I ran this race in 2016 (my first ultra, the 50K) and I came back in 2018 to run the 50-miler. This was my second 50-miler and my 7th ultra.
Parking is perfect, right at the start line. There is actual flushing toilets inside the school they allowed us to use. Wow!
The aid stations were awesome. There were many of them. The volunteers were very helpful and upbeat. The food was mostly typical with one exception where they had ribs and bacon.
This is a rails-to-trails course with very little elevation change. (Although there is some who will say this course is uphill both ways—and I agree with them. It’s a geographical oddity). The surface is mostly crushed limestone. Parts of the trail were kind of grown-over or rutty. But none of it is technical. I ran it in my Hoka Bondi’s which are billed as road shoes. For part of the course, you run beside a creek that is beautiful. Also, there is one really cool big bridge and several small ones.
The race shirt was a short sleeved bright green tech shirt. THANK YOU RACE DIRECTOR for NOT giving me a cotton shirt (which I won’t run in!) and NOT giving a shirt that is gray, or black. Hello, really? Visibility is key for most of us that are forced to run on roads.
I really like this race. It’s not expensive (for an ultra), the entry process is easy, the swag is good, the course is pleasant. Great race!

Packet pickup was held at a running store in downtown Lawrence. The running store (Gary Gribbles Running) offered 20% off for runners--how nice!
The race started right on time after a few short announcements. The trail was in perfect condition--lots of beauty all around. The trail is a tricky one, though, with lots of leaves down on the trail covering up potential tripping hazards like stumps and rocks. I witnessed three different runners go down.
The aid stations were absolutely stellar! Even though I'm slow and I'm sure the volunteers were cold and tired, they still cheered for me and rang their cowbells like I was a winner. The volunteers were so helpful in filling water and making pb&J tortillas. The last aid station even gave me a shot of rum! Perfect for a misty and cold push to the end.
The race coordinator is so sweet and meets all the finishers to give them their "medals" which are one-of-a-kind hand made and ceramic --- so much better than a giant, made-in-China medal.
The finish line had coffee and soups and beer along with a cozy campfire to dry me out.
An awesome race!

This is a point-to-point race that begins in Oklahoma, then runs through the southeast corner of Kansas, and ends in Missouri. Most of the race is pretty flat, but during the last miles (when you're super tired), there are some long sloping hills that add to the difficulty.
The course route was posted well in advance. The aid stations were plentiful--the only reason I didn't give them 5 stars is that the volunteers just need some training in whether they're offering water first, or gatorade first. Also, a volunteer needs to know what he/she is handing you, like when you ask "Is that water?" And they say "yes." But, it's gatorade.
This is a resurrection of a race that hasn't been held for about 6-7 years. Perhaps the expo will be bigger in years to come as more sponsors join and more vendors participate. There was one running store vendor, one health food store, a rep from the hydration supplement Re-play/Pre-play, and then some odds and ends.
The shirt was a short-sleeved, very soft cotton-blend T. It has a nice design--just wish it was a tech shirt so I could run in it. Since when have all the races gone back to cotton?
There was a ton of parking with free school busses to take runners to the start line. At the finish line there was free smoothies, pizza, and beer, along with a shady tent. I also enjoyed the great photography--it's so nice to have a photo to download!

This race was my first 50-miler and my 4th ultra marathon. This is a real trail race on single-track, twisty/turny root and rock-covered trail. YUM!
The course support on this race is phenomenal. The course markings are perfect and you'd have to be a moron to get lost. (And I'm pretty directionally-challenged!) Aid station volunteers know exactly what runners need like ice, water, potatoes, gels, candy, pickles, quesadillas, chips, and anything else you can think of. They were encouraging and willing to even rub Glide on my sweaty back where my pack was rubbing me!
There is no expo the night before. But there's a great meeting where the race directors talked about what to expect. They also served an amazing pasta meal and gave us our swag--long sleeve t-shirt-like hoodies and nice cinch sacks. Also, the finisher awards were handmade, locally made mugs with the distance on them. (I LOVE MINE and ONLY DRINK MY COFFEE FROM IT NOW.)
This was the hardest race I've ever done. Of course, being my first 50-miler, I knew it would be hard. The terrain adds to the difficulty.
But, I'll be back.