2015 CCVI Trolley Run 4-Mile Sunday, April 26th @ 7:45am FINISH LOCATION... (and parking, buses to start line) Country Club Plaza Ward Pkwy @ Central Street Kansas City, Missouri
While awaiting the second installment of the Heartland 39.3 (Running with the Cows), runners can cool their outsoles at the second installment of the KC Sweet 16 4-Mile Series: The CCVI Trolley Run. The Trolley run has been a long-time featured race on many a runners race calendars: a gorgeous and all-downhill A-to-B route (Waldo to the Plaza) means not only is this one-of-a-kind, but FAST. Proceeds go to the Children's Center for the Visually Impaired in the heart of Kansas City. Packet Pick-Up Thursday, April 23rd, 3:00-7:00pm Friday, April 24th, 10:00am-6:00pm Saturday, April 25th, 10:00am-4:00pm Ward Parkway Mall 8600 Ward Parkway Kansas City, Missouri (also available on race morning in the parking lot of Waldo Mart, at the START LINE) Packet pick-up is located, like so many others, at the Ward Parkway Shopping Center. Given the adequate parking, and that pick-up times are being offered on an unprecedented THREE different days (as well as on race day at the start line), there should be zero problem with traffic. DO NOTE however, UNLIKE other packet pick-ups, this one does NOT take place at Gary Gribble's. Instead, look near the entrance to Target for the pick-up tables. Race Day Parking One of the interesting features of the Trolley Run is its A-to-B format. In other words, different start and finish line locations. For parking, this means parking at the finish line and taking race-provided shuttles to the start line. Finish-line parking is similar to any other race at the plaza (namely, the Plaza 10k): whatever you can find, take it. Garages will be open and available for free parking, although I've found it easier for entrance/exit if I park on the side streets (everyone seems to want to grab a garage spot instead for some reason). Here's the EXACT Google Maps location of the finish line. Park near here... And just for information's sake, here's the EXACT START LINE location. This is where you will be bused to (and where race-day packet pick-up will be)... Race Day Amenities
Course Preview The basics for the 4-mile route...
The joys of a downhill A-to-B! This route nets an overall decrease just over 350 feet, while total climbing is less than half that, at only 150. In fact, nearly all the climbing happens on the first half of the course. With that, we could easily break down the course in to two... Start Line to Mile Marker 2 Though all the climbing happens in the first half of the race, there's still a net downhill, with 180ft of descent, and only 120ft of total climbing. The bulk of that climbing comes in the form of three "speed bumps," each less severe than the last, and each starting at miles 0.75, 1.25 and just past 1.50. After being bused from the Plaza, runners will start in the heart of Waldo, at 75th and Wornall. The opening miles are northbound and downhill, straight up Wornall to Gregory Boulevard, where runners take a right heading east at just past half a mile. The first is the 'largest', but only climbs about 30 feet -- hardly "significant" in my book. If concerned anyways, it starts right at 0.80mi, and lasts just over a quarter mile. Average grade on this one is 2.7%. A quick turn heading north on Main Street will show runners mile marker 1 at the corner of 69th and Main. Another left at 69th, followed by a right puts runners on Brookside/Wornall heading north again. Climb two is shorter, at only 0.20 miles in length, starting at nearly exactly 1.25 miles in. Same grade here, but over a shorter distance. And finally "climb #3" is hardly a climb at all, with only 15 feet gain over a tenth of a mile. Not even 2%. The route continues along Brookside Avenue past Meyer, which means a quick double switchback left on Meyer, then back north on Brookside. At this switchback is when the real downhill portion of the course begins, as runners pass mile marker 2. Mile 2 to Finish Line The route stays on Brookside Avenue all the way north to the Plaza, over Brush Creek, before turning left on to the final quarter mile stretch on Ward Parkway to the finish line. The entire remainder of the route is downhill and FAST. The final quarter mile is nearly flat, however. Take advantage, and nail that PR! That's all I got!
=-tds
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2015 Westport St. Patrick's Day 4-Mile Saturday, March 14th @ 10:00am Westport, Kansas City, Missouri
New this year, is the St. Patrick's Day 4-Mile's inclusion in the KC Sweet 16 4-mile race series; also included are the CCVI Trolley Run, Ward Parkway Four on the 4th, and the KC Zoo Run. All races in the series have been running event staples in the area for quite some time, so it only made perfect sense to round them all up together. The Westport St. Patrick's Day 4-Mile is the first in the series, always held in-line with the Westport St. Patrick's Day parade. Packet Pick-Up Friday, March 13th, 10:30am-6:00pm Gary Gribble's Running Sports Ward Parkway Shopping Center 8600 Ward Parkway Kansas City, MO Packet pick-up is also available on race-day at Manor Square lobby (near the start line). Race Day Parking Participants and spectators are urged not to park along the race route (see below), as vehicles may be towed. Near the start line (and surrounding areas), all Westport parking areas are fair-game. The start line is near the corner of Westport Road and Mill Street (with the race route heading west), so parking at any of the lots along Westport Road to the east of there seem to be the best bet. Given the location of the start line (as well as the start time being near business hours), I would avoid the World Market parking lot (they may even have it blocked off), although don't take my word for it -- for the Westport Santa Dash 5k in December, may seemed to find parking there perfectly suitable. However, parking in the lot just east of World Market, on the east side of Mill Street, is a safe bet, as well as the spots along Mill Street to the south of the start line. The approximate location of the start line is shown in the following map... NEW SECTION! -- Race Amenities
Course Preview (with Virtual Run) Introduction & Route Basics Though I didn't participate last year, I understand the route is the same (and was the same in 2013 as well). There are a few climbs on-route, two significant of note. Here are the basics...
Climbs Two on-route, although there is a third smaller climb near the start line. The second major climb is sorta beastly.
Virtual Run (all images credit to Google Earth Street View unless otherwise noted) The start takes off from the intersection of Westport Road at Mill Street, in front of World Market and The Landing shopping center (where Jerusalem cafe is). The route heads west on Westport Road. The opening meters are actually a down-hill kick -- a nice way to grab some quick momentum -- followed immediately by an up-hill. The first climb isn't a "significant one," per se (i.e. not, covered in the climbs descriptions above), but it is noticeable. Nearing the top of the opening mini-climb, runners come off of Westport Road and left on to south-bound Clark Avenue. Just after turning on to Clark, climbing stops and a HUGE downhill begins. Keep in mind: what elevation you lose, you will have to gain back. Almost as immediately as the turn on to Clark, runners take another left off of Clark and on to West 43rd. The drop continues, however, all the way to Broadway. About halfway along the West 43rd stretch, nearing Broadway Boulevard, the drop stops and abruptly makes up all the elevation lost -- about 75 feet in the span of half a mile. At nearly 1 mile in, and halfway up the 43rd-to-Warwick climb, runners take another left off of West 43rd, now heading north, on Warwick Boulevard. Mile marker 1 is just beyond the turn, and nearly to the top of the first climb. At about 1.1 miles, the first climb tops out, and runners begin another descent, almost-but-not-quite as steep as the last descent. 1.5 miles in, take a right on to East 38th Street heading east. The road continues to drop. Take advantage of this stretch (along 38th) as much as possible! Not a tenth of a mile later, runners turn off of East 38th and on to Gillham Road. This turn marks the end of the descent and the start of the second climb. Those familiar with running north on Gillham Road (i.e. KC Marathon) will know, it climbs nearly the entire way, and wears on the legs quite a bit. It's not steep, but just steep enough to challenge. For the St. Patrick's Day route, this stretch of Gillham will climb for nearly a mile at 2.5% average grade (but nearly 8% at some points), and up just over 100ft. At about 2.3 miles in -- 1.7 to go -- runners take a left off of Gillham Road and on to Linwood Boulevard heading west. For me, this would mark a very significant point in the race: all climbs on this route happen in the first 2.5 miles. Coming off of Gillham, you the most significant pitches of the Gillham Road climb have been conquered. There are still a few feet to battle, from here to the finish, but for the most part they are all shallow bits. However, with still over a mile and a half to go, if you can recover from the climbs, you have plenty of time to kick hard to the finish. After about half a mile running on Linwood, runners will take a left heading south on Broadway, followed almost immediately (about 100 meters later) with a right-hand turn on to West 43rd Street. The turn on to 43rd Street should come with it the 3rd mile-marker. Just past mile marker 3, runners take a left off of 43rd Street and on to the longest single-road stretch on the course, southbound Pennsylvania Avenue. About 3.4 miles in (1k to go), there is a slight up-hill on Pennsylvania -- about as steep and long as the climb just off the start line -- that will only cause headache if your legs are feeling sloppy. Let's face it -- at this late a point in any race, all up-hills feel mountainous. From 3.6 miles on, the road is all downhill. Enjoy the quick finish! The finish line sits in front of Manor Square (just short of Kelly's), around the corner from the start line. Grab a medal and a water -- you've earned it!
-tds ~~__o _-/<,_ @/ @ |
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