Sixty-six runners from eight different states showed up for the Seventh Annual Flat Rock 50 & 25K events this year in what turned out to be the most beautiful weather we have had for the event to date.  Returning this year was the 50K course record holder Eddie Mulkey, who was undoubtedly on a mission to break his old course record.  Nearly seventy percent of our field between both events had never experienced our "little gem  down here in the southeastern corner of the state and they couldn´t have picked a better year to do it.

Evidently, after all of my taunting in past race reports and the fact that two women won the 50K race outright last year, we finally had two  stallions show up, who ran the 50K course with a reckless abandon and ended up finishing within three minutes of each other.  Needless to say, for anyone who has ever competed here at Flat Rock that is extremely close, hence the title of this article.

W. Sean Nunn from Raytown, Missouri, and Kansan, Brian Pawley, from Topeka, hammered through to the 50K turn around point in less than 2:15 with both of them leaving the aid station less than a minute later with another Kansan, David Wakefield, from Lenexa, right on their heels.  Not only was this David´s first time at Flat Rock, it was his first ultra as well.  In the meantime, course record holder, Eddie Mulkey, was already four minutes behind the leaders and would eventually end up dropping from the race.  Paul Schoenlaub (the Masters Winner) from St. Joseph, Missouri, was only a couple of minutes behind the leaders threatening to clip their lead if they let up at any moment.

When the runners reached the home stretch, W. Sean Nunn, used his lengthy stride to barrel down the half-mile section of pavement and on to victory, setting a very impressive new course record of 4:47:12.  Less than three minutes later, Brian Pawley came rocketing in with a time of 4:49:38.  Amazingly, Brian´s time would have set a new course record as well, however, the younger thoroughbred´s final kick was just a little too much for Brian to overcome in the latter stage of the race.

Jess McNeely, from Wichita, Kansas, who was nearly fifteen minutes behind the leaders at the turn around point came on very strong in the second half to pass David and Paul and finish third overall in a time of 5:09:03.  Within three minutes David and Paul came blazing in, by far making this the most competitive field of athletes we have ever seen here at "the Rock."

1996 Female Champion Theresa Wheeler, from Wichita, Kansas, scored another big chunk of rock as she easily cruised to victory in a time of 6:23:10 for the Overall Women´s Award.  Eudella King from Edmond, Oklahoma, was second in the women´s division with a time of 6:50:59 and was nearly caught by Tammy Brewer from Wichita, Kansas, in a time of 6:52:18 to place third overall for the women.

One of the unique features of the 50K event is the offering of lifetime free entry for any competitor that finishes the race ten consecutive years in a row.  This year we had three individuals with seven consecutive finishes.  Wichitan, Dennis Haig, in a time of 5:41:00. Former Kansan, who now resides in Colorado, Dave Noltensmeyer, in a time of 7:39:59.  And Dave "Blue Flame  Dinkel from Olathe, Kansas, in a time of 9:33:51.  We also had Wichitan, Tom Lasater, chalk up his sixth consecutive finish in a time of 7:28:25.  Hats off to all of these sick, twisted individuals who put themselves through such torture just to save a few bucks.  As Tom Lasater himself has said: "I will be lucky to still be running by the time I attain my lifetime free entry!   Especially if he keeps running courses like this one.  Seriously, these gentlemen exemplify the definition of commitment and heavy mettle through and through.  We will be looking forward to inducting them into the Flat Rock "Hall of Pain  in the upcoming years.

A new course record was set in the 25K by Wichitan, Brent Henry, in a time of 2:07:07. It seems like the future mark to crack on the 25K will be the sub two hour point.  If anyone can do it, I´ll bet Brent will come back and attempt it, even though he truly seemed like the type of individual who will step up to the 50K next year, as he looked a little too fresh after completing the 25K.  Not to mention, I think he would have a shot at the new course record on it as well. Joyce Harvey from Uniontown, Kansas, won the Women´s Division in the 25K in a time of 3:21:11 and looked so fresh that I am just sure we will see her back here next year competing in the 50K, also. Impressively, placing second overall for the 25K in a time of 2:24:53 was 46 year old, John McAllister, from Parsons, Kansas.  John is like so many others that join our sport, he told me he is just burnt out on the marathon scene and ready to take his running to the next level.  Well, I think he definitely found the right place and organization as he is already talking of doing the 50K next year and two weeks later doing our 50-miler at Heartland.  We can hardly wait.

I was also very pleased to see an Independence, Kansas, resident competing this year as we have had very few local entrants over the seven years of hosting this event.  Christine Thompson finished in a time of 4:13:29 and has already spoken about competing next year and spreading the word to other local runners.

As always, these events could not be pulled off without the dedicated support and staffing of the volunteers who willingly give up the majority of their weekend, or more, to help the competitors achieve their goals and move beyond the spectrum of a limited lifestyle into the wonderful world of unlimited potential.  As competitors, please don´t ever forget to thank them profusely, for without them we (runners) could not compete in organized events.  And as a race director and founder of this organization (KUS), I sincerely thank them and love them all as well, for they continually teach me what community and unconditional giving is all about.  Until next year, remember to always push it till you bleed, then push it some more!  See you at the Rock on September 28, 2002.

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2002 Report

ETERNAL FLAME
Eighth Annual Flat Rock 50/25K's
SEPTEMBER 28, 2002

By: Eric Steele RD

Every once in a great while, one gets to experience a miracle in life. Yeah sure...I know, miracles abound all of the time spiritual experts say. I´m talking about a miracle in the sense of the fact that something probably can´t happen, or won´t occur...no matter how much praying, meditating, or conjuring one does.  Well, this year at Flat Rock...one occurred.  Yes, with less than two minutes remaining in our 10 hour cutoff for the 50K, when the fire was nearly out and the ashes began gently stirring in the cool afternoon breeze...when the proverbial "Pastor E  was about to get up and begin his eulogy of a "Flat Rock Faithful  whom today we would have to bury...out of the smoldering fire, a blue flame doth appeared.  A blue flame to remind us all that even though sometimes we can´t see the light or feel the heat and warmth of the blue flame, that it is always there, under the ashes, burning ever so warm for the few who are faithful enough to maintain their vigil.

Thirty-nine runners from nine different states (25 in the 50K & 14 in the 25K) toed the line for the eighth annual Flat Rock 50 and 25K´s.  The day started with sunny skies that would last throughout the day and send temperatures into the low eighties.  After last year´s new 50K course record of sub 4:50 set by some thoroughbred from Raytown Missouri, we were all anxious to see who would be vying for the men's Flat Rock Crown, not to mention how many of the returning female champs might show up to do battle. Evidently, once you break 5 hours on the 50K course you have proven your ultra-acumen though, as none of our three sub-five hour finishers decided to re-engage with "The Rock.   Either that, or they decided once was hellish enough, or maybe it was just too much value for their money and they felt like they were taking us for a ride.  Regardless, the brave souls who showed up to participate were, as always, treated to the best hospitality in the ultra community and one of the most challenging 50/25K courses in the US.

Twenty-five runners started the 50K and saw Jess McNeely, Paul Schoenlaub (returning Men´s Masters Champion) and Dave Wakefield jump out to an early lead, which would last until the turn around when Wakefield bonked bad due to going out too quickly and Mark Crisman pulled into third.  A few hours later, McNeely crossed the finish line as the 2002 Flat Rock Men´s Champion in a time of 5:07:34, with Schoenlaub close on his tail in a time of 5:12:06, to place second overall and score his second consecutive Men´s Masters Title.  Crisman maintained his position in third, finishing in a time of 5:50:19, while Mindy Wilson cruised in at 5:55:17, to snag her second Flat Rock Women´s Champion Title.  A few minutes later David Wakefield came power walking in to finish in a time of 6:04:58 and undoubtedly score the fastest finishing time for anyone who walked the entire second half of the race.

In the 25K, only our overall winner, Greg Martens, broke 3 hours on the course, finishing in a time of 2:40:23.  Overall Women´s 25K winner was Angela Diedrich in a time of 3:29:13.  Evidently the majority of the 25K runners were heeding the course motto of; "If you look up, your going down  and had therefore decided to stop a number of times to enjoy the many picturesque bluffs and scenic vistas, which the 25K ever so magnificently serves up the our competitors.  In a little over five and a half hours, Bob Bishop rolled in and we had all fourteen of our 25K competitors accounted for.  Needless to say, I am quite certain that every last one of them was converted to a future 50K entrant and I am looking forward to all of them getting "a lot more money´s worth  out of next year´s event when they will get twice the fun for only five more bucks.  Not to mention, if they take advantage of next year´s gracious referral program they will all be able to have twice the fun for less money than they spent this year...what a bargain!

As the afternoon rolled on, 50K competitors continued to roll in to the sounds of clamoring cowbells, clapping hands, hootin´& hollorin  and the whistling of a choo-choo train! A what...a choo-choo train?  Yes, this year I got a new toy, or should I say a new noisemaker.  A whistle that sounds amazingly identical to an old steam locomotive.  After putting several people´s ear drums out in past years with my infamous blue horn, the new whistle was pure delight for not only neophytes to the "Flat Rock Experience  but to the seasoned veterans as well.  Equally as pleasing was the fact that I didn´t have to listen to lawsuit threats or my own ears ringing for several days either...and who says relentless forward progress can´t be fun!  Meanwhile, two of our competitors who have finished this race seven consecutive times (and have nearly earned lifetime free entry into this event and induction into the Flat Rock Hall of Pain) came strolling in to make it eight consecutive times...just two more times for "Flat Rock Fame.   Dennis Haig in a time of 6:52:14 and Dave Noltensmeyer in a time of 8:34:58.

Shortly thereafter, Mark Meers, a past 25K competitor who decided to maximize his bang for the buck and find out what "true grit  is all about by stepping up to the 50K, gleefully ran through the finisher´s tent in a time of 8:40:01.  The look of exhaustion, yet sheer exhilaration on Mark´s face has become a trademark of this event and is a constant reminder that our "little gem  down here in southeastern Kansas packs major carat weight and forces nearly every competitor to go deep inside and find their own shiny pearl, which they didn´t even know existed...and to personally know what they are feeling, always sends chills down my spine and a big smile to my heart.  Ah...the joys of being Chief Bottle Washer! A few minutes later, six-time consecutive finisher, Tom Lasater, chugged across the finish line and made it seven in a row.  Apparently, Tom is pretty fervent about being inducted into the FR Hall of Pain as well.  Along with him was Bradley Youngblood, both in a time of 8:48:52.  A little over 35 minutes later we cheered Hiram Byrd through the tent in a time of 9:24:50.

So, nearly all of our participants had found their way home, were cleaned up and well on their way to indulging in copious amounts of chili, while spinning tales of the beast that nearly swallowed them whole earlier in the day.  All except for…Dinkel, David Dinkel.  Where was Dave?  Our first KUS member and the most devoted amongst the "Flat Rock Faithfuls.   As the clock dwindled down to less than thirty minutes remaining before cutoff and Dave had yet to be spotted on the nearly one mile stretch of road leading off of the trail and to the finish line, doubt began to creep in as to whether he would make it.  Sure, two years earlier Dave had came rolling in with less than twenty minutes to spare, however, now there was only about twenty minutes left and he was nowhere to be seen.

Then, I reminded myself that an ultrarunning Master was accompanying Dave and that every fiber of strength Dave had would be skillfully pulled to the surface by this Master and manifest itself in Dave´s eighth consecutive finish of this event…if it was meant to be at all, with these two then so it would be.  After all, I too had been in this same ultra-master´s care a little over three years earlier and was graciously guided to my first completion of the Leadville Trail 100, after two previously failed attempts. I also reminded myself that ultras have taught and shown me more about the power of faith than literally anything else in life and at that moment I saw several of our members, including a couple KUS co-founders, walking down the road…out to meet Dave and the Master Scott Demaree…who they intuitively knew were very close to home and emphatically sought to help pull in.

Well, time was nearly out, in another five minutes it would be fully expired and time to torch the funeral pyre in remembrance of a dearly departed Flat Rock faithful, David Dinkel.  However, for those who are unaware, Dave´s nickname is "the Blue Flame  and true to form of a blue flame, which might burn low, but burns very hot…Dave never went out…he never quit.  And with less than three minutes to go he rounded the last turn on the gravel road and headed towards the finishers tent, burning low…but burning still…the blue flame had not gone out.  Dave crossed the finish line with a little over a minute to spare and looked into my eyes in a way that can only be described as;  "I know I scared the crap out of you, myself and everyone else, but I made it…we made it…number eight in the bag…thank God!  Yes, our own "blue flame  was still glowing and even though it was weak, was smiling, as he knew he had just finished his eighth consecutive Flat Rock 50K and was only two more away from eminent Flat Rock glory.

In closing, we were really impressed to have a regimen of runners from Wichita and Mulvane, whom several of us KUS members have been persuading to tackle this course for several years now, that finally showed up and not only had a great time, but added much to the camaraderie of the KUS family and the event´s overall character.  I am quite certain we will see most of them return next year, bringing with them some "fresh meat  of course.  As always and forevermore, my deepest of gratitude to all Flat Rock volunteers who give of their valuable time and resources to help make this event happen.  Please always remember that none of this is possible without all of you that make up the KUS family and choose to continue supporting this event which started it all.

Even though our field of competitors was a little short this year compared to the past several years, the rich and colorful lore that was spun (and has become a legendary trademark of this event), was more bountiful than ever. Our campfire on Saturday night after the event saw seven race participants joining in the activity that has grown into the primal KUS initiation....we actually had a second row of seats going around the campfire, not to mention we were entertained by the "Not Ready for Prime Time KUS-Kids  performing several skits to nearly everyone´s amusement.  Also, if you ever want to get the purest glimpse into the jaded nature of the "Founding Fathers  of KUS, I highly recommend attending the post race campfire in future years.  See ya´ll next year on September 27th, 2003, for "Round Nine  of pure, unadulterated ultra-fun...KUStyle!

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2003 Report

AND THEN THERE WAS FOUR:  SCHOENLAUB´S SHINING
Ninth Annual Flat Rock 50 & 25K´s
September 27, 2003

By:  Eric Steele RD

Thirty-eight runners from nine states (CO, IL, KS, MO, NE, NM, OK, TN, TX) toed the line for the Ninth Annual Flat Rock 50K, while twenty-two runners from four states (IL, KS, MO, OK,) lined up for the 25K.  After a previous day of eighty+ degree temperatures and high humidity, race day would start out cool and remain so all day with the high only reaching the low 70´s and a nice cool breeze blowing continuously.  Many Flat Rock Veterans returned this year to get another "dose of the Rock  which has undoubtedly become a late September ritual to them and an ever growing number of individuals for we attracted plenty of Flat Rock Neophytes, as well.

Friday evening saw a mini-hurricane blow through the Outlet Channel Shelter House (where we hold all pre and post race activities) complete with horizontal rain blowing from several directions and acorn-sized hail for a brief spell. The whole episode started shortly after we began dinner at around 6:30 and even though it only lasted for about thirty minutes, it was intense.  Runners and their family members along with race staff and volunteers, huddled underneath the shelter house while shifting in several directions to try and avoid the crosswinds blowing in the rain that the roof was doing very little to keep out.  When it was over, the chowfest resumed as normal and there was a heightened excitement in the air as everyone agreed it was better that this happened now than the next day.  I, however, was slightly stressed due to a flu/head cold I had been fighting all week and trying to re-organize the many soggy cardboard boxes that had not weathered the storm worth a plug nickel. 

Thankfully, this is where my KUS co-founders and dedicated race staff stepped in and provided a much needed form of deliverance by handling the logistics and problem solving associated with the following days aid station setup and duties.  Several runners and their family members began pitching in to help dry off tables and asked me what they could do to help out.  Sometimes, we all tend to forget how much we need other key people to manifest successful events or personal missions and there is nothing like the "wake up call  of being pushed to your limit to find out that none and I do mean "none  of it is possible without them…and after all, the true beauty of this sport, whether volunteering, competing or spectating is that it teaches us to never quit because there are always willing and helpful souls to pick you up and assist you when you need it the most, as long as you don´t give up on yourself.

Saturday morning was beautiful and the race started without any hitches, Paul Schoenlaub and David Wakefield were trying to be cool and act nonchalant, but were both chomping at the proverbial bit anxiously, yet confidently…like prizefighters getting ready to tear into each other.  At the start, the two blew down the small piece of road before dumping onto the trail to never be seen again by any other competitors.  Both of these gentlemen are what we consider "Flat Rock Crazies  ya  know…certifiable, because they have both been here twice and they both came back for a third time.  Most importantly, what really makes them "whacked  is they both had intentions of breaking five hours on this course.  How better can you say death wish?  Just for the record, in the previous eight years only 1.24% of all competitors here at the Flat Rock 50K have achieved a sub five hour finish. 

The race between these two demented hopefuls was still fairly close at the turnaround point, however, Schoenlaub pulled away on the return trip.  With "Flat Rock Fire  in his eyes, a champion´s grace in his stride and a massive smile upon his chops, Schoenlaub ran under the finisher´s tent in a time of 4:57:25 to become only the "fourth  competitor in the nine year history of this event to break five hours, as well as breaking the record for the oldest sub five hour finisher.  A little under twenty-five minutes later Wakefield came cruising in shaking his head and mumbling something to himself about not breaking five hours…again.  However, there is no doubt that Wakefield will return next year to conquer his goal of a sub five hour finish here at "the Rock  as it has undoubtedly "got up in him!  

But, let´s not forget, Schoenlaub will be back next year to defend his title as we have already received his entry for 2004.  Who wants some of "Mr. P"…come on, who wants some?  No competitor has ever broken five hours on this course twice…will it happen next year?  Only one has tried…Mr. Eddie Mulkey…he failed…"the Rock  beat him down on Round Two, unfortunate...but it happens.  If I could even remember the name of the guy who won in 2001 maybe we would issue some kind of challenge to him…oh yeah…isn´t he the course record holder too, and what state was he from exactly?  I doubt we´ll see him next year, I think he mentioned something to me about taking up equestrian activities or something like that.  What about that guy from Topeka who broke five the same year "what´s his name  won …will we see him next year?  Who knows, but Schoenlaub is destined to set history next year and all we´re wondering here on "the Ranch  is if there are any ultrarunners who actually think they can become "the fifth  competitor next year to break five. 

Finishing third overall and our Men´s Masters Champion for this year, David Scott blazed through in 5:44:21 showing that the SLUGS are truly a "MidWestern Ultra Force  to be reckoned with.  Watch out SLUGS (and other states that think they can field a team of capable ultrarunners) maybe we´ll have to issue a team challenge for our 10th Anniversay Race in 2004…no Freudian slip intended…stay tuned!  Past 2002 Women´s Champion and six-time previous finisher of the 50K, Mindy Wilson narrowly defended her ´02 victory finishing just a little over six minutes in a time of 6:29:07, just in front of 2001 Women´s Champion and six-time previous finisher, Theresa Wheeler, who blazed through the finishers tent in time of 6:35:32.  Mari Mohr, who last year sprained her ankle while attempting to do "the Rock  came back showing true grit and an unyielding determination that resulted in a sub seven hour finish, coming in with a very respectable time of 6:52:10 and claiming Women´s Masters Champion.

Dave Dinkel, Dave Noltensmeyer and Dennis Haig all finished their ninth consecutive Flat Rock 50K and are now only one race away from lifetime free entry into the event and are slated to become the first inductees into the "Flat Rock Hall of Pain  upon completing next year´s 50K event.  Heavyweight Tom Lasater is right on their heels with eight consecutive finishes and is looking forward to his induction in 2005.  Special thanks to our "Illinois Boys  Duane Frichtl and Jeffrey Skibbe for recruiting and enrolling a whole regimen of "Flat Rock Firsts  to come experience what I have grown quite fond of referring to as our "little gem.   We also attracted our youngest competitor in the history of the 50K event, 18-year-old Brenton Floyd.  Floyd has completed marathons in all 50 states and is the youngest finisher of the "50 State Club  which is undoubtedly due to his whirlybird cap that aided him in his finish here at Flat Rock.

In the 25K event, Eric Nelson was the first place male finisher with a time of  2:26:36.  Sarah Hill-Nelson, was the top female finisher with a time of 3:04:01. This year my older sister, Linda Thom, who has been gracious enough to write the press-releases for this event, completed the 25K for the first time and experienced the attraction of such a trail run like Flat Rock.  She quotes: "I had never attempted a race of this length or type before.  It was a blast!  I stepped around rocks, slipped in mud, climbed over tree limbs, crossed a few streams and ran when possible!   In spite of being only half the distance of the 50K because the 25K covers the toughest portion of the trail it still gives runners a good opportunity to get there "dose of the Rock  and if they get addicted they can return the following year for twice the fun by doing the 50K.

As the afternoon moved into early evening, the remaining 25 & 50K competitors continued to roll in to the sounds of clamoring cowbells, clapping hands, hootin´& hollorin,  the blasting of my infamous "Blue Horn  and the whistling of a choo-choo train…if you could hear it over the rest of the raucous cheering.  Eager family members and friends greeted their loved ones with a warm smile and congratulations while watching other runners finish with various scrapes, bruises, bangs, cuts, etc., yet all of them carrying that irreplaceable smile that can only be associated with digging deep and coming up with a measurable form of personal achievement.  Chili and pasta were served up in copious quantities all afternoon and evening long as Flat Rock Veterans and Neophytes traded stories that would horrify and glorify the trail which they had communed with and became a part of that day.

Once again, we had another large turnout at the post-race campfire which demonstrated that the "Flat Rock Family  is continuing to grow as the rich lore associated with the camaraderie of the people and the sweet, yet wicked nature of this course are entwining their way into the ultrarunning community.  Thanks to Dave (the Blue Flame) Dinkel for stoking up some most delicious popcorn on his campfire popcorn popper and to Bud Baker for supplying and delivering a nice load of wood for the campfire.  As always, the help of some key individuals was critical in the manifestation of another successful event.  Thanks to all of the extremely dedicated volunteers (my sons and born salesmen…go figure, Harrison & Sam Steele, Chef Paul Myshka…for his fine culinary skills, Gretchen Mitchell, Kathleen Folks, David Bushey, Victor & Junior, Chad Flint & his sister Rhonda, Marilyn Lamm and of course, my KUS co-founders, Scott Demaree, Randy Albrecht and Marc Friesen) who have given of their time and talent to make this event an experience that many runners want to, and will, have again.  Many thanks also to Hammer Nutrition/E-Caps and Conquest Thirst Quencher who have given tremendously over the years to support our events and provide most excellent fuel for the individuals who compete in them.  Finally, thanks to the competitors, who support this event (and all KUS events), individuals who truly appreciate the experience we have grown fond of calling "KUSpitality"…it has been our sincere pleasure over the past eight years to serve you and we are stoked you are a part of "the race that started it all."

Next year we are are celebrating our 10th Anniversary and if you have ever entered the 50 or 25K in the previous nine years you are entitled to a 50% discount for our 10th Anniversary Event.  We are capping entries at 125 for both races combined and are confident we will reach capacity many months before the event as we had 65 entries for this year´s event.  We have already received five entries for next year´s celebration and if you are on the KUS e-mail list you will be receiving monthly updates on the number of entries we have for both events, so you can get your entry in before it´s too late. Send your entry in now, as you will definitely want to be a part of next year´s celebration…and always remember: "Our Rocks Need You!   Run long and prosper.

David White Adds:
FLAT ROCK ROCKS...
and rocks and rocks and more rocks... Wow, I forgot how rocky this one is. I ran this race one other time in 2000 and I guess it took that long to recover both physically and mentally from the beating the trail gave me. I don't think the total elevation gain and loss is that great, only 5,000 ft. over the 50K distance, but what gets to everyone is the rocky trail. The year hasn't been going well for running ultras. I was injured for most of the earlier part of the year. I got running well again this spring, then had a horseback riding accident in June, which limited my running for a while after that. Pikes Peak Marathon went well, but through the summer I couldn't run very hard on trails without the knee giving me problems. I wasn't sure how Flat Rock would go with limited trail running.Flat Rock is a true, honest trail ultra. Anyone who has run it can agree it one of the most difficult, technical trails in the area. The Race Director, Eric Steele, had studied the results of all 50K trail ultras in the nation. He believes it is the fourth most difficult 50K in the nation. Phil Sheridan has run other 50K's in the 3:30 range and has only been able to run a 5:04 on this one. A sub 5 hour finish will put a runner in Flat Rock Hall of Fame. This year I have worked more races than I have run. I think it is time to get in a little racing and have some fun. The only problem is I have to leave town to be able to do it. Flat Rock is directed by Eric Steele. A very competent race director who puts on a fantastic trail run. The Kansas Ultrarunners Society (KUS) is a well organized club with a lot of very nice members. This run is lots of fun, low key, and everyone feels like part of the family the moment they arrive. I put this one on my list for the year so I could get back and see old friends and enjoy the company of ultra runners at quality event.I got into Independence, KS at 6:30 on Friday evening. I checked into the Super 8 and was about to leave for the pasta dinner at race headquarters. I looked out the door and saw a terrible deluge and windstorm going on. I couldn't even go 20 feet to my car without getting drenched, so I went back to the room the turn on the television to see if there were any tornado warnings. The weather channel said it was a small isolated storm, soon to subside. It must have dumped two inches of rain in an hour. I thought ... this is going to make this trail interesting tomorrow. I finally made it to the pasta dinner and connected with the other SLUG's that were there.Race day:Paul Schoenlaub, Alex Kovalev. Dan Carnescalli, Dave Scott, and I were to make up the SLUG contingent for the day. Five SLUG members is a good showing for this tough remote trail run. We knew we were going to have some good competition since some of the Kansas runners can train on the trail and get a home field advantage. The downpour the night before didn't help the trail conditions. We now had slippery rocks and a few more branches to trip over. Well, it effected everyone the same, so it would slow everyone else also. I made it to the 25K turn around in 8th place feeling as well as I could expect to. I took a fall at around 10 miles and the bleeding on my knee was nearly stopped, so I thought I could try move up in the field. I passed a couple more runners and moved up to 6th place. I held that position until 28 miles and got passed by the three runners again. My feet were trashed and I was doing more walking than running on this very technical section. Those runners were not doing much better than I and I was always able to see or hear them on the trail ahead of me. When we came out of the woods we ran 3/4 mile section of gravel roads. Yes, no more rocks. I was able to run it in and passed one more runner to finish 8th place in a time of 6:28:XX, my personal worst for 50K. When I ran this race in 2000 I was 8th overall and a time of 6:21. With the mud and slippery rocks, I this is at least the equivalent performance, so I am pleased with everything.Paul Schoelaub was the over all winner with a sub 5 hour time. This will put him in the hall of fame, or something. I will let him tell his story, but it was an awesome run for the conditions that day. Dave Scott, new SLUG and recent immigrant from Champaign, IL was third. Many of you remember meeting him at the SLUG picnic. We have another good trail runner joining our club. Alex kovalev had a very good time and Dan Carnescalli finished it very well looking strong.  The SLUG's are become a club be recognized at area ultras. We had three members finish in the top 10 at this event. Not bad for a small club like ours.This is a tough trail run, but I highly recommend it to anyone. It is a well organized event, great people and lots of fun. Do it next year and I guarantee you will have an enjoyable time.

Lynn Ballard Adds:
Driving up through Oklahoma and into southern Kansas didn't seem to terribly intimidating, as the rolling hills never got to high nor the terrain too rough.  Sherman, Durant, Atoka, McAllister, Henryetta, Tulsa, and so on...We arrive at the Channel Outlet campground and are well received by the KUS (Kansas Ultrarunners Society) volunteers and race director Eric Steele.  We quickly get signed up and set out to select our campsite, a nice shady one near the channel coming under the dam on Elk City Reservoir.  We throw our tent(s) up and I decide that since the only thing other than sunshine on the forecast was "windy" for Saturday,  I would put a few stakes down just in case.  Back to the S/F area for the 'eat until you can't walk' pasta dinner promised by Eric and his KUS cohorts.  We say grace and go through the line to find tons of spaghetti and meatballs and am almost done with my second plate when I ask "was that thunder?"  Before anyone can answer, my plate is puddling with rainwater blowing horizontally in the side of the pavilion from the North.  We all shift to the south side of the pavilion only to have a change of weather and a wind shift that now blows horizontal from the South, accompanied by quarter-sized hailstones! 

Rubbing my head (hailstones, remember?) I think to myself "glad I put the stakes down.  The storm retreats almost as quickly as it arrives, but not before soaking everyone and everything.  We beat a hasty retreat back to our tents and review the trail map to discuss points of access for my fan club (wife and mother) to meet up with me during the day, then call it a night. 

Rise and shine (dimly) at 6 AM.  To fill the Camelback, pack the snacks and slather up with BodyGlide before heading over to the 7AM pre-race briefing.  As I walk up to the briefing area I realize I forgot to put my contacts in...which I beat a hasty retreat back to the tent to address, hoping that's the only thing I forgot.  After reminding the runners that the trail is very challenging and "we're really not kidding about our motto for the race...If you look up, you're going down", the RD told us where the actual starting line was...about ½ mile up the road...we plodded to the start.

With the makings of a gorgeous sunrise behind us, we were sent on our assault on the Elk River Hiking trail for the day at 7:30AM.  I promptly reminded myself that this was a training run, not a race for me.  Pulling back to the back third of the pack, I secretly thought that I would rather enjoy passing folks at the end, as I was in top shape for this race.  Down the road, across a grassy meadow and up, up, up we wound to the top of the rock shelf overlooking the lake.  The previous night's rain provided mud in the few spots the rocks didn't dominate, promptly filling in the gaps between the lugs on my Montrail Hurricanes.  This made the rock's even more interesting, as I quickly had a couple of near misses and a good slide-down to remind me this might be a long day. 

Up and over the ledge and through some very deceptive high grassy meadows with rocks looming just out of sight, hiding in the grass (which was about waist high), I was just about to line out and lengthen my stride and "bang", glad I have those toe bumpers, "thwap", wow, that could have been a really bad ankle sprain, and on....  What's that noise?  I hear an unknown runner yell "buffalo", what, are there buffalo here?  And quickly another responds "buffalo" then another and another from above me, behind me in front of me, seemingly everywhere!  "Some runners are just weird", I think to myself (my wife thinks all runners are weird). 

I am running 3rd in a train of runners for a while, so I ask "who do we have in this train?  I'm Lynn."  "Bill" comes from in front of me, "and that's John up front".  "Steve", from right behind me, "Marlyss" further back and then a faint "Kay" from even further back.  Suddenly John stops to tie a shoe and Bill pulls over with him and I'm in front.  Running comfortably, I pick it up a bit, as I am a little impatient with the extended slowdowns we've been experiencing.  Now, I'm really concentrating on the trail and carefully choosing each footplant. 

In no time, we are upon the first aid station, where 4 or 5 runners are gathered.  I blow right past, generating a few comments and some raised eyebrows.  I drop the train at the aid station and am now running alone.  I continue in my solitude, thinking that the long training runs have conditioned me to go without support for 9-10 miles at a time, so I plot to not stop until the 9-10 mile aid station.  Next thing I know, I'm blowing through the second aid station.  A quarter mile down the trail, there is a water crossing and I get careless selecting my footing...s**t!  Water in my shoes!  That's OK, it's not too bad and I'll be able to change at the turn, cause wife and mother will meet me there.

Up and down the rock shelf, I continue, then realize someone is behind me.  Darn, am I slowing down?   No, Steve and one of the other runners left open-mouthed at the first aid station have decided to haul ass, and attribute their change of pace to my blowing through the aid stations.  I move over let them by and find myself happy to get back to running alone.  I hit the 9.6 mile aid station, take a hit of Conquest from the table (hey, this stuff is good), grab a handful of orange slices, a half banana and continue on with less than 30 seconds delay.  This is the first access point where my wife and my mother talked about meeting me.  It is still early and they are enjoying the camp, I think to myself...no worries.  I'm feeling really good and now am looking forward to the turnaround.  Up, down, stumble, taking in the morning in the Kansas wilderness, awesome!

I blow through the next aid station and reflect that these stations seem as close together as the one-a-mile setups they have in road races.  Still, it feels good to reach an aid station when you have some gas left!  I pick it up a bit more and realize I am closing on another runner.  We're on a jeep road with a slight uphill grade.  What's that?  He's walking, the afterburners kick in (yeah right, like I'm only doing 12 min miles!) and shortly after he crests the hill and begins running, I pass him.  Wow that felt great.  I quickly put him out of sight and find another one that I begin to reel in.  Shortly after I pass, I'm really feeling confident and I hear "no, left, left".  It's the guy I just passed telling me I just missed the turn off the jeep trail.  A little embarrassed, I thank him profusely, correct my path and continue on.  Less than three miles to the turnaround.

Now I hit a portion of the trail that seems more like rock climbing, as I'm forced to scratch and claw my way up and down a few rock faces, across some pretty wet stuff, as the rain from last night is draining toward the river.  I'm now about 2 miles out and the leaders are approaching.  Yes, two young featherlights that seem to be enjoying themselves.  I'm thinking they must have been raised by mountain goats, as they glide over some of the really rough stuff.  Now I'm counting the other runners returning from the turnaround and realize there are only about 16-17 ahead of me. 

I reach the turn and realize that my wife and my mother have skipped this access point, as well.  Oh well, the shoes and socks are doing just fine and I don't really want to take the time to change them anyway, but the ice cold Mountain Dew and Ensure sure would be good right now.  Oh well...back to the start.  "Buffalo", "buffalo"..."buffalo" I hear.  These guys are weird...  I pass the pack on the way back out from the turn, maybe 1-1/2 or 2 miles out.  Wow, I have put some good distance on the gang and now am running about mid-pack.  Here is a really flat section near the river bank without too many rocks, I kick it up a bit and am moving really well.  "Bang, snap, crackle, pop", I'm on my back, as a result of my first really hard fall of the day.  My right thumb is throbbing, a result of jamming it into the trunk of a small tree I tried to grab on the way down.  My left knee is pounding from the banging and hyperextension it took on the way down.  Crap!  I take stock and realize that nothing is really hurt but my pride and maybe my thumb...no blood, so I remind myself of Jay Norman's words..."I don't need it to run" and I took off. 

Blow back through the next aid station and get back to the 9.6 (on the way out) station.  Wife and mother are sitting in lounge chairs and I announce they are fired (remember the wet socks and the no show at the turnaround?).  Everyone gets a good laugh and I slam down a couple of Ensures and some Mountain Dew (man, I love that stuff), take a banana, kiss the wife and take off, knowing that I'll be done in 2-21/2 hours.  I decide to pick it back up to a pretty good clip.  I'm still not seeing anyone until I get to the next aid station.  The volunteer looks at my number and then his list and says "good job, Lynn".  "Are you Lynn as in jlynnbob?" I hear from a guy that is sunbathing in a chair nearby.  "Yes, I say". "I'm mazerunner", he replies, a bud from the Runner's World UltraRunner board.  He jumped up and fell in with me for the next 2-3 miles, leading the way.  It was good to catch up with him, as we had traded several posts on the board, but had never met.  We hit a long uphill and he stepped aside stating "you're a stronger climber, so go ahead" and I pulled us up the rest of the grade.  He fell back and shortly I was alone again with about 5 miles to go. 

I got back into some pretty rough terrain and took another hard fall.  Hard enough to slow me down quite a bit.  I continue on and snag my left foot on a root and it stops me dead in my tracks...no fall just suspended like one of Batman's foes hit me with a freeze ray!  That pulled everything from my lower back down to my pinky toe!  Immediately I cramped up in the muscle group that runs down the inside of my thighs, knees and calves.  That was painful!  I work it out and continue on, again a bit slower and more cautiously.  After all, I don't want to hurt something that would jeopardize Palo Duro! 

A few more ups and downs and I make sure I am comfortable that there is enough distance between me and the next guy and kick it into finish gear.  Down off the trail and onto the dam road (no, really, it goes up and over the dam), I am back at the starting line (but not the finish line).  It feels good to be able to stretch out and run without worrying about the rocks for a change!  On to the finish where I received the most raucous cheering and whistling and clapping I have ever received in any race I've run (and most of it coming from Eric, the RD).  My finish was 7:37:22, the longest it has taken me ever to cover that distance, but I feel like a winner (and know I ran a good race). I grab a bowl of chili, visit with Ken (Mazerunner) and Mrs. Mazerunner before hitting the showers.  What a great race!  Very well run by a friendly group of folks from KUS.

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2004 Report

ALL HAIL THE KNIGHTS OF THE FLATROCK
10th Anniversary Flat Rock 50/25K's
September 25, 2004

By: Warren Bushey

We would like to give all of the 93 runners a great big thank you for coming out to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Flat Rock 50K and the 8th year of the 25K.  This year´s field was made up of runners from ten different states (KS, MO, OK, IL, CO, NE, TX, NM, IA, AR) and one country, which of course would be our friends to the northOntario, Canada. Everyone was blessed with some of the best weather a runner could ask for. This year´s race day was made up of early morning temps in the mid 50´s and afternoon temps of low 80´s with a nice little breeze to keep the bugs under control. Our 50K race consisted of 38 runners, some of which are the real veterans. You can pick them out easy because they have that rock solid, far away stare, which says I´m taking the rock this year...I´m gonna make her mine. Then you look around a little closer at some other runners and see what they call a deer in the headlights or that sheer panic stricken look one gets when they just come over the top of a roller coaster and know they should of stayed at the bottom holding all of the toys. Our 25K race drew the biggest field ever with 45 runners while 23 of them had never run this great race. I think they were coming out to "test the rocks of the Rock  and see how good it tastes in Kansas. The rest of our field of runners had run this course anywhere from one to four times and keep coming back to chew up more rocks…just to keep them flat for all the new smiling faces that want to get their own piece of "the Rock."

At the Outlet Channel Shelter House on Friday evening the energy level was as powerful as a lighting storm in Kansas on a hot summers  evening. Every one of the dedicated volunteers were running around like banshees ensuring that all tasks was done to perfection while runners were checking in with their family and friends sporting huge smiles on their chops and tons of anticipation toward the next days  adventure. Many were happy to see the friends they have made over the past ten years and were ready to do as much damage to the pasta and meatballs as possible. At times, there was so much laughter in the air, one might think they were at a comedy club. You could hear the deals coming together for this years  new addition of team competition as to who was going to be their states  representatives and possibly pocket a quick $500.  The RD was doing what he does best by "recruiting  some last minute members for the KUS Dream Team and by the end of the evening we had three teams (MO, OK, IL) that wanted to take on the KUS´s Finest. Indeed, the webs were being spun to see how to take down the newly birthed giant with a sling and a rock. Everyone had more than enough to eat by then and were ready to be rolled into their cars, tents, and hotel rooms to await the coming of "the Rock."

Saturday was to be a day in Flat Rock history that will not be forgotten for many years to come. It was early morning around 5am when the shelter house started to come alive. Volunteers were working together like Santa´s little helpers the day before Christmas. Trucks and cars were being loaded with aid station supplies and volunteers to run them. Runners were pinning on their numbers and looking over the days competition to see who was going to be eating who´s rocks. The pre-race info was being belted out in a serious yet flippant manner by the RD to all of the runners, while the electricity was growing every second, as the race was just minutes away. Participants started finding their way to the starting line while trying to remain calm…yeah, like that was going to happen. With the trail being in its  best shape ever, thanks to the almost 1400 hours dedicated by our volunteers, it was sure to be a great race with some very fast times and possibly a new course record. The team competition added an even further element of surprise and team MO was out to show us what they were made of, while team OK was sure to show they were more than "okay,  especially with a last minute recruit like Jack Christian. Not to be out done by any of them, team IL had Honest Abe working them over sub-consciously all day long.

This year was really special because three of our competitors were going to see if they had the right stuff to complete their tenth consecutive finish and become the first ever inductees of the Flat Rock Hall of Pain. They were David Dinkel, Dave Noltensmeyer, and Dennis Haig. Three other familiar vets of "the Rock  (two of them past champions and one hopeful) were seen casting spells on one another and I´m sure one of them had a rooster claw in hand. These guys meant business, as always, in case you don´t know them; they are Jess McNeely, David Wakefield, and Paul Schoenlaub. Other runners in the team competition were seen packing things into their daypacks to try and ensure their victory. What I don´t understand is why you need things on a trail run like shovels and blasting caps? To each his own… right. This morning was also a special day because one of the founding fathers of KUS (Marc Friesen) was celebrating his 30th birthday and the race was not going to be started unless everyone sang happy birthday loud enough so that the people in Independence could hear it. In case you didn´t know, at Flat Rock it´s a great thing to be loud and thankfully everyone was the first time. So, after a count down of ten the race was on.

Things started off very fast and set the pace for the day when Marc Friesen jumped out quick and was at the trailhead in no time. Maybe it was the song, or that he was a "Dream Team  member for KUS and wanted to represent the team well. No, it´s because the RD told him if the "Dream Team  lost he would have to use his birthday money to pay the winning team…Run Marc Run!! Unfortunately, one thing Marc forgot about was that "the Rock  spares nobody…even if it is your birthday or you´re a KUS founder. He found that out later when the trail started tearing into him like a shark on a feeding frenzy. Jess, David and Paul, however, were determined not to let Marc out of their cross hairs. When David hit the turnaround point he was eleven minutes in front of Jess and Paul, sporting a look of wonderment as he pondered the thought of a sub-five winning finish or maybe the third year of a second place finish. One thing for sure, he knew the rock would be letting him know soon. Jess and Paul reached the turn around at the same time. However, on the return trip Jess was running like he just got fired out of a cannon, while Paul moved along effortlessly with a confident smile on his face knowing that a win here would only be more icing on his massive achievement of completing his first Grand Slam only a few weeks earlier. I wonder why he kept trying to take the wings off his trophy and stick them on his back?

The five-hour mark was closing in fast and the finish line greeters were amped and ready to let the lead runner know it was almost Miller Time. Who would it be this year? Did somebody out there get some of "Mr. P  or was the defending champing going to keep his crown? No, Jess McNeely did get some of him and proved it was his turn again to wear the "Champion´s Crown  as the little firecracker busted through the finish line with a time of 4:59:17 to become only the fifth runner, in the 10 year history of our race, to achieve a sub-five hour finish. David Wakefield came cranking in with a superb time of 5:03:40 only to be jested by the RD that he had to come back again next year because he still hadn´t broken 5 hours and his great time still hadn´t earned him an overall victory. We´ll be looking for your entry soon David! Paul was just minutes behind and finished with a very respectable time of 5:07:45 to claim third place and Masters Male Champ. As always, in all-ways, all of the runners were greeted with loud cheers, ringing cowbells, a train whistle, an electric bass guitar and of course, that "God Damned Blue Horn!" All I can say is, you take it away from the RD because I´m sure as the hell not going to.

Let us not forget the women of "the Rock  who always come through with flying colors! Mindy Wilson came back to defend her title for the third year in a row with a time of 6:18:07. She bested her finishing time last year by exactly eleven minutes and now has four wins here…twice as many as any other competitor here at "the Rock.  Shortly thereafter came our second place finisher and most likely our first future female inductee into the Flat Rock Hall of Pain, Theresa Wheeler, with a time of 6:42:52. Our third place finisher, who claims she is returning indefinitely to compete in this race and totally smashed her debut time of last year´s event, is Danielle Rideout. She had a great finishing time of 7:18:50 to claim the third place spot for the women. Nancy Davis wrapped up the Female Masters Honor again, with a time of 7:42:16. All of the women who compete at "the Rock  are very tough contenders and know how to put their mettle on the line. Every year we enjoy seeing them come back to show us how they sure can kick some rock!

In the team competition the RD´s last minute recruiting proved very valuable as the "KUS Dream Team  scored the overall winning time of 15:19:59. The team consisted of Jess McNeely, David Wakefield, Randy Albrecht, Theresa Wheeler, Dennis Haig, and Marc Friesen, who by the way looked like a rag toy some dog had been playing with for years and then buried in the backyard. He still had a good finish all things considered and was able to keep his birthday money. Team MO posted a time of 16:02:22 for a second place finish, while Team OK had a time of 19:10:44 that thanks to Jack Christian they were okay with. Team IL rounded out the competition with a finishing time of 20:21:27 that even made "Old Abe  proud. Thanks to all of the runners who participated in the team competition, we are considering doing it again next year, even though this was the only year we were offering a $500 cash prize maybe we´ll come up with a traveling trophy for next year.  As always, we are open to suggestions.

This year we drew our largest field of 25K runners with 45 starters and 23 newbies to the race. We were all excited with 23 new runners out there to see who the jack rabbits were going to be and knew this was going to be a good race today because it was truly up for grabs. One thing for sure is, here at "the Rock"  even most 25K runners are out for what ends up seeming like a full day of adventure. One jack-rabbit, I mean runner, Lullel Hickman decided this was his year to beat "the Rock  into submission and set a new course record with a screaming time of 2:03:37. I think his time is going to stand for a while and we sure hopes he comes back next year to defend his title and prove this wasn´t just a hit and run. Actually, we think he has got what it takes to set a new course record in the 50K, as well.  We can hardly wait to see…train hard Lullel, train hard! The women´s overall winner was Tiffany Francis who´s big smile could only be bested by a fantastic finishing time of 2:48:18 and we were told she kept her pretty smile through out the entire course.  You see how much runners love this trail!  The RD´s sister came back to run the 25K this year and not only improved her time from last year by over thirty minutes, but also recruited several of her friends to run this year, as well.  Way to go Linda! Hopefully, many of the 25K runners from this year´s event will decide to double their pleasure and double their fun next year by stepping up to the 50K, while recruiting new running friends to get a taste of some 25K rock.

We cheered in all of the runners and it was time to feast on bowls and bowls of chili, clean off the battle wounds, and start telling the tall tails of our beloved trail. It´s great to see how big the "Flat Rock Family"  has become and the true caring shown towards one another. The awards ceremony started shortly thereafter and smiles could be seen from ear to ear on nearly everyone.  There were so many runners with their friends and family members present this year that many people had to sit or stand outside of the shelter house. Special awards were given out this year for most unique noise makers and recruitment to Flat Rock. Then the time came for the first three runners that finished ten times in a row to get knighted into the "Flat Rock Hall of Pain  and how do you think that was going to be done? No other way then to bring in the king. Who, you ask could the king be? None other than our Race Director and KUS Founder, Mr. Eric Steele, who had been over heard to say, "It´s Damn Good to be King!  He entered the shelter house with a long flowing royal red & purple robe and a crown fit only for a king. It had to be for a king because it said so on the crown. Everyone was wondering if a sword was to be used as they did in the mid-evil days. Those questions were quickly answered when he opened up his royal robe to reveal a very large and very real, two-handed broadsword with a bone handled grip. Once this was shown to the crowd of runners and their families an overall nervousness and awe rushed over them as the inductees started to think they might get beheaded instead of knighted. Remember, this is the crazy guy with the damn blue horn. King "Big E  called them up to the front to be sworn into the Flat Rock Hall of Pain.

David Dinkel, Dave Noltensmeyer, and Dennis Haig were asked to take the "Oath of Flat Rock  before they could be knighted. After they recited the oath a beautiful large pillow was placed before them so they could kneel before the mighty and noble king. David Dinkel was the first to be knighted and was given race bib number one. These race bibs were embroidered on gold cloth and then hand stitched by Eric´s mom Virginia Steele, because only the very best can do for an honor of this magnitude. David was knighted as Sir Blue Flame and will have free entry to Flat Rock for the rest of his life. Dave Noltensmeyer was knighted Sir Very Steady and received race bib number two and will also have free entry for life. Dennis Haig was given the Sir name of Last Minute and received the same lifetime reward.  All of their race bib numbers will be retired perpetually at "the Rock  as well. These new knights were presented to the crowd and a mighty three cheer´s were given to these three great and courageous knights who are the first to make the Flat Rock Hall of Pain. Then, Eric called all of the race volunteers upfront and presented them to the crowd for a big thank you and standing ovation.  Shortly thereafter, these volunteers broke down the shelter house quicker than a charging bull through a china shop. One would think that things were going to settle down after all of this, sorry…wrong…it´s campfire time!

Over the years the campfire has become the event after the event. The best stories and tales of our beloved trail are told at this time. Many of the runners tend to loosen up after a few cold drinks and by this time the volunteers are ready to…let´s just say unwind and let there hair down.  You can always count on Sir Blue Flame´s tasty open fire popcorn, roasting of marshmallows, and sometimes making smores. In years past occasionally there has been some debate as to how this fire should be built and tended to. Well, this year´s fire was taken over by a real pro, I wish I could remember his name, but I can´t, so I´ll just call him "Quest for Fire Dude.  He was on it, all the time the fire never once waned, not even when we were all ready to go to bed at 3am, all though at times it may have been just a little high, or was that me? Our campfire of course wouldn´t be possible if it wasn´t for Bud and Delores Baker who happily donate a pick-up truckload of wood each year that we greatly appreciate. Many runners and their families stayed around for the campfire this year and now have even more great memories of the "Flat Rock Experience!  As always, we sincerely thank all of the runners, their families and friends, for the great support you give to our race and the perpetuation of our Flat Rock Family. We look forward to seeing you next year. And of course, to our outstanding volunteers; we thank you all very much because if it weren´t for all of you this race would never be able to happen. Again, thank you! We wish you, your families and friends, all the best for the upcoming holidays and we look forward to seeing you all again next year at "the Rock!"

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2005 Report

Wakey, Wakey...Eggs & Bakey!
10 Anniversary II (11th Annual) FlatRock 50/25K's
September 24, 2005

By: Warren Bushey

The running of FlatRock 10th Anniversary II was a complete success and we want to thank all of the runners and our great volunteer support team for their continued support of our beloved event. This year's race was called the 10th Anniversary II because of some math error that one of the KUS founding fathers, Scott Demaree, had brought to our attention after we already held the 10th Anniversary last year …good looking out there Scott. We had 37 runners toeing up for the 50K and 33 in the 25K. Runners came from the following states and Canada: CO, IL, KS, LA, MO, NE, OK, TN, TX and AR. Wow, 20 percent of the entire states in the US represented!

Friday afternoon was a busy day, as always, with all of the last minute preparations for the race being put together while meeting the new faces arriving along with the veterans who always show up to take a good look at the competition for the next days event. This year's Friday evening dinner was catered from a local restaurant in Independence called Uncle Jacks and the food was fabulous. This made things easier for us and gave us the time needed to climb into the new racer's heads and get them geared up for the challenges facing them the following morning. Many of the FlatRock vets were spinning the usual lore about the beautiful yet very rugged nature of the trail.

This year nearly everyones eye was on Tom Lasater from Wichita, who was going for his tenth consecutive finish of the 50K. If he finished today he would be knighted into the elite and glorious "FlatRock Hall of Pain." Will he make it? Go Tom go! David "Wakey" Wakefield, who had once again returned in an attempt to become one of only six individuals to break 5 hours on the 50K course, was walking around mumbling to himself and lightly cursing the trail that had beaten him down the last few years…not this time he was saying to himself…not this time. We also had our second youngest runner this year…his name was David Young and he was only 19 years old…what did the trail have in store for such young meat? By the end of Friday evening’s meal most of the newbies weren’t so sure as to what they had gotten themselves into and a slight look of panic had fallen over most of their faces. Dinner was breaking down, early tales had been told, it was quickly time to shut down for the evening and let the sandman man turn out the lights…for tomorrow will tell the true tales.

Saturday morning came around in what seemed to be a blink of an eye. Runners were gathering at the shelter house to receive the race instructions while our aid station personal was busily gathering their things to get there respective aid stations set up. The morning sun was just breaking over the horizon and we knew we were in for a very hot day. While looking over all the new faces we couldn’t help but smile because this little gem of ours has become a serious breeding ground for new ultrarunners just breaking into the sport, all while still challenging the veterans. Most of the new runners moved nervously towards the starting line as the vets put on there game faces and you could tell they wanted to get back some of their hides that the rock chewed off of them in years past. Who would win this year? Jess McNeely had returned to defend his crown but as always, Paul Schoenlaub would be gunning for top placement. However, we all knew that David Wakefield was hell bent for leather to not only become the FlatRock Champ, but to also break five hours… could it be his year? With a backwards 10 count, the 10th Anniversary II of “the Rock” was underway.

Exactly an hour later the 25K runners toed the starting line. By now the sun had turned so bright and hot that the cones in the runner’s retinas were beginning to get torched. This race is the first step to becoming an ultrarunner, yes a 25K is not an official ultra, but our 25K here at FlatRock is much closer to a full marathon and is a great way to get baptized into the sport of ultrarunning. It also gives new runners a taste of what a trail run is all about. Looking at the faces in the crowd you could see that many of the runners had never ran any distance probably over 10 miles. There were a few returning runners that love this race and still aren’t quite ready to step up and take a bite of “the Rock” in the 50K distance yet. Maybe next year we will offer them some type of cash incentive to help move them to the next level. The count down began and exactly one hour after the start of the 50K, the 25K competitors took off to get a small taste of “the rock!” What some of them didn’t know is that they would be leaving big parts of themselves behind to maybe recover at another time.

While all of the runners were out to enjoy their day chewing off some “rock” we were busy preparing the finish line and the evening events. I was making my special brew of homemade chili, while huddling over a large vat stirring with my new paddle and casting some spells, while Eric was running around chanting incantations about Tom Lasater being knighted and Dave Wakefield breaking five. We were all praying it was going to work. With each tick of the race clock the temperature seemed to raise several degrees. This was, of course, a big concern of ours because we didn’t want runners seriously suffering from dehydration. However, Chad Flint and his pick-up handled this like a champ and before it was all said and done he delivered over 400 pounds of ice to all of the aid stations through out the day.

A couple of hours into the 50K, Chad returned with the times from the turn around and it showed to be a very tight race. David Wakefield, David Young, Paul Schoenlaub and Jess McNeely were all within a few minutes of one another. David Young, at only 19 years of age was giving the veterans a serious showing. Could he keep it up…was the young buck going to show up these seasoned vets? After laying a few gentlemen’s wagers amongst ourselves, we returned to our finish line duties. Soon, it was time for everyone to come alive with the first of the 25K runners beginning to arrive. As always, in all ways, people were clapping hands, cowbells were ringing, train whistles blowing, marine whistles shattering eardrums, pots and pans clinging, some tubes that sounded like a U.F.O. landing were whistling and of course, that infamous damn blue horn was blowing. Over the years runners consistently comment that it is by far and wide the most incredible and loud finishing cheer they have ever received at any race…bar none!

Eric Nelson, a Kansas runner, finished first in the 25K with a time of 2:12:36 followed by Scott Wadle another Kansan with a 2:21:11 and in third was Jerry Piszczek with a time of 2:39:00, from nowhere else, but Kansas. The first woman to cross the finish was a Kansan as well, Sarah Hill Nelson, closely followed by an Independence local, Jessica Williams, who’s time was 3:13:33…way to go girls! We are looking forward to all of these competitors stepping up to our 50K next year.

With the day being so blazing hot we really didn’t expect to see a 50K runner come in under 5 hours. But to our surprise and total amazement, David “Wakey-Bakey” Wakefield (a Kansan) came cooking down the gravel road through the finisher’s tent with not only an overall win and a sub-five hour finish, but broke the course record as well, with an incredible time of 4:46:44…great job David!! After screaming out some choice expletives, David and Eric exchanged a huge bear hug and then David continued hooting and hollering about setting the new course record while attempting to hold back his tears of “joy and pain” regarding his incredible accomplishment. What an awesome sight it was to watch David realize one of his most important dreams that he had been chasing for four years. David has already sent in next year’s entry so he can defend his crown and try to ensure it will remain on his head for a long time…damn the torpedoes and full steam ahead man! We love you!

Following close behind David was past champion and sub-5 finisher, Paul Schoenlaub, from Missouri with a finishing time of 5:04:40. To everyone’s bewilderment, the young buck from Kansas, David Young, finished third overall with an amazing time of 5:11:22. This year we decided to move our Masters age bracket up to 50+ years. Our Masters Male Champion, placing 5th overall with a very impressive time of 5:50:41 was Jack Christian from Oklahoma. Finishing behind Jack in 6th place overall and the only competitor to finish this race all eleven times, one of our beloved knights of the FlatRock Hall of Pain, Dennis “Sir Last Minute” Haig in a time of 6:23:28. Dennis claims he’s thinking about putting together a FlatRock 550K so it won’t take him another ten years to log all of those trail miles.

As has been stated repeatedly in the past, the women of “the Rock” are very strong runners and a force to be reckoned with. Mindy Wilson from Missouri returned to defend her ’04 Women’s Champion Crown and did so by finishing first overall for the women with a time of 6:27:29. Next came Stacy Harding from Kansas with a time of 7:22:27 to take second, followed by Molly Gibb from Colorado who was right behind her with a 7:25:58 and Danielle Rideout from Illinois rolled in with a 7:39:40 and a really pretty smile on her face…I’m sure this was because she was finished. Shortly thereafter came Theresa Wheeler from Kansas in a time 7:47:14 which is her 7th finish in a row and well on her way to be the first woman to be inducted into the FlatRock Hall of Pain, just three more to go.

Nearly a couple hours later and the one runner nobody had yet to see was Tom Lasater who needed this finish to become only the 4th person to be knighted into the FlatRock Hall of Pain. Eric spoke confidently to several of Tom’s family members and friends that Tom would not let any of us down, especially himself. And Tom didn’t, as he finished in 9:41:34 and was now on his way to being knighted at the evening award ceremony, way to go Tom!! Throughout the day and on into the early evening each and every runner was greeted with smiling faces and enough noise that they heard us all the way to Independence. Congratulations to all of you!

Copious quantities of chili continued to be consumed as the runners nursed their wounds and iced down their legs and feet. Stories were being told of the day’s events and far casting commitments were already being made for next year’s event. Once every one was fed and relaxed it was time for the awards to be handed out. After all finisher’s awards had been handed out it was time for the King to arrive, and suddenly “King FlatRock” flowed in with his royal burgundy robe, crown upon his head and a bright shining bone handled sword on his side. Tom Lasater was called to the front of the crowd to become only the 4th person knighted into the FlatRock Hall of Pain. Sir Blue Flame and Sir Last Minute were there to have Tom take the oath of the Knights of FlatRock Hall of Pain. Once Tom took the sacred oath, King FlatRock waved his sword and knighted Tom as “Sir Clydesdale.” Tom then received his lifetime cloth race bib with the #4 and free entry to “the Rock” for life. The entire crowd then gave three mighty cheers to the new knight.

We posted record time this year wrapping up our post race activities due to our awesome volunteer staff. Shortly thereafter we all set off down the road to enjoy the ever-growing FlatRock campfire. The fire was roasting, smores were being made, the world famous Blue Flame popcorn was popping and drinks were being served. Tall tales of races from the past and some for the future were being relayed with big smiles. It’s great to see how the FlatRock family continues growing every year. Once again, thanks to all who make this event possible and don’t forget to keep spinning the yarns about our “little gem” down here in southeast Kansas. See you all next year, if not sooner, up…out!

David Wakefield Adds:

Death, Taxes and Flat Rock

Well it’s the morning after and just like every year the laundry has been washed, the socks have been trashed and the lactic acid has slowly taken siege of my legs. Unlike in years past however, I didn’t find myself running back to the drawing board to try to figure out what went wrong. Where did I screw up? Asking myself the question I’ve become all too familiar with. “Why can’t I win this race?” Well as luck would have it the Gods of Flat rock were unusually kind this year, and the question of, “Why can’t I win this race” is one I’ll never have to ask myself again.

On the morning of September 25,2005, after four years of fruitless attempts to win this particular event, I toed the starting line with numerous feelings of doubt and an extreme lack of self-confidence. To make matters worse, the expected forecast of the day was to be 90 degrees Fahrenheit with the humidity above 60%. On a day it looked like it would become the hottest, nastiest day in race history, just surviving would be a victory in itself.

As the RD, Eric Steele, was taking his customary role call and giving competitors some pointers as to which runners they should get behind to avoid a delicious breakfast of spiders, a sense of not caring anymore came over me. Win, lose or draw I felt that if I just ran a smart race, I would finish strong. Whether I finish first or 51st that would be okay as long as I gave it all I had from start to finish.

The thing I like most about this race is that it started about one-forth of a mile from the trailhead. This is nice because it gives everyone a chance to settle into their pace and you usually don’t get a lot of jockeying for position once you hit the trail. I prefer to use that one-forth of a mile for a different reason however, to prepare myself for a steady diet of spiders I’ll soon be ingesting throughout the duration of the next two hours or so.

With the 2005 edition of the “Rock” underway I found myself again leading the field into the abyss. No surprise to me, FlatRock veteran and 2003 champion Paul Schoenlaub was right on my heals. While Paul and I continued to forgo a moderate pace through some of the rockiest terrain east of Pikes Peak, we felt that lurking about two minutes or so behind us was Jess McNeely, last years defending champion. By first aid station Mr. “P” and myself were still running together. Paul had chosen to stop for a few seconds and sticking to my race plan, I rolled right through. My intention for that was not to gain an advantage over Paul, but only to give myself a few seconds so that I could back off the pace a little considering the temperature for the day.

Not long after his aide station stop and eating a few spiders that I left for him on the trail, Paul caught back up to me. The race remained this way into the second aide station around the eight mile mark with Paul only a few seconds behind. I stopped here just long enough to top off my bottle and then I was gone. Paul stayed close and I didn’t feel all that great, but by the time I reached the Oak Ridge aide station around mile 11 Paul was nowhere insight.

Coming into the Oak Ridge aide station I felt pretty comfortable, but soon I started to worry that maybe I was setting to hard of a tempo and that maybe I was jeopardizing my race. Grabbing a new bottle from my wife and a couple of gels I was through in less than five seconds. My thoughts at this point shifted towards the second half of the race, which in my previous four attempts I met my demise. Not knowing how everyone else was handling the heat or where they were on the course, I decided to forget about the second half and just focus on getting to the turnaround.

With about two miles left to the turnaround, I started to calculate in my head what I thought I’d come in at. At best I predicted 2:15, and you could imagine my surprise when I hit the turnaround in 2:10 and some change. After another quick aide station I was out in 2:11 something and at this point I kept telling myself just don’t blow it. I figured from years past, that my worst-case scenario would be for me to come back in no worse than 2:56 giving me a 5:06 for the day and a very respectable time for the heat.

Coming back fro the turnaround I met Paul who was only about five or seven minutes behind. I thought, “Man he looks strong!” Another seven minutes or so went by when I saw surprise to see Jess McNeely for the first time, but to even a greater surprise to me was that young 19 year old David Young in his first ultra was running with him. Running scared now, knowing what the promising “Young” rookie was capable of, I made the decision to keep my pace up as long as I could, thinking victory this year would be decided by the slimmest of margins.

Now not to say that this race was easy for me this year. It had its share of ups and downs, and down is exactly what happened when for a single moment I let my mind wander just before coming back through the Oak Ridge station. Once I hit the deck there was no time to lay there and cry or curse. I pulled my butt out of the dirt and told myself to get it together.

I did get it together only to make another amateur mistake while in the Oak Ridge aide station where I thought for some reason I needed to swallow a fist full of rock salt. No sooner did I do that and after running for about 100 feet out of the aide station everything in my stomach decided to come out and get some fresh air! Not once but four times. Over the course of the next three miles, I would vomit three more times and because there was so much salt in my stomach, every time I sipped on my bottle and ran a little ways, it would leave me curled over on the side of the trail.

At that point I truly thought the race was over. I mean lets face it, I had no fluid in me anymore, I couldn’t drink what I had, and at last count Paul Schoenlaub and whoever were only five minutes behind. I managed to keep moving forward however, making it to the next aide station. Here my only concerns were finishing top five overall. Still feeling queasy I drank three or four glasses of water to get some fluid in me to try and dilute the salt mine in my stomach. I was able to jog out of the aide station without hurling and thought “Hey, I don’t feel that bad anymore”.

Between the last two aide stations I don’t remember much of anything just that the sun was Hot!!! On the top of the bluffs and in the meadows and man did I get to the last aide station surprising fast. I guess I was in one hell of a zone and in a day full of surprises my time into the last aide station on my watch said 4:05 and some change. I had to do a double take and after verifying with the aide station volunteers that I indeed sprouted wings and was flying, I got out of the last aide station in what felt like less than two minutes.

Back on the trail I tried hard not to think about victory. I just kept reminding myself that I lost the race at this point during the race last year being passed while stretching out a cramp. “Like Hell if that was going to happen this year”. I continued running without stopping until through the trees I spotted the reservoir dam. I knew I was close now; about a mile and a half or so. As I reached the last of the big rocks above the trail, where they form into a temperature changing, cave like formations, I thought salvation at last. Now I knew there was no way I could lose this race this year. The funny thing was that I was concentrating so hard not to get passed that it hadn’t dawned on me to look at my watch.

As I pounded my way down the last bit of trail and climbed out of the ditch from hell onto the road, I glanced at my watch, 4:42 something! No way did I run that last section of trail that fast. Happy that I was going to break five hours on this most brutal of days I then realized I had a chance at the record as well. So with the thought that I may never find myself in this position again I didn’t want to finish knowing that I didn’t give it everything I had left. It was going to close I thought, but if I could run the last half mile I just might do it.

Two hundred yards to go and my watch said 4:46. Semper Fi, Do or Die I knew it was going to hurt and hurt it did. I gave it everything I had at this point, and ran as fast as I could. The turn on the gravel road, the flags, the finishers tent, done! Clock 4:46:44. I did it! On a day when I thought just to survive would be a victory in itself.

The monkey was finally off my back and a title wave of elation came over me. Just before I turned into an emotional train wreck minutes after crossing the line, I remembered a quote I read by Lance Armstrong which was simply this “To be afraid is a priceless education”.

Running scared was how I won the race but to be afraid of this event is something I'll never be again. Over the past five years I've developed a love hate relationship with the “Rock”. I feared it during the hot summer months of training. Hate every moment during the race and love it after I cross the finish line. The one thing that remains constant through it all is the respect I have for the course, the race participants and all the volunteers that put in countless hours to make this event into the great mid-west gem that it has become. This is for me, the race that all the others are compared to and look forward to being here every September for years to come.

Dave Scott Adds:

Recently, I seem to have been reading a lot of race reports where the author is just having no fun at all. That is, unless he/she only derives pleasure from self-inflicted pain. These suffer-fests, I suggest, hardly make for inspiring reading. So, bearing this in mind, I present my report of the Flat Rock 50K with Eight Reasons to be Cheerful...

1. It is a very scenic route. The run is an out-and-back course on a trail which follows a small limestone escarpment, bordering a reservoir in a remote area of Southeast Kansas. There is varied scenery as one runs over, under and through the rock formations, with occasional vistas across the lake from the tops of little cliffs (it is advisable to walk if admiring the view, to avoid tripping and flying over the edge). The trail crosses through woodlands and open grassy areas filled with wild flowers.

2. I got to run an extra 10% on this very scenic terrain. It is difficult (or embarrassing) to explain why, but I missed a turn in the trail just before the turn-around, and yet I was certain I was in the right place (it was similar to experiences I have had orienteering, where one starts to fit the map to where one thinks one is, and then one ends up in the wrong valley). So I started back for the return leg without finding the midway aid station. But later, after meeting someone who had just come from the aforesaid aid station , I decided to do the race properly and ran all the way back to the turn-around. Therefore:

3. I did not get disqualified. I also finished, and in good order, albeit slowly. It was a hot and humid day, and some had a rougher time of it than me.

4. I only fell once, which is not too much cause for celebration, but this was one fall better than my previous Flat Rock experience. It was a bit of a bruiser, and the kind people at the aid stations kept offering me Band-Aids for my scraped elbow, but it did not really hurt, and no permanent damage was done. After falling, I was really careful to watch where I was putting my feet so I did not take another tumble.

5. My training paid off. Doing long runs of two hours or more during the long hot summer helped me deal with the conditions. The five-hour-plus run I did on the Greenrock trail three weeks beforehand was especially useful. The Greenrock, the trails in west Tyson, and the upper trails in Castlewood were all useful for getting used to running over rocks. This last weekend (October 1), I ran a 10-mile race in the Wild in the Woods series, and although I felt a bit (excuse the expression) sluggish at the start, endurance was certainly not a problem and I ended up placing. I forget exactly how wrecked I was after my last Flat Rock, but I am sure I was not racing the next weekend.

6. Wes, one of my friends from Champaign, remarks that, for someone of his age, my finishing time was pretty good. Well, Wes is 20 years older than me (i.e., 64) and I ran my slowest 50K by almost an hour (that’s including some 50K’s that were more like 60K) - but then I should not have to worry about breaking this particular personal (worst) record for a few years.

7. There was a good group of Champaign and ex-Champaign runners (The Buffalo) there and it was a pleasure to hang out and drink a beer with them again after the race. There were also two other Slugs there – Paul Shoenlaub ran an excellent race as always, finishing second in just over five hours (I think that running 100 milers is probably good training for Flat Rock). Don Love I caught on the course with about 7 miles to go (after he had overtaken me during my mid-race excursion). I regret that I did not hang around and run in with him - I was still moving relatively well at that stage and wanted to get finished, while he ended up retiring at the last aid station after a bruising encounter with a tree. Before we parted, he reminded me of the Ryerse mantra, “relentless forward progress” which kept running through my head, urging me on, during the last few, slow, miles.

8. Ultrarunning has more than its fair share of eccentrics, and Eric Steele, race director and the self-styled “King of Flat Rock,” may be included in that number. The post-race awards concluded with Eric, dressed in cape and Burger King crown, inducting a new member (the fourth) of the Flat Rock “Hall of Pain” - this distinction being awarded to those that have completed the 50K in ten consecutive years. While that is an honor that I doubt I will ever aspire to, this is a fun race that I would certainly recommend. Just watch where you are putting your feet.

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2007 Reports

Race Report by Gary Henry

Race Report by David Wakefield

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2008 Reports

Race Report by Ken Childress

Race Report by Adam Monaghan

Race Report by Coleen Voeks

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2009 Reports

Race Report by Brad Bishop

Race Report by Earl Blewett

Race Report by Ken Childress

Race Report by Chris Goodwin

Race Report by Adam Monaghan

Race Report by Ken Saveth

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2010 Reports

Race Report by Adam Monaghan

Race Report by Ken Childress

Race Report by Andy Emerson

Running Towards the Hall of Pain
by
Kimberly Spielman

FlatRock, Kansas’ first trail ultra, is a special treasure tucked away in the oak hickory forest of southeastern Kansas. The trail’s abrasive terrain and myriad of rock formations is a stark contrast to the gentle rolling hills and boundless horizon that characterizes much of Kansas.

The 50 km course is out and back along the Elk River Hiking Trail—the very trail a Boy Scout once warned was not a trail someone could run on. Eric Steele, race director and mastermind behind the event, thought differently when organizing the first FlatRock 16 years ago.

The event promises to tantalize the senses. The volunteer brigade of family and friends, great food, race mottos, rocking music, a plethora of finish line noises, and the crackles of a skillfully crafted campfire all create the ambiance that makes FlatRock a great fall celebration.

But don’t let the name fool you. There is little flat to the course (unless falling flat on your face counts). There are, however, plenty of rocks. There are walls of rocks, sharp rocks, hidden rocks, rocks to climb, rock crevasses to jump and yes, even some flat rocks. Navigating over, around and under these rocks requires the FlatRock Double D—dexterity and determination.

Runners from sixteen states and Canada have successfully mastered the FlatRock Double D at least once. But finishing times reveal some merit to the Boy Scout’s warning. Only 2% of the 524 finishers have completed the course under five hours. The true rock stars are the women who have historically been outnumbered 5 to 1.

Runners get a real taste of the rocky trail and probably a few cobwebs within the first two miles. This unforgiving portion of the trail climbs high above the shores of Elk City Reservoir to the top of a limestone bluff with a spectacular view of the lake—a view that is best taken in standing still. The race motto “if you look up, you’re going down” cannot be taken lightly.

The first and last seven miles are the most technical, or more poignantly, the portion that is most likely to chew up some runner’s flesh. Beyond seven miles there are a few segments where calculated, courageous runners can test their FlatRock Double D and attempt to make up for lost time.

Blue blazes on the trees and rocks guide runners from one aid station to the next under tree canopies, along more limestone bluffs and through prairie grasses and river bottoms. But after twenty miles, the strategy of gleeful abandonment begins to waver and is replaced with the knowledge that every rock has it out for you.

The trail’s person vendetta is soon replaced by the savior sounds of FlatRock. Music from the hard rock’in last aid station carries through the trees and delivers enough artificial motivation to maneuver towards the next sound bite. A siren, followed by a speaker announcing the end for one lucky runner, can be heard on top of the rock strewn ridge with less than two miles to go.

The test in dexterity and determination is finally complete with a high five to a mangled stage prop hand, a handshake with the race director and a personal promise to never try that again.

But wait, ten consecutive 50 km finishes earns a runner the distinctive honor of being knighted into the FlatRock Hall of Pain. Only six men and one woman have been knighted so far. A personalized surname, embroidered race number, and a lifetime free entry into the FlatRock are all part of the reward. It just might be worth running towards.

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2011 Reports

Race Report by Melissa Bruce

Race Report by Ken Childress

Race Report by Adam Monaghan

Race Report by Jim Phillips

Short Film by Michael Ruder

Race Report by Ben Schears