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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