Running the Rose Trail Race Recap

I ran the Running the Rose 11 mile trail run on Saturday, January 27.  The 11 mile was one of multiple races on that day which included a 108k, 54k, 22 mile, 11 mile, and 7k. This is my Running the Rose Trail Race Recap.

Race day eve had me driving up to Tyler, TX.  I had decided to drive up the night before since it was a 3 1/2 hour trek from home.



Since I got a later start on my road trip than planned, I stopped at Subway about halfway there for dinner. When I  finally made it to my hotel it was 8:30 pm.  I prepped my things for the morning and read a bit.  My wake up call wasn't until 5am, quite a change for me!



On race day morning my alarm went off at 5:00 am!  I made some coffee, took a shower, and made some almond butter/banana toast. I left the hotel at 7:00 am. The park was about 15 minutes away and I still needed to pick up my race packet.  I got there in plenty of time to drop my stuff off at the TROT ambassador tent and meet some of the team in person.

Running the Rose Trail Race Recap

The race started and ended near the Northwoods Picnic Pavillion in Tyler State Park.  I scored a parking spot less than 1/4 mile away.  There was a shuttle running for those how had to park further away.  Port-a-cans, were plentiful for this race at the start and there was one near each aid station.  Like all the TROT races, there was no bag check ... what you do is bring a chair and just leave your stuff on the chair.  No one messes with it, it's a whole different vibe at a trail race vs. a road race.

Weather conditions that morning were threatening rain.  It was around 60 at the start and quite humid... it hovered around 60 during the run. After a quick course briefing, the race began promptly at 8:30 on a course that ran through the park.  The course consisted of a looped course that ran all through the park.

The Course...

The course was mostly single track under some beautiful tall pine trees.  There were lots of hills, tree roots, and switch backs.   Did I mention that there were lots of hills?  I wasn't really sure what to expect for the course, but when I got there and saw that there was a big hill to start, I knew I was in for more.





I wasn't out to set any land speed records, so I opted to run what I could, walk what I must, and enjoy the beauty of the trails.  Alternating between a slow jog and a shuffle, I walked a lot of the steep uphills.  If I found myself tripping over the roots, I'd slow down and walk.

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Aid stations were plentiful here.  In addition to the aid station at the start/finish area, there was aid stations around the 3 and 8 mile.  There were so many enthusiastic volunteers at the aid stations and they was more like a buffet than anything else.  You could find everything from fruit, to candy, to chips, to pickles.  The race is cup-less for water,  I grazed from the table at the aid stations, picking up bananas, pickles, chips and pretzels (all tried and true things that I know don't mess with my stomach).

My finish time was 3:02:00.



At the finish, they handed out the finishers medals... and high 5's!



There was plenty of water and snacks from the aid station at the finish. In addition, they had tacos for everyone... even vegan tacos!

I checked out the Altra booth and chatted with the rep. Then I realized that I was due to at my volunteer station in 20 minutes!  I hurried up to get changed, then worked a shift at the merchandise booth.

Final Thoughts

Running the Rose is a great trail race. There are a variety of distances to choose from. Volunteer and course support was stellar! It was a smallish sized race (about 500 registrants) at a beautiful state park. The course had some challenging hills, but nothing really technical. The atmosphere and vibe are definitely different from road races... I really enjoyed it.  I would definitely include it on my race calendar again.

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I'm linking up with HoHo Runs and Taking The Long Way Home for the Weekly Wrap; and with MCM Mama Runs, Marcia’s Healthy Slice, and My no-guilt life for Tuesdays on the Run