Krul Lake is a spring fed, sandy bottom 6.5 acre lake and recreational area. It is part of the larger Blackwater River State Forest. Blackwater River State Forest is located roughly one hour drive from downtown Pensacola, Florida and is fifteen minutes from Milton, Florida. Milton has restaurants, a brewery and several access point to Blackwater River.

The race director is the owner of the local running store. They put on several races throughout the year. There is no expo since it is a local trail race. Packet pickup can be done the Friday before the race and the morning of the race. As it is located in a park area there is plenty of parking right at the start line. There was 166 registered runners for the this race. The race is professionally timed although there is only a chip reader at the start/finish line.

The course is really fun to run and has a lot to offer. The course is comprised of 2 thigh high water crossings (I'm 6ft) and 3 ankle deep water crossings. The trail is mostly wide enough for 2 runners side by side with a few sections of single track. The trail difficulty is upped because of the sandy terrain and significant roots. I use a Garmin 235 and logged 552 feet of elevation over the half marathon. The elevation gain is comprised of long, steady climbs.

This is a great local race with beautiful scenery. The race director provided food catered by a local bbq spot and music over the loud speaker. The swag is a nice quality t-shirt with the logo on the front with the sponsors and all the registrants names on the back, which I thought was a cool touch. The medal is wooden and in the shape of the race logo. The race ends at the lake and many participants, including myself, went for a post race swim! I was happy with my initial pace until mile 11 when I hit the brick wall so I missed my target time.

Race Time: 2:17:05
Race Pace: 10.09 min/mi