Running (trail) race 51:40 [4] 7.0 mi (7:23 / mi) +80m 7:08 / mi
Living History Farms XC run in Des Moines. About 30 degrees and windy at the start. A bit slow for the first half mile as the 7,500 starters spread out. Then mostly gravel and open grass for the first four miles as I steadily passed on the outside (or inside). Excellent pace, 4-mile split was 27:30, but after that we hit all the creek crossings. Mile 5 was quite a bit slower as the trail narrowed and went down and up through creek valleys and some fairly steep slopes, some with ropes. I was early enough and the ground was semifrozen, so it wasn't too muddy. Mile 6 was more of the same, then a long uphill that I nearly had to walk (but not quite.) After that, though, it was a good hard trail run downhill to the finish.
Everyone in the van did pretty well - best times were Chad around 45 and Dylan near 48, Reed at 58, and mo+biz at 61.