ABOUT
This was the 4th Annual Badlands Trail run located on part of the Maah Daah Hey Trail at the Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota hosted by Endurance Eagle. (The race director, based in SC, has already stated this would be the final year. There is another Badlands race along a different portion of this 144 mile trail if you are interested in exploring)
The race consisted of a 50 mile, 50k, marathon, 16 mile, and half marathon. Total runners registered-60. Total runners that showed up-45. Total runners that Finished-33. When you have predicted temperatures of sunny 104 degrees on a course 25 miles away from any civilization on a trail with extremely limited shade, these are the results you will get. And it was totally fun to be part of that badass breed!
REGISTRATION/SHIRT and MEDAL
This is a pretty expensive race when it comes to trail races, on a trail that already exists. There was no emergency personnel whatsoever (which we were warned) except a Ranger who showed up at the Start, but I did not see at the Finish, and then one volunteer. I liked the option to pay for a shirt separately, but never in my wildest imagination would I think the shirt would have absolutely nothing to do with the state nor the race itself. I literally had to keep asking people, 'what does this mean?' However, I really like the medal. It is double sided, has the trail name, the race name, and a cool saying. However, its not a race medal, its a coin. Im still trying to figure out how to hang it with the rest of my race medals.
COURSE
This single track, out and back course started at Wannagan Campground and straight up some pretty steep switchbacks. Depending on your distance would depend how many times you had to tackle those switchbacks. The half marathon had 2 laps. Technically it ended with 13.6 miles, but hey, this is a trail race, not a course for Boston. With only 1 area less than half a mile worth of shade, the hard packed dirt trail takes you up and down into a valley with scenic overlooks of the Badlands for the majority of the trail. Unfortunately with a late morning start, it was too hot to see any type of wildlife except a hawk of some kind waiting for me to pass out.
COMMUNICATION
Eagle Endurance has an active Facebook page and there were a couple of emails sent out the week of the race. I especially liked the one the day before the race stating this would be your worst race ever!
START
The start was at Wannagan campground that is literally in the middle of nowhere. About 25 miles outside of the town of Medora, you take a dirt road through the Badlands for about 15 miles seeing no sign of life except a couple of cows. The campground has approximately 10 first come first serve sites and no facilities except a vault toilet. Some runners decided to camp with their Rv and tents.
There were two separate start times, 6a for the 50mile and 50k and 9a for everyone else. Many of us requested to start earlier, especially after that warning in the email, but the race director was not comfortable in making the change. (I still dont understand why) 9am is entirely too late for any race to start, no matter where you are located, especially for the hottest month of the year.
I stayed in my car with AC as long as possible, packed my CamelPak full of ice water, and grabbed my cold Gatorade bottle. After a few instructions from the race director, we were off.
AID STATIONS
Since the half marathon was an out and back x2, there was one aid station about three and half miles in, and then one that was the start/mid/finish. They had the normal ultra runner snacks....candies, chips, oranges, etc and an electrolyte that tasted like water called Doc Scotts.
RESULT
I have to admit, I was a little worried about this race, especially when the race director letter came out the night before, it really makes you want to think, 'is this a good idea?'
But there was no way I was not going to 'run.' I did not travel this far to North Dakota, state #38, for it not to count. Nevermind the amount of money already spent!
All I knew was it was going to be a long, unbearably slow 'race.' Quotation marks used, as I knew there was a good chance the majority of the course would be walked due to the heat, even possibly all of it.
I really thought I was going to be out of my league with this race and its conditions, but surprisingly, there were all types of runners that showed up.
Being such a small field of runners, we were quickly spaced out. You could definitely tell who were the experienced trail runners as they dashed up the steep switchbacks, while everyone else was like 'why the hell am I doing this?' The majority of the race I was running alone, with longer distance runners passing me as they did their multiple laps. I wish the bibs had different colors for the distances so I knew who was running what distance. I ended up asking a few as they had passed me so many times. It was cool because we all cheered each other on as we passed by.
The first half went surprisingly well, I was doing a lot more running than I expected and I wasnt as hot as I thought I would be. Although, my cold Gatorade quickly turned into a hot drink! It was a different kind of heat than I am used to in Florida; a very dry heat with no humidity.
I was in high spirits as I noticed a grasshopper along the trail. When I ran it would fly forward down the course, and its wings would open like a butterfly. For those of you that have been following me long enough, know that I feel like butterflies on my races are my Memaw who passed from breast cancer. I kept seeing the butterfly grasshopper taking me along the course, and I would say to it, 'Ok, show me the way.' It was like it was telling me to keep going.
The first pit stop was easy and quick and I even saw the 50k runner that I had met the day before, which kept me smiling. If he can do 50k in this heat, I can do 13miles! There was a man sitting half way between the start and the first station that was just handing out bottles of water. I passed him twice smiling, thanking him, but did not need any.
At the halfway mark (where we Started), I went to my car and grabbed ice to put into my very hot Gatorade so I could chug it down. I then took the remainder of the ice in the bag and put it on my head under my hat and grabbed a wet towel to keep around my neck. That ice and towel probably saved my life. Too hot to eat, I didn't stay long and took back off up the steep switchbacks. It was quite difficult to get back up them, but I just kept going. There was 1 other half marathoner with me and she was struggling. I tried to motivate her, but with the heat, I thought maybe it wasn't a good idea. Only you know your body. She turned around. And I was alone.
It was just me and the butterfly grasshopper. I was starting to struggle after those second set of switchbacks and having a hard time catching my breath. I tried to tell myself just enjoy the scenery. This isnt about time, it is about survival. I took some pictures of the course and noticed a huge bird circling for quite a while, like he was waiting for me to pass out and pick at my bones. I know it probably wasnt an eagle, but I imagined it was as this race is hosted by Eagle Endurance. I imagined myself being as strong as an eagle and keeping the endurance to finish this crazy race in the middle of nowhere in this dry desert like heat!
This second stretch somehow became a lot longer than the first time around. My mouth was constantly dry and I had to keep taking a sip of water what seemed like every 10 steps. I didn't feel too hot because the ice on my head surprisingly remained for a good 3 miles. I would take the wet rag and run it along my body as soon as I started to feel hot. But that too quickly dried up by the next aid station.
This second lap, my water went quickly. I was starting to run low before I even made it half way through that lap. All I wanted was to see that man handing out water that I passed up on before. Every turn, I kept thinking he has to be there, and then he wasn't. I started to think that every turn looked exactly the same as where he was sitting before. Where was he? Then I suddenly was at the official aid station. I guess he had left. Thankfully, at the aid station was some other people that I got to talk to for a bit. I stocked up on fluids and wet my rag and took off. This was the final 3.5 miles. I was in high hopes that I was going to do much better than anticipated.
That quickly dissipated. It was hot. No. It was hotter than hot. No. It was the hottest hot I had ever felt. I literally felt like I was in an oven trying to race my way out to save my life. It was so hot it was sucking the breath and liquid out of me leaving my mouth like sand paper. There seemed to be no runners passing by any longer. It was just me and the sun, and the trail, and the butterfly grasshopper.
There was only 1 portion of the course that had good shade and Im not going to lie, I almost sat down, but I knew I would definitely run out of fluid if I did. The inclines were unbearable. My muscles were completely zonked. I was dragging myself up them, even trying to walk backwards to use different muscles. I did not want to cramp. I still could not catch my breath. I was breathing heavy even just walking, which was causing my lips to crack, and my mouth to be insanely dry.
Once I left the shaded area, I can not describe the heat I felt on my body. My towel was dry. The only thing I had to cool my body was my Camelpak, which I needed to drink, or even needed just to wet my mouth, because every time I opened my mouth, the heat would suck out all the wetness and dry it up. So I started to fill my mouth with water, and trickle it down my arms and chest, just so I could have the wind cool my body. The wind had definitely picked up. We were definitely blessed with the wind! Every time the wind blows, I Thank Memaw. I know she sees me struggle with the heat and sends it my way. At this point I was literally running from one random tree/bush to another, just to have a minute or two of shade before being back in the blazing sun.
With 2 miles to go, my ipod dies. So not only am I alone on the trail with the butterfly grasshopper in the blazing sun, but now I hear nothing but quiet. Not a single sound but my heavy breathing. My Garmin was showing I so close to being done, which was good because I was also close to being out of water. Every turn looked like I was about to be at the final stretch. But then I wasn't. Then I saw the trail in the distance and realized I was no where near the end. I still had about a mile to go and I was completely out of water and there were no more trees to find any bit of shade. I had a moment of panic. I cant even stop! I mean, I can't. There is no way for them to get me on this type of trail. The longer I stay, the more dehydrated I will get. But the more I move, the more dehydrated I will become. I had no choice. I had to go.
As I came down those final switchbacks, all I wanted to do was yell out to the few people looking up at the course watching me, "Help! Bring me water! Carry me! I cant do this!" But I was too weak and I think my throat was so dry, nothing would have even come out anyways. "You got this Melissa!" I kept telling myself. 'You are a badass trail runner!' I literally was running only like 5 steps at a time, then walking 20. Run walk Run walk. Just keep doing it and it will be over. Isn't that what this journey has been all about? Isn't that was life is all about? Just keep moving forward no matter how difficult it is; one foot in front of the other. The pain will eventually subside and you will come out as a better person. You will look back with a smile and say, "Heck yea, I did that!"
I finally made it to the Finish Tent and poured a bottle of water down my throat and on my head. I Finished! No. I didn't just Finish, I Survived!
**I would not have done this race if i did not feel somewhat experienced with heat running. Living in Florida, but also having to deal with at least 1 overly hot race every year for the past 8 years while doing this half marathon a month, I know what my body does during hot runs. I am aware of the warning signs and what my body can and can not handle. August always seems to be the trouble maker month.
FINISH
Because there were multiple distances, people had come and gone already by the time I finished, and there were people still out there doing the longer distances. There were a handful of us that hung out at the finish aid tent that chatted and I got to talk with the race director a bit before taking off. Other than that, your celebration is on your own. Which I still had a long drive to Fargo before I would be able to sit down to a burger and beer in my hotel room to celebrate!
TRAVEL
I flew into Fargo because I scored a super cheap nonstop flight on Allegiant and drove 5 hours across the state to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Five long hours of nothing but hay fields, corn, and sunflowers. I've never seen fields of sunflowers like that, but apparently North Dakota is the number one producer.
I stayed at the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park my first night and a bison apparently was part of the welcoming committee!
Sunrise and sunset are a magical couple of hours inside the park. All the wildlife come out to graze. The North Unit consists of a 14 mile out and back and the South Unit, a 36 mile loop. Both with opportunities to hike, but with the heat, I had no desire getting out of the AC of the car, but you really don't even need to, to be so close to the wildlife! There were so many bison, it was unbelievable!
The town of Medora is a quaint old Wild West town. It definitely caters to the tourist and hosts a Cowboy dinner and well as cowboy show, both of which were out of my budget, but seemed very cool located up on a hill with scenic views.
I decided to stay at Scully Creek State Park, just 2 miles outside of Medora where Theodore Roosevelt National Park South Unit is located. Its the first campground I've stayed at that catered to horses. My campsite neighbor was 4 horses. There also are limited services here with only a vault toilet no where near the tents, and only a pay shower. I opted to sneak into Medora Campground after the race for my free shower in their bathhouse before my long drive back to Fargo.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
I was asked at my previous race, 'Have you ever thought about just skipping North and South Dakota, or some boring state like that?' I was surprised in the moment that someone would ask that, but I am flabbergasted now, looking back! North Dakota was pretty cool! Unfortunately though, this man was not alone. When I arrived back to Fargo after the race, I was exhausted and the hotel rep wanted to make small talk. I explained where I just came from, and neither of the reps at the front desk knew about Theodore Roosevelt National Park! I just smiled and didn't say a word. Not only was I lucky enough to be one of the few to finish this crazy badass trail race in the middle of nowhere, but I was lucky enough to be one of the few to experience this magical land where the buffalo roam!
Explore your packs, folks! There's magic out there!
State 38
Half Marathon 88
13.1-4:07
13.6-4:14
Pink Feet is on Year 8 of running a half marathon a month, while also completing the 50 states, with the final race each year being The DONNA Marathon in February! Funds raised benefit The Mayo Clinic and Donna Foundation. My mission is to help spread the word of breast cancer prevention, early detection, and living a healthy lifestyle including running and walking. My overall goal is to raise $100,000 for breast cancer charities in which over $69,000 is currently raised. Donations are currently being accepted HERE
Or you can mail a check to:
Donna Foundation
11762 Marco Beach Dr Ste 6
Jacksonville FL 32224
Memo-PinkFeet
