At the start for Land Between the Lakes Trail Races with Rob Gentry, Andy Hudson, and Michael Harr (from left to right)

This was a really fun race to kickoff the 2017 running season. I ran the marathon, Rob knocked out the 60K for the second year in a row, and Andy finished his first ultramarathon - at the 50 mile distance, no less!

It was a great day for running with temperatures just below freezing, and with four distances, there was something for every runner - 23K, marathon, 60K, and 50 miles.

Coming out of ski season without a ton of training miles, I elected to run the marathon, and it turned out to be the perfect distance. I ran well throughout the race and generally felt strong.

The course is a great one because it's not overly technical but has plenty of elevation change - without any brutally steep sections I've experienced on more challenging trails.

The race was extremely well organized and had a ton of participants - making for good times on the course with plenty of room to spread out.

I finished the race in a little over 7 hours, Rob finished 60K a little after me, and Andy accomplished his goal by finishing 50 miles in less than 11 hours.

Next year, I'll sign up for the 60K knowing this is a very runner-friendly course.