Although I am an experienced road runner, I have never entered a true trail race. I was thrilled to experience the trails in such an atmosphere at the Bigfoot Trail Run 10K in Lake Geneva, WI this last weekend. Overall, I had a fantastic time and would recommend this race to those looking for a positive trail running experience.

T-Shirts/SWAG
A long-sleeve, polyester/spandex-blend, unisex pull-over with a hood was given to each participant. It's a nice change up from a regular t-shirt.

Aid Stations
There were 2 aid stations stocked with water and gatorade on this course. The course was a 5K loop that the 10K racers ran twice. This enabled 10K runners to have a total of 4 aid stations on the hot course. There was music at each station with friendly volunteers there to help.

Course Scenery
This course has a bit of everything! The terrain varied throughout the run. It included portions of grass, packed-dirt, woodchips and even a little bit of asphalt. There were rolling hills throughout and course markers every 1/2 mile. I never felt crowded as the trail was wide enough to fit a large car. It was well-marked throughout, using cones and signs to show me with path to take. There were some beautiful shady portions of the course, as well as full exposure to the sun for the back part of the loop. It was lovely.

Expo
I picked up my bib the morning of the race at the start line. It was a simple process and there were a few vendors there selling different types of gear, primarily triathlon gear as the main event triathlon was the next day.

Elevation Difficulty
While there were a few rolling hills, it was not a difficult course by any means. It was a perfect introduction to trail running that allowed the runner to get a taste of the trails.

Parking/Access
We were able to park right at the start/finish line inside Big Foot Beach State Park for the cost of $5. However, parking was limited and we had trouble finding the entrance to the park. Alternatively, free parking was available at a local high school 1.5 miles away. There was no shuttle provided to get runners to the start so you would have to walk/run from your car to the start line on the busy highway road.

Race Management
Street signs outside of the park would have been very helpful for out of town runners like myself to know where to go. The main event of the weekend is the triathlon that followed the next day, and you could feel that in the atmosphere. There was an empty beer garden at the finish that looked to be for the next day and there were no finisher medals for participants of either the 5k/10k.

ACCOMMODATIONS
If you are not a local runner, it is important to note that accommodations in the Lake Geneva, WI area in the month of June are very expensive. I only needed a one-night stay and could not find anything available for under $279! In addition, most hotels in that immediate area require a minimum of a 2-night stay. If you are looking to make this a weekend getaway, then go for it! But the cost was a bit much for me. I ended up staying at a Super 8 hotel about 15 minutes from the start in Richmond, IL which cost about $110. This could quickly add up to be a costly weekend race!

Overall, I had a great time and would love to run this again. A couple race perks were that they handed out ice towels and a little goodie bag of food at the finish line (pretzels, small packaged bagel, rice krispy treat and chocolate soy milk). It was a laid back atmosphere that wet my appetite for more trail running in my future!

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