This race takes places on the outskirts of Indianapolis, in a scenic, sprawling park called Eagle Creek. Previously, I had participated in this event's sibling, Summer Night Trail Half Marathon, and a trail marathon put on by the same group in August. Both were fun and incredibly well organized so I used the winter trail marathon as a build-up to ultra distances.

Winter weather in Indianapolis can be variable to say the least. Fortunately, this year's race was not postponed due to bitter cold temperatures (that did happen a couple of years ago) and the forecasted rain stopped much earlier in the day. The temperature was around 30, not bad considering the race started at 6 PM in the middle of January. Since this race was held completely in the dark on trails, each runner was required to have a headlamp or other light source.

The marathon consists of four loops around a 6.5ish loop. Race organizers also offer a half marathon and a quarter marathon. The race sells out every year (as does the summer version) to it is key to plan ahead and sign up early.

The course is challenging, given the mud and sloppiness. The first loop was runnable — the freezing rain was minimal as compared to what was expected and stopped early afternoon. However, the wetness — and tracks of 500 runners and walkers, the vast majority doing either the half or quarter marathon — made the second loop very muddy in spots.

The third loop was an exercise in staying mentally tough. The mud was much more severe. My legs had taken a pounding. And my stomach was not happy. There was a lot of walking on this loop on the uphills.

The final loop was an absolutely muddy disaster between miles 5 and 6 — we sunk on literally every step, making it impossible to propel ourselves forward with any power. The last half-mile was very runnable.

Once I entered the finish line area, I sprinted toward the finish. At the finish, runners were treated toward a very welcome post-race party with BBQ chicken, bananas, chips and other goodies. And a few days later, the race photos — which are free! — were uploaded to the race website.

There is not much elevation gain, though the loop does have ups and downs, as well as some trail obstacles to avoid. This is an excellent race for trail runner beginners, or experienced ones looking for a competitive finish.

Packet pickup is usually at a North Face store. Runners get a discount if they purchase something when they get their bibs. Runners also may pick up their bibs before the race. A tech shirt is included in the entry fee, and finishers receive a nice, big medal.

There are a lot of perks for a reasonably priced trail race. I will continue to do one or more of these races each year, of course, depending on how they fit in with the rest of my training schedule.