Race news

2022 – Race Week Participant Email (sent 9/27/22)

Click through for the most recent participant email with important details for early packet pick-up and race day logistics!

https://mailchi.mp/a047102402fc/trail-participant-email-race-week-details-9192320

2022 Race Updates

Volunteers
Bumping this to the top of the list since we are short on volunteers.

We need at least six more people to help with parking and other pre-race activities (these folks can be racers).

AND we need at least six more volunteers to staff course marshal points and aid stations on course during the run. We will flag and sign these aggressively, but no one wants a wrong turn!

Our volunteers are awesome and it’s a rewarding way to give back to the park and the running community. Email trail@friendsofindianlake.org if you – or someone you know – can help out. Thanks!

Reminder: Youth Nature Programs (race day childcare!)
We are really excited about our partnership with Aldo Leopold Nature Center, offering FREE nature crafts and activities for kids pre- and post-race, as well as a youth nature hike / journaling program during the run (childcare!). The hike/journaling program is limited to 20 kids between the ages of 5-12, has a per child fee of $18, and requires pre-registration with ALNC.

The T.R.A.I.L. is CUP-FREE!
We are continuing our commitment to #cupfreeracing! We will have aid stations on course for you to refill, but there will not be disposable cups at aid stations or the start/finish!

Bring a handheld bottle, SpeedCup, or hydration pack/belt if you expect to need hydration on-course.

We will be selling HydraPak SpeedCups and SkyFlask handhelds at the gear table on race morning.

Distance Change?
You can change your race distance until Sept 26th via the UltraSignUp registration platform.

The LONG (12K) course is an exceptional deal, with a whopping 24ft of climbing per dollar of registration. The SHORT (7K) course gets you a mere 6ft/$1.

Early Packet Pick-Up | Thurs Sept 29th 4:30-6:30
Race sponsor, Movin’ Shoes, is again hosting early packet pick-up at the shop (528 S Park St; Madison WI 53715).

Swing by between 4:30-6:30pm, pick up your bib and race swag, and avoid the stressful race morning lines!

Stock up on nutrition, apparel, or a new pair of shoes and support our local sponsors!

Still need to register?
Registration will close Sept 26th. We are on track to reach capacity with no race day registration.


Sponsors!
Announcing new and returning sponsors:
Agrecol Native Plant Nursery – participant awards
EVP Coffee – Master’s awards & raffle
Pure Sweet Honey – AG awards & raffle
The Tree Farm – AG awards & raffle
Athletic Brewing Company – post-race NA refreshment
Movin’ Shoes & In Focus Timing – timing & raffle

Thanks for your support for the Friends of Indian Lake and the Trail Run At Indian Lake. As always, all proceeds from the run help the Friends restore ecosystems, maintain the trail network, and improve infrastructure at Indian Lake County Park. See you on Oct 1st at the TRAIL!

Pete Witucki
Friends of Indian Lake
TRAIL Race Director

T.R.A.I.L. Race Week Details! – 9/28/21

Early Packet Pick-Up – WED 4-6 PM
Early packet pick-up will be – TOMORROW – Wednesday, September 29th from 4-6PM at Movin’ Shoes on S. Park St. in Madison.

Race Day Schedule
Saturday, Oct 2nd 
– 7:30 AM – Race HQ open for packet pick-up
– 8:30 AM – Free Kids Run
– 9:00 AM – LONG (12K) race start
– 9:10 AM – SHORT (7K) race start
– 10:00 AM – Awards and Raffle for SHORT course
– 10:30 AM – Award and Raffle for LONG course

Directions & Parking
Here is a link for driving directions to race HQ – the shelter at Indian Lake County Park: https://goo.gl/maps/PmvLQa5q5gFP2jUi8

Parking – Parking is always tight on race day. Parking volunteers will help direct you to the main trailhead lot, overflow parking field, or parking along the east side of the driveway. There is no participant parking along the west side of the driveway, in the playground lot, or in the lot behind the shelter.

Course Description
Start Line – we will return to the historic starting line, in the parking lot between the shelter/restrooms and the playground.

Finish Line – all races will finish at the Movin’ Shoes arch, adjacent to the park shelter.

Course Marking – LONG and SHORT courses will be well-marked with pink pin flags and arrow signs. There will also be chalk spray directions, pink tape blocking wrong ways, and volunteers at key points. If you get off-course, just retrace your steps and continue.

Technical Trail – Even though it is shaping up to be the driest Indian Lake Trail Run in living memory, it remains a rigorous course with rocky, rooted sections. Run/Hike within your ability. Slow is fast.

Race Rules
CUP-FREE T.R.A.I.L! 
Cups will not be provided on-course or at the start/finish. Please bring a bottle/bladder/cup with you if you will need hydration on the course or post-race. You can refill your bottles at aid stations and race HQ.

If you drop out of the race, tell a race official so that we can account for everyone at the end of the day.

First Aid – If you sustain an injury, keep moving if possible. Some basic first aid will be available at the two aid stations, and we have ski patrol responders at the park to help you as needed. Please let race officials or volunteers know if you are injured.

Race bibs must be worn in front and clearly visible at the finish.

You may not run with your dog.

Line up at the start according to how you think you might finish.

**The race is chip-timed. You can start behind the main pack for additional physical distance and still record an accurate time.**

Don’t litter on the trails.

The park is open to the public during the race. Please be considerate of others who may be enjoying the beautiful fall scenery at Indian Lake.

Watch for cars on the short section of course on the west side of the park entrance road. There will be no parking in this section, but cars may be driving into the park as you are running.

The course uses some of the trails in the dog exercise area. During the race, the dog area will be closed. However, if you encounter a dog or dog owner, please be considerate.

Please thank our volunteers! They make this event possible.

COVID Protocol
**YOU MUST WEAR A MASK AT RACE HQ AND ON THE START LINE IF YOU ARE NOT FULLY-VACCINATED** 

Unvaccinated participants may remove their face covering while on-course provided they can physically distance.

We are requesting vaccinated individuals wear a face covering in race HQ (park shelter) during packet pickup, in line for post-race refreshments, and for awards/raffle.

RACE DAY SELF-SCREEN – if you have symptoms of COVID-19, have a positive test, or are a close contact, please do not come to the race. You will be eligible for a refund or deferment to next year, and have our gratitude for keeping the community safe.

We are looking forward to a fun and safe celebration of Fall, trail running, and Indian Lake County Park. See you at the T.R.A.I.L. on Saturday!

T.R.A.I.L. – Participant Email #1

Thanks for registering for the Trail Run At Indian Lake on Oct 2nd at Indian Lake County Park. Please read this email completely – it contains important details for our event in a couple of weeks!

Race details can also be found on our website: www.friendsofindianlake.org

Stay tuned for additional event details coming your way race week!
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Thursday, Sept 30
– (time TBA) – early packet pick-up at Movin’ Shoes 

Saturday, Oct 2
– 7:30 AM – Race Day Packet Pick-up begins
– 8:30 AM – Free Kids Run
– 9:00 AM – LONG course race start
– 9:10 AM – SHORT course race start
~ 10:00 AM – Awards, Raffle, and Live Music for SHORT course
~ 10:30 AM – Awards, Raffle, and Live Music for LONG course
CUP-FREE Racing!
In an effort to be better stewards of our public lands, we are going cup-free! There will not be paper cups at aid stations or at the start/finish. If you expect needing hydration on-course, you are responsible for bringing your own cup/bottle/bladder. We will have water dispensers at aid stations to top-off.

Going cup-free is a significant step to bringing our event closer to zero-waste. Check out this resource for why and how to go cup-free: https://nuunlife.com/blogs/news/byoc-ace-your-next-cupless-race
Kids Fun Run is ON!
We have decided to move forward with our kids fun run, at 8:30am race morning. This ~1km run is free and no need to register. We ask that parents/caregivers accompany younger kiddos. All participants will receive a small prize!
Change Distance/Transfer Bib by Sept 20
September 20th is the last day to change your race distance or transfer your bib to another runner. This can all be done via the UltraSignup registration platform.
COVID Policy
Please refer to our website for our most current public health protocols.

SELF-SCREENINGParticipants must be in good health and symptom free. Participants must not have had a positive test for COVID-19 for at least 2 weeks prior to the event. Participants must not have had a “close contact” (as defined by the CDC) with someone infected with COVID-19 for at least 2 weeks prior to the event.Refunds/deferrals will be offered to participants with symptoms, close contacts, or positive tests. Contact the race director for more details.PHYSICAL DISTANCING. Maintain physical distance from other participants, volunteers, race officials, spectators, and other park users.The race is chip-timed, so you will not be penalized for spreading out on the start line and you will record an accurate time.MASKSAll participants are required to wear masks when in enclosed public spaces – this includes restrooms.Unvaccinated individuals MUST wear masks for race day packet pick-up.We are requesting vaccinated individuals wear masks for race day packet pick-up as physical distancing will be difficult to maintain in the pavilion.  Thank you for doing you part to keep other participants, volunteers, and our broader community safe!
Thanks to our SPONSORS!
Many local businesses have been hit hard over the last 18+ months, and so we are especially grateful for the generous support of our longtime, local sponsors, including: Movin’ ShoesIn Focus TimingThe Tree FarmIce Age Trail AllianceWilly Street Co-opHubbard Ave Diner, and more to be announced soon! We are also excited to welcome new sponsor, Klean Kanteen!

Please show your appreciation by shopping at local business that value our trail running community and public lands!

2020 Post-Race Recap Email

T.R.A.I.L. runners!

THANK YOU for an amazing and successful 11th annual Trail Run At Indian Lake! It wasn’t the event we had hoped to put on, but you all exceeded our wildest expectations with your support of Indian Lake County Park.

We ended up with over 185 participants raising more than $1500 for the Friends of Indian Lake!

It was great to see that even as a virtual event, runners still strapped on their racing shoes. Congrats to our champions:Shelby Anderson – 40:18 (men’s race) & Abby Strigel -45:55 (women’s race)! Here is a link to the complete results.

Equally refreshing was the number of runners who stopped to snap some photos to share their race day with the rest of us! Check out the photo gallery here.

The bit of bad news is a further delay with the delivery of neck gaiters for those who ordered one: apparently they lost our shipment in transit or customs, but the vendor has reprinted them and current ETA is Oct 14th. I will be mailing them out promptly once they arrive, and I will email those who ordered swag when they are en route.

If you didn’t order a neck gaiter during registration and wish to remedy that objectively terrible decision, please respond to this email and we can get you set up! ($10 ea)
Finally, I wanted to congratulate Jeff Durbin on his first ever Indian Lake Trail Run finish! After 10 years of organizing this event, he finally gets a dose of those hills!

Thank you once again for your support. I hope you enjoyed a beautiful weekend on the trails, and can’t wait to see you all in-person next October for the 12th annual Trail Run At Indian Lake!

Pete Witucki
Trail Run At Indian Lake
Friends of Indian Lake

2020 Participant Email #2

UPDATE: Trail Run At Indian Lake course is open!
The course is now marked and ready to be run first thing Friday morning. The course will close at 5pm Sunday (10/4). 

Important reminders:

  • Review the 1st participant email (below and online at http://friendsofindianlake.org/race-news/)
  • Start/Finish line is the TRAILHEAD ARCH immediately south of the main parking lot. (Start heading north towards the parking lot.)
  • The course is well marked with pink pin flags as well as directional arrow signs at key intersections. All course marking will always be on your right side / right side of the trail.
  • It has been raining and the course is muddy! The north side of the lake is VERY muddy. Descending the hills in the second half of the race will be extra treacherous. Please be cautious – you are self-supported!
  • There may be off-leash dogs in the dog exercise area. Please be aware of other park users generally.
  • Submit your time (and photos) for inclusion in the official results: https://forms.gle/keRjRUBjoCrrieGG8
  • We are still waiting on SWAG (stuck in customs!). It will be mailed out as soon as it arrives. I will send an ETA next week to those who opted-in for the neck gaiter.
  • Registration is still open! Tell your friends to get off the fence and Fall for the T.R.A.I.L.!
  • If you notice problems with the course marking (damaged or disturbed), please let us know at 608-628-6664.

Thanks again for your support of the Friends of Indian Lake! Enjoy the 11th running of the Trail Run At Indian Lake!

2020 Participant Email #1

Thanks for registering for the 11th annual Trail Run At Indian Lake!
Please read the following for a successful race weekend and feel free to email with questions.

Virtual/Time Trial Run Format:

  • Map link to ILCP shelter/parking: https://goo.gl/maps/Wgj9QmFKgwqtHWK56
  • The Trailhead Arch by the main parking lot serves as the Start/Finish line.
  • The 5.9 mile course at Indian Lake County Park will be marked primarily with pin flags as well as arrow signs at key turns (mi/km are not marked). 
  • Runners can complete the marked course between Friday Oct 2 at noon until Sunday Oct 4 at 5pm.
  • Using a watch or timer, record your time on course. (See course notes below.)
  • Take some selfies to share!
  • Results (and photos) can be submitted via Google Form at this link: https://forms.gle/keRjRUBjoCrrieGG8 (A reminder email with link will be sent on Sunday.) Official results will be posted early next week.

Important Reminders:

  • Please follow Dane County physical distancing guidelines.
  • Please be respectful of other park users.
  • Off-leash dogs may be present in the dog exercise area. Please be aware of other users.
  • This is a self-supported virtual event! Please bring your own food and water. There will not be aid stations!
  • Run within your abilities! There are lots of hills, roots, and rocks on the course – be careful!
  • The pit toilets adjacent to the parking lot will be open and are being sanitized at least daily.
  • SWAG (for those who ordered neck gaiters) will be sent out via USPS. Stay tuned for a shipping update.

Course Notes:

  • Course map: http://friendsofindianlake.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/TRAIL_10K.pdf
  • The 2020 course is similar to classic 7K and 12K routes, but with modifications. Longtime ILTRs: follow course markings!
  • Start at the Trailhead Arch, facing the main parking lot.
  • Head north towards the parking lot/Hwy 19
  • Loop (clockwise) around the parking lot and down driveway.
  • The trail along the north side of the lake will be muddy. Unless we get mowing equipment in, there will be 1/2 mile here that is overgrown but passable. This is trail running!
  • Use caution going around the lot by the dog exercise area. *Off-leash dogs may be present in the dog exercise area*
  • The real hills start around 2.4 mi.
  • Hairpin turn around mile 2.8.
  • There is a left turn onto an unmarked singletrack trail around mile 3.0. This will be flagged and signed, and was part of the course in prior years.
  • Runners encounter Confusion Corner at mile 3.5 and again at mile 5.0. Stay Right! (Longtime ILTRs: this intersection follows a different pattern than past years)
  • The meadow path from mile 4.5-4.8 has several notable rodent holes hidden on the path. 
  • Finish: finish line is the Trailhead Arch, heading towards the parking lot.
  • Strava users: links to the ROUTE and SEGMENT. (Non-Strava users disregard!)

I am excited that we are able to pull this event together and thrilled to have such support from the commuity on short notice. I hope you enjoy the T.R.A.I.L. at the absolute best time of year to be out there. Be safe and have fun!

Indian Lake flashmob snowshoe race

Do you want to run an Indian Lake flashmob snowshoe race  this winter? According to Wikipedia, “a flash mob is a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual and seemingly pointless act for a brief time, then quickly disperse, often for the purposes of entertainment, satire, and artistic expression.” We at FOIL believe this shouldn’t just apply to dancing in a shopping mall. It should apply to snowshoe racing in southern Wisconsin, where the snow can be great (or crappy) and planning a snowshoe race can be fun (or frustrating because the snow suddenly turns crappy). Don’t let the weather game you. Game the weather. We’ll hold snowshoe races at Indian Lake when it makes sense. Want to join us? Send an e-mail to trail@friendsofindianlake.org with the subject line sign me up for flashmob snowshoe racing. More details to come as winter approaches.

Two weeks until raceday

We’re excited to share the trails with you again this year! Remember that registration closes when we reach 400 runners or at 11:55 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 27, whichever comes first. Only about 100 spots remain, so don’t miss the chance to join us. We have a few new features in 2015, including chip timing for faster on-site and online results and an improved website.

We’re also excited about another fantastic group of sponsors for this year’s race, including Spectrum, Berkeley Running Co., the Ice Age Trail Alliance, and more. New this year is a focus on locally produced food. We’ll have Murphy Farms fresh cheese curds, sausage from the Lodi Sausage Co., fruits and vegetables from Harmony Valley Farm, gift certificates from Northwood Farm and Flyte Family Farm, and of course pumpkins and popcorn from the Tree Farm. Oh, and those Hubbard Avenue cookies? They’re back too, along with the Currach Irish Trio’s great music.

Love the lake? Then join us on our run to restore! We’ll see you on Oct 3.

Thank you, results, and what is it?

Thank you for braving the elements and making ILTR 5 the best yet. And, of course, thanks to our extraordinary volunteers. Our timers are working on results and we’ll post them as soon as we can.

Finally, what is the design in the hat and sticker? It’s the elevation profile of the highest hill on the course, which we affectionately refer to as Ankle Sprain hill. You’ll also find reference to this on your new CD: two reels named The Merry Ankle Sprain.