the time, was also worried about my right knee.

Back in April, I had a grade 1 meniscus tear and grade 1 ACL tear in that knee. Both serious enough to take me out for a couple of months, but not serious enough to require surgery. The whole week since Arkansas Traveller the weekend before, it felt touch-and-go. 

It really took a while for it to warm up and it was nice to have Glenn with me to keep my mind off of it. As we running, he shared that during his first back-to-back 100, he had one of his worst lows of his whole ultrarunning career 10 miles in and that comforted me. I knew that it would be challenging, but I didn't think it would be this challenging, this early.

We took those early miles slow and the sun came as we were reaching the second aid station of the loop, Hilltop A/S, at mile 7.1. This aid station was across the road from the School House A/S (mile 21.9) which we would visit at the end of every loop.

Hilltop A/S (mm 7.1)

I thought I would get a grasp of the lay of the land by the end of the race, but I truly didn't and so here's the course map which I've had to refer to in the writing of this report because the intricate course still confuses me a little:

From Hilltop A/S, we ran along the edge of the park towards Weber Lake A/S at mile 12. This was the perfect midway point of the loop as I had a drop bag there and no matter how tough the race got, I knew I could break it down into Main Tent to Weber Lake and Weber Lake back to Main Tent. 12ish miles each, no problem.

From Weber Lake (mm 12) to Rally Aid at mm 16.4 and then back to School House A/S at 21.9 contained some of the prettiest miles of fall ultraunning I have ever been privileged to run. The leaves were all sorts of colors and the views when the clouds cleared up were truly spectacular.

Leaving Weber Lake (mm 12), I hit my lowest point of the race. The tendonitis in my previously injured knee flared up and I was really questioning how I was going to make it to the finish line of the race. Glenn took off from me here, but shared some words of wisdom and encouragement.

I knew from all my previous races, I just had to take it one mile at a time. But, as happens from time to time, that felt impossible. I dug into my pillbag the earliest I've ever done it to take an Advil.

This is certainly a disputed topic in the ultrarunning community. My take on it is that if light dosing of pain medication is going to make a finish happen, I'm all for it. Of course I'm against irresponsible use of NSAIDS but with proper hydration and recommneded uses, they are totally safe.

Cheerfully ignoring the pain

To take my mind off the doom and gloom, I came across Lucas Scott, a first-time 100-mile runner from Fort Wayne, IN. It's always fun to run into the newbies and to hear their hopes and dreams, all the planning that went into the race, and to field any questions that they have. 

Lucas cruising along

We shared a number of miles from Rally Camp A/S to Schoolhouse and conversation with him made the miles flow by. Schoolhouse A/S (mm 21.9) was a privilege to enjoy each loop. They went all out with unicorn decorations and food creations. Never a boring moment was had here.

Schoolhouse A/S (mm 21.9)

From Schoolhouse, we only had a quick 5k on some beautiful trails with some stunning views and the miles flew by. At mile 24, we popped out on the road and could see the finish line and main tent in the distance. This was a joyous moment every single lap, because it meant there was only a mile left and we were going to make it.

Main Tent peeking out in the middle

Finding joy in moments like this and truly basking in it is one of the reasons I love this sport so much. There are opportunities for childlike joy in a way that I believe is less accessible in our modern world.

I finished the first 25-mile loop in a respectable 5:34. 

Back at the main tent, I was glad to run into Glenn again. He was getting the wheels turning in my mind about running the Midwest Super Slam next summer and directed my attention to the poster on the wall. This epic 5-race series links up five major Midwest 100-milers each summer with the IT 100 being the last race on the schedule. He knows just where to prod to get the mental ultrasignup juices flowing.

After filling up on some sweet tea, I headed out just in front of Glenn and had some time to take a picture of this epic rock that marks the starting line of the race and stands as a beacon of legacy and hope for runners as they embark on their next loop.

Glenn caught up with me about a half mile into the loop and we eneded up running the whole loop together. I kept telling Glenn he could go faster if he wanted and that I felt like I was slowing him down as I was running very gingerly, cautious not to do anything to offend my right knee.

He assured me that we were on pace to finish the first 50 miles in 12-13 hours and that was exactly where he wanted to be. I am truly in debt to his support and companionship that loop as the miles just flew by. 

Convinced Glenn's going to leave me 😂

We spoke about everything under the sun as we passed the first aid station and made our way to Hilltop again. This man is an encyclopedia of knowledge on ultrarunning races and got me wanted to fill up my schedule more than my broke recently-graduated-from-college wallet can handle.

The fall colors surrounding us never ceased to amaze me and I continued to take picture after picture.

One of my favorite signs of the course appeared after Hilltop A/S, around mile 8 of each loop. The question on the top of the board reads: "Yes, but what's going well right now?"

I think this is one of the messages I will carry with me from this race to Uwharrie next week and then beyond into life. It can be easy to think of everything going wrong. In this race, it was tendonitis in my right knee. But in life, its financial woes, relationship troubles, problems with your employer, coworkers, boss, spouse... The list goes on and on. The more we focus on the problem, the more the problem goes. But the more we focus on the solution, the solution grows and becomes more clear.

I took this message each loop to mean that I need to focus on the positive. First, to be grateful to be out on the trail with an incredible community at a beautiful time of year. I get to run a 100 miles at Chain O' Lakes State Park. No one is forcing me too. With that mental switch, Glenn and I carried on to Weber Lake A/S at mile 12.

Weber Lake A/S (mm 37)

This aid station will go down in my history book for the food creations/options and the volunteers that came up with them and continued to encourage us on our journey loop after loop.

This loop, 37 miles in, they had cream cheese-stuffed bellpeppers and crumble cookies. I ate an absurd nuber of the caramel apple Crumbl cookies and knew I would pay for it later on, but they were simply too enticing.

Glenn and I took the back half of this loop pretty chill. We ran when it made sense, but powerhiked a lot of it, partly because my stomach was in a world of hurt from the feast at Weber Lake.

By the time we reached SchoolHouse A/S (mm 46.9), I was ready to eat again and they knocked it out of the park with some of the most delicious pulled pork I've ever had, let alone at a 100-mile race.

Seriously, if you're looking for a 100-mile race with some incredible food options, this is it. I kept asking myself if it was a 100-mile race or a 100-mile buffet. Honestly, two days later, I'm still unsure.

We rounded out the loop in 12:09, right where Glenn and I wanted to be.

I downed my first cold brew of the race (my trick to staying awake during the long night of 100's late in the calender year), doused my right knee in icy hot, and headed out before Glenn who wanted to take a longer break and would be paced by his wife Abbi for the next four miles.

I always get a bee in my bonnet about seeing how many miles I can snag before I have to turn on my headlamp. Here, I made it to South Park A/S at mile 53 before it was necessary. Having crossed the hump of the 100 miles before turning on my headlamp gave me a strong emotional boost.

I carried out in the dark alone to Hilltop A/S and began listening to music to pass the miles by. Soon, it appeared and I filled up on some coffee and MnM's before continuing on my way.

On the journey to the halfway point of the loop at Weber Lake, I began running with Mark Surber, a 100-mile newbie from Granger, IN. Boy, did this guy have a great perspective on the sport.

He had only started running (running, not ultrarunning) a year prior and had a previous long run of a 50k before attempting this race. While chatting, he shared about how important it was for him to finish for his five kids to see anything was possible. He truly is an inspiration and we ran off and on together from the rest of the loop.

Schoolhouse (mm 71.9)

By the time I reached SchoolHouse at mile 71.9, I wanted a decent break and Mark was ready to finish out this third lap and get on the way to the victory lap and so he departed. I instead enjoyed a ridiculous amount of tater toops and the 80's tunes the Schoolhouse crew gratefully supplied us with. While chilling there, Glenn strolled in and out, what a steady 100-mile runner this man is.

The A/S captain eventually kicked my ass out and I chased Mark and Glenn back to the main tent. I eventually caught up with both of them, Mark a half-mile out and Glenn back at the tent.

75 miles in, 20:05

Glenn, on one hand, was on a mission and was in-and-out of the main tent. Mark, on the other hand, wanted to take a 45-min reset and tend to the while amount of chafing he was experiencing. 

That landed me right in the middle. After smashing a strong cold brew and some tater tots smothered in cheese, I called my middle brother Miguel for some mid-race motivation. He picked up the phone almost increduously, asking "Aren't you running a 100 miles right now?" I assured him I was and was looking for some mid-race motivation.

He told me to keep plugging away and looking forward to the sunrise and that is exactly what I did.

Last loop crazies!

The miles were slow and lonely but I made it to Hilltop A/S at 82.6 which was an oasis in the darkest part of the night. I drank three cups of coffee and chatted with a volunteer for a while about the epic state of West Virginia. While I was chilling, Mark came in and out and I knew that was my cue.

Hilltop A/S (mm 82.6)

I got my slow ass up and scurried out of the aid station. Mark was deathmarching and I didn't want to join his crew but I did want to finish up this race. In lieu of spending time with him on the trail, I told him I would see him at the next aid station where I would be hanging out and did just that.

I truly took this last loop aid station to aid station and had some ridiculous lag time in between. When I reached Weber Lake at mile 87, I was disappointed to see that my drop bag had been mistakenly taken back to the start/finish. I was happy, however, to enjoy some more stuffed bellpepers, a truely genius culinary creation. 

I was extraordinarly stoked for the sun to come up and to see Mark again at Rally Camp at mm 91.4. I was running on borrowed time here and had to start breaking down the race by half mile. From Rally Camp to Schoolhouse, I ran one half-mile at a time. Mentally breaking it down to such small segments made it manageable.

Happy to see the sun!

Mark Surber!!

I enjoyed this once again beautiful section in the early morning sunlight, grateful that the predicted storms had rolled through north of us and while we could hear the thunder, had not been touched by the rain. That is by God's grace only.

One facet of this race that I really enjoyed was the little trail markers with the logo of the race and then brandished with signfiicant members of the race community. Below is one of these.

From Schoolhouse to the finish, I knew it was only a 5k and so I booked it, taking no picture in this section. I believed I passed about eight people and each successive person encouraged me to go even faster. The kick that I always have at the end of 100's served me well here.

I ended up crossing the finish line in 28:33:01 and I could not be more proud of my performance, especially with my battered legs.

I took post-race pictures with the men that made this race special: Glenn Richardson, Lucas Scott, and Mark Surber. Each of us ending up finish within about an hour and a half of each other. It was really rewarding hearing from both Lucas and Mark that I had motivated and inspired them to finish. In particular, Lucas shared that I had told him: "Make a decision right now that you are going to finish." At that moment, he made that decision instead of it being "I hope to finish." That mental shift helped him and helps all of us when we make it. I was glad to be able to be of service.

Glenn Richardson

Lucas Scott

Mark Surber

From here, we are off to the Uwharrie 100 in Troy, North Carolina. I am writing this on Tuesday, October 15, two days removed from the race. Honestly, my legs don't feel too bad. My right knee is still sort of tender, but I'm sure it will be fine for next weekend because I've already made that decision. Till next time, run jolly!