2015 Amy Thompson 8k Monday, May 25, 2015 @ 8:00am (5k runners start at 8:40am, 2k at 8:50am, and Kiddie Dash at 9:30am) Loose Park Pavillion 5100 Wornall Road Kansas City, Missouri
I love the 8k distance: JUST short enough to really push the pace hard, but JUST long enough to give your endurance engine a workout. For the Kansas City area, there are only really two major 8k runs in the area (both having 5k options): the Cliff Hanger 8k in November, and the Amy Thompson Run 8k, always held on memorial day. This nearly-five-mile run is a popular one, even among the quiver of 5k options available. So it only seems fitting it gets a nice event preview. Onward! Registration (NEW SECTION!) Registration is facilitated via the run's official webpage. Both paper and online registration is available (paper form is on the above top link). Online registration is taken care of via imAthlete (online registration is the above bottom link). Here are the basics...
Here's the pricing break-down... 4/15 and Before
4/16 to 5/15
5/16 to Race Day
Packet Pick-Up Saturday, May 23rd, 10:00am-5:00pm Sunday, May 24th, 12:00-4:00pm Gary Gribble's Running Sports Ward Parkway Shopping Center 8600 Ward Parkway Kansas City, Missouri (also available race day on-site starting at 6:30am) Same as last year, packet pick-up is available the two days prior to race day at Gary Gribble's in Ward Parkway Shopping Center. With two pick-up days, including one that is 7 hours long, along with the plethora of parking available, pick-up is a breeze. The fact that the pick-ups are on weekend days only also helps ease traffic normally associated with lunch-time and after-work rush hour pick-ups (though the noon or 1pm hours typically see increased traffic anyways). Race-day pick-up IS available (alongside race day registration), and runs from 6:30am to about 15 minutes before your respective event. Race Day Parking Ok...this one is a toughie. There are a variety of parking lots that are available on race morning, but they're all small. According to the website... "Please keep in mind that parking is very limited in the Loose Park area. Please carpool and give yourself plenty of time to make your event. Parking is available on nearby side streets, Visitation School, Pembroke Hill School & St. Teresa Academy. Streets on the course are closed beginning at 7:30 a.m." A Google Maps view of the area can be found HERE, or by checking out the map below. Plan accordingly! Honestly, beyond that, that's all the recommendation I can give (each year I've done this run, I've found parking, but it's ALWAYS been in a different place, and ALWAYS in an area I either didn't plan on parking in, or didn't even know was there). Additional Race Day Information (formerly "Race Amenities")
Course Preview with VirtualRun (all images courtesy of Google Earth unless otherwise noted) This section is for the 8k only. A 5k map can be found HERE. The official 8k map can be found HERE. Here are the basics for the 2015 route (same as last year's, by the way)...
Start to 4k (~2.5mi) As previously stated, the run begins at Loose Park. Specifically the start line is located on Wornall Road downhill from Loose Park Pavillion (off the circle drive). Runners head south on Wornall from the start line to 55th Street. Right away, the road begins to climb. About 0.35 miles in to the route, take a right turn heading west on 55th street. By now, runners would've already climbed 30 feet, and continue to climb after the turn up to a total of near 50 feet over the course of 0.6 miles to the next turn. Turn right again, continuing to follow along the outskirts of Loose Park, on to Summit Street, and climbing continues just a few meters further before dropping out, down about 20 feet (before climbing once again!). By the map, mile marker 1 comes in just after the turn from Summit Street to 52nd Terrance, although past experience (and the image above) puts it just before the turn. The short stint along 52nd presents runners with a short-but-steep climb of just under 40 feet. The next mile is spent on Belleview to a split in the road, which is the approximate location of mile marker 2. Stay left of the median at the split, and come the fork in the road, turn left for a brief stint on 61st street back to Summit. The road begins to pitch upwards again at mile marker 2. Stay right to turn back on to Summit, where you'll stay for another quarter mile or so, where it will merge with Valley Road. At the merge, the road climbs again after a short, brief break. A right hand turn off of Valley Road on to W 64th Terrace pretty much spells the end of climbing for the day. The remainder of the route is either flat or downhill (with a few minor bumps on the way, but nothing significant). After a short run westbound on 64th, a right-hand turn will take you on to Ward Parkway, including past the famous Meyer Circle and Mirror Pool Fountains. The run along Ward continues all the way to just past 56th Street. A slight-right off of Ward Parkway and quick right turn and you're headed back the way towards Belleview, and the two-way runner traffic. You'll pass mile marker 4 along the way. Stay on Belleview all the way to 52nd Street (when outbound, you came off of 52nd TERRACE). From here on out, it's all but completely downhill! Here you'll once again skirt the outsides of Loose Park. Just keep up against loose park, all the way to the slight right on to 51st Street. The Loose Park Pavilion and finish line will start to come in to view on the right. Turn right on to Wornall, and then an immediate right in to the circle drive leading up to the Loose Park Pavilion. Remember: you finish in a different place from where you started. The finish is actually uphill for the final 50 meters, but pays off with the well-deserved finish line and medal.
That's all I got here! Go forth and conquer! -tds ~~__o _-/<,_ @/ @
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