Race motto: "A man must love a thing very much if he not only practices it without any hope of fame and money, but even practices it without any hope of doing it well."
- G. K. Chesterton
Last weekend we had the 23rd annual Riddle Run at our local trails. Jeff Riddle started this tradition back in 2000 and it continues to this day. Great tradition to have an unofficial fun run in the middle of winter. No fees, no awards, no aid, no swag. Just friends running with friends. Trail is a 4-mile loop, gently rolling, through woods, open prairie, and farmland. This year the weather was pretty awful, but the trail itself was simply cold and hard...no snow or ice. The day started at 4F (-5 windchill) and ended around 25F (15 windchill). Could have been worse, and over the years, it has been worse. We've had snow drifts above my waist, 30+ mph winds, and blowing snow. Packed snow and ice are not uncommon. So this year wasn't too bad.
Around 33 people did at least one 4-mile loop. Only 3 of those finished the full 7 loops (28 miles). I was one of them! The last of the three finishers in 5:45. Aron McDonald won in a time of 5:01. After the run, many of us hung out around a fire pit, eating, drinking, and talking. The "race director" (me) even brought pizza. Next year I'll add cheesy bread sticks. Good times.
Tom Rice and I are the only people to have "participated" (run at least one loop) every single year. Twenty-three in a row. I'll be back for Riddle Run #24 next January. Hopefully Tom will too. Here are Google sheets with 2022 results, plus winners of the 23 years of this event:
Come snow and ice, or rain and mud, I'll be ready for 2023. Can't stop the Riddle Run streak.
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