Hi ESTRS Lebanon 10KM Runners,
Normally I send out the ESTRS update to runners on the morning of the race but with tomorrow’s forecast for heavy rain I wanted to give you a heads up on a couple of things. I will break this communication up into three parts. ‘Summary’, ‘More Detail’ and our ‘Normal Race Update’.
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SUMMARY:
Due to heavy rain forecasted for tomorrow, we may modify tomorrow night’s race to a single 5KM loop of what is normally a two loop 10KM total course in order to reduce our impact on the trail. If we do shorten the race, you will be notified at check-in and / or on the start line. Check-in and the race start will take place at the normally scheduled times.
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MORE DETAIL:
In the 10 year history of the Endless Summer Trail Run Series we have had rain at several of the events, including Lebanon, but typically it has been passing showers throughout the day and not an all day soaker which it looks like we are going to get tomorrow. The trails at Lebanon are well constructed, well maintained and generally quite durable. The surfaces range from dirt, to sand, to gravel and there are only a handful of what we would consider to be problem areas. At this time we are not concerned about proceeding with the race tomorrow night and neither is Dakota County / Lebanon Hills Park. That said, if the weather tomorrow unfolds as they are forecasting, we may choose to modify tomorrow night’s race. We would shorten the race by doing just a single 5KM loop of what is normally a two loop 10KM total course. By doing as much we would cut our use of the trail and resulting impact in half. Either way we will have a great time, because we are trail runners!
A few more notes about this and then on to the balance of our ‘normal race update’:
Lightening:
If there is lightning at the race start time, we may delay the race. You would be asked to return to your vehicles for a set period of time. If the lighting was to persist so long where we would run out of time to complete the race before dark, we would have to cancel. This is consistent with our normal lightning policy.
Trail Etiquette:
We expect some slick spots and some superficial mud, along with well drained areas where there is more sand and gravel. There are a few spots at Lebanon that do get muddy / hold water – notably on the south side of Jensen Lake / the last mile of the race. In those areas you are asked to stay on the trail and run right through the mud, do not go around into the woods, widening the trail and trampling vegetation. Be careful, boardwalks and tight turns can be slippery.
Trail Impact / Mud:
While we prefer to race on dry trails and have the least impact possible, we cannot control the weather and environmental conditions that we get on race day or in the days leading up. There are few if any scenarios in which our impact would ever lead to irrevocable environmental damage. Trails heal and problem areas can be fixed – in fact poor conditions often help trail systems identify deficient trail in need of attention. One of the main characteristics of a trail race is that in order to be well organized and safe it needs to be meticulously planned well in advance and as a result is very difficult to turn on a dime without a cascading series of unintended consequences. The impact that we have running trails in suboptimal conditions is far outweighed by the social, physical, mental and spiritual benefits we gain by coming together as a community via the medium of trail races. Thoughtful and pragmatic land and trail managers understand all of these factors and work closely with event organizers to realistically minimize impacts where possible, work collaboratively to improve trails over the long term, and foster relationships with responsible event organizations.
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NORMAL RACE UPDATE:
Welcome Runners to the Endless Summer Trail Run Series Lebanon 10KM (or 5KM TBD)! Below are just a few reminders about tomorrow night’s race – be sure to visit our website for full event details.
ESTRS Lebanon 10KM (or 5KM TBD)
Wednesday May 25, 2022
Lebanon Hills Regional Park – Jensen Lake Trailhead
1350 Carriage Hills Drive
Eagan, MN 55123
Directions: https://goo.gl/maps/XYeKSerrP7YEgfWk7
Additional Parking: https://goo.gl/maps/tiOl8
Road Closure:
Those coming from the “East” should be aware of a closure / detour on Cliff Road and plan accordingly https://www.co.dakota.mn.us/Transportation/CurrentConstruction/CliffRoad/Pages/default.aspx
Check-In:
Check-in starts at 5:00 PM – Race Starts at 6:30 PM. We understand that work days can be a little hectic, if you arrive after the start of the race you will not be able to pick up your number / officially start the race, however, you are welcome to get your sticker, go out for a run on your own and join us after.
Can’t Make It?
If you are not going to make the race, you do not need to notify us, we will know you are not running if you do not check in.
Parking:
Firstly, parking is a bit limited, PLEASE TRY TO CARPOOL! There is some parking right at the Jensen Lake Trailhead, however most people will park at our overflow parking location – Chapel Hills Church 4888 Pilot Knob Road | Eagan, MN 55122, this is 1/4 Mile North of the Jensen Lake Trailhead on Pilot Knob Road – See it on the map HERE https://goo.gl/maps/tiOl8 – park at Chapel Hills and walk the bike path South on Pilot Knob to the Jensen Lake Shelter / Start-Finish Area, its easy! Please note that some spots will be held back at the Jensen Trailhead for non-race-related day users.
Race Numbers:
Bib number assignments will be available mid-morning on May 25. Please know your race / bib number at check in, you will find your bib number HERE https://www.estrs.com/2022-estrs-lebanon-10km-bib-number-assignments/
NO Race Day Registration:
Please note that we do not offer race day registration.
Bring ID:
Be sure to bring your ID when you check in / pick up your race number if you care to have a beer after – you will be issued a wristband at this time – you can also bring your ID later but before is preferred.
Chip Timing:
We will be chip-timing this race, your chip will be affixed to your race bib / number, please do not bend or fold your race number / timing chip.
Results:
Results will be posted live / in real time HERE https://www.athlinks.com/event/198964/results/Event/1018166/Results
Giveaway:
ESTRS is a low cost event so we keep the giveaway pretty simple. You can check out this years sticker HERE https://www.estrs.com/2022-sticker-giveaway/
Swag:
We will have some sweatshirts, t-shirts, hats and posters for sale, cash or check preferred – Venmo and PayPal available.
Review our Website:
This email is not intended to be comprehensive, please take a moment to review all other information / everything you need to know can be found HERE https://www.estrs.com/ and HERE https://www.estrs.com/lebanon-10km/
Sponsors:
A huge thank you to all of our awesome Sponsors! You can learn more about each, HERE https://www.estrs.com/sponsors/
Twin Cities Running Company
Salomon
Vaniply / Vanicream
Bridge Realty – Bill Pomerenke
Trail Transformation
Northwoods Running
Performance Running Gym
St. Croix Law
Critical Connections Ecological Services
In Closing:
We look forward to seeing you all tomorrow night!
Thank You,
John Storkamp
Race Director
[email protected]